2010 Mazda Mazda6 I Sport on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata First Drive Review | More power is the icing on top

SAN DIEGO — When Mazda announced that the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata was getting a serious increase in power, I was both excited and nervous. I was excited because more power is always exciting, and it was no insubstantial increase. At 181 horsepower, it's the most powerful production Miata ever offered, beating out turbocharged Mazdaspeed Miata's 178 horsepower. Plus it has more revs to play with. But what had me worried was whether this power would mess up the friendly, playful character of the Miata. The 155-horsepower 2.0-liter engine is just about perfect, almost universally loved by the Autoblog staff and other reviewers, with good midrange torque and short gearing that always made it feel quick in nearly every rev range. It felt like the right amount of power for the chassis, too. There was just enough to get it loose without working too hard, but it wouldn't spin you around unexpectedly. I could imagine a couple of ways the new engine could affect that sweet balance, too. A bit too much power could risk some of the Miata's accessibility and predictability. It might become more serious and less fun-loving. I also feared that in pursuit of a higher redline and more horsepower, the low-end of the rev range might become painfully slow. Honda owners know this feeling whenever their VTEC-equipped screamers drop out of the aggressive cam profile, and the Toyota 86 and BRZ suffer from an awful lack of torque right in the mid-range that doesn't recover until nearly redline. All of this was on my mind when the assembled reviewers were briefed by Mazda engineers about the car. It started out like most presentations, with a brief rundown of the goals of the car and what Mazda has done with the model so far. Then came a chart showing the power curves of the NC, current ND, and the 2019 model, and my fear of a loss of low-end grunt dissipated. The amount of power and torque over engine speed is nearly identical between the old and new ND Miatas right up to around 4,500 rpm. And then from there, the 2019 continues making more power all the way to its 181-horse peak at 7,000 rpm, 500 rpm higher than the previous model's redline. This was a good sign. Mazda managed to get these gains with no sacrifices through many small upgrades. The throttle body is wider with a slimmer throttle plate, the intake manifold has longer runners and dual paths, and the intake ports are larger.

2018 Mazda6 Wagon: Beautiful but forbidden

Mazda has finally revealed the updated Mazda6 wagon it announced a few weeks ago. It's just as beautiful as we expected. The exterior features most of the same updates as the sedan version. They include a grille with more depth and dimension, a cleaner lower fascia, and headlights that are more integrated with the grille. Inside, the dashboard has been revised to look less cluttered, and the high-end leather and suede trimmings of the Signature trim are available. View 12 Photos Of course, the 2018 Mazda6 wagon still won't be available in America. And that's particularly disappointing, especially for this author, because the car looks so great. But we do understand the reasons why. Nobody buys wagons, at least without plastic body cladding on them. Plus, Mazda already offers the CX-5 here in the United States, and it serves effectively the same purpose, but in a much more popular crossover package. Seriously, the CX-5 is Mazda's best-seller over the last two months, selling more than twice as many as the next best-seller, the Mazda3. But there's still a silver lining to our lack of a wagon. You see, a close examination reveals that while the European Mazda6 sedan and wagon get most of the same updates as those in the American market, they won't get the 250-horsepower, 310 pound-feet of torque-producing turbocharged 2.5-liter gasoline engine we're getting. And given a choice, we would probably prefer more power than a wagon variant. The most potent engine over in Europe will remain the diesel 2.2-liter engine making 181 horsepower and 328 pound-feet of torque. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Gallery 2018 Mazda6 wagon View 30 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2018 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Geneva Motor Show Mazda Wagon 2018 Geneva Motor Show mazda6 wagon

How long will the 'golden age' of performance last?

High-powered sports and luxury cars were everywhere at the New York Auto Show, prompting the obvious question for enthusiasts: How long will this golden age of performance last? Industry leaders have some time before regulations elevate the Corporate Average Fuel Economy level in 2025. Even then, they expect cars rippling with power to survive in some form. "Is it the end of an era," I don't think so," said Ola Kallenius, Daimler AG board member for Mercedes-Benz cars marketing and sales. "That performance element of individual mobility I don't think will ever go away." Kallenius, who oversaw the company's AMG division from 2010-2013, expects it to continue to grow. Last year, AMG sold a record 68,875 units around the world, an increase of 44.6 percent over 2014, with strong growth in the US, China, and Germany. Still, there's always the potential for gas to spike, and pending fuel economy regulations are looming. That could lead AMG to add electrification to its products, Kallenius said, pointing to the electric SLS as a test case. Chevy is also thinking ahead, said Al Oppenheiser, chief engineer of the Camaro. He wouldn't bite when asked about electrification for the Camaro (he did say "never say never"), but admitted in 2025 "it's going to be pretty tough to sell V8s." For now, things are rosy for muscle cars, and Chevy confidently showcased the 640-hp Camaro ZL1 in coupe and convertible form in New York. "I think that this is truly the golden age of performance," Oppenheiser said. It's hard to disagree. News & Analysis News: The 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF was a show-stopper in New York. Analysis: There was a palpable energy when this RF — for Retractable Fastback — was revealed the night before the show at a trendy off-site venue near the Hudson River. Even as a parade of SUVs and flashy luxury cars rolled out the rest of the week, the Miata remained a hot topic. The Retractable Fastback is really a clever targa top, with part of the roof stowing behind the seats, adding about 100 pounds compared to the standard convertible. It makes the car more practical and arguably more attractive. The RF continues Mazda's tradition of selling the Miata with a hardtop variant. The first and second generations offered a detachable one, and a power retractable hardtop (a $1,700 option) was available on third-gen models. Judging by its reception in New York, the RF could prove to be even more popular than its predecessors.