Mazda, Honda Suspend Dealer Orders
Want a Mazda 3? Buy it soon… Image: Mazda
The economic effects of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami will begin to hit U.S. auto dealerships in April and May. Last week, both Mazda and Honda temporarily suspended U.S. dealership orders for all vehicles built in Japan. For Mazda, this includes the Mazda 2, Mazda 3, Mazda 5, MX-5, RX-8, CX-7 and CX-9; for Honda, the vehicles impacted include the Fit, CR-V, Insight, CR-Z, Civic Hybrid, Acura TSX and Acura RL. Nissan will reduce U.S. vehicle allocation for May by 50%, while neither Toyota nor Mitsubishi have announced any changes to dealer ordering procedures. Neither Mazda nor Honda will speculate on when orders will resume, but it’s reasonable to expect inventory shortages of popular models heading into the summer months. Read more…
Mazda MX-5 GT Racer Is Chock Full Of Win
I’m a huge fan of the MX-5, because it really does represent the best handling car for the money. Sure, it’s not particularly fast in a straight line, but the bonus is that you rarely need to hammer the binders for a corner. The MX-5 forgives a lot of mistakes, but it also teaches you wrong from right in a very controlled manner. I’ve owned two (a ’93 B Package and my current ’06 Sport), which breaks my own cardinal rule of “life’s too short to have the same ride twice”. As good as my ’06 is with suspension and exhaust mods, it’s no match for the MX-5 GT cooked up by Jota Sport. For starters, there’s the issue of weight: my car probably tips the scales at around 2,460 pounds, but Jota’s MX-5 GT weighs in at just 1,873 pounds. Shaving a few hundred pounds off an already light car is difficult, but shaving nearly 600 pounds borders on the impossible. Every area that could be lightened was, thanks to tricks like polycarbonate windows, a carbon fiber dashboard and an acid-dipped body. Kids, don’t try this at home. Read more…
2011 Mazda 6 Review
The 2011 Mazda 6 i versions are powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 170 horsepower and 167 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on the i Sport. A five-speed automatic with manual shift control is offered on the i Sport and is the only choice available on i Touring, i Touring Plus and i Grand Touring models.
The Mazda 6, Arachnophobia And You
A 2010 Mazda 6. Image: Mazda
Do you have a fear of spiders, known medically as arachnophobia? Chances are there’s no good reason for it, since very few of the eight legged critters found in the U.S. can do you much harm. Sure, we’ve got the black widow and the brown recluse to worry about, but both pale in comparison to spiders found in Australia. Take the Sydney funnel web, for example, whose fangs can penetrate the leather of a shoe and whose venom is perfectly capable of killing a human (or making him wish he was dead). In the United States, though, there’s no good reason to fear spiders, unless you own a 2009 to 2010 Mazda 6; in that case, a spider really can kill you. Read more…
Categories: AutomotiveAddicts, Mazda Tags: Arachnophobia, Mazda
Mazda sets lightweight target of 2,200 pounds for next-gen MX-5
The original Mazda MX-5 made its U.S. debut in 1989, and back then, the Miata was a lithe little roadster that immediately drew praise for its superior handling and a fun-to-drive nature. Each generation that followed packed on more pounds and additional amenities, slightly blunting the car’s appeal as a simple roadster at an affordable price. But the next MX-5 – due to arrive in 2012 – Mazda has set a target weight of 2,200 pounds and returning it to its former glory.
Geneva Motor Show 2010: 2011 Mazda5 gets swoopy in Switzerland
Mazda’s Nagare design theme has infiltrated nearly every model in its lineup, with only a few lone hold-outs. Here in Geneva, one of the last unmolested models has finally gone under the knife and the result is the 2011 Mazda 5.
In addition to the new smiling fascia, five-point grille, deeper chin spoiler and flared front fenders, the new 5 gets a trio of dramatic, wave-live character lines sweeping from the front door and terminating into the deeply drawn rear tailamps. The combination ditches the somewhat anonymous profile of the previous model, it’s just a shame the rear looks disproportionately top heavy.
Categories: Auto Show, Crossover, Geneva Motor Show, Mazda Tags:
All-New 2011 Mazda5 coming to 2010 Geneva Motor Show
The Mazda5 has been around since 2006, going about its microvan business in relative obscurity, yet rewarding buyers with a healthy dose of zoom-zoom mixed into their three-row vanlet driving needs. The Mazda5 (Premacy in other markets) received a few tweaks in 2008, but other than new wheels and clear tail lamps, there weren’t a lot of changes. Well, Mazda just announced that an all-new Premacy will be unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, and despite the smile on its face, the changes are more than skin deep.
Cribbing heavily from recent show cars like the Nagare and Furai, the new 5 sports swoopy character lines along its flanks, and adopts the now-familiar and familial smiley face up front. Besides an all-new body, the 2011 Mazda5 will also get the company’s “i-stop” start-stop technology for its new direct-injection engine, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 15 percent according to Mazda. Mazda says the Nagare-inspired styling actually serves to reduce drag and maintain a good balance of downforce fore and aft, but we’re pretty sure people will just think it a bit overstyled.
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