2014 Mazda Mx-5 Miata Grand Touring on 2040-cars

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Mazda will sell a removable MX-5 Miata hardtop only to racers

Before the advent of the power-folding hardtop NC or the newer MX-5 RF targa, you could buy a fiberglass hardtop to plop on your soft-top Miata. Expensive when new and rather rare, they command top dollar now. And moreover, Spec Miata racers have always sought them for use in that series. Now, what's old is new again, sort of. Mazda Motorsports will sell a removable hardtop for $4,420, but there's a catch. You have to purchase a MX-5 Cup Global race car to order one. A Mazda spokesperson confirmed to Autoblog that non-Cup racers won't be able to purchase a new hardtop for their ND – and furthermore, since it's oddly shaped to clear the rollcage, they might not want to. Second-hand, who knows? Even though it's pricey, it'd offer a different experience than you get from the sexy RF. Related Video: Motorsports Mazda Convertible Racing Vehicles Performance mazda mx-5

Graffiti artist Banksy turns Mazda Protege into warfare commentary

British street artist Banksy, who currently resides in New York City for its high pedestrian traffic and plentiful hiding spots, recently took his stencils and spray cans to a truck trailer and an old Mazda to make a commentary about war, according to a video report by Newsy.
Part of the canvas, a late-1990s Mazda Protege, is a sub-$3,000 used car at best, but we're sure having Banksy's art sprayed onto it has greatly increased its value, as it did to a piece at a Former Packard plant in Detroit a few years ago. The same goes for the trailer, which looks like it would be right at home attached to a U-Haul rental truck.
The graffito, painted in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, was accompanied by a link to some disturbing audio from a controversial 2007 military video leaked by Wikileaks in 2010. Head on below to watch the video report, and be sure to visit Banksy's website if you want to see the painting with the audio (listener discretion advised).

Here are your 2016 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year finalists [w/polls]

The 2016 Detroit Auto Show will kick off with the announcement of the annual North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards, and the three finalists in each category have just been revealed. Following this announcement, the jury – which includes Autoblog editor-in-chief Mike Austin – will re-evaluate each candidate before casting a final vote for the winner. This year's finalists are: Car of the Year Chevrolet Malibu Honda Civic Mazda MX-5 Miata Truck/Utility of the Year Honda Pilot Nissan Titan XD Volvo XC90 The 23rd annual awards will be announced on the morning of Monday, January 11. For now, we want to know where you stand. Let us know which vehicles you think should win, by voting in the polls below. Chevrolet Honda Mazda Nissan Volvo north american car of the year NACTOY