2007 Mazda 3 I on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2018 Mazda Miata adds a cherry on top

For 2018, Mazda is adding a number of new options that should get the attention of prospective Miata buyers, and one of them is shown above. Starting with the new model year, Mazda will offer both the usual black soft top, but also a "Dark Cherry" red top. It looks quite sharp with the silvery-blue color above, and it should be an excellent complement to the Grand Touring model's newest interior option. On the Grand Touring trim, customers can choose the reddish-brown Nappa leather interior that was first applied to the Miata RF Launch Edition. The interior package adds $300 to the top-trim Miata's price tag. There are a few other upgrades sprinkled throughout the Miata lineup. The base-level Sport models will finally get infotainment with a 7-inch screen instead of the little stereo controls mounted to the dash. The midrange Club model now gets heated cloth seats that are upgraded to heated leather units with the Brembo/BBS package, which for $3,770 adds Brembo brakes, BBS wheels, a body kit and the aforementioned seats. Another $700 nets the same package but with Recaro seats that also feature seat heaters. Along with the new features come slight price increases across the board. The base 2018 Sport trim now starts at $26,185, an increase of $395. The Club increases in price by $370 to $30,045, and the Grand Touring has the smallest change of $145 to $31,085. The first 2018 soft-top Miatas will arrive at dealerships this month, and should be available everywhere in January. Related Video: Image Credit: Mazda Mazda Convertible Performance mazda mx5

Mazda hands over first factory-restored Miata

In August 2017, Mazda announced that it will be offering factory quality restoration work for the original, NA body Mazda MX-5 Miata introduced in 1989. The program also included parts support, as Mazda wants to underline how much the original Miata still means to it. The program was launched with exemplary work carried out on a Miata owned by Mazda, but the first customer car has now been finished. The first car was picked from 600 applications sent to Mazda. Out of all these cars needing factory certified work, the 1992 British Racing Green V-Special owned by retired tomato farmer Keiji Nishimoto was chosen to be the first. The Eunos-badged limited-edition car was bought new by Nishimoto, and he told Mazda the car had been instrumental in creating some wonderful road-trip memories. The V-Special edition came in a British roadster-style color combination: "Neo" green over tan leather, complete with a retro-style Nardi wood wheel. The car also has a front strut bar and a limited-slip differential. Nishimoto had already been planning to get his car restored, but getting it done by Mazda during the summer was even better. The car was finished in August, and it was officially handed over to its owner in September. To have owned and enjoyed a car for a quarter-century and getting a chance to experience it in as-new condition again must be a fantastic experience. Nishimoto says the car is now good for another 25 years of driving. For the time being, the TUV Rheinland certified restoration program is only available for Japanese customers. But since a large percentage of first-generation Miatas are still on the road, and a large percentage of those will need bodywork done in all the usual places, we would happily see Mazda reach out to European and American customers as well. Related Video:

Mazda3 five-door vs. Mazda CX-3

As a talking point, it won't rival North Korea, world hunger or Mideast peace, but the ongoing tug between car and crossover continues to resonate in the hallways of Autoblog HQ. And it might also generate some discussion on Mazda showrooms, where the Mazda3 five-door and Mazda's CX-3 crossover are parked within a few feet of each other. Not only do they enjoy proximity on the showroom, but they enjoy/suffer (your choice, depending on POV) pricing proximity on the window sticker. The Mazda3 five-door is the more mature model of the two, having been introduced to a world market in fall 2003. With a commonsense footprint enclosed by almost-organic, upscale sheetmetal, the Mazda3 – especially in 5-door form – punches well above its weight in the still-nascent hatchback category. With a redesign (third-generation) introduced in 2014, along with a more recent refresh, the newest sedan and hatchback merge Mazda's KODO design philosophy with a responsive platform, available 2.5-liter drivetrain and a comfortable – if not expansive – interior. What the Mazda3 5-door (photo at left) does not give you is the crossover's high hip point, despite having ground clearance almost identical to the CX-3 subcompact crossover. And while the stated passenger volume of the Mazda3 and CX-3 is almost identical, those cubes are arranged differently; the Mazda3 offers an interior package more linear, while the CX-3 is more upright. Mazda's subcompact CX-3 (photo at top) is a more recent entry, having been developed from the Mazda2 architecture and hitting the street two years ago. It sits below Mazda's CX-9 and CX-5 in the Mazda pecking order. And it is tiny, on a wheelbase of just 101 inches and offering an overall length of just 168 inches. It is seven inches shorter than the Mazda3, with a wheelbase five inches shorter. The net effect is a more compressed environment for passengers, along with the very real challenge of fitting something inside – such as a bicycle – even when that something has its front wheel removed. In the city, I like the CX-3's compactness, and relatively unrestricted visibility when compared to the Mazda3's overall length and lower seating. But when both are equipped with their six-speed automatics, and the Mazda3 is spec'd with its available 2.5 liter DOHC four, there's almost no comparison in their performance. With that spec the hatchback has Mazda's well-hyped zoom, while the CX-3 makes do with nothing but a 4-cylinder boom.