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Bighearted enthusiast rescues stranger's Mazda RX-7 from floods

With Tropical Storm Cristobal charting a path for the Gulf Coast, a Biloxi, Mississippi, local named Khuong Nguyen wanted to get his FD-series Mazda RX-7 out of the storm — the coupe had some bad seals that would let in rain. He parked the orange and black coupe in the bottom story of a parking garage at the city's Golden Nugget Casino, which kept the rain from getting in. But Cristobal came on stronger than expected, creating a new threat of water from below when the parking garage began to flood. Austin Owens, a Gulfport resident about 10 miles from Biloxi, saw photos of the RX-7 with water up to its rockers on a local Cars and Coffee page. As he would later tell Jalopnik, the RX-7 being one of Owens' dream cars, he decided he needed to rescue it. Just to make sure we're all on the same page, a young man braved a tropical storm in his own vehicle to save a stranger's RX-7 in another city. Owens dragooned a friend and hopped in a Ford Bronco, dodging closed roads and fording three or four feet of water on open roads. They drove to Home Depot to pick up cinder blocks, then headed to the Golden Nugget parking garage. As Owens and his friend arrived, they met Nguyen and a couple of his friends pulling Nguyen's second car, a Ferrari 360, out of the garage on a trailer. The RX-7 had already been set on wood blocks, thin bricks, and some orange wheel chocks, but the stilt job wasn't high enough in front; the water in parts of the garage was knee deep. Owens jacked up the RX-7 to get the cinder blocks under the front wheels; the rear end was fine, due to the slope of the garage floor. Success. As one of Nguyen's friends told Jalopnik, Owens' actions "did give us adequate time to combat the rising water." The success came at a cost, though, Owens reporting, "We actually killed the [BroncoÂ’s] transmission on the way out. We actually had to drive in second gear all the way home" due to floodwater seeping into the transmission. He has no regrets, explaining his derring-do with, “ItÂ’s a rare car ... I would hope somebody would do the same for me if I was in the situation with a car of that stature. I didnÂ’t have it in my heart to leave it there." With the story blowing up on Facebook, he told the legion of enthusiasts sending their respects, "Appreciate the love, but IÂ’d expect the same for one of my cars," followed by, "Alright, whoÂ’s down for some Forza?" Save for the original seal issue, the RX-7 came out of the storm with no issues.

Mazda CX-3 details come to light

Mazda may be working on a new CUV, according to Auto Express. Reportedly called the CX-3, the small crossover will be engineered to take on the likes of the Ford EcoSport and Nissan Juke, but with a focus on fuel efficiency and engaging driving characteristics.
The report names no sources, but says the CX-3 will benefit from a new small-displacement diesel engine. The 1.6-liter oil burner will be joined by a 1.3-liter gasoline engine when the vehicle debuts in 2014. Auto Express reports the model may bow as a front-wheel drive offering only, with no all-wheel-drive option.
And what will it look like? Word has it Mazda will continue to leverage the face we've seen on the current CX-5 (pictured). That means the company's shield grille will make the jump, but with more plastic lower body cladding. Inside, Auto Express says the CX-3 will offer buyers fold-flat rear seating for extra cargo capacity.

Ruminations in winter | 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata long-term update

Winter is an odd time for our 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club long-term tester. In the summer, the track beckons. Fall and spring bring top-down adventures at sunset. But our Miata is a little out of its enthusiast element when the weather is harsh and our moods grow as gray as a January day in Michigan. Sure, there's the occasional snowstorm, and equipped with winter tires the Miata can be a fun toy. But what about when it's just cold and dreary? We had a lot of time to reflect on our MX-5 these past few months, and we still managed to find enjoyment in the little things - even though admittedly this is not the time of year when the Miata shines. For starters, we taught associate video producer Amr Sayour how to drive a stick shift with the Miata. With its agreeable clutch and short throws, the six-speed manual was the perfect learning instrument for Sayour. His teacher, Adam Morath, actually had to show him how to stall. Arguably, learning to drive a manual isn't a little thing, but it was these run-of-the-mill events that showcased the Miata could be more than tolerable in winter. Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale used it for a 500-mile roundtrip to pick up a new pet and found it was a little tight for dog and driver. Though Stocksdale still enjoyed the sports-car feel, he came to the conclusion that "Miata is always the answer, but not always the best one." We also quickly realized the MX-5 isn't a great commuter car, nor did we expect it to be. It's low to the ground. It's loud. The small cabin has a greenhouse effect, and the windows fog easily. "If you have a Miata, it will creak and rattle in the winter. A lot. Nothing out of the ordinary here - this is a convertible with a lot of flexy parts - but something the casual shopper might not be aware of," Editor-in-Chief Mike Austin noted. Still, he found ways to have fun. "On the upside, winter tires = low-speed power oversteer." We had a lot of time to reflect on our MX-5 these past few months, and we still managed to find enjoyment in the little things. Speaking of those snowshoes, Stocksdale said they made our Mazda a "perfectly acceptable winter ride." Keeping the traction control on, he navigated his neighborhood roads in packed snow with little trouble. Like Austin advised, be aware of the ground clearance; Stocksdale got hung up in deep snow while attempting to scale his driveway.