2006 Mazda 6 I Sedan 4-door 2.3l on 2040-cars

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Mazda2 with extended-range hybrid rotary tech shown

Every story dealing with a new rotary engine from Mazda lands in a different place on the matrix of possibilities between "Coming soon!" and "Never gonna happen!" In 2011 it was speculated that the rotary engineering program would be shut down with the demise of the RX-8, in 2012 the program was still alive and taking lessons from the SkyActiv engines, in August 2013 a Mazda insider said a rotary engine called 16X would be here in two years, in November the CEO said the only way we'd ever get a new rotary is if Mazda could sell 100,000 of them per year. Meaning that, for the moment, you can forget about it.
And yet, last month Mazda was putting journalists in a Mazda2 RE Range Extender, an electric car using a 0.33-liter rotary to power its lithium-ion batteries when the charge runs down. With a 75-kilowatt, 100-horsepower electric motor turning the front wheels, the Wankel generator and its 2.6-gallon gas tank living under the trunk double the range of the electric-only Mazda2 to 250 miles.
There's been talk of using a rotary to assist an alt-fuel vehicle for at least seven years, with Mazda pairing an electric motor with a rotary that ran on gas and hydrogen in a Mazda5 in 2007. Since then, almost all of those stories debating its return or demise also spoke of the oddball motor's advantages, such as compact size and ability to run on various fuels, as an aid in an unconventional powertrain.

2019 Mazda CX-5 turbo model seemingly confirmed, doesn't come cheap

We reported last month on some leaked documents that announced the 2019 Mazda CX-5 would get the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder as an option, and it's looking even more official now that additional documents have appeared on Reddit. The new information comes from a "Product Information Bulletin" that not only confirms the engine's availability but reveals pricing, trims and feature sets for the new model year. As it turns out, the turbo CX-5 won't be cheap. The base price for a CX-5 with that engine will be $35,865 with destination. That's about $5,500 more than the cheapest turbocharged Mazda6. There are a couple of reasons for this. The turbo engine will only be available on two new high-end trims for the CX-5, Grand Touring Reserve and Signature. Both of those trims bring a variety of high-end features and options with them. It can also only be paired with all-wheel drive. The Mazda6 turbo engine is available on the slightly lower Grand Touring trim and is only paired to a front-drive drivetrain. Conspicuously absent from the 2019 documentation though is the elusive Skyactiv-D diesel engine. This is strange, since the engine has been rated by the EPA, so it's presumably ready for introduction to the U.S. market. We'll be curious to learn that engine's fate. We could see the turbo gas engine threatening the diesel's U.S. introduction, since it delivers the same amount of torque as the diesel with more horsepower. Plus the diesel didn't get amazing EPA numbers. But that's just speculation on our part, and it's entirely possible the diesel will still come here. The rest of the CX-5 lineup sees some welcome upgrades, too. The infotainment on CX-5s starting with the second-lowest Touring model will get standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. All models also will receive G-Vectoring Plus. The feature, along with the turbo engine option, was announced for the Japanese CX-5 recently. What this system adds is a little bit of braking force to the outside wheel as the driver winds the wheel back to a straight position when exiting a corner or completing a lane-change. The idea is that it helps make the car more stable when straightening out after a turn. Also, although the turbo CX-5 models will be rather pricey, the other CX-5 models won't change much in price. The base Sport trim starts at $200 more than the 2018, the Touring model increases just $100, and the Grand Touring goes up by $400.

Graffiti artist Banksy turns Mazda Protege into warfare commentary

British street artist Banksy, who currently resides in New York City for its high pedestrian traffic and plentiful hiding spots, recently took his stencils and spray cans to a truck trailer and an old Mazda to make a commentary about war, according to a video report by Newsy.
Part of the canvas, a late-1990s Mazda Protege, is a sub-$3,000 used car at best, but we're sure having Banksy's art sprayed onto it has greatly increased its value, as it did to a piece at a Former Packard plant in Detroit a few years ago. The same goes for the trailer, which looks like it would be right at home attached to a U-Haul rental truck.
The graffito, painted in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, was accompanied by a link to some disturbing audio from a controversial 2007 military video leaked by Wikileaks in 2010. Head on below to watch the video report, and be sure to visit Banksy's website if you want to see the painting with the audio (listener discretion advised).