1999 Mazda Mx-5 Miata on 2040-cars

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2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata and MX-5 Miata RF pricing announced

At Chicago, Mazda has announced official 2018 pricing for the MX-5 Miata, both soft-top and RF. The trick-roofed RF version, or Retractable Fastback, has a coupe-like power hardtop that opens up into a targa. It's only natural that there are MX-5 models on display at the Chicago Auto Show, as 29 years earlier the original Miata was unveiled there. All ND generation cars sold in the U.S. have the 155-horsepower Skyactiv-G engine with a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. While the canvas-topped 2018 MX-5 starts from $25,295 as a manual Sport, the RF bypasses the Sport spec and starts directly from the Club, which for the RF means a $31,910 starting price, or $355 more than for 2017; the soft-top 2018 Club costs $29,555 in comparison, or a measly $120 hike. The manual Club has a limited slip differential, a front strut brace and Bilstein suspension. Similarly to the soft-top car, the RF also gets a Brembo/BBS brake/wheel/appearance package that hikes the price to $35,680 — and that is only available with manual transmission. That package costs $32,925 for the soft-top, which has also a $700 Recaro sport seating option for the aforementioned Brembo/BBS package, but that is unavailable for the RF. Grand Touring comes with automatic climate control, heated leather seats and adaptive lighting, at a price of $30,195 for the soft top and $32,750 for the RF. Add new-for-2018 Nappa leather for the Grand Touring for $300. At launch in the 2017 model year, the RF Grand Touring was priced $3,000 dearer than a comparable soft-top version, but that difference has now shrunk by $500. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Mazda MX-5 RF: Chicago 2018 View 11 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2018 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Auto News Chicago Auto Show Mazda Convertible Coupe Performance 2018 Chicago Auto Show

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:

2014 Mazda6 i Sport

In an automotive landscape dominated by platform sharing, technology exchange and any number of other cross-fertilization/cost-saving/amortization exercises, it's actually pretty rare that we get to drive a new car that is as "all-new" as this, the 2014 Mazda6. With brand-spanking new Skyactiv architecture throughout - engine, transmission, body and chassis all included - this 6 represents a new era of flexible production and cutting edge running gear for the happily lithe car company.
Our own Jonathon Ramsey did a cracking job of running the Mazda6 through its First Drive paces a few months ago, and sufficiently impressed upon us just how good looking a car this is for the midsize sedan segment. Suffice it to say, now, then, that this is easily the most interesting (and quite possibly the most beautiful) midsize sedan in the segment today. However, as Mr. Ramsey reviewed a fully contented example of the 6 - one equipped with the six-speed automatic transmission - we took advantage of Mazda's North American launch event of the car to suss out the base Mazda6 i Sport, complete with its six-speed Skyactiv manual gearbox. This may not shock you, but the stripper's pretty good, too.
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