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Fiat 124 Coupe could join Spider line next year

While Mazda's content to tease coupe lovers with the last-gen MX-5 Power Retractable Hardtop and the upcoming RF, the company is loath to offer a version of its lovable roadster with a permanent hardtop. But Fiat isn't so fickle. According to Autocar, the Italian brand could unveil a proper hardtop Fiata as early as next year. Likely called the 124 Coupe – duh – Autocar reports the addition of a fixed roof will spice up the current Spider. But what kind of spice is more difficult to predict. AC reports that FCA could stay the course, offering the new hardtop with the same powertrain lineup as the Spider – 138 horsepower in the UK and 160 hp (164 hp in Abarth trim) in the US – or drive the 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder higher. As for how the car will look, Autocar points to the handsome 124 Abarth Rally Concept from the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. Don't expect integrated rally lights or a standard yellow-on-red paint scheme, but the new model will likely borrow that concept's roofline – more notchback than the MX-5 RF's fastback-like look. That'd fit with the 124 Coupe's ancestors, which wore a traditional notchback roofline. Fiat offered a 124 hardtop between 1967 and 1975, giving a new hardtop Fiata much more historical precedence than a comparable MX-5. AC reports the new 124 Coupe will likely carry a 10-percent premium across the pond, with a similar increase in the US. But predicting the impact of that price hike is a little bit trickier than multiplying the 124 Spider's price by 1.1, since we don't know what trims the Coupe will come in. The Abarth is likely a shoe-in, starting around $31,000. If, and it's a big if, Fiat sells a 124 Coupe Classica, expect a $27,500 starting price, while a hardtop Lusso would be a smidge over $30,000. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Goodbye Zoom-Zoom, Driving Matters is Mazda's new slogan [w/video]

Timed with the launch of the 2016 MX-5 Miata, Mazda is now changing gears with its advertising strategy in the US by launching a whole new slogan. The Japanese brand's latest marketing motto takes a much more direct approach than Zoom-Zoom by simply saying Driving Matters. The two-word phrase is meant to make customers believe that a good time behind the wheel can improve their lives. Driving Matters is also supposed to say something about how Mazda engineers vehicles. "Whether it's for safety purposes or for maintaining our 'fun to drive' nature, it all comes down to the fact that driving matters to our customers and it matters to us." Russell Wager, vice president of marketing at Mazda North American Operations, said in the announcement of the new campaign. However, Zoom-Zoom isn't entirely dead, and the words still appear in small print in some of these spots. According to Wager in an interview with Automotive News, the old slogan isn't necessarily understandable to some focus groups. "I'll ask them to explain to me what 'Zoom Zoom' means, and I'll get 6 or 7 different answers. That's what Driving Matters is supposed to address. It's supposed to solidify what 'Zoom Zoom' means to people," he said. So far, the company has released several examples of the campaign to highlight the Miata and Mazda6. At the same time, Mazda is launching a new commercial (embedded below) called A Driver's Life that showcases many of its models but puts a big emphasis on the MX-5. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Mazda Launches All-New Advertising Campaign, "Driving Matters" - New Campaign Communicates How the Joy of Driving Can Enhance Your Life - IRVINE, Calif. (May 21, 2015) –The Oxford Dictionary defines "driving" as, "operating and controlling the direction and speed of a motor vehicle." Mazda believes that driving is more than a definition. Driving is an experience that can enhance your life. To better illustrate how every Mazda vehicle embodies why "Driving Matters," today Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) is rolling out a new advertising campaign. Driving Matters is an evolution of the Game Changers campaign. With Game Changers, Mazda succeeded in increasing consumer awareness of the functional attributes of our vehicles. Driving Matters will extend the message by creating an emotional connection to the brand.

Reminder: Come hang out with Autoblog and the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata on Tuesday, May 19

Do you love chilidogs, French fries, meeting new friends, and the world's most popular convertible? Do you live in Southeast Michigan? Do you like lists of questions? If you answered "yes" to any but the last of those, we'd like to invite you to a little get-together we're hosting next week. Driving impressions are still under embargo for the US-spec 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, but somehow we've conned convinced company PR reps to show the car to you, Joe Public Autoblog Reader. We're enthused about telling you more about the ND Miata, but before we do we'd love to share a Coke and talk about cars. Here's the skinny. A group of Autobloggers will be hanging out at the Athens Coney Island, in Royal Oak, MI, next Tuesday, May 19. We'll have the car on display from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and we'd love to see you. If you're a Miata owner, we'd also love to for you to bring your car along for the party. The more convertibles the better (just be prepared to have your picture taken). Go ahead and set your navi for Athens – 32657 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48073 ­– and we'll look forward to seeing you Tuesday. Mazda Geeks unite. Related Video: