2013 Mazda Mazda3 I Touring on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Teen Miata enthusiast and friend of Autoblog passes away

When Thomas' illness made it impossible for him to drive, he relied on friends to do it for him.
Attending the reveal of the 2016 MX-5 Miata and the subsequent 25th anniversary celebration at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca confirmed that the little roadster maintains broad appeal, one not limited to the elderly or a certain gender as detractors might have you believe. In fact, the assembled crowd was surprisingly youthful, particularly amongst the club racer set and tuners. But one young Miata owner and superfan unfortunately wasn't in attendance - Thomas Jost, 19, was busy fighting for his life in a Maryland hospital.

Mazda hands over first factory-restored Miata

In August 2017, Mazda announced that it will be offering factory quality restoration work for the original, NA body Mazda MX-5 Miata introduced in 1989. The program also included parts support, as Mazda wants to underline how much the original Miata still means to it. The program was launched with exemplary work carried out on a Miata owned by Mazda, but the first customer car has now been finished. The first car was picked from 600 applications sent to Mazda. Out of all these cars needing factory certified work, the 1992 British Racing Green V-Special owned by retired tomato farmer Keiji Nishimoto was chosen to be the first. The Eunos-badged limited-edition car was bought new by Nishimoto, and he told Mazda the car had been instrumental in creating some wonderful road-trip memories. The V-Special edition came in a British roadster-style color combination: "Neo" green over tan leather, complete with a retro-style Nardi wood wheel. The car also has a front strut bar and a limited-slip differential. Nishimoto had already been planning to get his car restored, but getting it done by Mazda during the summer was even better. The car was finished in August, and it was officially handed over to its owner in September. To have owned and enjoyed a car for a quarter-century and getting a chance to experience it in as-new condition again must be a fantastic experience. Nishimoto says the car is now good for another 25 years of driving. For the time being, the TUV Rheinland certified restoration program is only available for Japanese customers. But since a large percentage of first-generation Miatas are still on the road, and a large percentage of those will need bodywork done in all the usual places, we would happily see Mazda reach out to European and American customers as well. Related Video:

Mazda sketches Koeru concept ahead of Frankfurt show

Mazda is giving us an early peek at the Koeru concept set to debut at the Frankfurt motor show. With a name derived from the Japanese word for "exceed" or "go beyond," the model is the latest evolution in the company's long-lived Kodo design language. Sketches tend to distort a vehicle's actual proportions, and the perspective on this one appears to be playing some visual tricks. Some things can't be hidden so easily, though. The Koeru appears to wear a more sharply angled version of Mazda's shield-shaped grille, and the headlights evolve the look of the CX-3 with an even narrower squint. The steeply raked rear hatch provides a coupe-like roofline, but we wonder if the angle is this pronounced in real life. Reports from last year suggest that a new CX-9 is on the way in 2016, and we could be getting a preview with the Koeru. Mazda is also purportedly developing a CX-7 successor. We should get a better idea if this show car represents either of those future CUVs when we can see it in the metal in Germany. MAZDA TO UNVEIL NEW CROSSOVER CONCEPT IN FRANKFURT Mazda Koeru features a distinctly powerful rendition of the KODO design theme Japanese carmaker aims to further raise benchmark in competitive SUV segment Hiroshima / Leverkusen, 7 August 2015. In a world premiere at the 66th 2015 Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA), Mazda will reveal the Mazda Koeru, a new crossover SUV concept that makes a bold statement in an increasingly popular and competitive segment. Koeru, Japanese for "exceed" or "go beyond", is a fitting name for Mazda's latest venture into the growing crossover SUV market, where the company is again looking to surpass existing standards and raise the bar for performance, efficiency and overall value. With its formidable KODO – Soul of Motion design, the Koeru expresses the power and vitality of a predator along with a unique level of refined dignity. The full line-up of Mazda's latest SKYACTIV Technology, meanwhile, ensures outstanding dynamic performance, fuel economy and safety with no compromise to Mazda's patented driving fun. The carmaker will also display its new-generation model line-up in Frankfurt. Highlights include an all-new Mazda MX-5 complete with accessories as well as several SKYACTIV powertrains. Mazda's press conference takes place at 13:45 (hall 9.0, B16) on 15 September, the first of two press days. The IAA is open to the public from 17-27 September.