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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.

Mazda RX-Vision GT3 concept slinks into Gran Turismo Sport next year

The World Final of the FIA World Tour in Gran Turismo Sport just went down in Monaco, and Mazda was there with a couple of big announcements. The first is that the Hiroshima-based automaker will become an official video game partner next year, 2020 also happening to be Mazda's centenary year. The second reveal was a sketch of the Mazda RX-Vision GT3 Concept, a GT3-class racer based on the RX-Vision Concept shown at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. Game creator Kazunori Yamauchi and Mazda's North American design chief Julien Mountousse wouldn't get into details, such as how close the final car would look to the drawing or whether there'd be a rotary engine under the hood. Yamauchi would only say Polyphony Digital is modeling the car right now, and Montousse added that designers wanted the Vision GT3 to be a car players really wanted to drive. As much of a looker as the race car is, it's clear some changes will be in order; the front fenders, roof, and rear wing are nearly on the same plane. The brunt of aero accessorizing happens down low, a massive front splitter leading to extended side sills with vertical planes, and what must be a massive rear diffuser with an even larger set of vertical planes. It's hard to tell by the drawing, but it looks like the rear wing supports angle out from the body to merge with the end plates. When the RX-Vision GT3 shows up to contest the 2020 FIA-certified championships in GT Sport, it will join the Atenza Gr.3 as Mazda's only GT3-class car in the game — the Atenza effectively a near copy of the Speed Source Mazda6 that raced in the U.S. Grand-Am series until a couple of season ago, but with four doors instead of two, and a gas engine instead of diesel. Mazda didn't qualify for the GT Sport Manufacturer's Cup this year, they'll be hoping their team can change that next year with the RX-Vision GT3 since, as Montousse said, "That car has all the Mazda spirit in it." There will be more coming from Mazda in GT Sport as well. Word is that the official partnership won't stop at a single new car, and Yamauchi remarked on the partnership, "I think we can keep our expectations high for next year." Fast forward to 17:50 in the video to see the sketch presented, or roll back a bit to 14:00 to listen to comments from Mazda global head of design Ikuo Maeda.

Tesla Model Y and Cadillac CT5 | Autoblog Podcast #573

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale. They catch up on the Tesla Model Y, as well as the Cadillac CT5 and the brand's new naming structure. Afterward they talk about our driving the 2019 Mazda3, 2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI and 2019 Ford Ranger. Finally, the three editors take a lap around eBay looking for the best ways to spend $15,000 on a car. Autoblog Podcast #573 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 Rundown Tesla Model Y unveiled Cadillac CT5 and Cadillac's new badging strategy Cars we're driving: 2019 Mazda3 2019 VW Golf GTI 2019 Ford Ranger How we'd spend $15,000 on eBay Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: