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Mazda CEO says rotary not viable, so don't look for a new one

We have some very sad news to report, rotor-heads fans: Don't expect a new rotary-powered vehicle anytime soon. This comes straight from Masamichi Kogai, the CEO of Mazda, which is the only company to ever market a commercially successful rotary-powered automobile in the world. The issue, as it has pretty much always been, is environmental.
While the Wankel rotary engine does indeed make a lot of power in a small, lightweight package, it does so while burning lots of fuel and emitting lots of noxious gases into the atmosphere, at least when running on gasoline. And that means the rotary engine will likely only ever be able to power niche vehicles. And that, in turn, means that it is very difficult to turn a profit on vehicles with rotary engines, particularly for a small automaker like Mazda.
"It has to be a viable commercial proposition. If we are going to adopt it, it has to be a product that can generate at least sales of 100,000 units a year. We have to be able to achieve a profit," said Kogai in an interview with Automotive News. Mazda sold 56,203 RX-7 models in the United States (the automaker's biggest market) in 1986. Sales of the RX-8 peaked in 2004, its first full year on the market, with just 23,690 units.

2016 Mazda CX-5 recalled to address failing DRLs

Mazda announced Tuesday that it will recall more than 35,000 examples of the 2016 CX-5 crossover to address an issue that may lead to deterioration or failure of its LED daytime running lights.  In affected models, the gasket used to seal the wiring harness to the LED module was not manufactured to Mazda's specification. As it degrades over time, it can release sulfur, which in turn can potentially corrode the LED control circuit, causing the LEDs themselves to flicker, illuminate poorly or even fail outright.  Per Mazda, there is no alert for this condition, so drivers can potentially lose daytime running light function without realizing it, leaving them tougher to spot in poor light.  The campaign will cover 36,761 CX-5s sold in the U.S. and U.S. territories. Mazda says no accidents or injuries related to the issue have so far been reported.  This new campaign has not yet been published in the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall database, and Mazda's statement did not include details of the proper remedy for the issue or when customers can expect to be contacted to arrange for service.  We expect that all 2016 CX-5s with LED DRLs will receive new harness gaskets and that those showing signs of LED module corrosion will have those replaced as well.  The 2016 CX-5 has been the subject of four other recall campaigns — including one for an improperly torqued steering knuckle bolt and another for a defective fuel filler pipe — but this is the first  new campaign for that model year since 2016.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

2014 Mazda6: Winter's End Update

The Winter Without End is seemingly dead. Outside my office windows, my brown and yellow lawn is fully exposed to the increasingly powerful sunshine, the morning birdsong is louder than anything until the garbage trucks start rolling, and I'm seriously considering having the summer tires put back on my personal fleet. That last one is a little scary, as I'm a firm believer in the April Snow Jinx, but you get the idea.
The long-term Mazda6 has also long since left my driveway. Looking back on my notes from the time it was in my charge, however, I see all remarks are dominated by one highlighted section at the top: "worst winter drive of all time." I hardly need the reminder, to be honest. Here's what happened.
When the Mazda showed up at my door, we'd already fitted the thing with its new winter rubber: Bridgestone Blizzaks. Plunking down for dedicated snow tires was a near necessity this year - as it almost always is in Michigan. We didn't see much reprieve from snow-choked, iced over roads here in Ann Arbor, and the knobbier rubber proved invaluable in getting me out of my house time and again.