2012 Mazda 3 S Grand Touring (fully Loaded) on 2040-cars

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Mazda's awesome Hiroshima museum now navigable by Google Maps

Visiting an auto museum is one of the best ways we know to connect with car culture and to commune with the past and bone up on one's knowledge. Most of us have a decent museum within a few hours drive of where we live, but that doesn't mean it's easy to see the world's great collections - factors like cost, time and mobility can get in the way. Videos are great, but they don't allow us to browse at our own pace or choose what we'd like to focus on. The folks behind Google Maps have a solution - the virtual museum tour, as seen here at Mazda's fantastic museum in Hiroshima, Japan.
The Google Maps tour allows viewers to take a walk through the main exhibition area of the museum, and you can focus on specific classic cars from Mazda, or check out displays featuring new technologies like Skyactiv. To take a quick spin through the museum - or a leisurely stroll at your own pace - scroll down to start your own virtual tour.

2014 Mazda Skyactiv Prototype looks ready for Daytona

With less than two weeks before the Mazda Skyactiv Prototype makes its race debut at the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Japanese Zoom-Zoom brand brought its diesel-powered racer to the floor of the 2014 Detroit Auto Show.
The red prototype marks Mazda's return to prototype racing, and will campaign the inaugural Tudor United SportsCar Championship using a 2.2-liter, SkyActiv-D diesel engine. With 451 horsepower on tap and 580 pound-feet of torque, the racer should stand up well against a field of gas-powered competitors.
Should the Skyactiv win Daytona, it'll be a coup for Mazda. The racer is running an engine with over 50 percent of its parts drawn from the oft-delayed production Skyactiv-D. Head up top for our full gallery of images of the new Skyactiv Prototype. The 2014 Rolex 24 will be run from January 25 to 26.

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata's more horsepower will cost less money

Mazda has already announced a power upgrade for the 2019 MX-5 Miata roadster after engineers tweaked the Skyactiv-G 2.0-liter inline-four for 17 percent more power and higher fuel efficiency than the outgoing 2018 model. Now we know the starting price for the soft-top version: $26,625, including destination charge, which is a $915 drop from the lowest-priced 2018 model. As is standard across the Miata lineup, output increases by 26 horsepower to 181 hp, with torque nudging up 3 pound-feet to 151 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm. Other new features also track with the changes previously announced for the 2019 Miata RF, including the telescoping steering wheel and standard rearview camera. But the soft-top version gets an available brown soft top for an extra $200 for the Grand Touring trim (a black soft top is standard), new package options at each trim level and optional traffic-sign recognition and smart city brake support, which offers automatic emergency braking at low speeds. Also new is that steering column, which is made of aluminum to save weight. Mazda will keep the six-speed manual as an option for all three trim levels, with an available six-speed automatic with paddle shifters and Sport driving mode. Standard features include LED head- and taillights, 16-inch wheels, Mazda Connect infotainment with a 7-inch touchscreen monitor, Bluetooth phone pairing and audio streaming, and keyless entry. Jump up to the Grand Touring trim starting at $31,675 and get 17-inch dark silver wheels, body-color interior trim, auto on/off headlights, auto-dimming driver's side mirror, rain-sensing windshield wipers, heated, leather-trimmed seats and a nine-speaker Bose Premium audio system, among other things. Mazda is also offering a $550 GT-S Package on the Grand Touring model with the six-speed manual, a front shock tower brace, limited-slip rear differential and Bilstein dampers. MX-5 Club models start at $30,485 and come standard with the GT-S Package goodies when equipped with the manual transmission. Automatic versions get standard heated cloth seats with contrasting red stitching, body-color interior trim, black 17-inch wheels, front air dam and rear lip spoilers.