Ls-1 , Air Conditioning, 700r4, Professional Conversion, New Paint, Convertible on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Illinois’ pro-union stance kills bid for Toyota-Mazda plant, report says

Mazda and Toyota are fielding bids from states eager to land its new prize: an all-new $1.6 billion U.S. plant where the Japanese automakers would jointly build electric vehicles and employ around 4,000 workers. Now we can apparently scratch Illinois off the list of contenders. According to Automotive News, the Land of Lincoln has been disqualified due to a lack of shovel-ready sites and the state's lack of a right-to-work law curtailing union membership. Mark Peterson, the president and CEO of economic development agency Intersect Illinois, told the publication he's been informed Illinois is not among the three or four finalists for the facility. It's believed those finalists are all in the South. Peterson said that "many national site consultants charged with making recommendations for corporate relocations and expansions will not even consider a state that is not a right-to-work state. In this case, the three states I am told are still in the running are all right-to-work states." The Midwest may be the ancestral home of U.S. automotive manufacturing, but the South has made major inroads in recent decades, with the likes of Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota all opening plants there, among others, thanks to lucrative tax incentives and the absence of labor unions. Recent years have also seen so-called right-to-work laws, which prohibit union dues and membership as a condition of employment in organized workplaces, spread to traditional labor strongholds such as Michigan and Wisconsin. The new joint venture plant, which would start operating in 2021, would be capable of producing 300,000 vehicles a year, with production divided between the two automakers. Mazda and Toyota would also take small stakes in one another as part of the deal. It's expected that at least 15 states have submitted proposals to attract the plant. Expect the Illinois news to trigger a new round of debate over the role of organized labor in the modern economy.Related Video: Image Credit: Reuters Green Plants/Manufacturing Mazda Toyota

Junkyard Gem: 1989 Mazda MX-6 GT Turbo

The Mazda MX-6 is best-known in the United States as the sibling (or maybe first cousin) of the Ford Probe, which almost became the successor to the Fox Mustang. The MX-6 and Probe were well-engineered and very quick for the era, but never enjoyed great American-market sales success. Here's a rare first-generation MX-6 GT that I photographed last week in a Denver self-service yard. 145 turbocharged horsepower was pretty good for 1989, when a new Honda Prelude Si had 135 horses and the far more expensive BMW 325i ($24,650 for the 325i coupe versus $14,499 for the MX-6 GT Turbo) had 168. This one doesn't have the optional four-wheel steering, but it does have the three-way adjustable suspension. If you drove a turbocharged car in 1989, you needed a nine-band equalizer with analog sliders on the radio. It was the law. It's not rusty, but at 205,575 miles it's worn out. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The Japanese-market version was known as the Capella C2, and it boasted some great TV commercials. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. "A better value in high-performance luxury sports coupes comes from our intense commitment to your total satisfaction." As always, the US-market TV ads are less interesting than their Japanese counterparts. Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1989 Mazda MX-6 GT Turbo View 21 Photos Image Credit: Murilee Martin / AOL Auto News Mazda Coupe Classics

The Miata is always the answer, but which one is the answer for you?

If you follow along with our long-term vehicles, you know that we had a 2016 Miata Club in the fleet. It's a Miata that had every sporty bit available installed, but there are other ways to spec out an MX-5. Just recently, we had the chance to sample the other end of the MX-5 spectrum, the Miata RF Grand Touring. While they're cut from the same sheetmetal, they're surprisingly different cars. So we thought we'd put together a little guide to help you figure out what bodystyle and trim level of Miata is right for you. How do you like the wind in your hair? If you're someone who loves soaking up the sun and having the wind blow through your hair, or lack thereof, there's no replacement for the soft-top Miata. The manual folding mechanism will get you out into the fresh air faster than virtually any other convertible, and it will go back up just as easily when the rain comes. Raising and lowering it is quick and easy, and can be done with one hand from the driver's seat. And with the top down, you'll be greeted by breeze from virtually every direction, and an airy, unencumbered feeling that only comes with a full convertible. However, if you prefer to keep your hair in place and just get some sun, the RF is the better choice. The retractable targa top still descends and reemerges quickly, taking just 13 seconds either way. Keeping the windows up with the targa stowed will allow in plenty of sun, but will keep wind to a minimum. But when the windows drop, you'll still get a healthy dose of airflow. It still doesn't feel as open as the soft top, though, since you'll be able to catch the fastback pillar out of the corner of your eye. But if you value protection over airflow, that won't be an issue. View 11 Photos Does your Miata need to be a daily driver and occasional road tripper? While many Miatas will be weekend toys, one of the appealing things about them is that they're reliable enough and have just enough cargo space that they can serve as an everyday vehicle. For people who want to use a Miata as a daily commuter, and even take it on road trips, we would recommend an RF with the Grand Touring trim, as seen above. Although it still isn't a quiet car in the grand scheme of things, the RF's solid top makes it more livable for highway stints both short and long. The Grand Touring trim comes recommended for these purposes for a couple of reasons. Foremost is the more forgiving suspension shared between it and the base-level Sport.