Unique 1985 Mazda Rx-7 Gsl Custom Swapped With Bmw M50 6-cyl. 5-spd Drivetrain on 2040-cars

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Flyin' Miata's 525-hp V8-powered ND finally hits the streets

Flyin' Miata, in its valiant quest to turn Mazda's roadsters into small, Japanese Corvettes, has finally finished its first V8-powered ND Miata. The company has been slowly teasing us with images and videos for months, but it wasn't until this week that the car finally made it to the streets. As soon as the current ND generation Miata was released, Flyin' Miata started the work to shoehorn a GM LS3 under the hood. The company has a history of building brutish, V8-powered Miatas. It sells everything from minor parts to full V8 conversion kits. For those with the cash that prefer to avoid the hassle, Flyin' Miata will sell you a complete, turn-key car. The price hasn't been finalized, but customers should expect to pay about $50,000 plus the cost of the MX-5. The new car has a worked-over LS3 that sends 525 horsepower to the rear wheels through a Tremec T56 transmission. Flyin' Miata says the rear differential comes from a V8 Camaro. Other new bits include exhaust, suspension, brakes, and a roll cage. Flyin' Miata tells us that the V8-swapped ND will weigh 2,592 lbs, a little more than 200 lbs more than the porkiest stock Miata. Despite twice as many cylinders and more than three times the displacement of the stock four banger, the LS3 V8 is a relatively small and lightweight engine. The finished car has a 53:47 front to rear weight distribution. Final touches are being finished, but cars and kits should be available soon. This article has been updated with some info straight from Flyin' Miata. Thanks, Keith! Related Video: News Source: Road & Track, Flyin' Miata Mazda Convertible Performance flyin miata

Did Mazda designer Derek Jenkins leave to head up a 'Stealth Project?'

Not long after Derek Jenkins officially gave the 2016 MX-5 Miata to the buying world, he's left the Mazda building. Jalopnik reported that the head of design for Mazda North America changed the current job description on his LinkedIn profile to "Stealth Project." Mazda backed up the discovery with this reply to Jalop's inquiry: Derek left Mazda last Friday. He left on great terms in order to work on a new endeavor. We wish him the best of luck. He will be missed, but we are sure that he will do great things in the next chapter of his career. That "last Friday" would be July 17. Emphasizing the "stealth" bit in his new position, as far as we can tell, Jenkins still hasn't publicly answered any question about what he's doing. Every automaker has secrets, but traditional automakers usually make a hubbub about hiring big-name designers, especially one with Jenkins' resume. For his new employer to go all Ghost Recon with all information, well that's the kind of mystery this summer needs. The obvious culprit would be a certain fruit-named company in a certain Cupertino, CA office park. If that ends up being the case, Jenkins would be the second chief designer at Mazda NA to go electric: he replaced Franz von Holzhausen in the position after von Holzhausen went to Tesla. Various other Apple Project Titan hires have made the news, though. For all we know, Jenkins' project might not be automotive. So let's just go ahead and cue the speculation. We're looking forward to whatever he's got coming, and to whoever gets nominated to keep the full head of Zoom-Zoom going at Mazda NA.

Best compact SUVs of 2023 and 2024

Compact SUVs are now the go-to choice for family transportation. Actually, considering how popular they are, they have clearly moved beyond only family duty. With such popularity, though, comes an awful lot of competitors, and it can be difficult to figure out which one might be the best compact SUV for you.  It's important to note that by "compact SUV" we're talking about a specific segment. As we describe in our more comprehensive "Best small SUVs" list, there are also subcompact SUVs that vary widely in size amongst themselves, but are clearly smaller than the SUVs below. Frankly, today's segment of compact SUVs isn't exactly compact — some have more cargo space than vehicles that are considered midsize based on their exterior dimensions. They've all grown considerably over the years. While many lists out there just rattle off every vehicle available in a segment, we thought we'd be a bit more helpful and curate your shopping a bit with the top-recommended choices reviewed by Autoblog. We've included both mainstream and compact luxury SUV choices. Best compact SUVs of 2023 and 2024 2024 Honda CR-V Why it stands out: Best-in-class space; excellent hybrid powertrain; sharp interior style; Honda dependabilityCould be better: No lower-price base trim levels; no sporty or off-road niche models; no plug-in hybrid Read our full 2024 Honda CR-V Review Consider the CR-V the baseline for any compact SUV search, and look extra closely at the superb CR-V Hybrid option. Objectively speaking, it's tough to beat due to its massive cargo capacity, voluminous back seat, strong-yet-efficient engines, well-balanced driving dynamics, competitive pricing and features,  and well-regarded reliability. It's easy to see why it continues to be such a best-seller: for the vast majority of compact SUV buyers, and especially families, it checks every box. That's been the case for many years now, however. The all-new 2023 Honda CR-V changes things up by adding a bit more style and character, particularly in terms of its interior design and how surprisingly enjoyable the Sport and Sport Touring hybrid trim levels are to drive.