1987 Mazda Rx-7 Turbo Coupe 2-door 1.3l on 2040-cars

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How long will the 'golden age' of performance last?

High-powered sports and luxury cars were everywhere at the New York Auto Show, prompting the obvious question for enthusiasts: How long will this golden age of performance last? Industry leaders have some time before regulations elevate the Corporate Average Fuel Economy level in 2025. Even then, they expect cars rippling with power to survive in some form. "Is it the end of an era," I don't think so," said Ola Kallenius, Daimler AG board member for Mercedes-Benz cars marketing and sales. "That performance element of individual mobility I don't think will ever go away." Kallenius, who oversaw the company's AMG division from 2010-2013, expects it to continue to grow. Last year, AMG sold a record 68,875 units around the world, an increase of 44.6 percent over 2014, with strong growth in the US, China, and Germany. Still, there's always the potential for gas to spike, and pending fuel economy regulations are looming. That could lead AMG to add electrification to its products, Kallenius said, pointing to the electric SLS as a test case. Chevy is also thinking ahead, said Al Oppenheiser, chief engineer of the Camaro. He wouldn't bite when asked about electrification for the Camaro (he did say "never say never"), but admitted in 2025 "it's going to be pretty tough to sell V8s." For now, things are rosy for muscle cars, and Chevy confidently showcased the 640-hp Camaro ZL1 in coupe and convertible form in New York. "I think that this is truly the golden age of performance," Oppenheiser said. It's hard to disagree. News & Analysis News: The 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF was a show-stopper in New York. Analysis: There was a palpable energy when this RF — for Retractable Fastback — was revealed the night before the show at a trendy off-site venue near the Hudson River. Even as a parade of SUVs and flashy luxury cars rolled out the rest of the week, the Miata remained a hot topic. The Retractable Fastback is really a clever targa top, with part of the roof stowing behind the seats, adding about 100 pounds compared to the standard convertible. It makes the car more practical and arguably more attractive. The RF continues Mazda's tradition of selling the Miata with a hardtop variant. The first and second generations offered a detachable one, and a power retractable hardtop (a $1,700 option) was available on third-gen models. Judging by its reception in New York, the RF could prove to be even more popular than its predecessors.

Aussie Mazda MX-5 Miata specs leak suggests power loss

Mazda's 2016 MX-5 Miata reveal didn't include much in the way of specifications, but the car's debut seems to have blown the lid off of the rumormill, with the latest word out of Australia including fresh claims of curb weight and engine output.
Before delving into the findings from Motoring.com, we're going to take a moment to find a few grains of salt. It's not that we don't trust the Oz publication, it's just that we wouldn't be surprised to learn their car's specifications will vary from that of our eventual North American car.
Of course, we don't expect the footprint of the new ND model to itself to differ much - it will still be the most compact Miata ever - overall length is expected to check in at just over 154 inches - that's about 1.4 inches shorter than the original NA Miata and over 4 inches shorter than today's NC generation, yet it'll ride atop a longer wheelbase and be slightly wider while sitting lower to the ground.

2021 Mazda CX-3 gets a few more features, costs same as in 2020

The Mazda CX-3 is still down there at the foot of the Mazda lineup, chugging into 2021 and its seventh year on sale. The subcompact hatchback hasn't been overhauled since its debut and in 2020 had its three trims rationalized to one trim, so it gets denied the attentions paid to the Mazda3 and the CX-30. Those with an eye on the CX-3, however, will pay the same amount in 2021 as buyers did in 2020. Mazda announced a base price of $20,640 for the sole CX-3 Sport model, for a total of $21,740 after the $1,100 destination charge. Going from a Sport FWD to the Sport AWD adds $1,400, coming out to $23,140. Mazda's littlest crossover is powered by a Skyactiv-G 2.0-liter four-cylinder producing 148 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque, shifting through a six-speed automatic. The nicer, newer, larger CX-30 is powered by a Skyactiv-G 2.5-liter inline-four that it shares with the Mazda3, producing 186 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque and mated to a six-speed auto. The front-wheel drive CX-30 starts at $23,000 after destination, $1,260 above the CX-3, the AWD CX-30 maintaining the same price gap at $24,400.    Related: Least expensive vehicles to insure in America   New for the 2021 CX-3, the i-Activsense suite has been updated with night pedestrian detection for the low-speed forward collision alert and avoidance system, and the LED headlights are self-leveling with enhanced auto on/off activation. The standard driver safety systems also include adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert, and lane departure warning. There's a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Mazda Connect, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay, and remote keyless illuminated entry thrown in, too. The Sport trim goes with a louver-styled grille, roof spoiler, and 16-inch alloys. In fact, other than the cost-extra colors Machine Gray Metallic, Snowflake White Pearl Mica, and Soul Red Crystal Metallic on the eight-strong exterior palette, and some minor cosmetic options, the basic CX-3 is the only CX-3. It will reach dealer lots next month. Related Video: