Mazda MX-5 Roadster four drive wheel

There’s a certain allure to the prospect of piloting a car without a roof down a twisty road: The slipstream buffeting your face, the exhaust note rudely ringing in your ears, the smell of hot metal and burning rubber confirming that you’re giving it stick. It’s the ultimate expression of freedom on four wheels.

Sports cars come in many flavours. For many, the exotics from Ferrari and Lamborghini count among the most desirable. Arguably more rewarding are the everyday, easy-to-drive supercars like the Audi R8 V10 and the Porsche 911 Turbo.

Hardcore sports cars? Think Lotus Exige S, or Aerial Atom. Sports coupés? Audi’s TT, and the impressively affordable VW Scirocco come to mind. And let’s not forget sport sedans such as the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, or the Subaru Impreza WRX.

Though the roof is undoubtedly clever. It stows away in a dedicated receptacle behind the seats, and doesn’t encroach on boot space at all. Which is just as well: at a shoebox-sized 150-litres, there isn’t much of a boot to start off with.

The interior is everything you’d expect of a roadster: snug, comfortable and well equipped. The heated sport seats are shaped for support, the small, fat-rimmed steering wheel looks and feels just right and the analogue instrument dials are clearly legible.

Sporty look gives Mazda CX-7 its edge

2010 Mazda CX-7 unique? Styling, I guess — it's sleek and reasonably contemporary, updated considerably for this model year, but those swoopy lines cost the CX-7 some cargo space and rear-seat room. If a lot of rear space is your central concern, you might be better with something more, well, angular, such as a Toyota Highlander.

Indeed, with the five-passenger CX-7, and its larger seven-passenger sibling, the CX-9, Mazda has tried hard to position itself as emphasizing "sport" over "utility" in its bigger SUVs. Just as important as styling is the CX family's stiffer-than-usual suspension and, with the CX-7, at least the option of a powerful engine.

That suspension and larger-than-average tires and wheels also mean a mildly rougher ride, especially on uneven pavement, and quite a bit of tire noise on coarse concrete. Even so, I'll happily take the rougher ride to get the CX-7's crisp handling. It doesn't feel like an SUV, and that's a compliment.

In a straight line, though, the thrill is gone if you have this 2.5-liter, 161-horsepower four-cylinder engine, mated to a plucky five-speed automatic transmission that tries hard to help the slightly coarse engine motivate the 3,500-pound sport-ute. At least mileage isn't bad, with an EPA-rated 20 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, on regular-grade gas. This engine, shared with the Mazda6 and Mazda3, is new to the CX-7 this year. Previously, you could only get the now-optional turbocharged engine, which gave the CX-7 an abnormally high base price.

You can, of course, get that 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that pumps out 244 horsepower, and rides on 18- or 19-inch tires and wheels, instead of the standard 17-inchers. That model is also offered in all-wheel-drive, as well as the standard front-wheel-drive. With all the options, the turbo version of the CX-7 can hit almost $33,000, pricey in this class.

Mazda Biante 20s NAVI SPECIAL Introduced

Mazda announced that it will release a limited edition version of its mid-size, tall roof Biante minivan, destined for the Japanese market.


The vehicle is dubbed Biante 20s NAVI SPECIAL and offers additional equipment including a navigation system that uses a hard disk drive and a park assist system, while only having a price premium of around $800 (73,500 yen) over the standard 20S model. As the vehicle aims to offer a special image, it does not feature the flexible hook that is standard equipment on the model it is based on.

The vehicle can be ordered in a two wheel drive or a four wheel drive version, with the first one featuring Mazda’s idling stop system, i-stop. Both versions are equipped with a 2.0 liter DISI (Direct Injection Spark Ignition) gasoline engine, with the two wheel drive one using a 5 speed automatic gearbox and the four wheel drive one featuring a four speed automatic gearbox.

The front wheel drive minivan also qualifies for Japan’s eco-car incentive program and 75 percent tax reductions under the government’s tax reduction program. The vehicle has a starting price of $27,000 (2,572,000 yen), with the tax reduction included.

Mazda's Receives Award for Hydrogen Rotary Engine Initiatives

Mazda Motor Corporation recently announced it received the IAHE Sir William Grove Award from the International Association for Hydrogen Energy (IAHE) at a presentation ceremony in Essen, Germany.

The IAHE is an international organization that promotes academic and technological advancements in the field of hydrogen energy. Every two years, the IAHE presents five awards to researchers or organizations that have made significant contributions in areas related to hydrogen energy. The awards are presented during the World Hydrogen Energy Conference (WHEC), the world's largest international conference on hydrogen energy, which the IAHE hosts.

1986 Mazda RX-7

First Drive: 1986 Mazda RX-7

We Are Talking Seriously All-New Here

From the January, 1986 issue of Motor Trend

/ By Ron Grable

/ Photography by Jim Brown

Editor's Note: This year, Mazda celebrates its 90th anniversary and along with an extensive retrospective coming on May 20, we've gone through the archives to bring you a look at several classic Mazdas from the 70s and 80s.

Mazda RX-8 to Bow as RX-7 Prepares for the Stage

Mazda RX-8

According to a Motor Trend-sourced report, the Mazda RX-8 is working toward a 2011 retirement. U.S. sales will cease during that year and there will be a two-year gap before the new RX-7 swoops in and uplifts the hearts of Mazda lovers. The report follows an official Mazda announcement that European RX-8 sales will wind down that same year.

Mazda RX-8 Most Likely to Bid Goodbye After 2011

According to the recent report from the sources, Mazda is due to cease U.S. sales of the RX-8 after 2011. The only rotary-powered production car will no longer be available after the 2011 model year.

Mazda some time back announced that the RX-8 will not be sold in Europe due to more stern EuroV emissions standards. The Wankel-engined 2+2 sports car was refreshed in 2009, abiding by the U.S. emissions standard but it had still failed to gather much sales from the market. Mazda sold only 128 RX-8s in April of 2010 and not even crossing the 500 mark, with a total of 428, year to date.

The auto enthusiast are now pinning their hopes on the next-generation Mazda RX-7. The two seat coupe is currently under development and is expected to arrive sometime in 2013. It is believed that the new Mazda RX-7 will use company’s new Renesis 16X rotary engine and possibly a dual-clutch transmission thus delivering something around 350-hp of output and 215 lb-ft of torque.