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2021 Mazda CX-9 gets new tech, Carbon Edition

Mazda announced early Tuesday that the 2021 CX-9 is getting a nip-and-tuck styling update along with some updated tech, including a new 10.25-inch infotainment system powered by the latest version of Mazda Connect.  Mazda may have oversold things a bit by saying the 2021 CX-9 styling is new in the strictest sense. We only have this photo and Mazda's press release to go on, but from what we can tell, the changes are effectively relegated to trim elements available with certain option packages or trim levels, and mostly at the higher end. The fundamental shapes of the 2021 CX-9's body panels remain identical to 2020's, while changes include a new grille and wheel design on the Signature model. The biggest changes come care of the Carbon Edition, which gets "Polymetal Gray" exterior paint, gloss black door mirrors, a unique gloss black front grille and 20-inch black metallic aluminum alloy wheels. Inside, it adds red leather seats and black interior trim on the dash, door panels and handle bezels. In addition to the larger screen and updated infotainment interface, Mazda says the 2021 CX-9 will now offer wireless device charging, with a new pad incorporated into the cubby area forward of the gear selector.  The most exciting Mazda news for the coming model year might be the introduction of the turbocharged Mazda3, but here in Crossoverland, improvements to the CX-9 are both welcome and necessary. Mazda's stylish three-row is attractive and great to drive, but compromised in terms of practicality for those very reasons. Look for the '21 CX-9 to hit showrooms later this year.  Related Video:    

1993 Mazda RX-7 Retro Review | A '90s hero turns 25

Boom times build interesting cars. In the late 1980s, Japan was flush with capital, and automakers spent like the party was never going to end. Suddenly building the third-generation RX-7 — the world's most advanced twin-turbo rotary sports car — seemed like the most natural thing a small car company hailing from Hiroshima could do. On this side of the Pacific, however, there was no context for the sudden influx of unusually tricked-out Japanese hardware flooding American dealerships. And none of the Japanese sports cars of the era was more unusual than the FD-generation Mazda RX-7, imported from 1993 to 1995 (and continuing on in Japan until 2002). Although the island nation's economy was headed on a downward spiral by the end of 1990, Mazda was in no position to pull back and walk away from the development dollars that had already been spent on its latest RX-7. As a result, Americans were able to briefly bask in the glow of one of the most unique engineering experiments ever unleashed on unsuspecting buyers. For its time, the Mazda RX-7 was a spaceship. With fluid lines that screamed "exotic," it joined the NSX in showing that supercars didn't have to have European blue blood running in their cooling systems to elegantly snag eyeballs. The twin-rotor, 1.3-liter 13B-REW situated behind the RX-7's front axle revved all the way to 8,000 rpm on its quest to produce 255 horsepower and 217 pound-feet of torque, with a pair of sequential turbos handing boost duties back and forth around the 4,500 rpm mark. A five-speed manual gearbox was standard with the FD (a four-speed automatic was optional), as was a curb weight in the neighborhood of 2,800 pounds — nearly 500 lbs less than the contemporary Toyota Supra. Significant figures for the era, to be sure. While they might pale in comparison to the average sports car today, slide into the RX-7's cockpit and drive the car, rather than just crunch the numbers. You'll quickly discover what can be accomplished when the company that engineered the Miata pulls a full John Hammond and "spares no expense" developing a world-beating sports car platform. The 1993 Mazda RX-7 I've been loaned from Mazda's classic collection is an R1 car, which means tighter suspension tuning, a few cosmetic upgrades, and a Competition Yellow paint job.

Mazda3 sales off to rocky start despite massive critical acclaim

Like just about every other auto publication we've seen, we loved the way the Mazda3 drove when we reviewed it a few months ago, but those glowing reviews apparently aren't helping its sales. The new compact may be falling victim to a sales war between the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, with the newcomer getting squeezed out by those with more established names and bigger marketing budgets.
According to Automotive News, Mazda3 sales have fallen every month since last August, and its sales are down 27 percent in the first two months of 2014. It certainly isn't helping that the entire compact segment is down five percent this year as well.
The biggest problem for the new model seems to be its price compared to rivals. Mazda is not offering the incentives that are on the hood of competitors. With the previous generation, the company offered more than $2,700 on the hood to move them out, but the current model only carries about $1,233 in markdowns, according to AN.