Autoblog

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

Mazda is finally going to employ the styling cues shown on its Taiki, Ryuga, Hakaze and Furai show cars with a supermini concept, due to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show. The concept aims to slot in below the Mazda2 and may be the first production model to benefit from the Nagari design theme. Other models utilizing Laurens van der Acker's swooping and sculpted lines are expected to come to production in 2010, including the redesigned Mazda3.

Mazda also plans to unveil a small crossover concept at the Moscow Motor Show later this year, which will likely be based of the Ford Kuga and utilize the same Nagari DNA. This new CUV will be specifically designed for the Russian market, which Mazda maintains could overtake Germany as the largest market in Europe. But bringing this cute 'ute to the UK and the US is a possibility, as consumers continue to downsize their rides.

[Source: Autocar]

Follow the jump for a video of the owner discussing and driving the car

You don't need to spend much time with a Miata to "get" why so many drivers are attracted to them. Perfectly executed and relentlessly entertaining, it's no surprise that Mazda's little roadster is the track-day weapon of choice for a number of people. While countless 4-banger Miatas do their thing on the autocross circuit, one Mark Snell was interested in kicking things up a level so he could run with the big boys in their 'Vettes and similar machinery. His solution? Drop a Mazda 2.5L V6 into his blue roadster's engine bay, then modify and tune it to the point where it's pushing 180 horsepower to the rear wheels. The view underhood is plenty cool -- we especially dig those Suzuki GSX-R1000 throttle bodies he's added. The Miata sounds pretty mean, too. Follow the jump for a video in which Snell gives a tour of his car and discusses the modifications he's made before taking viewers for a quick spin. We believe that this is what fun looks like. Thanks for the tip, Ryan!

[Source: Driving Sports]

If Consumer Reports is right, Volkswagen is well on its way to attaining its dream of outselling Toyota by 2015. In the magazine's June 2008 issue, CR threw a handful of hatchbacks into the ring and the VW Rabbit hopped out the winner. The magazine cited the Rabbit's "very well finished" interior for its class, agility, braking and transmission as reasons to choose it over a growing field of small hatchbacks. CR also expects the Rabbit to have an "above average" reliability record.

The biggest negative the staff found in the VW was "mediocre" fuel economy for a car its size, though many SUV drivers looking to downsize will love seeing its 24 mpg figure. Staffers also complained about the large C-pillars blocking their view and engine lag after stops.

Consumer Reports has routinely praised the Mazda3 as one of its favorite hatches, but in overall scoring, the car now comes in third, slightly behind the Toyota Prius Touring. Rounding out the top five are the Subaru Impreza Outback Sport and the newly redesigned Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe twins. At the bottom of the list are the Dodge Caliber and the Chevrolet HHR.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Click above for a high-res gallery, follow the jump for video

Meet the Biante, Mazda's new Japan-only 8-passenger minivan. The funky oversized headlamps, expansive greenhouse, and stylish frenched taillamps are the work of Iwao Koizumi, designer of the original Atenza (Mazda6 outside Japan) and CX-7.

Mazda announced the Biante earlier this week, and details are still a bit thin thin. According to the automaker, the new people-mover's name is derived from the word "ambient" and will deliver the most interior space in its class when it goes on sale later this summer. We expect to learn more technical info then, but in the meantime, we've got a promo video after the jump as well as a high-res photo gallery below.

If you can read Japanese, you can also stop by the official Biante website, which features a bunch of Gumby-like characters that represent a family of seven, plus one dog -- all of whom should fit in the new ride. You know, if they were real people. It's all very Japanese.


[Sources: Mazda, Nihon Car]

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Mazda6

Mazda recently sent out a survey request to potential customers, the purpose of which was to allow these survey takers to build a 2009 Mazda6 with whatever options, packages and colors they wanted so that the automaker could gauge which will be most popular when the car goes on sale. Unfortunately, Mazda was smart and the survey can only be taken once, but one person recorded all the information he saw and posted it on the Mazda6club.com forum. His notes after the jump give us an idea of what trim levels, options and pricing will be available when the car does go on sale, though none of it is written in stone.

It appears that the 2009 Mazda6 will be available in two basic versions: the Mazda6 i that comes with a 170-hp 2.5L four-cylinder with VVT and the more powerful Mazda6 s that's motivated by a 272-hp 3.7L V6. The Mazda6 i will be offered in SV, Sport, Touring and Grand Touring models, while the Mazda6 s will be available as Sport, Touring and Grand Touring. As far as pricing goes, the Mazda6 i SV kicks things off with a base price of $19,850 while the Mazda6 s Grand Touring tops the range with a base price of $29,150. That's quite a large range that should satisfy the wants and needs of most buyers, and features like Xenon headlamps, Bluetooth, a Blind Spot Monitoring system, rain-sensing wipers and wheels up to 18-inches in diameter should position the new Zoom-Zoom sedan well against its mid-size family sedan competition.

Check out all the packages, standard features and pricing info after the jump, but remember they may not be the same when the car officially goes on sale. Thanks for the tip, Joel!


[Source: Mazda6club.com]

It's been two weeks since our last podcast -- we tried to do one last week, but technical difficulties scuttled the effort. With that in mind, we packed some extra content into Autoblog Podcast #93. It's the usual rollicking good time where we discuss our current Autoblog Garage occupants, hit a few news items like the neo-M1 concept from BMW, Suzuki's content addition to the SX4, and the unveiling of the new Mazda6. Most importantly, we burn a healthy amount of minutes on the new Knight Rider suckfest. We also take a few emails from our podcast at autoblog dot com address. Thanks for your hour and seven minutes!

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Click either image for a high-res rendering of each model from AutoExpress.

The Mazda Performance Series, or MPS, is what we've come to know in the U.S. as "Mazdaspeed." It's quickly becoming one of the defining characteristics of modern-day Mazdas, and with the releases of the new Mazda6 and its baby brother, the Mazda2, we've been anxiously awaiting Mazdaspeed's tweaked versions of both vehicles.

In addition to getting the scoop on the new Evo MR and STI Spec C, AutoExpress has got the goods on Mazda's two new hot offerings. A concept version of the Mazda6 MPS will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October, complete with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four, sending 280 hp to all four wheels, and sprinting to 60 in six seconds. Naturally, the Mazda6 MPS (or Mazdaspeed6 when it makes the trek to U.S. shores) will be sporting an aggressive front clip, spoiler, side skirts, bigger wheels, a stiffer suspension and upgraded brakes when it goes on sale in 2010.

Less information is available about the Mazda2 MPS, but expect a turbo'd 1.5-liter mill sending around 170 hp to the front wheels, a sport-tuned suspension and some exterior and interior tweaks to bring it up to Mazda Performance standards. If and when the Mazda2 makes it to the States, we'd expect the Mazdaspeed2 version to follow shortly thereafter.

[Source: AutoExpress]

If you've ever smashed up a car in an accident, you've probably had the unpleasant experience of dealing with insurance agents who assess what can be saved and what has to be written off. In most cases, insurance companies might find ways to save as much as they can. But the insurers of the Cougar Ace want to make sure every last nut and bolt of some $100 million worth of new Mazdas are completely scrapped.

The Cougar Ace, as you'll recall, was a ship full of Mazda automobiles that nearly capsized in the Pacific Ocean two years ago. Although the cars were securely strapped down, Mazda deemed it impossible to determine the extent of the potential damage caused to each of the vehicles on board, so rather than risk the cars making their way onto the market – like many Katrina-damaged vehicles from New Orleans three years ago – the company and its insurers decided each car had to be scrapped. The process of destroying 4703 vehicles, however, proved to be quite a challenge. Airbags had to be triggered, wheels sliced and tires purposely punctured. For the airbag process alone, it would have taken half an hour for each car, so Mazda developed a device to inflate them all at once on each car, saving countless hours of work. The result is a seemingly counter-intuitive disassembly line turns the nearly 5000 new cars into metal shards. Follow the jump to read more about the process.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

Why is this man smiling? Because he's probably as amused by what he's doing as we are. Autoblog reader Doc B sent us these photos he took when he came upon the unlikely sight of a Mazda Miata being used to haul a sofa loveseat. Here we thought a Miata was barely spacious enough to transport two adults and a couple of overnight bags, and this guy just turns the conventional wisdom on its head. Seriously, try moving that thing with, say, a MINI Clubman or a Honda Fit. Not gonna happen. When it comes to hauling couches, it looks like the Miata has all those supposedly practical small hatchbacks beat. Roadsters for everyone, we say! Help friends move in the morning, then autocross in the afternoon. It's the ideal blend of practicality and performance. U-Haul, your days are so numbered.

Thanks for the pics, Doc B.

Click above for a photo gallery of the 2009 Mazda6

Mazda has released the first photos and initial details on the new 2009 Mazda6. Designed specifically for North America, the car shares many cues with the Japanese and European-market cars that hit the scene over the last year. The car Americans and Canadians will drive is, in fact, bigger than its overseas counterparts. Visually, the front and rear fascias differ from the Japanese and European models as well. The USDM car gets a bisected grille and has its foglamps pushed out to the corners below the bumper. As we'd seen in spy photos, the car gets a completely different trunk, rear bumper, and exhaust treatment that's more appealing than the plainer setup Japanese and Europeans get.

Since Mazda released only exterior shots, we'll have to wait to see what the passenger accomodations look like. Base power comes from the same 2.5L four-cylinder base engine used in the Japan/Euro car, mated to either a 6-speed stick or 5-speed auto. The step-up 3.7L V6 is the same one you'll find under the hood of the CX-9. It's only transmission option is a six-speed auto with a manumatic sport shift feature. Horsepower and torque numbers for the USDM car haven't been released yet, but figure on seeing something in the neighborhood of 170 hp/166 lb-ft from the four. The six produces 273 horses and 270 lb-ft in CX-9 trim, so we'd expect something along those lines. Mazda's press release is pasted after the jump, in which you'll find no mention of either a wagon or 5-door hatchback variant. The '09 Mazda6 arrives as a sedan only, and it'll land in your local dealer showrooms later this summer.



[Source: Mazda]