1993 Mazda Mx-5 Miata on 2040-cars

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MotorWeek proves '90s were awesome with Supra, Stealth, RX-7, Corvette, 968, 300ZX comparo

Oh, the heady days of 1993, back when the Clinton Presidency was just getting underway, and it seemed like every hot new rock band was coming out of Seattle. Sports cars in the US had finally shaken off the shackles that slowed them during the '70s and '80s, and you could buy any number of legitimately quick vehicles again. MotorWeek recently went digging into its archives to find this six-model test from 1993 showing off some of the best semi-affordable performance coupes that money could buy at the time, and it's priceless.
Featuring the 1994 model year Toyota Supra in twin-turbo guise and MY 1993 versions of the Porsche 968, Nissan 300ZX TT, Mazda RX-7, Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo and Chevrolet Corvette LT-1, MotorWeek definitely covered all of the bases. One thing that might surprise younger readers is these cars' performance. The video only provides 0-60 acceleration times, but several of these vehicles would still be considered pretty potent today - over 20 years since going on sale. The Supra is especially impressive, hitting 60 miles per hour in just 5 seconds. Even today, that's nothing to sneeze at.
Given their performance potential and still-attractive looks, it's amazing that some of these coupes are old enough to drink now. The progress of interior design and safety equipment in the intervening years is pretty shocking, though. In most of these models, having two airbags is touted as a big deal. Scroll down to watch a Throwback Thursday blast from the past about some of the '90s best sports cars.

2019 Mazda3 gets only two engines in U.S.; here are details on suspension, AWD

We learned a lot about the 2019 Mazda3 hatchback and sedan when it made its debut at the L.A. Auto Show. It will still have a manual transmission, it will offer all-wheel drive for the first time, and it's a stunner inside and out. But we still had questions about some of the details, so we spoke with folks from Mazda, including a couple of engineers for details on engines, suspension and drivetrains. First off, of the five engines announced for the Mazda3, just two of them are slated for the United States. At launch, the Mazda3 will be offered only with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder. It's mechanically pretty much the same as what you'll find in the Mazda CX-5 and Mazda6. It even features cylinder deactivation. The only real difference between this engine, its predecessor, and the one in other Mazdas is some minor engine tuning tweaks. Power is almost the same with 186 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque, gains of 2 horsepower and 1 pound-foot. Fuel economy is rated at 27 mpg in the city, 36 on the highway, and 30 overall for front-wheel-drive models. We would expect the all-wheel-drive model to have slightly worse fuel economy simply due to extra weight and having to power two extra wheels. The Skyactiv-X engine will become available later in 2019. It will be rolled out in Europe first, with America coming after. When it does come here, it will be offered in states with stricter emissions regulations before coming to other states. While we're on the topic of engines, we also probed a bit about the possibility of the turbocharged 2.5-liter engine coming to the Mazda3. We did get the typical response of not being able to comment on future product. However, they did confirm that the turbocharged engine does in fact fit in the new Mazda3, since it and the naturally aspirated engine are very similar, and the naturally aspirated engine still uses an enormous header, meaning turbo plumbing wouldn't be an issue. Everyone we spoke with at Mazda did emphasize that they are listening closely to buyers, which is what led to the turbo engine being offered on the Mazda6 and CX-5, as well as the introduction of all-wheel-drive to the Mazda3. So, if you, like us, want to see the turbo engine added to the Mazda3, let the company know. They might just do it. Now as for drivetrains, the company is still deciding which trims and which combinations of engines will be offered.

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.