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Miata driver pulls off hilariously diabolical move in fender-to-fender racing

Racing is all about finding the little advantages over competitors that allow you to get ahead. Sometimes those are legitimate means - like being able to take advantage of a better line through a corner - and other times drivers get a little more creative for a leg up over opponents. Sometimes things might even go a little too far. Case in point: just watch the opening of this Mazda MX-5 Cup race from Silverstone in the UK.
According to the YouTube description, we're riding with James Rogers in this video, and he appears to be pretty talented behind the wheel. Rogers has a great start from fifth that has him in third within just a few corners. He starts stalking the top two drivers, who are already having a fantastic race themselves, but then we see that the person in second is clearly willing to do whatever it takes to win. Just watch the video, and you'll see what we mean. Bravo (?) to that racer for some very quick, albeit fiendish, thinking.

2019 Mazda CX-9 gets Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, slightly higher price

Now that Mazda finally launched Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the 2018 Mazda6, the company isn't wasting time proliferating the infotainment upgrade to the rest of the lineup. The next on the list is the 2019 Mazda CX-9 large family crossover SUV. It's standard on Touring, Grand Touring, and Signature trims. But if you choose to go with the most affordable Sport trim, it's an option. Up-to-date infotainment isn't the only upgrade to the new CX-9. Every version receives thicker floor mats and a thicker headliner meant to further reduce the amount of noise that enters the cabin. The transmission is also retuned, and Mazda says the new tuning is meant to provide a smoother, quieter driving experience. We'll be interested to see how effective it is the next time we have a CX-9 in the office. Each individual trim level also gets some new options and features. The base Sport trim has a Sport Package available that adds heated front seats, a power driver's seat, heated mirrors, lane-keep assist and departure warning, adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking. The package rings in at $1,290. The Touring trim gets the fewest new features with its only new addition, besides the infotainment, being a frameless rearview mirror. The Grand Touring trim receives the 7-inch screen in the instrument panel also found in the Mazda6, along with new power side mirrors and a 360-degree camera system. The top-level Signature trim gets new badges, rosewood interior trim, and accent lighting in the grille and around the shifter. With all these new features come new prices, which are naturally higher than last year's. The smallest price increase is between base Sport models. The new one is just $150 more than the old one. The largest increase comes with the Signature trim, which now costs $1,050 more than the 2018 model. You can see the entire price list and changes below. Trim 2019 2018 Sport (FWD) $33,275 $33,125 Touring (FWD) $36,325 $35,955 Grand Touring (FWD) $41,835 $41,465 Signature (AWD-only) $46,360 $45,310 AWD Option (Sport-Grand Touring) $1,800 $1,800 Related Video:

BMW tops Consumer Reports 2023 Brand Report Card

Feels like we wrote about Consumer Reports' 2022 Brand Report Car and 10 Top Picks a few weeks ago, but it was last April. So the mag is back with a ranked roster of 32 brands and 10 vehicles in four categories for your debating pleasure. Starting with the brands, last year's top three were Subaru, Mazda and BMW. This year, the Munich crew climbed two spots to win the prize thanks to "Superb road test scores and solid results in CR’s reliability and owner satisfaction surveys." Subaru narrowly fell to second, maintaining its four-year run in the top three. Mini, eighth last year, jumped five spots to get the last step on the podium. The rest of the top 10 were Lexus (up one spot from last year), Honda (down one spot from last year), Toyota (up three), Genesis (up 12), Mazda (down six), Audi (down three) and Kia (up eight). The magazine and testing outfit says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CRÂ’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." Last year's top 10 had six automakers from Japan, three from Germany (giving Mini credit for England), none from the U.S. or South Korea, and five luxury brands. This year's list counts five makes from Japan, two from Germany because Porsche fell out of the top ten, two from South Korea, still none from the U.S., and four luxury brands. Buick again ranked as the best domestic, dropping to 12th after being 11th last year. The big mover was Lincoln, its 10-place jump up to 16th attributed to better reliability from the Corsair and Nautilus. Tesla's improved overall reliability saw it climb six spots to 17th. Dodge climbed one spot to 15th. Jeep got out of the penalty box in last to come second-to-last. Land Rover fell three places into the penalty spot.  CR's top 10 vehicle models The 10 Top Picks list is practically a new list. Only two holdovers made it to 2023, those being the Subaru Forester and Kia Telluride.