S Touring Pl 3.7l Cd Front Wheel Drive Power Steering 4-wheel Disc Brakes A/c on 2040-cars

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RingBanana Miata breaks 9-min Nurburgring barrier

The RingBanana is a cheap Mazda MX-5 Miata on a screaming mission: to lap the Nurburgring in under nine minutes. And let us emphasize the word "cheap." The team wanted the least expensive Miata they could find that still ran, and then wanted to spend the least amount of money possible in order to hit their target mark. We don't know how much they spent on the Ringbanana, but they were so indiscriminate about the purchase that they don't know what year the car is. They only know that it's got 90 horsepower, green springs, Fulda tires, and "it's completely crap." After setting a base lap of 9:21.8 the guys behind the project figured they'd have a fair bit of work. Turns out a new set of Kumho V70A semi-slick, road-legal race tires paired with Gabriel Pirana's driving is all they needed. With just that mod Pirana set a lap time of 8:59.9, and that was while having to deal with one spot of slow traffic that was getting around a stricken car. According to Wikipedia, this puts them between a 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged and a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt SS. Even though the team achieved its goal on its first attempt, the Ringbanana game isn't over – there's probably a suspension mod in the near future while the guys figure out just how quickly they can go. The video above does a good job of showing just how fun it can be driving a slow car fast.

Mazda6 diesel to race at Rolex 24, team and drivers announced

Mazda is getting serious about showing off the Skyactiv-D turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine in the Mazda6. The automaker has just announced it will campaign three diesel Mazda6 racers in the Grand-Am GX class of the upcoming 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona in a quest to walk away with the company's 24th class win. Mazda partnered with SpeedSource to develop the race version of the new sedan, with Japanese and American engineers lending a helping hand where needed. Meanwhile, Freedom Autosport and Visit Florida Racing/SpeedSource/Yellow Dragon Racing will helm teams of their own.
Each car will make use of a five-driver team for the 24-hour race on January 26. In the interim, you can check out the full press release below for more information as well as the full driver roster. Mazda says we can expect to see the No. 70 SpeedSource car under the lights at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show later this month, as well.

2020 Mazda6 starts at $24,920, $200 more than 2019 model year

Mazda increased the price of all five trims of the 2020 Mazda6 by $200. The entry-level Mazda6 Sport starts at $24,000 before $920 destination charge ($965 in Alaska), for a total of $24,920. The only changes for next year are a new key fob likely copying the black and shiny metal unit from the Mazda3, and a new Signature badge likely in the form of the elemental "Sg" pulled from the CX-5 Signature model. The three Premium Paint choices carry over, with the same prices: Snowflake White Pearl Mica for $200, Machine Gray Metallic for $300, and Soul Red Crystal Metallic for $595. Prices of the other four trims run:  Mazda6 Touring $27,580 Mazda6 Grand Touring $30,620 Mazda6 Grand Touring Reserve $33,120 Mazda6 Signature $36,220 We're awaiting word on the arrival of all-wheel drive and the 2.2.-liter turbodiesel fitted to the CX-5. In the CX-5, that engine makes 168 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque. An AWD Mazda6 showed up in paperwork filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in January 2018, spy shots of a diesel-powered sedan followed in May that year, and Mazda mentioned the oil-burner again in April this year. For the time being, power for the 2020 Mazda6 will continue to be sent to the front axle through a six-speed automatic — Mazda eliminated the six-speed manual for the 2019 model year. The Sport and Touring trims come with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 187 hp and 186 lb-ft. The Grand Touring, Grand Touring Reserve and Signature raise that to a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 227 hp on 87 octane gas, or 250 hp on 93 octane, and 310 lb-ft.