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2016 April Fools' Day: Morgan digs at Tesla, Mini's scissor doors, more

Every year automakers go out of their way to come up with gags for April Fools' Day. Sometimes the jokes fall flat, but occasionally a company really nails it with an idea that we'd actually love to see. Rather than scouring the Web for all of these stunts, you can find some of our favorites right here. Morgan MOGrod The Morgan Motor Company's MOGrod is one of our favorite April Fools' jokes so far this year because it's a car we wish could be real. The company says on Twitter that the retro hot rod uses a 3.7-liter Ford V6, and there are already 250,000 preorders, which is a play on the huge number of reservations for the Tesla Model 3. Morgan took the joke even further by sketching a landspeed record version for the Bonneville Salt Flats. Mini Scissor Doors The people at Mini apparently have a lot of free time because the company has two gags this year. The first is the scissor door option. The idea cleverly plays on the myriad ways customers can customize their Mini, but this solution doesn't look like anyone could easily enter the car due to the way these doors open. Mini Hipster Hatch There's also the Hipster Mini, which is a much funnier idea. This fictional hatchback would be perfect for fashionable Millennials thanks to features like Instagram-filter windows and a fixed-gear drivetrain, which limits the top speed to 25 miles per hour. The interior uses stonewash denim upholstery and packs a twin-deck cassette player. Skoda Dog Umbrella People love dogs, and owners know that a wet canine can be a mess. Skoda is ready to tackle this problem with an umbrella for your mutt. Made from unobtainium, the gadget hides in the door when not in use, but when raindrops start falling, people can keep their pup dry. Skoda Snowman Skoda's Facebook page also teases us with a very cool vehicle. The Snowman is a 396-horsepower plug-in hybrid snow machine. With its tracks, the company's newest model would never have to worry about getting stuck in the winter. Opel Adam C Sure, electricity and hydrogen are cleaner forms of fuel than gasoline or diesel, but Opel has a way to make your car even more environmentally friendly – muscle power. Wind up the crank at the rear for 15 minutes, and the Opel Adam C is good for 125 miles. GM's European division also claims that owners get a great workout because a full winding session burns 400 calories. You wouldn't feel guilty about picking up that pizza after cranking up this hatchback.

Mazda Hazumi concept presages next Mazda2

Looks like Mazda's big Geneva Motor Show debut is actually something quite small. Teased here, the Hazumi concept "points the way to the future" for the brand's subcompact offering, the Mazda2. Details are slim as of this writing, but from what we can see in the image above, the Hazumi will use the same Kodo design language found on the Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX-5. We're big fans of this styling direction, so we fully expect the concept to be quite an attractive little number.
Hazumi means "bound" or "spring up" in Japanese, with Mazda saying this nomenclature is "particularly well-suited to a small car that appears to be bursting with energy." In other words, say goodbye to the friendly faced Mazda2 we've enjoyed since it launched in the United States in 2010. Instead, prepare for something decidedly more assertive, hopefully improving upon the already-great driving dynamics of the current subcompact. If we're honest, we can't wait.
Mazda will also use the Geneva show to debut its new small-displacement, 1.5-liter Skyactiv-D diesel engine. The automaker hasn't confirmed that this new fuel-efficient powerplant will be part of the Hazumi concept package, but considering the two are debuting alongside each other, it would seem to make sense. As for whether or not this engine could come stateside when the next Mazda2 launches, we're not holding our breath for that, especially considering the company's current woes with US-spec diesel engines.

2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata and MX-5 Miata RF pricing announced

At Chicago, Mazda has announced official 2018 pricing for the MX-5 Miata, both soft-top and RF. The trick-roofed RF version, or Retractable Fastback, has a coupe-like power hardtop that opens up into a targa. It's only natural that there are MX-5 models on display at the Chicago Auto Show, as 29 years earlier the original Miata was unveiled there. All ND generation cars sold in the U.S. have the 155-horsepower Skyactiv-G engine with a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. While the canvas-topped 2018 MX-5 starts from $25,295 as a manual Sport, the RF bypasses the Sport spec and starts directly from the Club, which for the RF means a $31,910 starting price, or $355 more than for 2017; the soft-top 2018 Club costs $29,555 in comparison, or a measly $120 hike. The manual Club has a limited slip differential, a front strut brace and Bilstein suspension. Similarly to the soft-top car, the RF also gets a Brembo/BBS brake/wheel/appearance package that hikes the price to $35,680 — and that is only available with manual transmission. That package costs $32,925 for the soft-top, which has also a $700 Recaro sport seating option for the aforementioned Brembo/BBS package, but that is unavailable for the RF. Grand Touring comes with automatic climate control, heated leather seats and adaptive lighting, at a price of $30,195 for the soft top and $32,750 for the RF. Add new-for-2018 Nappa leather for the Grand Touring for $300. At launch in the 2017 model year, the RF Grand Touring was priced $3,000 dearer than a comparable soft-top version, but that difference has now shrunk by $500. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Mazda MX-5 RF: Chicago 2018 View 11 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2018 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Auto News Chicago Auto Show Mazda Convertible Coupe Performance 2018 Chicago Auto Show