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Autoblog editors choose their favorite racecars of all time

If you like cars, there is a good chance that you like racecars. There's something about the science and the art of going faster, of competition, of achievement, that accelerates the hearts of enthusiasts. It doesn't matter the series, the team or the manufacturer – there's something about racing that stirs emotions and lifts spirits. It's that way with many of you, and it's that way with our editors. With that in mind, we offer a list of our favorite racecars of all time. Of course, we'd like to hear some of yours in the comment section below. 1970 Porsche 917 Compared to some of the obscure choices by my colleagues, I feel like the Porsche 917 is almost so obvious a pick as to not be worth mentioning. Still, when coming up with my answer, my mind invariably went back to this classic racer – specifically in its blue-and-orange Gulf livery – while watching Le Mans on DVD and later Blu Ray with my dad. Long, low and curvaceous, few vehicles have ever looked sexier lapping a track than the 917. More than just a pretty face, this beauty had speed, too, thanks to several tunes of flat-12 engines over the course of its racing life. In the early '70s, Porsche was a dominant force throughout sports-car competition, and the 917 (shown above at the 1970 24 Hours of Daytona) was the tip of that spear, including back-to-back victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Largely without dialogue or really much of a traditional plot, Le Mans is like a tone poem of racing goodness. While the 917's importance to motorsports history is undoubtedly fascinating, it's still this cinematic depiction of the Porsche racer that draws me in most, especially with the volume cranked. – Chris Bruce Associate Editor 1964 Mini Cooper S How could everyone not be selecting the 1964 Mini Cooper S piloted by Paddy Hopkirk and Henry Liddon? That car, 33 EJB, took the first of British Motor Corporation's four Monte Carlo Rally wins (it should have been five, but French judges got the British Minis [and Fords] disqualified on a technicality regarding headlights... which its own car, the winning DS, was also in violation of). The tiny red car and its white roof beat out Ford Falcons, Mercedes-Benz 300SEs and scores of Volvos, Volkswagens and Saabs. This, along with the several years of dominance that followed, cemented the idea that not only could the tiny, two-tone Mini be a real performance vehicle, but that family-friendly city cars in general could be fun.

Mazda5 will officially die this year

We knew it was coming, but it just became a lot more official. Mazda is going to kill the closest thing to a driver-oriented people-mover when it phases out the Mazda5 MPV for model year 2016. The news was presented quietly and unremarkably, with Mazda giving its compact minivan a single-line obituary as part of an announcement recapping changes to the brand's lineup for 2016: "There are no plans at this time to bring a replacement Mazda5 to the US market beyond the 2015 model year." Despite being a critical favorite for its fun-to-drive nature and seven-seat capacity, the 5 never really resonated with consumers, representing a small percentage of Mazda's total sales. In its best sales year, 2008, only about 22,000 were sold, representing only about eight percent of the brand's sales that year. That percentage was even smaller in recent years, as the 5's sales fell into the low ten-thousands. In other Mazda news, the brand is making a number of small, subtle changes to its lineup. Almost all of them constitute new ore removed options and are available for your perusal in the attached press release. Scroll down for a look. 2016 MAZDA LINEUP: WHAT'S NEW Having launched two refreshed and two all-new models for the 2016 model year, Mazda North American Operations is keeping busy with broadening its award-winning lineup of cars and crossovers. For the 2016 model year, Mazda is keen to maintain its leadership in providing unmatched KODO—Soul of Motion design and excellent driving dynamics and democratizing advanced safety technologies like Mazda Radar Cruise Control and Smart Brake Support into even its smallest, most affordable vehicles. Mazda6 and CX-5 return for 2016 with new styling elements, interior amenities and refinement. Mazda CX-3 enters the North American market in a new, hot segment, and MX-5 Miata continues its mission to provide unadulterated driving thrills to the masses. Last but not least, Mazda3 has been repackaged for 2016. Below is a list of what's new and different with Mazda's 2016 lineup.

Mazda CEO says rotary not viable, so don't look for a new one

We have some very sad news to report, rotor-heads fans: Don't expect a new rotary-powered vehicle anytime soon. This comes straight from Masamichi Kogai, the CEO of Mazda, which is the only company to ever market a commercially successful rotary-powered automobile in the world. The issue, as it has pretty much always been, is environmental.
While the Wankel rotary engine does indeed make a lot of power in a small, lightweight package, it does so while burning lots of fuel and emitting lots of noxious gases into the atmosphere, at least when running on gasoline. And that means the rotary engine will likely only ever be able to power niche vehicles. And that, in turn, means that it is very difficult to turn a profit on vehicles with rotary engines, particularly for a small automaker like Mazda.
"It has to be a viable commercial proposition. If we are going to adopt it, it has to be a product that can generate at least sales of 100,000 units a year. We have to be able to achieve a profit," said Kogai in an interview with Automotive News. Mazda sold 56,203 RX-7 models in the United States (the automaker's biggest market) in 1986. Sales of the RX-8 peaked in 2004, its first full year on the market, with just 23,690 units.