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Blimey! UK gets its own 20th Anniversary Mazda Miata

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:28:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Europe, Japan, Mazda

Mazda MX5 20th Anniversary Edition (UK) - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you'll allow us to channel Kyle's mother for a moment, "What!? What!? What?!?!" That's right folks, not only has Mazda decided that them good bread and cheese eaters over in Europia get a 20th Anniversary edition Miata, but the redcoat wearing, Simon Cowell spawning, Union Jacking Queen-lovers over in Britain are fit to get their own special special edition 20th Anniversary Miata. Us Yanks? Bupkis.

Of course, when you scrape your way down to the nitty and/or gritty of the matter, you learn that just like the Europe-only MX-5 Miata, the Brit version also gets a 1.8-liter motor, not the more powerful 2.0-liter found in U.S.-spec Miatas. Meaning that only a very few crazy die hards would shell out good money for a detuned special edition Miata even if the 1.8-liter model "echoes true spirit of 1990 original." And of course, as we all know (ahem) the 1990 original Miata came with a 1.6-liter power plant and the 1.8-liter motor didn't show up until ~~1996~~ 1994.

The truth of the matter is there doesn't seem to be any difference between the British 20th Anniversary cars and the European ones aside from the fancy paint job (the 20th Anniversary car is largely an appearance package detailed here). It's just that Britain is such a huge Miata market the island nation secured 33 percent of the production run. After all, the Miata is essentially a British roadster minus all the never absent rust, fatal electrical gremlins and routine catastrophic purging of essential fluids. Still feeling bad that we're not getting a 20th Anniversary Miata? It takes 9.9 seconds for that 1.8-liter to 60 miles per hour... Press release after the jump.

Gallery: Mazda MX5 20th Anniversary Edition (UK)

[Source: Mazda]

Continue reading Blimey! UK gets its own 20th Anniversary Mazda Miata

Blimey! UK gets its own 20th Anniversary Mazda Miata originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Mazda to slash weight by over 200 pounds in 2011

Chris Shunk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:31:00 EST

Filed under: Mazda

2009 Mazda MX-5 Miata - Click above for high-res image gallery

When the original fuel crisis hit the States in the 1970s, automakers scrambled to make smaller, more efficient transportation. The result was a lot of ill-packaged front-wheel drive suck better left in the deepest recesses of our collective consciousness. Since the mid '80s though, vehicles (and people) began growing at a steady rate to the point that the typical C-segment sedan is bigger and heavier than the run of the mill '90s midsize sedan.

Mazda is no different than the competition when it comes to added tonnage, as product development chief Robert Davis tells Autoweek/Automotive News that each product cycle results in weight gain of about 80 pounds. That stops beginning in 2011, though, as the Japanese automaker begins dropping the weight of a typical Mazda by 220 pounds or more. Davis says the automaker will attack the problem from several angles, including using more aluminum and high strength steel, cutting the overall length of vehicles by three inches or more and utilizing smaller and more efficient powertrains. Mazda engineers are also being charged with finding innovative solutions to solve problems like how best to bond aluminum to steel. The automotive Weight Watchers plan will result in fuel economy gains of three to five percent without sacrificing safety.

The weight loss isn't likely to happen throughout Mazda's entire lineup all at once, though, instead opting to drop pounds as vehicles come up for redesign. Mazda will also work to lose the weight without sacrificing the brand's Zoom Zoom roots. One of the first Mazda models expected to benefit from the companies weight loss goals is the MX-5 Miata. Rumors have been flying for months that the next Miata will be lighter than the already feathery roadster we have today. We'd say lighter is almost always better as long as the weight subtraction doesn't come at the expense of structural rigidity.

We're all for Mazda cutting weight from all of its models, and we're hoping that other automakers follow suit. We're pretty sure we've had enough of 5,000 pounds SUVs and two-ton sedans, and we're guessing you have, too.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Photos copyright (C)2009 Chris Paukert / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: AutoWeek]

REPORT: Mazda to slash weight by over 200 pounds in 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: The Smoking Tire launches, plays with Mazda enthusiasts in New York

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Videos, Mazda

The Smoking Tire's Matt Farah inspects a first generation Miata - Click above to view the video after the jump

Remember Garage 419? Good show, right? Buncha car guys talking about cars with occasional outbursts of hoonage -- quite the winning formula (full disclosure, they had us on as a guest). Sadly, Garage 419 went off the "air" a while ago. But despair not gearhead video fans. Host Matt Farah is back with a brand new show called The Smoking Tire and after watching the first episode, it looks to be everything you liked about Garage 419 minus all the Brandon and the Frog ads.

In the debut episode, Farah and crew head to the Newburgh, New York home of Orange County Choppers to a Mazda parking lot gathering and ~~hassle~~ interview Miata and 'Speed3 owners about their respective zoom-zoomy rides. Then Farah squeezes all 6'3", 245 pounds of himself into a 2010 Mazda MX-5 Miata and takes it for a spin up Bear Mountain, explaining why he recommends the nimble roadster to every 16-year-old that asks what car to buy. Obviously, comparisons to Garage 419 are inevitable, but if anything, Farah seems more relaxed and personable than before. We even smiled during the commercial. Check out the first episode after the jump.

[Source: The Smoking Tire]

Continue reading VIDEO: The Smoking Tire launches, plays with Mazda enthusiasts in New York

VIDEO: The Smoking Tire launches, plays with Mazda enthusiasts in New York originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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