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Mazda RX-Vision GT3 concept slinks into Gran Turismo Sport next year

The World Final of the FIA World Tour in Gran Turismo Sport just went down in Monaco, and Mazda was there with a couple of big announcements. The first is that the Hiroshima-based automaker will become an official video game partner next year, 2020 also happening to be Mazda's centenary year. The second reveal was a sketch of the Mazda RX-Vision GT3 Concept, a GT3-class racer based on the RX-Vision Concept shown at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. Game creator Kazunori Yamauchi and Mazda's North American design chief Julien Mountousse wouldn't get into details, such as how close the final car would look to the drawing or whether there'd be a rotary engine under the hood. Yamauchi would only say Polyphony Digital is modeling the car right now, and Montousse added that designers wanted the Vision GT3 to be a car players really wanted to drive. As much of a looker as the race car is, it's clear some changes will be in order; the front fenders, roof, and rear wing are nearly on the same plane. The brunt of aero accessorizing happens down low, a massive front splitter leading to extended side sills with vertical planes, and what must be a massive rear diffuser with an even larger set of vertical planes. It's hard to tell by the drawing, but it looks like the rear wing supports angle out from the body to merge with the end plates. When the RX-Vision GT3 shows up to contest the 2020 FIA-certified championships in GT Sport, it will join the Atenza Gr.3 as Mazda's only GT3-class car in the game — the Atenza effectively a near copy of the Speed Source Mazda6 that raced in the U.S. Grand-Am series until a couple of season ago, but with four doors instead of two, and a gas engine instead of diesel. Mazda didn't qualify for the GT Sport Manufacturer's Cup this year, they'll be hoping their team can change that next year with the RX-Vision GT3 since, as Montousse said, "That car has all the Mazda spirit in it." There will be more coming from Mazda in GT Sport as well. Word is that the official partnership won't stop at a single new car, and Yamauchi remarked on the partnership, "I think we can keep our expectations high for next year." Fast forward to 17:50 in the video to see the sketch presented, or roll back a bit to 14:00 to listen to comments from Mazda global head of design Ikuo Maeda.

2019 Mazda Miata officially announced with 181 horsepower

It turns out the rumors and leaks are true. The 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata will indeed get a slight performance increase. This fall, the car's naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-four will make 181 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque. That's a 26 horsepower and 3 pound-feet bump over the 2018 model. It may not sound like a lot on paper, but consider the fact that it's a nearly 17 percent increase in power in a car that weighs just 2,332 lbs. When the current ND generation debuted a few years back, the Miata actually took a slight hit to power. It was offset by a sizable weight loss program, but it didn't stop people from making a fuss. These days, it's not often that a newer model actually loses power compared to the outgoing car. The new car now makes roughly the same power as the old turbocharged Mazdaspeed MX-5 from 2004. Peak power for the 2019 model comes at 7,000 rpm while peak torque arrives at 4,000 rpm. That's 1,000 more and 600 fewer revs respectively. The Miata's redline is now 7,500 rpm, up from 6,800. It should make the car feel more lively through the rev range and should drop the car's 0-60 mph time back under 7 seconds. The 2019 model only weighs 7-pounds more than the outgoing model, so it's essentially a non-issue. In order to get the extra juice, Mazda engineers did some significant work to the engine's internals. Piston mass has been reduced 27 grams while the connecting rods are down 41 grams. The exhaust system and inner exhaust manifold have been modified to reduce pumping losses by 30 percent. The intake and fuel injectors have been changed, too. A new dual-mass flywheel replaces the single-mass unit. This should help better manage engine vibrations and responsiveness. Lastly, the final drive ratio has been increased from 3.454 to 3.583. Other gear ratios remain unchanged. There are other minor but welcome changes for 2019. The steering wheel now telescopes, a boon for drivers with long legs. The doors are easier to open and feature revised door stops. The cupholders and seat levers have both been updated. Finally, there are new 17-inch wheels and a new brown canvas soft top. How all these changes will affect the car remain to be seen. While many people have been clamoring for more power, some of us here at Autoblog feel the Miata may lose some of its current character with such a significant shift in power and torque. Either way, we're as excited as ever to get behind the wheel. Related Video:

2009-2013 Mazda6 door latch recall covers 161k cars

Mazda is voluntarily recalling 161,400 Mazda6 cars due to door latch mounting screws that may loosen, which could cause a door to open while the vehicle is in motion, thereby increasing the risk of accident or injury. The recall covers 2009 through 2013 Mazda6 models manufactured between February 4, 2008 and August 24, 2012.
The recall is expected to begin by October 18, 2013. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will provide repairs free of charge. Scroll down for the official recall notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.