Ever since Mazda revived its Wankel rotary program in 2004 with the RX-8, the internet rumormill has constantly been abuzz with reports of a proper two-door RX-7 variant. The latest such rumor comes by way of Japanese magazine Best Car (via JDM-centric website 7Tune.com), which indicates the new sportscar has a 55% chance of making an appearance at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show in October.

We understand that Mazda's continual development of its rotary engine technology is likely to bring a displacement boost from 1.3- to 1.6-liters for the next RX model – whatever and whenever that may be – along with the seemingly contradictory qualities of more power, cleaner emissions and lower fuel consumption.

Naturally, Best Car provides a rendering of the supposed RX-7 to go along with the speculation of an October debut. Drawing inspiration from the expressive styling language from Mazda's recent concept cars along with a hearty dose of the happy-go-lucky expression of the current Mazda3. We'll see if there's any truth to this report in, oh, about three months.

[Source: 7Tune.com | Image: Best Car]

We've seen it happen a million times: a small car is successful, then the automaker ruins it by making it larger and heavier to satisfy what it thinks the average buyer is after. Fortunately, that hasn't been the case with the Mazda MX-5, which – retractable hardtop option notwithstanding – the Japanese automaker has always been careful not to spoil the core elements of the MX-5. So we'll take reports that Mazda is preparing an even smaller MX-2 with a grain of salt. But a small one.

According to the speculation, a future MX-2 would come in noticeably smaller than the full-size Miata, and therefore require smaller engines. Something between 700cc and 1.6-liter engines are reportedly in store, with a turbo at the top end delivering 160 horsepower. No word on layout, but we'd grudgingly expect a front-drive set-up when the purported MX-2 is unveiled as early as 2012.

[Source: Auto Express]

After search and rescue workers found only debris from Air France 447, reports increasingly doubt the possibility that there will be any survivors from the Rio-to-Paris flight that went missing Sunday over the Atlantic. Among the lives believed to be lost is Neil Stuart Warrior, director of public relations for Mazda's European division.

Warrior was born on April 13, 1961, in Hillingdon, England. Over the course of his career, he worked in the PR departments at Fiat and Alfa Romeo before moving over to SAP, where he ascended to head the business-tech giant's marketing and communications at the young age of 35, before moving into his position at Mazda Motor Europe two years ago.

As closely as automakers' various public relations officers work with members of the media on the reporting end, Neil's loss hits particularly close to home. A memorial service is scheduled for June 8 at 6pm in Cologne, Germany. Our condolences go out to Warrior's surviving father, sister and brother.

Official press release after the jump.

[Source: Mazda]

If you own a 2009 Mazda3 with stability control, you may need to schedule some time at the local Mazda store for repairs. Mazda is recalling 7,100 2009 models for a problem with its Dynamic Stability Control system that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says is not in compliance with federal motor safety standards. NHTSA says the issue is that "the yaw rate measured after completion of the sine with dwell steering input exceeded the test standards." Sounds complicated.

Mazda hasn't yet given a timetable for owner notification, but 2009 Mazda3 owners can call 1-800-222-5500 to see if their vehicle is affected by the recall. Any Mazda dealership will be able to inspect and replace the stability control system free of charge. Hit the jump to read the official NHTSA press release.

[Source: NHTSA]

It's hard to believe it's been two decades since Mazda first showed the world how to build a classic British sports car right. The roadster known as the Miata and MX-5 at different times and places around the world is 20 years old and to celebrate, Mazda has invited 200 examples and their owners from across Europe to a party in France next month at the 24 Hours of LeMans.

Over the course of two decades and three generations, Mazda has sold over 850,000 MX-5s and it remains one of the most entertaining roadsters available. While it's never been the most powerful sports car and some dismiss it as a secretary's chosen chariot, the compact, lightweight roadster has won over even the most insecure alpha males with taut handling, a balanced drivetrain and one of the simplest convertible mechanisms known to man.

European MX-5 owners who want to participate in the party should contact their national MX-5 club or Mazda France. The 200 attendees will watch the race from the Mazda camp alongside the circuit and a best in show will be awarded, along with plenty of goodies.

Last October, it seems that Mazda quietly filed a patent for a twin-spark, direct injection version of the automaker's iconic rotary engine. It's taken this long for anyone to actually notice application 20090101103, which appears to have been approved just last month, but it's still an interesting development in the ongoing saga of pistonless engine.

First developed and patented by German engineer Felix Wankel way back in the early 1950s, the rotary engine has always been able to make lots of power relative to its small size, but it has also proven extremely difficult to keep emissions and fuel consumption at acceptable levels. Adding direct injection may be one effective way to manage the fuel consumption issue, and it's long been assumed Mazda would go this route on the next version of its Renesis rotary.

Further, it seems the automaker is working to slightly change the dimensions of the rotor housing (increased displacement?) and the distance between the twin spark plugs, which may have desirable effects on the engine's tailpipe emissions. It's certainly no sure-thing that this engine is going into production, but it shows the Japanese automaker is intent on improving its rotary technology. Click here to see the actual patent application, and check out all seventeen diagrams in our gallery below.



[Source: U.S. Patent & Trademark Office via SWDELAW]

Participation at last year's SEMA show was notable for its absences, with the event's organizers struggling at the last minute to fill vacated floor space with companies that would have normally been shunned to the outer regions of the Las Vegas Convention Center. As the economic melt-down continues, last year's trend has extended from parts suppliers and mom-and-pop operations to big-name automakers.

Last year, Nissan formally announced that it would only attend one show per continent during its fiscal year (April 1 through March 31) and since Nissan considers SEMA to be one of the "major" shows in North America, it won't be attending the 2009 aftermarket extravaganza. Nissan's Darryll Harrison told us that the automaker wouldn't be participating in any more U.S. expos this year, and with its fiscal year ending in March of 2010, don't expect Nissan to appear at another event in the States until late 2010 (read: LA Auto Show).

Mazda's participation at SEMA will be significantly reduced this November, with the automaker deciding to forgo formal Mazda or Mazdaspeed stands in favor of releasing a few vehicles to select aftermarket firms to trick-out and display at their own booths. Mazda's Director of Communications, Jeremy Barnes, justifies the scaling back of its trade-show presence by saying, "We have chosen to focus our funds where we can directly access consumers" and SEMA isn't it. Barnes went on to say that the new Mazda3 will be prominently featured at this year's event, with at least two models being built for show duty with the automaker's full cooperation, along with a few yet-to-be-disclosed projects.

General Motors and Ford are expected to attend, although the jury is still out on Chrysler, and Honda is currently evaluating their presence, although it may be reduced compared to previous years. No matter what automakers pull-out of this year's show, expect less products on tables, fewer vendors on the floor and even fewer attendees as the aftermarket continues to struggle to keep its head above water.

Mazda North America CEO Jim O'Sullivan couldn't have had a great year, considering the overall state of the U.S. auto industry. Given all the challenges, though, the Zoom Zoom automaker has fared very well. Mazda is one of the few companies that hasn't decreased research, development or design spending. The Japanese automaker has also replaced its entire lineup over the last 18 months, including its top-selling models, the Mazda6 and Mazda3.

Those accomplishments have conspired to give O'Sullivan a prestigious honor; Auto Executive of the Year. The award is voted on by a committee comprised of automotive industry media, industry analysts and automotive supplier CEOs. O'Sullivan, who has been CEO at Mazda North America since 2003, gives much of the credit to his co-workers at Mazda. Some past winners of the award include Carol Shelby, Jim Press, Bill Ford Jr., and Lee Iacocca. Hit the jump to view the Mazda press release.

[Source: Mazda USA]

Although the story's a bit old, Car and Driver just released the tale of their sixth Boss Wagon project online. Just like their past attempts at turning a sow's ear into a silk purse, this one starts with a casual comment that snowballs out of control. After several rethinks, copious man-hours and a lot of scratched heads, a new Boss Wagon has been birthed. This time the project takes the form of a Mazdaspeed5. Yep, Mazda's funky microvan with an extra dash of speed.

Although there are plenty of examples of the Mazdaspeed3 and Mazdaspeed6 on the road, Mazda never made a factory Mazdaspeed5. Some people think that's unacceptable, a few AB staffers included. The Mazda5 is an almost perfect family hauler, but one complaint from drivers has often been that it lacks some zoom-zoom in the engine bay. The simple fix? Because the 5 shares its underpinnings with the Mazda3, stuff in a Mazdaspeed3 turbo mill and pick up an extra 110 hp instantaneously.

Sounds simple enough, but as you'll learn by reading the article, things are never as simple as they might seem. Some eight months, 21 days, and two hours later, the only items they hadn't removed from the 5 were the sliders and liftgate, and they still aren't finished with the fine-tuning. Well, did all that work pay off? Did they turn the grocery getter into a weekend warrior? Follow the source link and find out for yourselves.

[Source: Car and Driver]

Mazda has a new leader for its North American design efforts courtesy of Volkswagen and Audi. Derek Jenkins is moving to Irvine, California to head up the studio that created concepts such as the Nagare and Furai as well as the latest 6 and 3 from Mazda. Jenkins had a 15 year tenure in design at the Volkswagen group, including most recently being the Chief of Design for Volkswagen Group North America.

His credits at VW included the Audi A8 and the Volkswagen Iroc concept that eventually became the new Scirocco.

At the Mazda studio Jenkins is charged with migrating the design language seen on recent concepts like the Nagare into production vehicles coming in the next several years. Check the press release after the jump for all the details.