2003 Mazda Mpv Es 7 Pass Mini Van Dvd T.v Dual Power Sliding Side Door's Clean on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Why you absolutely need to take your Miata to a track

Our long-term 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata entertained us all summer, but we couldn't let the good weather pass without taking a trip to a race track. So we headed to GingerMan Raceway on the other side of Michigan to give it some exercise. It's there that I fell deeper in love with our little silver-white Club and immediately regretted not taking it to the track every single weekend prior. I make a very simple case in the video above: Miatas belong on the track. They're made for it, especially our ND Club, the most track-friendly version Mazda currently makes. The Miata is also a wonderful tool for those learning to drive in these conditions. It gives you good feedback, there isn't too much power available, but the engine's output is plenty to make things entertaining. It's also one of the more balanced performance cars you can buy today and doesn't rely on fancy electronics to go faster – it's a nearly direct connection between you and the car, with no weird intermediaries or adjustable elements. This is really the simplest form of fun. To sum up: If you have a Miata, take it to a track. If you don't have a Miata, go buy one. Watch the video again if you're not convinced. Related Video:

Toyota, Mazda drop Takata as Mitsubishi, Subaru weigh options

It's not a very good time to be Takata right now. Fresh on the heels of longtime partner Honda ditching them, Toyota and Mazda have both come out and said they will not use the company's airbag inflators if they continue to rely on ammonium nitrate. Bloomberg reports that Subaru and Mitsubishi are also contemplating a divorce. "The inflator using ammonium nitrate produced by Takata will not be adopted by Toyota," President Akio Toyoda said during a briefing today. "What's most important above anything else is the safety and peace of mind of customers." Mazda echoed that position, simply saying it "will not use Takata airbag inflators which contain ammonium nitrate in our new cars." When you lose three huge OEM accounts in as many days, it's certainly going to have a deleterious effect on your fortunes. In Takata's case, that's meant a staggering 39-percent drop in their share price over the last three days. Yesterday alone, the company saw a 6.2-percent fall, Bloomberg reports. As the business publication reports, though, Takata isn't going down without a fight. The company is "considering some plans to survive," including a fundraising plan that will see it potentially offer up additional shares for sale. Still, at least one analyst doesn't see whatever company survives staying involved in the airbag inflator business. "I really don't see how they're going to be able to survive as an inflator manufacturer," Valient Market Research founder Scott Upham told Bloomberg. "When your major clients publicly come out and say that they're not going to use your products anymore, it makes this very difficult to sustain your business." News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Carlos Osorio / AP Honda Mazda Mitsubishi Subaru Toyota Safety supplier

The 2017 Mazda CX-5 is new, and oh so very red

After examining the teaser photo and poring over spy photos, we knew that the 2017 Mazda CX-5 would adopt some design features from the larger CX-9 and Chinese-only CX-4. What we didn't know, though, is that the CX-5 would look like a miniature version of the CX-9. From the outside it's obvious the design is all new. The front of the SUV looks nearly identical to that of the CX-9's. Gone is the cutesy, roundish face in favor of a more angular theme. The headlights are slimmer, while the grille ditches the horizontal bars for a mesh pattern. Mazda calls the design theme Kodo - soul of motion, and the original 2013 CX-5 was the first production model under this mantra. View 12 Photos The changes at the back are less drastic than on the CX-5's new beak. The black trim that underlines the rear fascia is less prominent and the taillights looks leaner, but it's harder to tell the differences between the old and new model. Mazda says the CX-5 will be available with two engines here: the Skyactiv 2.5-liter gasoline engine and the Skyactiv-D 2.2-liter diesel (the Skyactive-D 2.0-liter, currently only used on Sport models, has been dropped for our market). We don't have specifics on power and torque yet, but in the old CX-5 (and current Mazda 3) the 2.5-liter four-cylinder generates 184 horsepower, while the diesel makes 173 hp and 310 pound-feet of torque. We expect front- and all-wheel-drive options, and of course we're hoping that the six-speed manual (previously on the base, front-drive model only) stays around as an alternative to the six-speed automatic. The interior follows the template of recent Mazdas, with the infotainment screen sitting on top of the dashboard with a control knob located aft of the shift lever. We'll have more information on the 2017 CX-5 at the vehicle's debut later today at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show. Related Video: