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Next-gen Mazda MX-5 Miata mule spied 'Ring testing

Fans of simple, lightweight motoring, rejoice - we now have images of the next-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata undergoing testing at der Nürburgring Nordschleife. Now, to be fair, this isn't some lightly camouflaged example that will give us a great peak of what the next Miata, which will also become the next Alfa Romeo Spider, will look like. This is a mule, with the new bits hidden under a current Miata's body. That doesn't mean there aren't a few scraps of valuable information here, though.
According to our flock of camera-toting spies at the Nürburgring, the next Miata is likely to grow a bit, as new models are wont to do. In particular, it will be longer and wider, and the wheelbase is likely going to be stretched, based on the shape of the wheel wells and doors. Both of those factors will add more space in the cabin.
Those are the big indications provided by these photos, but while the MX-5 might be growing, it's a safe bet based on these images that it, and the (likely pricier) Alfa, will retain the classic, long-hood, short-deck styling that so typifies rear-drive roadsters.

Mazda Vision Coupe | Tokyo Motor Show's big, sensuous 4-door

Mazda has been making a lot of noise recently about not giving up on the rotary engine. Enough that we started to think it might show a new epitrochoid-engined concept at this year's Tokyo Motor Show. But the brand is nothing if not surprising. Have you driven a CX-5 or a CX-9? Have you noted the real-world fuel economy in a Mazda3? Have you looked at a Miata RF? So instead of trotting out the latest in Wankel weirdness, today in its home market, the Mazda folks pulled the silk off of a stunning full-size four-door design concept, the somewhat inaptly named Vision Coupe. Known mainly for sporty and affordable small(ish) vehicles, Mazda hasn't really had an entry in this category since ... ever. Well, save for the staid and short-lived 929 of the '90s (and the rotary-powered, 7/8-scale Olds Cutlass, JDM-only Roadpacer of the '70s.) As customers flock to crossovers, it's not exactly a category brimming with vitality, at least in the American market — sales of the existing Mazda 6 are down in the States by nearly 25 percent this year, double the market average for cars. And this thing is bigger than that. But the decision is intentional and strategic in Mazda's mission to head upscale and focus on clean design — differentiators from its mass-market Japanese peers. "A big sedan has always been the symbol of a brand going premium. It's the icon of a brand," says Julien Montousse, Mazda North America's director of design. "It tells that Mazda is becoming serious in reaching that goal." Breaking even more conventions, while Mazdas generally are cohesive and well-rendered in their design, you would be hard-pressed to find one quite this sensuous. The Vision Coupe looks like an Aston Martin Rapide that has been placed in a sauna until its body-mass index has whittled down to marathoner levels, and then scalloped and stripped of any unnecessary ornamentation, save for a kind of fingerprinted whorl in its side cove. It is elemental, at once planar and burnished, with the lovely long-hood/short-deck proportions of a classic front-engine, rear-wheel-drive grand tourer. Its interior is similarly edited, doing away with the proliferating screens of other vehicles in the category, utilizing instead a digital analog instrument panel and a sophisticated heads-up display that keeps a driver focused on the road and shows just what is deemed necessary, and nothing else.

2016 Mazda CX-5 recalled to address failing DRLs

Mazda announced Tuesday that it will recall more than 35,000 examples of the 2016 CX-5 crossover to address an issue that may lead to deterioration or failure of its LED daytime running lights.  In affected models, the gasket used to seal the wiring harness to the LED module was not manufactured to Mazda's specification. As it degrades over time, it can release sulfur, which in turn can potentially corrode the LED control circuit, causing the LEDs themselves to flicker, illuminate poorly or even fail outright.  Per Mazda, there is no alert for this condition, so drivers can potentially lose daytime running light function without realizing it, leaving them tougher to spot in poor light.  The campaign will cover 36,761 CX-5s sold in the U.S. and U.S. territories. Mazda says no accidents or injuries related to the issue have so far been reported.  This new campaign has not yet been published in the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall database, and Mazda's statement did not include details of the proper remedy for the issue or when customers can expect to be contacted to arrange for service.  We expect that all 2016 CX-5s with LED DRLs will receive new harness gaskets and that those showing signs of LED module corrosion will have those replaced as well.  The 2016 CX-5 has been the subject of four other recall campaigns — including one for an improperly torqued steering knuckle bolt and another for a defective fuel filler pipe — but this is the first  new campaign for that model year since 2016.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.