Convertible We Finance Clean Fun To Drive on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Perk up your Mazda Miata with BBR's new 248-horsepower turbo kit

For three decades, enthusiasts have argued whether the Mazda MX-5 Miata needs more power. For its part, Mazda seems fine with leaving the Miata as is, even reducing the horsepower from the third- to fourth-generation models, though the car lost a little weight. That's where tuners like BBR in the UK and Flyin' Miata here in the US step in, offering aftermarket solutions for those that crave a little more grunt. BBR announced today that its new 248-horsepower Stage 1 turbo kit is ready and waiting for the new 2.0-liter-powered ND Miatas, including the new Miata RF. BBR's first Miata turbo kit was released all the way back in 1990. Since then, the shop has been tuning and honing its craft, releasing ever-more potent variations its comprehensive power kit. This new version, like the previous ones, focuses not only on adding more power but maintaining the level of drivability and refinement you expect from all Miatas. The Mazda electronic safety features are retained, and the team is working on CARB emissions approval. That said, with BBR tune an ND Miata will hit 60 mph in just 5.0 seconds, roughly two seconds quicker than stock. To get the peak 248 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque, BBR does more than simply slap on a big turbo. In 2014, BBR began using a Mazda3 as a development vehicle in preparation for the new Miata's launch. A twin-scroll turbocharger is mounted onto a custom cast-iron manifold. A front-mounted aluminum intercooler keep things cool and doesn't require cutting up the bodywork. The engine breathes in through a K&N air filter and exhales through a stainless steel downpipe. The whole thing is controlled by BBR's Starchip / EcuTek RaceRom ECU software package. Other upgrades include silicone turbo pipes, an aluminum battery tray, a recirculating piston type dump valve, a carbon-fiber heat shield, and stainless steel oil and water lines. BBR is offering extended warranties from 12 to 36 months. In the US, the sole distributor is Flyin' Miata in Colorado. At $5,695, it's not a cheap proposition, but it is less expensive than one of Flyin' Miata's V8 swap kits. Less expensive (and less potent) performance kits are also available. Related Video: News Source: BBR Aftermarket Mazda Convertible Performance turbo tuner tuning

Mazda CX-3 crossover coming to LA

The Mazda booth at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show will showcase some new crossovers. In addition to the refreshed CX-5 that we're expecting, the Japanese automaker has announced plans to unveil its new CX-3 compact crossover.
According to Mazda, the brand's entry into the compact CUV market will feature "the full range of SKYACTIV technology and KODO - Soul of Motion design." We take that to mean lightweight chassis and body architectures along with fuel-sipping gasoline and, perhaps, diesel engines.
The CX-3 will have to take on a slew of upcoming competitors, including the Honda HR-V, Chevrolet Trax and Jeep Renegade, and reports indicate it will share a platform with the Mazda2, which is just starting production in Mexico. We don't yet know if it will be front-wheel drive only or if all-wheel drive will be optional. The CUV is also likely to share the Mazda2's engine, which isn't yet revealed for the North American market. Japan gets the 2 with either a 1.3-liter gasoline engine or a 1.5-liter diesel.

Mazda Skyactiv-X Review | The revolution begins with a squeeze-bang

The matte black Skyactiv-X prototype looks like a rough Mazda3, perhaps reconstructed after a bad wreck by an over-enthusiastic owner of a spot welder and lots of gaffers' tape. Ribbed ducts poke out of the dash sending two breaths of conditioned air to no one in particular. Even its revolutionary engine, the thing we're here to experience, is entombed in a massive, nondescript cover to mask its unseemly noises. It's a wild, strange way to meet a very unconventional vehicle that promises diesel-like fuel economy, a wide torque band, and an exotic method for burning less gas than ever before. It takes a few hours for Mazda's engineers to explain the fundamental principles of operation. For more detail, read our Skyactiv-X Spark Controlled Compression Ignition explainer, but here's a very brief overview. Skyactiv-X marries some traditional gasoline engine characteristics with a novel form of compression ignition called SPCCI. The key for Skyactiv-X is to use very high compression in the cylinder and an extremely lean fuel-air mixture. Squeezed right to the cusp of getting hot enough to blow up all on its own (which is very hard to predict), a squirt of extra gas and a spark interject to cross that compression-ignition threshold in a controlled and predictable manner. See the animation below: That takes a few essential components to get just right. One is a massive amount of computer processing power and some pressure sensors in the individual cylinders, because the ambient conditions change how and when these things happen. Skyactiv-X uses a clutched supercharger to pump in additional air when needed to nail the mixture precisely, and high-pressure injectors to get the low ratios of fuel to disperse properly in the chamber. And since it operates like a conventional gasoline engine sometimes, it uses valve timing to lower the very high compression ratio so it doesn't reach combustion ignition in that mode. In practice, the Skyactiv-X runs in compression ignition mode most of the time. In practical terms, that means it drives like a torquey gasoline Skyactiv engine. The torque curve is broad and flat — diesel-like in that respect. That also means it can get away with using a six-speed transmission and a lower final drive for better response. There's enough grunt and economy together that Mazda can let the engine spin faster — at 60 mph, it's running at roughly 1,000 more RPM than a similar gas engine, with greater efficiency.