| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2011 Mev Exocet
 
We know summer days are far, far away, but anyone looking for a cool summer kit car should meander on over to the Mev Exocet. This kit car begins with a Mazda MX-5 Miata, tacks on an extra £2000 (around $2,500) in components and labor, and ends with a vehicle that looks like it belongs in the dunes. Mev claims doing the conversion is easy and can be done without professional assistance, but we’d play it on the safe side and ask for help anyway. Of course, if anyone is feeling froggy, then they may want to start the project now so it can be ready by the time the summer heat rolls in. To begin the conversion, Mev removes the body shell of the Miata, leaving a rolling chassis. A full bracketed chassis and an integrated roll bar is then added, along with a GRP bonnet, rear cover, front & rear bulkheads, side panels, grille mesh, lower rear panel, and wings to complete the oversize go-cart. The Exocet also gets alloy floor panels, an alloy transmission tunnel, and a variety of nuts and bolts to keep the thing together. The design then takes a stickered turn with a vinyl graphics set in yellow, orange, black, white, red, or light green. Up until now, we’d be convinced that this would be an excellent present to take the kids around the neighborhood, but then Mev suggests using a 1.6L (120bhp), 1.8L (131bhp) or 2.0L (167bhp) engine. Now it just sounds like a great day of fun for the kid in all of us. New Rendering: 2013 Mazda RX-9
 The Mazda RX-8 wasn’t exactly a crowd pleaser with trickling sales damaging its already bruised reputation, so Mazda’s decision to axe the car before any further damage could be done was a smart one to say the least. The car more than likely won’t be missed, but Mazda has chosen to fill the void in their lineup anyway with a new model: the Mazda RX-9. Built on the MX-5 chassis, the new RX-9 will follow along Mazda’s new "Kodo - Soul of Motion" design language as seen on the Shinari concept unveiled in 2010. The two-door coupe will weigh no more than 2,755lbs and will feature Mazda’s 16X rotary engine paired with an electric supercharger. This engine will mated to a twin clutch, two pedal six-speed tranny and will deliver 300hp. However, the increase in horsepower from the RX8’s 232 to the RX-9’s 300 won’t make for frequent trips to the gas station. This revised engine is said to improve fuel economy by 20%. The official debut will be sometime in 2012 with sales to begin sometime in 2013. Yes, we know that’s quite a bit of time to wait for the actual car, but at least we have these renderings fresh off the artist’s desk to tide everyone over until that time. Hit the jump for the second rendering of the 2013 Mazda RX-9. Full story Mazda and Honda roll out B-Spec Mazda2 and Fit race cars
In today’s world, spec series racing is only limited to the virtual world of Gran Turismo. Sure, it’s a fun and affordable way to get some racing burn on a race track, but the truth of the matter is, it’s constrained to nothing more than video games. Real world racing of this kind costs a lot of money and resources, and people that have neither of those things are left out of luck. Despite the fact that there are no B-spec professional series out there, Honda and Mazda are setting a goal of providing close racing in affordable cars by jointly announcing the formation of "B-Spec" Showroom Stock racing. The performance divisions for each brand – Honda Performance Development and MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development – recently unveiled their entries for a proposed new low-cost B-Spec series, using the Honda Fit and the MAZDA2 as their respective platforms. As one of the fastest-growing segments in the entire automotive industry, B-segment vehicles have grown in popularity because they’re affordable and, more importantly, have enjoyed a tremendous following from younger demographics. That success has translated into the idea of producing cheap(er) B-Spec racers with the Fit and Mazda2 being two of among a number of other hatchbacks that would fit into this category. Other vehicles include the Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent, Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, and Chevrolet Aveo. Continued after the jump. Full story 2011 Mazda MX-5 Turbo Anniversary Edition by BBR
With a history dating back all the way to 1990, the Mazda MX-5 Turbo is turning the big 2-0 this year. That may not sound like a lot in human years - heck, we can’t even drink until 21 - but for an automaker, 20 is a long time for one model. And to celebrate this momentous occasion, BBR has unveiled the special edition MX-5 Turbo Anniversary Edition. The package is based on the original 1990 150 bhp MX-5 turbo kit whose 1.6L engine gets tweaked to deliver 221 hp at 6,900 rpm and 175 lb-ft of torque at 5,100 rpm. Mazda’s 1.8L engine has also seen a performance increase, but those numbers have yet to be revealed. To attain these increases, BBR added a Garrett GT25 ball bearing turbocharger with integral waste gate control, a water cooling and ported turbine housing with ceramic coating, a new stainless steel exhaust system, and an auxiliary BBR Interceptor 2010 engine management computer with 3-dimensional mapping and external manifold pressure sensor. BBR also hooked the celebratory edition of the Mazda MX-5 Turbo with full leather seats and any exterior paint color the customer chooses. Those won;t do much to control the new power added to the vehicle so BBR took care of that with a big brake kit with larger calipers, a limited slip differential, and a new set of light alloy wheels. Press release after the jump. Full story TopSpeed’s Top 10 Drift Cars
The sport of Drifting is catching on like wildfire the world over, and that’s not exactly surprising considering it carries the most entertainment value of any motorsport out there. Even F1 has become mundane with cars lapping continuously in a “follow the leader” fashion for two hours. There isn’t much in the form of action, except when spectacular crashes happen, sending carbon fiber shrapnel everywhere. Not exactly safe, but it’s action nonetheless. Yes, aerodynamics make it difficult to overtake blah blah blah. Drifting brings together the most exciting aspects of our favorite forms of racing in an exciting showcase. What could be better than watching massive horsepower cars going sideways, door to door with each other at breakneck speeds with smoke bellowing out their arches? Okay, well, participating would be better, but not all of us have the type of skill and precision needed to pull off some of these stunts. Of course, some may, so learning a bit about the best vehicles to take out onto the track is important. The recipe for a great drift car is a generic affair with the following characteristics at the fore: RWD (Duh!), good chassis balance, engine tuneabilty, a limited slip differential, and obviously accessible tuning parts to make the aforementioned a reality. In the list below, you will find a short description on what unique attributes each of the cars bring to drifting, and hopefully will give you a better understanding of the sport and what building a good drift car requires. Hopefully this will get you swatting bugs with your side windows in no time. Proceed with caution though, as this is a highly addictive adrenalin rush waiting to happen. Hit the jump to see the list. Full story 2010 Mazda MX-0 Concept
If anybody knows anything about lightweight sports cars, Mazda does. As the creator of one of history’s most popular lightweight sports car – the MX-5 Miata – Mazda understands the objective of building a car that takes into account weight and efficiency better than anybody else. After all, for a speedster like the MX-5, it only weighed 2,300 pounds in its first generation. It is through their understanding of this principle that Mazda was able to transfer their understanding about the intricacies of the MX-5 to build the vehicle that they’re entering into the 2010 LA Design Challenge – the MX-0. Taking into account the theme of this year’s LA Design Challenge of emphasizing the need for minimizing the use of the planet’s resources while building a car that’s efficient, lightweight – no more than 1,000 lbs – comfortable, and safe without sacrificing the design elements that would make it attractive to consumers, Mazda is basing the MX-0 on the ideology of the MX-5, albeit using parts that are lighter and simpler than the ones found in the Miata, all while not compromising the car’s overall performance. Mazda is envisioning the MX-0 as a vehicle that is powered by high-torque electric motors with an off-the-charts power-to-weight ration, resulting in a vehicle that comes with unrivaled power and balance, able to fly off the block and perform seamless cornering. A vehicle, suffice to say, that isn’t so much used for driving as it is for flying. Through the low volume use of energy and minimal use of raw materials to power it, the MX-0 figures to be a car that’s made for the future, a future that puts great importance on sustainable, inexpensive composites with clean-running powertrains, resulting in a car that’s not only good for the masses, but even better for the environment. Press Release after the jump. Full story SEMA: TopSpeed’s Best In Show
It was a very fruitful week in Las Vegas at the SEMA show and although there were numerous vehicles shown, only a few really stood out. After a few days of deliberation, each one of us at TopSpeed picked our favorite special edition, as we all had issues agreeing on what was best. The SEMA show is one of the most popular automotive events in the world. It can attract more than 100,000 visitors from over 100 countries in the automotive, truck and SUV, and RV markets. The displays are segmented into 12 sections and a New Products Showcase featured nearly 2,000 newly introduced parts, tools and components. While we love tools and what not, we go for the cars. These tuned beauties remind us of The Fast and the Furious, although some of the cars shown are neither fast nor furious. We’ve already had one winner, as the Chevrolet Camaro was named the Hottest Car, but do we agree? Hit the jump to keep reading. Full story 2010 Mazda MX-5 Super20
We like anniversaries at TopSpeed, mostly because we get to see some really impressive special editions of stock vehicles. Yet, as is life, there are some that are just a waste of road space. These machines take a good car and paint it with a unique color, add some badges, and charge a massive sum for the whole kit. That’s like celebrating your 50th wedding anniversary at a Burger King with a fancy upper level. The Mazda MX-5 Super20 doesn’t have this issue. Not to mention the fact that the normal MX-5 was one hell of a machine. Ever since it was launched it has sold by the millions and become the quintessential British roadster, despite the fact it’s not even built in the UK. So, what does the MX-5 Super20 offer that the normal version doesn’t. Well, we have put together a preview of this anniversary addition below. Hit the jump to read on. Full story 2010 Mazda RX-8 Grand-Am GT
Although the Mazda RX-8 has passed on and will be replaced in the near future, we still find it to be one of the most interesting vehicles on the road. Sure, it might not be the best to drive, as it takes a whole new approach to get it to go fast, but it looks great and it’s pretty fast as the higher rev range. Mazda may be killing off the RX-8 due to the motor not meeting the new emissions regulations and the fact that it hasn’t really sold the way the company had hoped, but it’s not gone yet. And Mazda is ensuring that the RX-8 will be remembered as it has presented everyone at SEMA with the RX-8 Grand-Am GT. This version of the Mazda RX-8 has just completed its 2010 racing season and did extremely well, walking away with six out of the 12 races. Hit the jump for this winning Mazda Grand Am GT RX-8’s specifications. Full story 2010 MAZDA3 Turbo Sedan
There are numerous Mazdas being shown at the SEMA show in Las Vegas and some have unique body styles and neat paint jobs, but this Mazda does all its talking on the road. The Mazda3 Turbo Sedan takes the normal sedan look, but adds some serious power to it for some driving excitement. It’s like adding ballistic missiles to a submarine, as normal subs are great, but a missile sub is even better and even more aggressive. While we are perfectly aware that the turbo is by no means a nuclear weapon, it’s still pretty neat. To create this vehicle, Mazda let its team have a little fun with some parts. The team took its knowledge of the Mazda parts bin and its close relationships with MAZDASPEED Motorsports suppliers, looked in the mirror, and decided to build a fast version of the Mazda3. We should work at Mazda. Hit the jump to read on. Full story | featured reviews:Mazda cars reviews2014 2013 2012
* prototypes, future cars, modified cars (tuning) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mazda cars
|
|