2014 Mazda Miata Mx-5 Club on 2040-cars

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Mazda-Toyota partnership has us dreaming of a rotary hybrid

As you may have seen, Mazda and Toyota are going to be working a little more closely with each other. In their announcement, the two companies said they'd be building an American assembly plant together, and working on electric vehicle technology. But one of the companies' goals got our mental gears turning: It's listed as "Expand complementary products," and it's left very open-ended. The companies say they "will further explore the possibilities of other complementary products on a global level." These are in addition to Mazda providing the Mazda2 to Toyota as the Yaris iA, and Toyota providing Mazda a commercial van to sell in Japan. So what could these future complementary products be? We have a couple of ideas, one that's ludicrous but awesome (and, sadly, probably won't ever happen), and the other grounded in reality. Let's start with the fun one. What's the one thing Mazda fan has been wanting for years? A rotary sports car, of course! And while Mazda has repeatedly said that it has a small band of engineers plugging away at the spinning triangle problem, the odds of Mazda putting it into production have been slim. The inherent thirst of the rotary would make it tough to introduce when fuel economy regulations have been tightening. Plus, Mazda is a small company that needs to stretch every dollar, and having a one-off engine not based on anything else would be expensive. How could Mazda get around these obstacles? This is where the partnership with Toyota comes in, in our long-shot fantasy. Aside from having deep pockets, Toyota has a wealth of knowledge in the realm of hybrids. Thus, why not a rotary hybrid? Electrifying their oddball motor would fix two issues. One is obviously the fuel economy, since the gas engine wouldn't have to run all the time. The other is in providing torque. Rotaries infamously have little torque, especially down low, so adding an electric motor would allow this hypothetical rotary sports car to have a grunty low end, while still providing the Everest-high redline rotary fans like. The idea would be sweetened with the solid-state batteries that Toyota is developing, which could provide lots of electricity without weighing a ton. The rotary-electric mashup notion isn't totally alien to Mazda, either, since the company created an electric Mazda2 with a rotary engine for a range extender — albeit for different reasons. The company even filed a patent for the rotary range extender recently.

Mazda will sell a removable MX-5 Miata hardtop only to racers

Before the advent of the power-folding hardtop NC or the newer MX-5 RF targa, you could buy a fiberglass hardtop to plop on your soft-top Miata. Expensive when new and rather rare, they command top dollar now. And moreover, Spec Miata racers have always sought them for use in that series. Now, what's old is new again, sort of. Mazda Motorsports will sell a removable hardtop for $4,420, but there's a catch. You have to purchase a MX-5 Cup Global race car to order one. A Mazda spokesperson confirmed to Autoblog that non-Cup racers won't be able to purchase a new hardtop for their ND – and furthermore, since it's oddly shaped to clear the rollcage, they might not want to. Second-hand, who knows? Even though it's pricey, it'd offer a different experience than you get from the sexy RF. Related Video: Motorsports Mazda Convertible Racing Vehicles Performance mazda mx-5

Mazda CX-30 'just right' crossover will head from Geneva into production

As more and more customers move into the crossover segment, the less the segment is one-size-fits-all, or even three-sizes-fit-all. As such, Mazda has taken the opportunity at the Geneva Motor Show to offer a new, "just right" crossover to its lineup. The 2019 Mazda CX-30, as it's called, slots between the diminutive CX-3 and the compact CX-5 crossovers. The CX-30 shares the "Kodo" (meaning "soul of motion") design language Mazda does so well, and the execution here is excellent, too. We love the long hood and simple but elegant curves, the way the light reflects off the sides in dramatic waves. Its no surprise that Mazda chose its Soul Red Crystal to show off the new model. Mazda says it had four goals for the CX-30, two of which had to do with the size of the vehicle. It needed to be small enough to be highly maneuverable, so that drivers wouldn't hesitate to take it anywhere they need to go, but it also had to be roomy enough to provide a comfortable space for multiple passengers to easily enjoy one another's company. Mazda wanted the design to "embody the joy of owning something that matches your sensibilities." Finally, it had to perform in a way to provide peace of mind and a relaxing driving experience. Mazda will offer the CX-30 with its Skyactiv-G 2.0 gasoline engine with cylinder deactivation, Skyactiv-D 1.8 diesel engine and its new Skyactiv-X engine with gasoline compression ignition. Both gasoline engines will use Mazda's mild hybrid technology to help improve fuel economy without sacrificing performance. The CX-30 will also be offered with Mazda's I-Activ all-wheel drive and G-Vectoring Control Plus for maximum grip and stability. It will be available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The CX-30 is equipped with a driver monitoring system to improve safety using an infrared LED and camera to watch the driver's face for signs of drowsiness or inattentiveness. It'll alert the driver to pay attention, and will sound the braking alert earlier. Other active safety systems include available Front Cross Traffic Alert and Cruising & Traffic Support, the latter of which will employ accelerator, brake pedal and steering operations in traffic jams to help avert driver fatigue. Mazda hasn't said whether it will offer the CX-30 outside of the European market. Related Video: