2003 Mazda Protege Lx Clear Title Just Inspected on 2040-cars

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Bauer Catfish is a Miata-based trackstar in the making [w/videos]

We're not trying to make a joke here. The creation you see above really is called the Bauer Catfish, and while the name is about as attractive as your average bottom feeder, the car itself is built on a sexy notion. Take the mechanical bits of one 1990-2005 Mazda MX-5 Miata, add in a tube chassis for as little weight as possible, complete with some custom body work and go forth. Bauer says the finished product weighs in at just 1,550 pounds, and the company will be happy to pull the stock four-cylinder to drop in a healthy General Motors LS V8.
The pre-production prototype shown above competed in last year's 25 Hours of Thunderhill, finished the race and earned a spot on the podium in the "anything goes for sports racers" ESR class. Very cool.
If you're looking for a dedicated track car, it may not get any better than this for the money. Expect to pay around $13,900 depending on options, plus the cost of your donor Miata. That's a good sight cheaper than a used Chevy Corvette Z06 and likely to be quite a bit more fun. After you're done watching it in action in the brief videos below, check it out over at Bauer Ltd.

Mazda2 successor to ride atop shortened CX-5 platform

Mazda, looking to make the most of its new, lightweight Skyactiv vehicle architecture, will allegedly use a version of the CX-5 crossover's platform to underpin its next-generation Mazda2 hatchback, according to a report from Just-Auto.com. Of course, the Mazda2 is a much smaller vehicle than its larger CUV stablemate, so some serious chopping will no doubt be in order when it comes time to engineer the replacement for the company's smallest hatch.
Currently, the CX-5 and the sleek new Mazda6 share many of the same platform components, and this architecture will already be scaled down to support the next-generation Mazda3 sedan and hatchback, which will debut later this year. Just-Auto.com states that all of Mazda's remaining front-wheel-drive vehicles will eventually switch to reworked versions of this Skyactiv platform, including the replacement for the larger CX-9 crossover.
Also of note, Mazda will reportedly be switching to shorter, four-year lifecycles for its vehicles. This means that the newly launched Mazda6 will be replaced for the 2016 calendar year, with a refresh coming sometime in 2014. That said, vehicles with platforms supplied by other automakers (like the upcoming MX-5 Miata replacement that will share its underpinnings with an Alfa Romeo product) will not necessarily follow this four-year rule.

Mazda leads Consumer Reports' latest Brand Report Card Rankings

The latest automaker brand report cards from Consumer Reports are in, and there are quite a few changes for 2021. At the very top of the charts sits Mazda, up three spots over last year, followed by BMW and Subaru to round out the top three. It's interesting to note that mainstream brands (non-luxury in CR-speak) don't seem to be at a disadvantage in CR's rankings, with five of the top 10 spots. In addition to Mazda in first and Subaru in third, Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, and Buick were the other high-ranking non-luxury marques. The ratings are derived from "a combination of predicted reliability, and owner satisfaction based on member surveys, and CR’s hands-on analysis" and also includes safety features and crash test scores.  At the very bottom of the list sit Mitsubishi, Land Rover and Alfa Romeo. "Our brand rankings don't just look at how models perform on our test track, but the broad picture of vehicle quality," said Jake Fisher, Senior Director of Automotive Testing at Consumer Reports. "Fortunately, consumers will find they have many options that are safe, enjoyable, and reasonably priced." The biggest jumps in the brand report card rankings come from Chrysler, Buick and Honda, which each moved up five spots compared to last year's rankings. The news wasn't nearly as good for Lincoln, which fell an alarming 15 spots this year, Genesis, which fell 13 spots, or Kia, which fell 10 spots. Related Video: