Autoblog

Click to view more renderings of the 2009 Mazda MX-5

Automakers go to great lengths to keep their upcoming products secret, but sometimes leaks are out of their control. Case in point, the recent leak of the upcoming redesign of the Mazda3 and now a facelift for the Mazda MX-5/Miata. With the roadster's full replacement reportedly delayed until 2012, Mazda is apparently going to give the current model a mid-cycle refresh with some more aggressive styling tweaks.

The leaked image, which Mazda apparently filed with the European Union Office of Harmonization for the Internal Market (OHIM), shows a restyled front end and that's it. The new mesh grille borrows from the Mazdaspeed3, the headlights grow a more aggressive slant, the foglights are restyled into eye-shaped surrounds, and the turning indicators are moved to behind the flared wheel arches. Other changes to the car's design may be in store as well, however the images, which you can view in the gallery below, show only the front end. Sources suggest the revised MX-5 may hit the market later this year or early the next, with a possible unveiling at the Paris Motor Show this fall.


[Source: Autoblog Spanish]

Since the Mazda3 hit the streets in 2004, it's proven to be a very strong contender in the small car segment. The compact sedan and hatch has been winning customers over with great styling, athletic ride characteristics, and equipment that typically isn't found in small cars. Its rich mix of standard features and options has helped keep transaction prices high, which will be very important as the self-proclaimed Zoom-Zoom automaker looks to downsize its lineup and make as much money as possible from every sale.

Mazda will now execute the Mazda3 strategy across its entire line to boost profits while giving customers the standard features they crave. For example, the all-new 2009 Mazda6 will be equipped with disc brakes at all four corners in every trim level while some of the competition continues to use rear drum brakes on their base models. Mazda has already proven that adding standard content can raise transaction prices while at the same time increasing sales, now the Ford-controlled automaker needs to prove that it can accomplish the same feat across its lineup. If Mazda makes all of its vehicles as competent as the Mazda3, that shouldn't be a problem.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring

If you keep up with the print mags, it would be easy to think that every journalist, PR flack and blogger loves Mazda's CX-9. Automobile Magazine made a spot for it on their All-Stars list, Motor Trend named it Sport Utility of the Year, Car & Driver thinks its one of the 5 Best Trucks of 2008, SEAMO crowned it their Family Car of the Year and USA TODAY even went as far as calling it "about perfect." We put 380 miles on the 7-seater in our best attempt to debunk the CX-9's mythical aura of SUV perfection and found most of the legend true.


All photos Copyright ©2008 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc.

Click above for more renderings of the 2010 Mazda3

Sure, it has happened where a toy manufacturer accidentally reveals a new car, but we don't believe this is one of those times. These renderings of the redesigned 2010 Mazda3 were posted in a thread over on carspyshots.net under the auspice of being toy renderings, but our colleagues from Autoblog Spanish did some digging and discovered that Mazda actually owns these images, not some Japanese toy manufacturer. Thus, it's more likely that these are actual renderings of the real, full-scale 2010 Mazda3. Of course, we could all be wrong and these renderings may have been made by a kid in his mother's basement, as the perspective and scale seems off in some areas. Then again, the design they show, which takes a few styling cues from the new Mazda6 and refreshed RX-8, is right in line with what we're expecting. Thanks for the tip, Galvin!


[Source: Carspyshots.net]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Mazda Taiki concept.

The rotary engine is world-renowned for many things, but fuel-efficiency isn't one of them. Mazda wants to make Wankel's masterpiece the poster child for its hydrogen-powered endeavors, so it's considering offering a dual-fuel version of the engine in its next RX-badged offering.

According to AutoExpress, Mazda's RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicle will evolve into a new model, dubbed the RX-9, and is rumored to be motivated by a hydrogen-gasoline powertrain that will offer 20 percent better fuel economy and emissions over a traditional gasoline-powered Rotary. The rear-wheel-drive coupe will take styling cues from the Taiki concept and a dash-mounted switch allows drivers to toggle between gasoline and hydrogen fuel systems. For city driving, the hydrogen setting will be employed, which will reduce fuel consumption (at the expense of a 20 percent drop in power), while the gasoline system can be employed when drivers desire more performance.

Mazda's goal is to make the rotary engine's performance, fuel economy and emissions up the level of gasoline-electric hybrids, and if AE's sources are to be believed, the hydrogen-powered RX-9 should arrive in 2012.


[Source: AutoExpress]

Ford's 33.9-percent stake in Mazda, enough to give the Blue Oval control of the Japanese automaker, could come up for grabs if Ford is not able to turn its dire financial position around in short order, according to BusinessWeek. Such a move would likely cause major headaches at both automakers, as the two jointly develop many of their products and combine research and development costs between themselves. In fact, many of Ford's best and most important cars in the U.S. are built atop Mazda's midsize sedan platform. What's more, the cash infusion of Mazda's sale would only net Ford around $2.5 billion, barely more than what the automaker received for its stake in Jaguar and Land Rover. That amount would only allow Ford to stretch a little while longer without returning to profitability. In other words, it would hardly be worth the trouble and is therefore, we're hoping, rather unlikely.

[Source: BusinessWeek]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Mazda MX-5.

Speculation has been swirling over the last two years that a Mazdaspeed version of the MX-5 was right around the corner. At first, it was rumored to be released in late 2007, then early 2008, then early 2009 and then... nothing.

Speaking with Autoblog, Mazda's PR man Jeremy Barnes made it clear that the automaker has no plans to offer a Mazdaspeed version of the current MX-5. While it was originally assumed that the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-pot found in the Mazdaspeed3 would eventually find its way under the hood of the MX-5, Mazda discovered that the swap wasn't a bolt-in affair. According to Barnes, "It does theoretically fit, until you bolt on the head." A high-pressure fuel pump on the back of the head, driven off the cam, would necessitate a notch in the firewall. As such, converting the engine from a transverse (FWD) to a longitudinal (RWD) layout just wasn't feasible.

Thankfully, in addition to Mazdaspeed's own lineup of suspension and engine components, aftermarket companies are developing their own forced induction systems for the NC MX-5. Cosworth is currently testing a supercharger and Flyin' Miata is a couple months away from releasing its own centrifugal blower.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Mazda6.

Despite having the ability to snatch the 2.3-liter gasoline-electric hybrid from FoMoCo's arsenal – the same engine found in the Mazda Tribute Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid and 2009 Fusion – Mazda has decided to keep the new Mazda6 hybrid-free for the time being. Jay Amestoy, veep of public and governmental affairs for Mazda, told InsideLine that the automaker is content that the new 6 can hold its own against the competition, despite the high cost of fuel. "Our real-world MPG numbers will be strong, and we think the fuel economy is pretty good the way it is."

The 2009 Mazda6, equipped with the base 2.5-liter four and a manual transmission is rated at 20/29 mpg on the EPA's city/highway estimates, while the 3.7-liter V6-equipped model comes in at 17/25 mpg.

Sales of hybrids continued to rise, but consumer's tastes seem to favor dedicated hybrid models like the Prius, instead of hybrid sedans and cute 'utes based off normal models originally equipped with traditional powerplants.



[Source: InsideLine]

Click on the image above for our high-res gallery of the 2009 Mazda6

The 2009 Mazda6 is an all-new midsize sedan from Mazda that was designed, engineered, developed, and will be manufactured completely on U.S. soil. While the Japanese and European markets have been enjoying the new 6 (Atenza) since late last year, the North American market finally gets to bask in the sleek new bodywork, along with a bigger engine under the hood. Follow the jump to see if the latest product from team "Zoom-Zoom" can compete head-to-head with the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Altima.

All photos copyright Michael Harley / Weblogs Inc.

We busted our humps getting to Podcast #100, and then promptly slacked off. Chris Shunk and Dan Roth make the effort this week to get Autoblog Podcast #101 out the door while the rest of the team remains difficult to corral. The usual banter about what's been in the Autoblog Garage starts us off before we dive headlong into the pithy GM news from earlier this week. Love it? Hate it? Send your comments, suggestions, or anything else to podcast at autoblog daht kahm. Thanks for listening!


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