2012 Mazda Mazda6 4dr Sdn Auto I Touring on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Automatic Road Test | Cue the sad trombone

Somewhere in Hiroshima, a parade of nearly finished Miatas glides along a track waiting to receive their beating hearts, the powertrains that'll let them ply their road-carving talents the world over. One – let's call him Fred – is eager to begin his new life as a 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata, bringing joy to his future owner and just generally being awesome, even if the RF power targa-ish roof that's already been applied to him is a tad dweeby. Visions of hairpins and power slides and expertly executed heal-toe downshifts dance in his head Â… and then it happens. He is given the one thing every new Miata dreads: an automatic transmission. Poor guy. This will not, entirely at least, be yet another diatribe in the ongoing Quixotic campaign to Save the Manuals(!). Automatic transmissions can be quite good and even beneficial in sports cars, especially on the track where removing the need to operate a clutch and expertly execute those heel-toe downshifts lets you better focus on the steering, what the chassis is doing and just going faster. That the computers can shift quicker than you can is another obvious advantage. The trouble with the Miata, and why Fred is now shuffling off the line like George Michael away from the Banana Stand, is that the Mazda six-speed automatic just isn't appropriate for a sports car. The automatics in the rest of Mazda's fleet are actually quite excellent, delivering superior response than rival transmissions, and delivering comparable fuel economy despite possessing fewer gears. However, what works well in a compact crossover like the CX-5 or CX-30 is not necessarily appropriate for a sports car like a Miata. Unlike the dual-clutch transmissions or even some sport-tuned conventional automatics of various performance-oriented cars, this one doesn't downshift adroitly when braking into a corner, anticipating your imminent need to get back on the power. The plastic paddle shifters lack the reassuring, mechanical feel of the best examples, and then don't produce quick-enough reactions from the transmission when up- or downshifting. I found using the shifter itself, which is at least oriented the correct way – with downshift forward and upshift rearward – to ultimately be more rewarding as it has a more involving action to it. Still, it's nothing compared to the solid, snick-snick action of the six-speed manual.

Britain's BBR already promising 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata with 200+ horsepower

The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata is one of Autoblog's most anticipated cars to drive this year, and with good reason. Thanks to svelte, angular styling, the promise of less weight, the possibility of more power and all at a fairly affordable price, it represents pure, automotive enjoyment. Mazda is still not saying exactly how much power the new Miata's 2.0-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder engine will make, but that isn't keeping British tuner BBR from already working out how to squeeze even more ponies from the mill – potentially as much as 200 horsepower with natural aspiration. The company bought a Mazda3 for access to its 2.0-liter Skyactiv and went to work on it. "Our objective with the all-new MX-5 is to achieve the same 200 bhp output that we can easily enjoy with simple bolt-on components on the current 2.0-litre NC model, before building on further power upgrades using forced induction," said Neil McKay of BBR in the company's release. The 3's version of the engine is rated at 155 hp and 150 pound-feet of torque but is expected to be tuned for additional grunt for the droptop. Still, it gives BBR something to experiment with before the real thing is available. The tuner also got the opportunity to take a look at a pre-production 2016 Miata and is already developing "subtle bodywork alterations" for the upcoming convertible. You can get a taste for the company's plans with the rendering above. It sports tinted lights, a front lip spoiler, lower side sills and a tiny rear spoiler. Scroll down to read more about BBR's plans in the official announcement. BBR UNVEILS STUNNING 200 BHP ALL-NEW MAZDA MX-5 CONCEPT Despite deliveries not scheduled to begin until July, legendary Mazda performance tuner BBR is making great progress with both its visual concept and powertrain development for the all-new MX-5. "A program of detailed performance enhancements has already commenced at our Brackley base," says BBR's Neil Mckay, "thanks to our investment in a 2.0-litre Skyactiv powered Mazda 3. Our objective with the all-new MX-5 is to achieve the same 200 bhp output that we can easily enjoy with simple bolt-on components on the current 2.0-litre NC model, before building on further power upgrades using forced induction." Having viewed a pre-production version of the car BBR is also working hard on visual enhancements to add more presence to the svelte lines of the all-new MX-5.

Junkyard Gem: 1985 Mazda 626 Sedan

Mazda began selling cars in the United States all the way back in the late 1960s, with the Cosmo Sport 110S, and many interesting(ly strange) Wankel-powered machines followed, but they eventually gave way to much more conventional piston-powered cars such as the the original 626 that the ex-cork-making company from Hiroshima offered here starting in 1979. That car didn't sell so well, though it looked good and boasted build quality as good as the better-known Japanese brands. Starting with the 1983 model year, a new 626 with front-wheel-drive appeared here, with production continuing through 1987. That car did a better job at luring buyers away from Nissan and Toyota showrooms, but examples are nearly nonexistent today. Here's one of those cars, found in a Colorado yard overseen by Pikes Peak. Just as the GLC became the 323, which became the Mazda3 (after first dabbling with the Protege name), the 626 eventually became the Mazda6 (with coupes badged as MX-6s or Ford Probes for a while in the late 1980s through middle 1990s). The last year for the 626 name here was 2002. This one made it well past the 200,000-mile mark, which was serious stuff for a mid-1980s car (yes, I've found some Toyotas of the same era that doubled that figure and a couple of Mercedes-Benzes that tripled it). The 2.0-liter straight-four in the 1985 626 made 84 horsepower. Not great, but good enough for a 2,500-pound car in that period. Once BMW started adding the "i" to the designation of fuel-injected cars during the late 1970s, everybody else jumped on board the moment they ditched the carburetor. The 626 and subsequent Mazda6 held onto the manual transmission all the way until the 2018 model year, though finding a 6 from the last decade with three pedals in North America is an unusual happenstance. This car even has the optional air conditioning, something that was still considered a rich-people-only luxury by a large swathe of the American car-buying public in 1985. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Do you think the only way to get into a serious road car is to empty your bank account and buy something from the Black Forest? Not so, according to James Garner! This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. In its homeland, this car was pitched as highly opulent. This content is hosted by a third party.