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Mazda3 sales off to rocky start despite massive critical acclaim

Like just about every other auto publication we've seen, we loved the way the Mazda3 drove when we reviewed it a few months ago, but those glowing reviews apparently aren't helping its sales. The new compact may be falling victim to a sales war between the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, with the newcomer getting squeezed out by those with more established names and bigger marketing budgets.
According to Automotive News, Mazda3 sales have fallen every month since last August, and its sales are down 27 percent in the first two months of 2014. It certainly isn't helping that the entire compact segment is down five percent this year as well.
The biggest problem for the new model seems to be its price compared to rivals. Mazda is not offering the incentives that are on the hood of competitors. With the previous generation, the company offered more than $2,700 on the hood to move them out, but the current model only carries about $1,233 in markdowns, according to AN.

Mazda just restored the 787B's forgotten older brother

Among Mazda's many racecars, none is as famous as the 787B, and for good reason. The 787B remains the only Japanese car and the only rotary-powered car to win overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It wasn't Mazda's only successful endurance racer, though. Before the 787B, there was the 767B. Mazda's 767B racecars competed in the IMSA GTP class at endurance races throughout 1989. They featured 630-horsepower four-rotor engines and were very successful in their class. This newly restored car took first and second place class finishes in five of the six races it participated in, and each finish was in the overall top ten. The one exception was a DNF in which the transmission failed. Twenty-five years after the 767B's glory days, Mazda initiated a complete teardown and restoration of the aged car. The work was done by Downing Atlanta and supervised by former Mazda racers Rick Engman and Jim Downing. (Fun fact: Downing was one of the designers of the HANS device.) The shop has also restored other racecars for Mazda, including one of the 787Bs. The car went through a two-year rehab and will make its track re-debut at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion. The event takes place next weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca where the track will once again feature the angry shriek of a competition-grade rotary engine. Related Video: Image Credit: Mazda North American Operations Motorsports Mazda Automotive History Racing Vehicles Pebble Beach

4 automakers agree to $553M settlement of Takata airbag claims

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Four automakers agreed to a $553 million settlement to address class-action economic loss claims covering owners of nearly 16 million vehicles with potentially defective Takata airbag inflators, according to court documents filed on Thursday. Toyota's share of the settlement costs is $278.5 million, followed by BMW at $131 million, Mazda at $76 million and Subaru at $68 million. According to a press release from Plaintiffs' Committee for Takata Airbag Product Liability Litigation, the funds for the settlement are aimed at getting more cars with faulty airbags fixed. At the time of writing, Toyota had the greatest recall completion percentage of 31.89 percent followed by Subaru with 31.37 percent. Mazda has completed repairs on 18.16 percent of affected cars, and BMW brings up the rear with 16.48 percent completion. Some settlement funds will go to an outreach campaign to increase awareness, while other funds will be used to reimburse people for any costs accrued to get their cars fixed. These costs can include rental cars, child care, lost wages, or any other reasonable costs associated with bringing in a vehicle for repairs. Furthermore, a customer support program will be funded with settlement money to handle any additional repairs or adjustments that could become necessary in the 75,000 miles following the airbag replacement. Lawsuits against Honda, Ford and Nissan have not been settled, lawyers said. Takata inflators, which can explode with excessive force and unleash metal shrapnel inside cars and trucks, are blamed for at least 16 deaths and more than 180 injuries worldwide. The safety defect has prompted recalls worldwide of about 100 million inflators by more than a dozen major automakers. Reporting by David Shepardson, additional details by Autoblog's Joel StocksdaleRelated Video: Government/Legal BMW Mazda Subaru Toyota