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2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata design walkaround

By now, you've likely read what we think of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata's new looks both inside and out, and you've probably poured over the available photos and started to make up your own mind about the roadster's radically more aggressive new appearance. More than likely, however, you haven't heard much from Mazda itself about its new design, and we're here to remedy that. Join Autoblog as we go over the new Miata from tip to tail with Derek Jenkins, Mazda North America's director of design. Jenkins, a veteran of both Audi and Volkswagen design studios, has been with the Japanese automaker for nearly four years, and he's kept a close eye in the ND Miata program along with his team in Irvine, CA. Check out our video to see Jenkins explain his team's exterior and cabin handiwork and to learn a little more about why the new model graduates from the Miata's historically cute and friendly aesthetic to something altogether more assertive.

Hiss off! Venomous snake takes refuge in Australian man’s engine bay

A man who went out for a walk in suburban Sydney got quite a surprise when he returned to his red Mazda. Left on his windshield was a hand-written note warning him that a venomous red-bellied black snake had taken up residence in his car. "Hi," the note read, "this afternoon a red Belly slithered up into your front left tyre. Please be careful." The snake is a native of wet areas of eastern Australia that can grow up to 2.5 meters (about 8 feet), making it one of Australia's largest venomous snakes. They're considered dangerous, but shy, unlikely to bite unless severely agitated. When Michael Garbutt popped the hood, he found the snake coiled up inside in the corner. "To say I was shocked is an understatement," he told The Sydney Morning Herald. "On reflection I don't think I would have put my hand out to pop the bonnet if I had known it was there." So he took to Google to look for a local snake wrangler and found Andrew Melrose, of Shire Snake Catchers. By the time he arrived, the snake had moved down into the engine. Then it moved behind the wheel guard, and then under the engine to the front bumper, then back to the right front wheel. Melrose said he coaxed it out by gently touching its body. "I've done it my whole life," he said. "It looks simple but if you haven't done it before you can get killed real quick." In the end, Melrose ended up grabbing the snake from the ground outside of the car and dropping it in a bag. The whole de-snaking process took about an hour. Melrose said the snake is common on the swampy peninsula area where it was found, since it finds plenty of frogs, eels and other creatures to eat. He says it's common to find them in cars. "If they get startled they look for the first place that is safe," he said. "The place I found it was very bare. There was no place for the snake to escape. People would have startled it and the only place for it to hide was the car. The driver could have driven off unaware and parked and the snake would have left the car when it felt safe." So let this be a lesson for you, Autoblog readers: familiarize yourself with your local venomous snakes. And keep the number of your local snake wrangler handy at all times. Or just don't move to Australia.Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: Unknown Auto News Weird Car News Mazda snake

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