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2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata firsthand impressions and notebook scribblings

In a temporarily repurposed airport hanger in Monterey, CA, the world caught its first glimpse of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata tonight, and I was fortunate enough to attend in person along with my fellow auto media colleagues, Mazda execs, a couple hundred Miata devotees and, oddly, a fair number of Duran Duran fans. The klieg lights have dimmed, Simon Le Bon is no longer ringing in my ears, and I'm left to ponder what I've seen. I've scavenged my notes - and my Twitter feed - to give you some details and brief thoughts.
Fair Warning: I can't claim to be completely impartial (I own a second-generation NB and consider the Miata franchise to be one of but a few sacrosanct franchises in modern motoring), but I will share my honest first impressions of the new car, both good and bad.
Here are my notes:

WAVE 2015: Metron 7 sets new record of 513 miles on one charge

Sometimes you just gotta push harder, faster, longer. Last fall, the Metron Institute team from Slovenia took their converted all-electric Mazda5 minivan on an impressive 457-mile journey from Bled (in Sloveniva) to Dubrovnik (in Croatia) without stopping to recharge at an average speed of 40 miles an hour. Today, as part of the WAVE Trophy 2015, the Metron 7 EV just finished up a drive of 826.1 kilometers (513.3 miles) on a single charge. The drive started in Berlin and ended in Karlsruhe, Germany. As you might suspect, a drive of this length on normal roads required a big battery pack. The total pack capacity was 108 kWh, thanks to the combination of the built-in 86-kWh pack that uses lithium polymer cells from Kokam and a 130-pound, 22-kWh external pack that Metron has developed that can charge the built-in pack while driving. The average speed of the 500-mile journey was 45 miles per hour (72 kilometers per hour) through rural countryside, towns, and some time on the highway. The drivers –Andrej and Jasna Pecjak – did not use air conditioning, but the fans were running. The weather was temperate enough that AC wasn't needed anyway these last two days. The Metron 7 was a part of the last two WAVE events and has been updated since the last record was set in October 2014. On the new record journey, the minivan was loaded up with gear, but the Metron engineers made improvements to the car in the last eight months: the side mirrors are smaller and they fitted a better aerodynamic cover underneath the vehicle, for example. Andrej said that the cost for the batteries was around $50,000, since some of the cells he got were used. Today's record is unofficial, but AutoblogGreen witnessed both the sealing of the charge port in Berlin and was in the car for the last 125 kilometers today. Featured Gallery WAVE 2015: Metron 7 EV Distance Record Green Mazda AutoblogGreen Exclusive Fuel Efficiency Green Culture Electric mazda mazda5 mazda5

Toyota, Mazda get an Alabama welcome for $1.6 billion plant

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Toyota and Mazda confirmed Wednesday they will build a $1.6 billion joint venture assembly plant in Alabama that will employ up to 4,000 workers, a boost for President Donald Trump who wants automakers to expand U.S. production. Toyota President Akio Toyoda and Mazda President and Chief Executive Officer Masamichi Kogai joined Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey in Montgomery at an event to confirm the decision. "Welcome to sweet home Alabama," Ivey said to the two executives, after saying that the anticipated 4,000 workers at the plant to be built in Huntsville would earn an average of $50,000 a year. The plant will produce 300,000 vehicles a year and should open on a 2,500-acre former cotton field in 2021, about 14 miles from Toyota's engine plant in Huntsville. Toyota plans to build Corolla cars at the plant, while Mazda will build crossover SUVs. "Together, I am confident we will create yet another 'Built in America' success story," Toyoda said. Alabama will provide tax incentives. Officials said the state tax incentives were worth $370 million, but they did not disclose how much the local incentives were worth. Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said the plant will "provide jobs for decades to come for Huntsville and Alabama. It vaults Alabama to the top as an industry leader in producing the next generation of cars that will power our nation." Among U.S. states, Alabama is already the fifth largest producer of cars and light trucks. The state has more than 150 major auto suppliers and 57,000 automotive manufacturing jobs. Two decades ago, Alabama spent an estimated $250 million to woo Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz to put an auto plant in Tuscaloosa, sparking the birth of auto production in the state. In September, Daimler said it would invest $1 billion to expand its Alabama Mercedes-Benz plant to start building electric sport-utility vehicles there from about 2020. Alabama is also home to assembly plants operated by Honda and Hyundai. A Kia assembly plant operates near the Alabama border in Georgia. Mazda and Toyota said they still need approvals and authorization by antitrust agencies for the new joint venture. They announced a capital alliance in August and plans to jointly develop technology for electric vehicles. Trump tweeted in March he wanted "new plants to be built here for cars sold here." Many automakers have announced expansions of facilities or new jobs but no other new U.S. auto plants have been announced. U.S.