2008 Mazda Tribute I Sport Automatic Roof Rack Only 68k Texas Direct Auto on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mazda's EV resistance may mean CAFE trouble ahead

Is Skyactiv the limit for Mazda? The Japanese automaker has ridden its gas-powered engine technology platform to the upper end of fleetwide fuel economy among automakers in the US. But the company's lack of electrification, either hybrids of plug-in vehicles, combined with increasing sales of crossovers, may limit future fuel-efficiency gains, Automotive News reports. Mazda has no plans to add battery-electric variants across its product line, the publication says, citing comments from Mazda North America CEO Masahiro Moro. So far, the dependence on Skyactiv has worked well, as Mazda was the second automaker - after electric-vehicle maker Tesla Motors – to meet the US fuel-economy mandate of 34.1 miles per gallon for 2016. Additionally, Mazda plans to unveil the second-generation version of Skyactiv next year. Using a technology called "homogenous-charge compression ignition" (HCCI), Mazda's gas-powered engines will approximate the compression in diesel engines, boosting fuel economy accordingly. Because of that development, Mazda's Moro is "very confident" that the company will meet the US Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) mandate for 2021. With no plans for US plug-ins or hybrids (Mazda's only hybrid, a variant of the Mazda3, is sold in Japan), Moro is not so sure about meeting the 2025 CAFE mandate of 54.5 mpg (which equates to a "real world" fuel economy of about 40 mpg). Additionally, Mazda's "biggest regulatory headache" will be meeting California's mandate that 15 percent of the state's new-vehicle sales be zero-emissions within the next decade. In 2011, Mazda laid out its strategy of leaning on its Skyactiv technology instead of moving to drivetrain electrification as a way to boost fleetwide fuel economy, saying at the time that "you can't out-Toyota Toyota and you can't out-Honda Honda." The company also took a strong stance against even the idea of electrification in vehicles. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mazda's model-year 2015 vehicles averaged 30.1 mpg, beating out Honda's 28.9 mpg, Subaru's 28.7 mpg, and Nissan's 28.3 mpg. Mazda's fleetwide fuel efficiency increased from 29.4 mpg for the 2014 model year, and from 28.1 for the 2013 model year, according to the EPA. Related Video: Featured Gallery Mazda3 SkyActiv-Hybrid View 21 Photos News Source: Automotive News-sub.req. Green Mazda Fuel Efficiency Green Automakers Electric Hybrid skyactiv mazda hybrid mazda electric car

Super-rare Mazda MX-5 Miata coupe pops up for sale

It's somehow fascinating that one of the most interesting developments of Mazda's MX-5 Miata roadster is the one that isn't a roadster at all. Unlike the NC and ND generations with retractable power hardtops, the second-generation NB Miata got a special coupe version with a fixed roof, done in the style of the first-generation coupe concept. We're talking very limited production numbers: just 179 of these NB coupes were made, and they were all Japanese-market models, so it's not often that one comes up for sale. Except now. Itself even more of a limited-edition car, this sportier Type S version residing in Hong Kong and advertised on Pistonheads is one of just 63 made. It's right-hand-drive, as both its Japanese market origins and Hong Kong regulations dictate, and out of the available engine variations it comes with the 1840cc unit and a six-speed manual gearbox. What's more, despite its low 30,000 miles, the 2004 fixed-roof Miata is said to be fully overhauled and restored to as-new condition. We can't imagine those coupe-specific parts such as glass and trim are easy to source, so with these extremely rare cars it's probably best to go with the best condition example you can find, if you can find one to begin with. Rust hits all old Miatas at some point. With that backdrop, the GBP30,000 ($38,700) asking price doesn't seem all that unreasonable. With the Miata's enormous enthusiast base, there are now aftermarket solutions that imitate the flowing lines of the rare factory coupe, but they do lack the strengthening that Mazda's specialty skunkworks shop put in these — and the body-stiffening roof adds a mere 22 pounds to the car's dainty overall weight. For some lucky Miata hobbyist, this particular red coupe might be the crown jewel of their roadster collection. Related Video:

Mazda previews 2016 Miata Global MX-5 Cup racer

At this point, we all know that the Mazda MX-5 Miata is a highly capable racing platform. Mazda even claims that the car is the most road-raced model in the world. Fittingly, then, the Japanese brand is making a huge announcement about the future of motorsport for its next-generation convertible. The MX-5 Cup is going worldwide in 2016 as the MX-5 Global Cup, and all of the racers are getting behind the wheel of the upcoming fourth-gen Miata, similar to the gorgeous redhead pictured above.
"It has long been our goal to see Mazda fans around the world competing in identical MX-5s, and the launch of the 2016 MX-5 Miata is the perfect time to make this goal a reality," said Masahiro Moro, Managing Executive Officer in charge of Global Sales, Marketing and Customer Service for Mazda in the company's announcement.
The racing version makes its grand debut at this year's SEMA show, although at the moment it's really more of a concept. Mazda confirms that the racer uses the 2.0-liter SkyActiv four-cylinder, but the other important parts like tires, suspension and safety equipment are not yet determined. The cars "will be sold ready to race from a single supplier," according to automaker's announcement for the series.