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Latest Forza Motorsport 5 car pack leaves us scratching our head (in a good way) [w/video]

As we scrolled down the roster of the latest car pack for Forza Motorsport 5, the Hot Wheels Car Pack, our expression became bemused over the strange mix of vehicles that we now have at our disposal. This is quite unlike any of the other sets of DLC Turn 10 Studios has offered. Sure, there are the typical headliner cars – the Lamborghini Veneno and 2015 Audi S3 – that will appeal to the mainstream racing fan or auto enthusiast. But this latest car pack is so jammed full of nuggets of automotive weirdness that it's hard not to get excited. The Hot Wheels pack has no shortage of racers, with a particular focus on historical offerings. A 1939 Auto Union Type D covers the pre-war era of Formula One, while a 1967 Lotus 49 and a 1952 Ferrari 375 represent post-war racing. For a modern twist, a Mazda USF2000 car slots in below the Indy Lights car from the Nurburgring booster pack. From here, things get vintage and weird. There are a pair of delightfully offbeat coupes, in the form of a 1974 Toyota Celica GT and a 1973 Ford XB Falcon GT (here's hoping we get a vintage Holden Monaro in the future). Those two are joined by a 1956 Ford F-100, which your author already plans on converting into a dragster with vinyl flames down the side (because that's what all vintage pickups should be). The new ride we're most excited about, though, is the 1983 GMC Vandura G-1500. Yes, that's the van from The A-Team, and we're sure it will prove to be an excellent canvas for the artists of FM5 to cover with airbrushed, fire-breathing unicorns and mystical, gray-haired wizards (or just poorly painted letters that read "Free Candy"). This latest car pack is the final monthly car pack for FM5, although Turn 10 is quick to point out that while the monthly updates are over, there will still be new batches of cars made available to gamers. As for the Hot Wheels pack, it's available now on Xbox Live for $9.99. Scroll down for the press release from Turn 10 Studios, as well as a video of the newest additions to Forza Motorsport 5's vehicle roster. Forza Motorsport 5 Hot Wheels Car Pack Now Available Turn 10 Studios is bringing the Hot Wheels® Car Pack to "Forza Motorsport 5," available for download today. The pack features a collection of vehicles built from the ground up for the new generation that car fans can collect and customize while putting their virtual driving skills to the test.

Mazda Hazumi concept gets punchy, comes out of its corner early

The official images Mazda Hazumi concept, which previews the next-generation Mazda2, have leaked out from Chinese website Auto.sohu.com ahead of its debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.
The subcompact, four-door hatchback shows off Mazda's Kodo design language in its smallest size yet. Hazumi means "bound" or "spring up" in Japanese, and it is meant to look like it is packed with energy. It is a very attractive little concept and hopefully points to a more stylish face for the next-generation Mazda2.
Mazda has not unveiled the full details about the concept yet, but in a previous release, it said for the car is using a 1.5-liter Skyactiv-D diesel engine. While Mazda has not officially said that the Hazumi shows the next Mazda2, it did say in its earlier release that it "points the way to the future" for the brand's small cars. Reading between the lines isn't too difficult, then.

Refreshed 2017 Mazda 3 and 6 get G-Vectoring Control

Back in June, we told you about Mazda's G-Vectoring Control system, which is an additional layer of unobtrusive cornering assistance to help maintain traction at the limits of adhesion. It's subtle to the point of being hard for a human being to detect, even a Mazda engineer, as we found out driving a G-VC equipped Mazda 6 around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. We knew then that the G-VC system would make it to the 2017 Mazda 3 and 6, but now all the details of both mildly refreshed cars are available. Let's start with the Mazda 3, which has a few more changes than its larger stablemate. As is standard industry practice, a mild facelift includes available LED headlights and taillights, a new grille, and a monochrome rear bumper. Inside, the slightly recontoured steering wheel now has available heating and the manual handbrake has been replaced by an electronic one. Fans of handbrake turns will frown, but those handles take up an immense amount of room (relatively speaking) inside the center console. The redesigned center storage bin takes better advantage of that newly freed-up space. Lastly, Mazda claims the 3 is quieter thanks to improved insulation and weatherstripping. The Mazda 6 was just refreshed last year, so the list of changes is even shorter. The larger sedan benefits from similar sound-reducing tweaks as the 3, and the entry-level 6 with a manual transmission now comes with the Mazda Connect infotainment system, a real upgrade from the older non-touchscreen system. One thing that both share is an available full color head-up display, which replaces a functional but ancient-looking monochrome unit. If you've been in a Mazda currently on sale with this old-looking system, you'll really appreciate the way this new one looks. We can't wait to try it out. Both new Mazdas go on sale in September. Pricing isn't available at this time. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Mazda3 Unveiling View 15 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Mazda6 Unveiling View 14 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Mazda3 View 36 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Mazda 6 View 33 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Mazda Hatchback Sedan mazda 3