1990 Mazda Miata Base Convertible 2-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

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Mazda engineer explains why there won't be a Mazdaspeed3

When Mazda put the new, beautiful Mazda3 on its stand at last year's L.A. Auto Show, it didn't take long before someone asked about a Mazdaspeed3. It took even less time for the Japanese automaker's new global boss, Akira Marumoto, to cite his company's small size and say, " [My] answer would be no." During first drives of the compact hatch last month, Road & Track asked Mazda development vehicle engineer Dave Coleman what Mazda would need in order to resurrect an MPS version. Coleman detailed a few reasons for the Mazdaspeed's continued hiatus, the prohibitive cost foremost. But another hitch is that the Mazdaspeed we'd get now isn't the Mazdaspeed enthusiasts would want. Coleman told the magazine, "If we had an engine on the shelf that would fit that properly, then we could talk." But the price to develop an engine and supporting hardware to do the car right isn't in the budget for an automaker of Mazda's size. Perhaps more important, though, present-day Mazda wouldn't — and couldn't — whip up another raw, rapid hatch. The competition, and consumers, have changed. "Even the Mazdaspeed 3, in its last iteration, came out as raw as it did due to the constraints," Coleman said, and today's market won't put up with that kind of buzzy, excitable uncouth anymore. The question is, even if Mazda had the money, do the buyers pining for a zoom-zoomier Mazda3 want the mature, composed hot hatch they'd be offered? Head over to Road & Track to read Coleman's take on the matter, and how he lays out the gap that would swallow any potential MPS as, "What you think you want is rawness. What you really want is responsiveness and directness." Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mazda6 Skyactiv-D racecar gets first win at Road Atlanta

Mazda has a long motorsports history, and one that is peppered with fascinating cars. The latest chapter in Mazda's racing story has just been written, as Joel Miller and Andrew Carbonell have driven the Visit Florida Racing Mazda6 Skyactiv-D to the car's first ever victory at the Rolex Grand-Am GX race at Road Atlanta. The win marks the first ever for Mazda's diesel-burning, production-car based Skyactiv-D racer, and the first win for a diesel-powered car in a Grand-Am event.
In fact, it was a particularly good day for the Mazda Motorsports team, as a Mazda6 also picked up the third finishing spot at Road Atlanta. Director of Mazda Motorsports, John M. Doonan, said of the racecar, "We've always said that the best street cars make the best racecars, and, with more than half of the components in the race engine being shared with the street engine, this program is a solid proof-point."
SpeedSource Engineering, which helped to build the Mazda6 racer, was greatly heartened by the car's performance in just it's fourth-ever race. Owner Sylvain Tremblay called the victory, "a tribute to the thousands of hours of hard work over many months," continuing, "The normal plan with a new car is to spend the first year in development, the second year seeking race wins, and challenging for a championship in year three. We are already at our year-two status after four races. We can't wait to get to the Belle Isle course in Detroit for round five."

100k Mazda6 sedans recalled over tire-monitoring systems

A tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is, as you might have guessed, designed to monitor the air pressure in the tires, and alert the driver if pressure drops. But a problem found in the Mazda6 could keep the system from doing its job. According to the recall notice issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the TPMS in the Mazda6 might not recognize a loss in tire pressure if all the tires slowly deflate at the same time. Under-inflated tires, it goes without saying, could increase the risk of a crash. As a result, Mazda is recalling 99,711 examples of the 2014-2015 Mazda6 to have the system's software updated. RECALL Subject : Tire Pressure Monitoring System/FMVSS 138 Report Receipt Date: OCT 27, 2014 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V675000 Component(s): TIRES Potential Number of Units Affected: 99,711 Manufacturer: Mazda North American Operations SUMMARY: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Mazda6 vehicles manufactured October 25, 2012, to October 10, 2014. If the pressures of four of the tires on an affected vehicle gradually drop at the same time, the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) may not warn the driver of the drop in pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System." CONSEQUENCE: A vehicle that is driven with under inflated tires may experience a sudden tire failure, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on December 10, 2014. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.