2007 Mazda Speed3 2.3l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Miata driver pulls off hilariously diabolical move in fender-to-fender racing

Racing is all about finding the little advantages over competitors that allow you to get ahead. Sometimes those are legitimate means - like being able to take advantage of a better line through a corner - and other times drivers get a little more creative for a leg up over opponents. Sometimes things might even go a little too far. Case in point: just watch the opening of this Mazda MX-5 Cup race from Silverstone in the UK.
According to the YouTube description, we're riding with James Rogers in this video, and he appears to be pretty talented behind the wheel. Rogers has a great start from fifth that has him in third within just a few corners. He starts stalking the top two drivers, who are already having a fantastic race themselves, but then we see that the person in second is clearly willing to do whatever it takes to win. Just watch the video, and you'll see what we mean. Bravo (?) to that racer for some very quick, albeit fiendish, thinking.

2018 L.A. Auto Show: 5-plus takeaways on Jeep, Honda, Porsche and more

The 2018 L.A. Auto Show is making a strong case that auto shows aren't dead. Carmakers are ladling out sports cars and SUVs featuring serious style and performance in Los Angeles, and it's a feast for the senses. We're talking the new Porsche 911, the long-awaited Jeep Gladiator and the stylish Mazda3. It's the best car show with the most important reveals since the 2018 Detroit Auto Show kicked off the year. Here are some quick reactions: The 2019 Jeep Gladiator is a rock star When the story went live on Autoblog, our traffic went straight up. I've literally never seen the graph go straight up. So yeah, you guys seem to like it. I do, too. It's everything I want in a vehicle, including enough of a retro feel that it satisfies my cravings for an old Cherokee XJ. It's more capable and likely more expensive than I originally anticipated, but Jeep is going to have to expand its Toledo factory to keep up with demand. Don't be fooled by whatever the politicians say when that happens. It's because people like Jeeps and pickups, and this is the hero sandwich of all of that. I'd likely go with the 3.6-liter and a manual transmission if I were buying a Gladiator, but the diesel is compelling, too. Gladiator is a great name, drenched in history. I like it better than Scrambler, which never felt right to me. Only issue: It's a little over-the-top. Imagine this conversation: "So, ready to go to Panera?" "Sure, let's take the Gladiator." I mean, it's a bit much to refer to your personal vehicle as the Gladiator. Unless Russell Crowe is driving it. Then it's fine. The 2020 Porsche 911 is conservatively brilliant Every time I drive a 718 Cayman, Jaguar F-Type or another 911 challenger, I wonder if the 911 may be over the hill. It's not. And it likely never will be. This latest generation, dubbed 992 in Porsche-speak, stayed the course. The back takes some Mission E stylings that give the 911 a more modern feel. The flat six gets a little more power. The digital-heavy interior looks futuristic and slick. But overall, it's a blocking-and-tackling update that should satisfy the purists and maybe draw in a few new Porsche fans. It's the right time for the 2019 Honda Passport This slots between the Honda CR-V and the Honda Pilot. That's serious segmentation, but it's another crossover, and it's undoubtedly what the people want.

Mazda CX-6: How a wagon could sell better than the Mazda6

There is no Mazda CX-6. It doesn't exist, nor have we talked to anyone at Mazda about its existence. However, let me now say that there SHOULD be a Mazda CX-6, or to put it another way, a Mazda6 Wagon that's been Allroad-ified with a modestly raised suspension, plastic body cladding and all-wheel drive. You know, the way Americans prefer their wagons. During the Regal TourX launch, Buick's product planning folks pointed out that such a crossover wagon (let's go with that term for now) filled a market niche that's really not being satisfied. One that's more stylish and luxurious than a Subaru Outback, but more functional and less expensive than an Audi Allroad. It would cater to people who seek something different from the norm, both in terms of brand and body style. Sure, it's certainly not a big market niche, but it is seemingly growing. Well, if Buick is indeed onto something and that growth continues, then Mazda could most definitely go after that same market niche. Sure, it's a small niche, but all three Mazda6 generations have sold in such minuscule numbers (33,402 in 2017), why not try something completely different? I could easily see a CX-6 outselling its sedan sibling. Such a Mazda crossover wagon would only have a Buick and Subaru as competition, as opposed to trying to draw customers away from the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and every other midsize sedan at a time when the entire segment is hemorrhaging sales. It would also nicely complement a lineup of crossovers that includes the CX-3, CX-5 and CX-9, providing yet another alternative to entice customers. View 30 Photos Let me also say that, having driven both the Regal TourX and a Mazda6, that the two could be cross-shopped. I'd argue the Mazda actually has a more luxurious cabin than the supposedly "premium" Regal, while Mazda's new turbocharged 2.5-liter (250 horsepower, 310 pound-feet of torque) outdoes the Buick's potent 2.0-liter. Meanwhile, the Mazda6's standard, naturally aspirated 2.5-liter (184 hp, 185 lb-ft) should offer comparable fuel economy as the Subaru Outback (28 mpg combined) without making you suffer through a CVT. Now, as for adding all-wheel drive, the Japanese market version of both the sedan and wagon (known as the Atenza) can apparently be had with it. Can it be packaged with the turbocharged engine? That's another question, but all the other pieces are seemingly in place to bring the Mazda6 wagon to the United States.