The key design feature of the new Mazda 5 is the “Nagare Flow” design language, seen on previous Mazda concepts such as the Furai, and features striking swash lines along the side of the car, as well as Mazda’s trademark front end treatment.
The new Mazda 5 retains the rear sliding doors of its predecessor, and can boast of seating capacity of up to seven passengers, in three rows of seats. According to Hideki Matsuoka, Mazda5 Program Manager, “Our main goal with the all-new Mazda5, was to develop a new C-MAV (C-segment Multi Activity Vehicle) that combines the superior environmental performance these times demand with a new expression in stylish design.”
Under the hood, the Mazda 5 will receive a brand new 2.0-litre DISI1 four-cylinder petrol engine with direct injection that comes with an engine stop-start system called i-stop. There will also be a 1.8-litre petrol unit that produces 115bhp and 165Nm of torque, with six-speed manual transmissions standard for both. The all new Mazda 5 is expected to go on sale later this year.
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Additional club merchandise including the following can be found at our Fieldhouse Club Store located at www.fieldhouse.com/mazdaclub .
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New Mazda RX-7
This shouldn’t be the first time that you’ve heard about Mazda bringing back the RX-7. However this time the news seems to be official, and even the current economic climate won’t stop the Japanese automaker from unveiling the new sports car in 2011 as a replacement for the not so successful RX-8. All three previous generations of Mazda’s rotary experimental 7 have been bona fide sports cars that offer their operators a lightweight chassis with razor sharp handling and the exhilaration of rear wheel drive that culminated with the FD3S and despite being down a few ponies from the competition, it made genuine Japanese super cars like the Skyline GT-R and NSX head for the hills.
The next generation RX-7 will be powered by Mazda’s all new Renesis 16X power plant which debuted at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show inside of the Taiki concept car. The Renesis(2) rotary engine is a 1.6 Liter twin rotor motor that will develop a maximum output of 350 HP and 215 lb-ft of torque. The new RX-7’s exterior will be inspired by the Furai concept and will go head to head with other sport compacts like the Hyundai Genesis Coupe and eventual Toyota FT-86 as well as Japanese thoroughbreds like the Nissan 370Z. If you were excited by the muscle car market coming back into full swing you might want save a little bit of emotion for the return of the sport compact tuning scene.
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Sahlen Mazda3
Team Sahlen will return to compete in the 2010 KONI Challenge Series. But instead of competing in their SpeedSource built Mazda RX-8, the team will be trading in their rotary power for some turbo power. For 2010, Team Sahlen will be campaigning a brand new 2010 MAZDASPEED3 being built by SpeedSource. The MAZDASPEED3 will be completed and delivered to Team Sahlen at the January Test Days at Daytona International Speedway
For 2010, Mazda has identified a new opportunity, entering the all-new MAZDASPEED3 five-door in the hotly contested KONI Challenge series in the Street Tuner (ST) class. MAZDASPEED engineers will work in partnership with SpeedSource to develop the car with all parts and information shared with all Mazda customers.
Joe Sahlen, Team Sahlen “We are very excited to have the opportunity to be able to campaign this brand new MAZDASPEED3 for Mazda. I enjoyed getting to drive the RX-8 in ST for the past 3 years. But now I am truly motivated to be stepping behind the wheel of this new SpeedSource built racer. Team Sahlen raced a turbo front wheel drive sport compact from a different Manufacturer a few years ago in KONI challenge, and we had great success with it. Hopefully some of the lessons we learned can be off assistance in the evolution of the MAZDASPEED3 into a winner in the ST class.
Sylvain Tremblay, SpeedSource Inc. “Its very significant to our goals that we now have Team Sahlen joining our efforts to campaign the brand new 2010 MAZDASPEED3 in the KONI Challenge Series. Having Team Sahlen as a partner with SpeedSource and MAZDASPEED in both the KONI and ROLEX series will be a strong benefit as we all work to take on the competition in both Grand American classes.”
Will Nonnamaker, Team Sahlen “By trading in our KONI ST class RX-8 for the MAZDASPEED3, I feel that now we can be of great assistance Mazda in winning the 2010 Manufacturer’s Title. In 2009, Team Sahlen assisted in capturing several top Mazda finishes to secure 2nd in the Manufacturer battle. But now, with the MAZDASPEED3, I feel that Mazda has to be one of the odds on favorites to capture the series crown.”
Steve Sanders, MAZDASPEED Motorsports “The greatest complement we receive is when racers chose to buy our products to race. And having Team Sahlen choose our products to race in both the ROLEX and KONI series is proof of what we are trying to achieve. Team Sahlen is the last competitor in the KONI Challenge Series to win in a Front Wheel Drive Mazda. Hopefully that experience and knowledge will assist as the MAZDASPEED3 goes head-to-head with many of the same cars that our customers cross-shop.”
David Spitzer, Grand-Am “The KONI Challenge has over a dozen makes and models competing for the most diverse grid in racing. We are happy to welcome the new MAZDASPEED3 to the series.”
The car: The KONI Challenge Spec MAZDASPEED3 will feature a “crate stock engine” with a sealed factory ECU. All SpeedSource developed parts will be sold through MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development. This will ensure the same level of customer support that has made the RX-8 the car of choice in the Rolex Grand-Am GT championship. The street going MAZDASPEED3 has a standard 263hp turbocharged Mazda MZR engine and has a base MSRP of $23,945.
Mazda is the brand of choice for road-racers across North America. More than 9,000 grassroots racers compete in various classes with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the National Auto Sport Association (NASA). Racers who are years away from earning a driver’s license can now begin a professional motorsports careers in the Mazda family. A driver can begin in karts and progress through the Skip Barber series, Club Racing Formula Mazda, professional Star Mazda and finally to Formula Atlantic, all with Mazda. No other car company has ever connected the dots this way.
In addition to campaigning in the KONI Series with the SpeedSource MAZDASPEED3, Team Sahlen will also be debuting their recently acquired SpeedSource Mazda RX-8s in the ROLEX Sports Car Series during 2010. Both the GT & ST class Mazdas will be identically painted in the Team Sahlen Red, Black and Yellow branding that fans have become so familiar with over the years.
Phoenix Promotions is the organization that prepares the race cars for the Team Sahlen campaign. Phoenix Promotions’ history with MAZDASPEED dates all the way back to 1993 with the introduction of the new MX-6 Model.
The MX-6 competed in the ST class. Along the way, the team won the 1996 Rising Star Award, 1997 & 1998 Team Championships. Additionally the team secured Amateur crowns for Mazda: SCCA NEOHIO 1995 ITE class & 1997 SSA class titles. For 1999, the team unveiled the latest edition of the 626 model and won the Driver Championship. In all, 13 Professional Race Victories were accumulated by the team for Mazda. Then starting in 2007, the team rejoined Mazda by campaigning a RX-8 in the ST class. The KONI ST campaign continues into 2010, with the addition of 2 RX-8s in the ROLEX GT class.
The 2010 Team Sahlen ROLEX & KONI Challenge Series Campaign will be supported by MAZDASPEED, HRPWorld.com, HAWK Performance, Cool Shirt, TheRaceSite.com, Grassroots Motorsports, Holliday Canopies, Alcon, CM Racing, Genesis Technologies, Endurance Karting and SpeedSource Engineering.
A new report adds to the story. Mazda’s design chief, Ikuo Maeda, has said he wants to see a new RX-7 built.
The key constraint on Maeda’s desire: the market. As always, a new car from Mazda must have a business case behind it, perhaps now more than ever. Speculation on what the RX-7 successor might evenutally look like is just that, but it can almost be guaranteed to feature two seats instead of the Mazda RX-8’s four, and a rotary engine.
The desire for a new RX-7 is not new within the company, but it’s heartening to hear it from the man that currently holds the post. Former Mazda design global design chief Lauren Van den Acker had previously been behind a project expected to be called the RX-9, a sort of spiritual successor to the RX-7 featuring an up-rated 16X Renesis rotary engine and possibly a dual-clutch transmission, pointing at halo-car aspirations. Maeda took over as lead designer at Mazda in April 2009.
Looking as far back as 2007, the the modern revival of the RX-7 was being foretold in general terms with the Taiki concept, a two-seater which featured the same 1.6-liter, 270-horsepower 16X Renesis rotary expected for the next-gen car. The concept’s materials and design also hint at a lightweight goal for the car, possibly as low as 2,600 pounds–a figure almost unheard of in today’s age of crash testing, pedestrian safety and full-featured interiors.
In February of 2009, rumors re-emerged of work for the RX-9, confirming the previous iterations of the rumor in terms of hardware and goals. A patent application from May of 2009 also revealed Mazda’s work on the direct injection in the rotary form factor, yet another indication that work behind the scenes is already well underway.
It will still likely be several years until any potential production model is revealed, however, as the car must go through prototyping, concept and testing stages first. If Mazda decides the market might bite on a new RX-7, however, expect to begin seeing test mules and prototypes in our spy shots soon.
Mazda has released details of its MX-5 Superlight concept.
Mazda MX-5 Surperlight Concept
It was the star of the Frankfurt Motor Show, the concept has been developed as something of a birthday present to itself, celebrating 20 years for the popular MX-5 sports car.
The MX-5’s folding roof stand, door handles and front windscreen have been replaced by a revised rear deck with streamlined rollbars, smooth door-skins and a dash-top that melds seamlessly
Mazda MX-5 Superlight Concept
with the bodywork.
The MX-5 Superlight – as its name suggests – has been built as a study for advanced lightweight construction techniques.
With no windows nor the weight of a folding roof, the MX-5 Superlight concept weighs in at just 995kg.
Bilstein suspension, Eibach springs and a 30mm lower ride height should ensure a drive as dynamic as the car’s styling suggests.
Motivated by the same 1.8 litre petrol engine and five-speed transmission of the road-going MX-5, a claimed 8.9 second sprint to 100km/h shaves a second off the regular model’s time.
from Carscoop
2010 Mazda2
Mazda came out with an official release announcing that it has commenced production of the Mazda2 supermini -known as Demio in Japan- at its new plant in Thailand. But that’s not what caught our interest. Along with the press release, the Japanese automaker published three photos of the Mazda2 showcasing the Ford Fiesta-sized hatchback with a new nose treatment.
More specifically, the Mazda2 shown here features a redesigned front bumper that incorporates much larger, vertical side air-inlets and a five-point lower grille that seems to be smiling at you and which has been employed on several facelifted or new Mazda models including the RX-8, the MX-5/Miata Roadster, the Mazda3 and the CX-7 Crossover.
Also, the upper front grille that houses the firm’s logo is new and now features a beefy horizontal bar.
There is a possibility that this may be a special version offered in Thailand, but chances are that Japanese maker has subtly refreshed the “2″ bringing it inline with the rest of the Mazda family.
by Carlos Lago
2010 Mazda MX-5
You see it in flame wars on forums and buried in the comment sections of YouTube and Facebook: The data are gathered, plugged
in, computed. A conclusion spits out. The digital beings follow it blindly. It is their code.
Problem: The Mazda MX-5 does not compute. The formulae can’t explain its rampant success, why it’s a constant favorite. Nor can
the digital readouts explain why we ranked the MX-5 third in this year’s Best Driver’s Car comparison — that’s three spots
ahead of the Corvette ZR1 — despite the Miata producing the worst performance numbers of all the contenders. This result
bothers the hard-coded digital beings. “How dare you say this diminutive roadster is on par with the world heavyweights!” they
rage. They erase the MX-5 from their conscious with snide bits of text. Or they ignore it, lest they contemplate too long and
fry a circuit.
The Miata doesn’t do data plots. Never has. The roadster eschews numbers for a greater goal: driving bliss. “Oneness with horse
and rider,” Mazda calls it. The automaker says its objective wasn’t to make the 2009 MX-5 faster. “Put last year’s and this
year’s on a track, and they’ll cross the finish line at the same time,” said one engineer. “But the driver of the new one will
have a bigger smile.”
The engineers revised the suspension to reduce body roll and increase steering feel by repositioning outer ball joints and
adjusting the damping. They upped the redline 500 rpm, just so you could scream above 7000. They found another horsepower up
there, too. To models equipped with a six-speed manual, they added something called an Induction Sound Enhancer, which uses
tuned pipes to route the intake note to the cabin. The Miata circa 2009 sounded more like a carbureted roadster.
The same is true a year later. The 2010 model brings a reshuffling of color and package availability, but the smile remains,
even on the nose of the car. We sampled the MX-5 line on an autocross and on the windy, two-lane mountain roads off California’s
Monterey coast. Our cars had the $500 Suspension Package, which adds Bilstein shocks, a larger rear stabilizer bar, and
limited-slip differential. And through our time with the car, that smile became infectious.
by Robert Thomas and Frank Ochal
Welcome to all of the many new members that have joined the club since the last magazine. Look for your name in “Meet the New Members”. Thanks to this issue’s contributors.
We have updated our payment form on our website to directly take credit card and PayPal payments. Your credit card is now checked for accuracy and verified and your order is placed into a shopping cart of items awaiting checkout. This type of program should be very familiar to people who pay for items on other Internet websites and is available on the PayPal/Credit Card website button. The old form will also remain for members that are comfortable with it.
I am happy to inform you that MC Technical Sections is now available which contains a complete copy of all the Technical Sections, topics, questions and answers published in the OnlyWay from 1998 thru 2007. It is available on CD-Rom only for PC or Mac in pdf format. It is indexed by subject for easy reference and contains articles, topics, questions and answers and is available in the Club Store section of each OnlyWay and on the website at www.mazdaclub.com . Another new item in the store is a complete copy of the past ten years of the OnlyWay available on CD only for PC or Mac.
Finally the club has a new and much improved message board. This is something that many of our members have wanted for a long time. Be sure to check it out. You can access through the club website at www.mazdaclub.com or directly at http://board.mazdaclub.com .
You can now find us on the popular networking sites www.myspace.com , www.facebook.com and www.friendster.com in the groups/clubs section.
You can access it through the club website at www. mazdaclub.com or directly at http://board.mazdaclub.com . We have a members only section of the message board. You can use the user id and password on page 3 of each OnlyWay or you can get a personal id and password. To do so, register and then logon to the message board and send a message to us. This allows you to access the MEMBER ONLY QUESTION & ANSWER and UPKEEP & PERFORMANCE HINTS area. It also allows you to post items in the FOR SALE and WANTED sections as well as post photos in the MEMBER PHOTOS area. Club member access allows posting of items for sale and photos and access to the club Members Section. Also there is a now a Local Groups/Activities section.
The club also now has a blog located at http://blog.mazdaclub.com . Members can publish or comment on the Blog by logging in as a member.
The Mazda Club has a new photo gallery located at http://photos.mazdaclub.com . The same login is used for the gallery as the Message Board. Members can download photos to this gallery.
We now offer a 3 year membership or renewal rate which includes a free t-shirt or technical sections CD. And in response to many members we now have a 3 year eMembership for $50 which also includes a free t-shirt or tech CD. So save some money and get a free t-shirt or tech CD in the process! Remembers our web site address is easier to get to. It is simply mazdaclub.com and our new general email address is info@mazdaclub.com .
We have a “members only” section of the web site. To access it you must use the USER ID and PASSWORD found on page 3 of this issue. In this section you can access the Only way, technical support contact info and access the spare parts lists received. Also now you can to create your own id and password for the members only section. Submit the form on the members only page to do this.
We send out an email newsletter in addition to the regular Only Way for members that have given us their email address. This is in addition to the Only Way and is not intended to replace it. So send us your email address if you have one. If you have not received an eOnlyWay by this time it is because we either do not have an email address for you or not the correct one.
Do not worry if you do not have an email address as you will get all of the information sent in the eOnlyWay in the regular OnlyWay but it may be in a different format and at later date because of printing and mailing time.
Help spread the enjoyment of club membership. Tell other Mazda owners about our club and if they join have them put your name and address on the membership application. You will receive a $5 credit good towards renewal or membership for each member you recruit. See page 16 of the magazine.
We still are in need of additional people for our technical staff. If you think you would like to help your fellow members in this way, please contact us. It can be a great way to publicize your business while helping out your fellow Mazda Club members.
If you have a recommendation on service and body shops send it to us so that we can assist other members looking for help. Our database containing such information is still small and we need your input to make it a worthwhile service for our members.
Thanks for your support!
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20th Anniversary of MX-5
It’s hard to believe it’s been two decades since Mazda first showed the world how to build a classic British sports car right. The roadster known as the Miata and MX-5 at different times and places around the world is 20 years old and to celebrate, Mazda has invited 200 examples and their owners from across Europe to a party in France next month at the 24 Hours of LeMans.
Over the course of two decades and three generations, Mazda has sold over 850,000 MX-5s and it remains one of the most entertaining roadsters available. While it’s never been the most powerful sports car and some dismiss it as a secretary’s chosen chariot, the compact, lightweight roadster has won over even the most insecure alpha males with taut handling, a balanced drivetrain and one of the simplest convertible mechanisms known to man.
European MX-5 owners who want to participate in the party should contact their national MX-5 club or Mazda France. The 200 attendees will watch the race from the Mazda camp alongside the circuit and a best in show will be awarded, along with plenty of goodies.