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2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata firsthand impressions and notebook scribblings

In a temporarily repurposed airport hanger in Monterey, CA, the world caught its first glimpse of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata tonight, and I was fortunate enough to attend in person along with my fellow auto media colleagues, Mazda execs, a couple hundred Miata devotees and, oddly, a fair number of Duran Duran fans. The klieg lights have dimmed, Simon Le Bon is no longer ringing in my ears, and I'm left to ponder what I've seen. I've scavenged my notes - and my Twitter feed - to give you some details and brief thoughts.
Fair Warning: I can't claim to be completely impartial (I own a second-generation NB and consider the Miata franchise to be one of but a few sacrosanct franchises in modern motoring), but I will share my honest first impressions of the new car, both good and bad.
Here are my notes:

Goodbye Zoom-Zoom, Driving Matters is Mazda's new slogan [w/video]

Timed with the launch of the 2016 MX-5 Miata, Mazda is now changing gears with its advertising strategy in the US by launching a whole new slogan. The Japanese brand's latest marketing motto takes a much more direct approach than Zoom-Zoom by simply saying Driving Matters. The two-word phrase is meant to make customers believe that a good time behind the wheel can improve their lives. Driving Matters is also supposed to say something about how Mazda engineers vehicles. "Whether it's for safety purposes or for maintaining our 'fun to drive' nature, it all comes down to the fact that driving matters to our customers and it matters to us." Russell Wager, vice president of marketing at Mazda North American Operations, said in the announcement of the new campaign. However, Zoom-Zoom isn't entirely dead, and the words still appear in small print in some of these spots. According to Wager in an interview with Automotive News, the old slogan isn't necessarily understandable to some focus groups. "I'll ask them to explain to me what 'Zoom Zoom' means, and I'll get 6 or 7 different answers. That's what Driving Matters is supposed to address. It's supposed to solidify what 'Zoom Zoom' means to people," he said. So far, the company has released several examples of the campaign to highlight the Miata and Mazda6. At the same time, Mazda is launching a new commercial (embedded below) called A Driver's Life that showcases many of its models but puts a big emphasis on the MX-5. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Mazda Launches All-New Advertising Campaign, "Driving Matters" - New Campaign Communicates How the Joy of Driving Can Enhance Your Life - IRVINE, Calif. (May 21, 2015) –The Oxford Dictionary defines "driving" as, "operating and controlling the direction and speed of a motor vehicle." Mazda believes that driving is more than a definition. Driving is an experience that can enhance your life. To better illustrate how every Mazda vehicle embodies why "Driving Matters," today Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) is rolling out a new advertising campaign. Driving Matters is an evolution of the Game Changers campaign. With Game Changers, Mazda succeeded in increasing consumer awareness of the functional attributes of our vehicles. Driving Matters will extend the message by creating an emotional connection to the brand.

Mazda, Suzuki, Yamaha — more vehicle data fabrication found in Japan

TOKYO — Mazda, Suzuki and Yamaha improperly tested vehicles for fuel economy and emissions, the Japanese government said on Thursday, revealing fresh cases of compliance failures by manufacturers. The results came to light after the Japanese government had ordered the automakers to check their operations after revelations of improper testing at Subaru and Nissan last year. The conduct of automakers globally has come under intense scrutiny after Germany's Volkswagen AG admitted in 2015 to installing secret software in hundreds of thousands of U.S. diesel cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests, and that as many as 11 million vehicles could have similar software installed worldwide. In the Japanese cases, the carmakers have not broken any laws or prompted massive recalls. But a growing list of improprieties has tarnished the image of the country's manufacturing industry for high-quality products and efficiency. Suzuki, Mazda and Yamaha cleared vehicles for emissions or fuel efficiency even in cases where they were tested under invalid conditions, the ministry said in a statement. The errors related to slight deviations in the speed of the vehicles during testing that should have invalidated the test results. The automakers examined tests they had conducted over different periods of time, and in Suzuki's case they stretched back to 2012. None of the automakers found significant problems with actual emissions and fuel economy performance of the vehicles, which were destined for sale in Japan, and do not plan any recalls. Suzuki, Japan's fourth-largest automaker, said that of 12,819 sample vehicles tested for fuel economy and emissions since June 2012, around 50 percent of them had been inspected improperly. "I deeply apologize and will lead efforts to prevent recurrence," Suzuki Chief Executive Toshihiro Suzuki told a news conference. Mazda said there were irregularities in 4 percent of similar inspections on its cars, or just over 70 vehicles. In Yamaha's case, irregularities were found in 2 percent of inspections, or just a handful of vehicles. Both Mazda and Yamaha apologized. Suzuki and Yamaha shares fell 6 and 5 percent, respectively, and Mazda shares were down 1 percent, underperforming a steady benchmark Nikkei average. In July this year, Nissan admitted it had improperly measured exhaust emissions and fuel economy for 19 vehicle models sold in Japan.