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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.

From Maseratis to rental cars | Autoblog Podcast #511

On this week's podcast, Mike Austin and David Gluckman are in a huddle room (again), because the studio was already taken (again). We talk about the all-wheel-drive Dodge Challenger GT (again), as well as the Jeep Wrangler, Maserati Levante, Miata RF (again), and then David waxes poetic on mediocre rental cars (or similar). The episode wraps up with the traditional doling out of Spend My Money buying advice, with some input from an S2000 owner on advice discussed last time. The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast at autoblog dot com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And if you have other questions or comments, please send those too. Autoblog Podcast #511 Topics and stories we mention Dodge Challenger GT Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Maserati Levante Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Used cars! Rundown Intro - 00:00 What we're driving - 06:11 Spend My Money - 32:45 Total Duration: 55:30 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes Podcasts Dodge Jeep Maserati Mazda Nissan mazda mx-5 rf dodge challenger gt

Mazda heads to Daytona with fierce-looking Mazda3 TCR race car

Hatchback lovers rejoice, Mazda has turned its stunning five-door into a race car. The Mazda3 TCR will participate in the 2020 IMSA Michelin PilotChallenge and will first debut in January 2020 during the Rolex 24 weekend in Daytona, Florida. Mazda is set to return to touring-car racing (TCR) with an adaptation of its popular compact car. The Mazda3 TCR has a lot of exterior changes that make it visually different from its road car brethren, and a whole lot more performance alterations we can’t see. A massive wing stands tall at the rear, and itÂ’s matched with a bulbous widebody kit with cooling vents behind the front and rear wheels. The new dress also has a front splitter, side skirts, and rear bumper aero. Further enhancements include a new hood, a single centered exhaust pipe, and new wheels and tires. Under the hood, the Mazda3 TCR has a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 350 horsepower. It pairs with a six-speed transmission with paddle shifters. Mazda collaborated with the same company that manufacturers the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Car, Long Road Racing, to develop the TCR. It is homologated for global racing in 36 TCR championships, and it will make its debut at the four-hour Endurance Challenge at the Daytona Rolex 24.