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Mazda replaces owner's crashed 2016 Miata with brand new car

The first shipment of 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miatas are finally here. Imagine the jubilant sensation of being among the 1,000 people to pick up the limited Launch Edition, only to feel eviscerated when the new roadster crashes hardly a mile away from the dealer. While it must be an absolutely horrendous experience, Mazda North American Operations is making things right for one forlorn couple. In what was surely among the first recorded crashes of the 2016 Miata in the US, a husband and wife recently went to pick up their new Launch Edition, but they were rear-ended almost as soon as they left the dealer. According to Jalopnik, the hit also caused the roadster to slam into the car in front and might have bent the frame. To make a bad situation even worse, the wife also needed to be taken to the hospital to be checked out. Mazda is coming to the couple's aid with a generous gift. Knowing that it's utterly unfair for the new owners not to enjoy some top-down driving while the summer lasts, the company is actually sending the pair another Launch Edition to replace their crashed example. According to a Facebook post by the dealer (below), the car should be available sometime next month. Hopefully, the couple can enjoy thousands of miles of roadster driving with this one. After hearing about one of our customers getting rear-ended just minutes after picking up their new Miata, Mazda is sending out a replacement next month! #LongLiveTheRoadster Posted by Tom Bush Mazda on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 Related Video:

Turbo Mazda6 starts at $30,090, only base trim gets manual

We learned last fall that the 2018 Mazda6 is getting a slew of updates to its appearance and refinement, as well as introducing this generation's first turbocharged engine (may we never forget the old Mazdaspeed6). Now we know how much it will cost to get that 2.5-liter four-cylinder's 250 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque: $30,090. This is the base price of the Mazda6 Grand Touring, which is the entry trim level to this engine. In fact, the Grand Touring will only come with the turbo engine, as will the new Grand Touring Reserve and Signature trim levels. The base-level Sport trim and higher-level Touring will only come with the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder (187 hp, 186 lb-ft of torque) that now comes with cylinder-deactivation. Every Mazda6 will receive a comprehensive series of updates when it arrives at dealerships this April. The revised Sport, which comes with cloth manual seats, dual-zone climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, blind-spot warning, rear-cross traffic assist and low speed automatic emergency braking, is only $5 more than the outgoing 2017.5 model for a new base price of $22,840. The optional automatic adds another $1,050 to the price. Moving up to Touring limits you to only the automatic transmission and adds 19-inch alloy wheels, leatherette upholstery, a power driver's seat, heated front seats, a sunroof, and rear air vents. It starts at $26,590, $455 more than the outgoing model with the optional automatic. Moving up to the Grand Touring brings us to the turbo engine. It also adds an 11-speaker Bose sound system, navigation, heated side mirrors, and an auto-dimming driver's mirror. It also gets shift paddles on the steering wheel, so although the turbo engine won't be available with a manual, there will be a way to conveniently shift gears. Its price is $30,090, and as a point of reference, the cheapest Honda Accord with the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine starts at $31,200 with either a manual or automatic transmission. The Grand Touring Reserve comes in at $32,590. This trim adds a heads-up display, rear spoiler, windshield wiper de-icers, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, real leather upholstery, and power adjustment and ventilation for both front seats. The range-topping Signature starts at $35,640 and adds Nappa leather, UltraSuede trim, parking sensors, 360-degree camera views and a configurable instrument screen. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party.

Alfa Romeo takes Spider in-house, Mazda-Fiat roadster partnership not dead

It's officially off. Following a report in March of this year that the marriage of Mazda and Alfa Romeo to produce a MX-5-based Spider was in trouble, the Italians have confirmed that it will take development in-house. "As far as the Spider goes, the final version is of course no longer the two-seater FCA co-developed with Mazda but a derivative of Project Giorgio," Maserati and Alfa Romeo brand boss Harald Wester told Car. For those not in the know, Project Giorgio is Alfa's codename for the rear-drive platform that will underpin the next-generation Spider, not to mention the replacement for the 159 sedan and a few other products. All is not lost for the Japanese-Italian partnership, though. "The Far East import will probably find a new home with Fiat-Abarth," Wester told Car. Yes, you read that correctly, Mazda is still working with FCA, and the result will eventually end up with Abarth's scorpion badge. If anything, we're more excited over this news than the idea of an Alfa MX-5. But we want to know what you think – would you rather Alfa build a new Spider on the Miata's bones, or does an MX-5 Abarth sound like more fun? Have your say in Comments.