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Half of Chinese car buyers won't shop Japanese over hard feelings

The hard feelings between China and Japan is no real secret. Besides modern-day disputes, the two countries have had a long-running enmity that dates back to well before the atrocities of World War II. All things considered, then, it shouldn't be a shock that half of Chinese car buyers wouldn't consider a Japanese car. This survey, conducted by Bernstein Research, found that 51 percent of 40,000 Chinese consumers wouldn't even consider a Japanese car – which, again, isn't really surprising, when you consider stories like this. According to Bernstein, the most troubling thing is the location of these sentiments – smaller, growing cities where the population is going to need sets of wheels. We imagine it wouldn't be as big of an issue in traffic-clogged Shanghai or Beijing, but these small cities are going to become a major focus for automakers. "Nationalistic feelings are an impediment. [Japanese] premium brands will struggle," analyst Max Warburton wrote in a research note, according to The Wall Street Journal. Things will improve for Japanese makes, although China will remain a challenge, with Warburton writing, "the one thing that comes out most clearly is that most Chinese really want a German car. While we expect Japanese brands to continue to recover market share this year, ultimately the market will belong to the Germans." There are a few other insights from the study. According to WSJ, Japanese brands are viewed better than Korean brands, and they're seen as more comfortable than the offerings from Germany or the US, despite the fact that everyone in China apparently wants a German car. This is a tough position for the Japanese makes to be in, as there's really not a lot they can do to win favor with Chinese buyers. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, particularly as the importance of the PRC continues to increase year after year. News Source: The Wall Street Journal - sub. req.Image Credit: Kazuhiro Nogi / AFP / Getty Images Honda Mazda Nissan Toyota Car Buying

NFL player Alfred Morris receives his thoroughly restored 1991 Mazda 626

Washington Redskins starting running back Alfred Morris might not drive a flashy sports car or SUV, but after today, he'll be driving the nicest 1991 Mazda 626 on the planet.
Back in July, Morris temporarily traded in his 626 - cheekily named Bentley - for a 2014 Mazda6 loaner courtesy of Mazda, and today the sedan was presented back to him after the ultimate PR stunt: a reported 275-man-hour restoration that left this 22-year-old daily driver looking like it just rolled off the assembly line.
Not everything was brought back to original condition, though. The expired sticker from Morris' final year at Florida Atlantic University was left on the windshield, but to fit the car's nickname, a few high-end touches were added to the interior. This includes the quilted, cross-stitched leather seats (just like a real Bentley) and the touchscreen Pioneer audio system. There's also a plaque under the hood marking this car as the "Alfred Morris Project."

Mazda Koeru concept forecasts next CX-9 in sleek form

Mazda rolled in to the Frankfurt Motor Show this year with the Koeru concept you see here. The showpiece is the latest embodiment of the Japanese brand's Kodo design language, applied with dramatic effect to a large crossover shape. Could this preview the next CX-9? The Koeru takes its name from the Japanese verb for "going beyond," and the reason is plain to see: though created by a mass-market brand, the concept could easily belong to an upscale marque like Infiniti (which offers a range of crossovers), Jaguar (which just revealed its first), or Maserati (which is preparing to get in on the action as well). It strikes us as aggressive as it is elegant, with taut lines and sporty details from the sharp lights to the muscular wheel arches. Few technical details as to what lies underneath it all were made available. And these show cars often lack working underpinnings to speak of anyway. But Mazda says that, beyond the styling, it optimized the aerodynamics over the upper body as well as underneath it to reduce turbulence and "enhance vehicle stability when driving at speed." It's also said to encompass the company's latest Skyactiv, i-Activesense, and Mazda Connect technologies. Which is all well and fine, but we're looking forward to seeing what innovations the company might incorporate if and when the Koeru (hopefully) transitions from concept to reality. In the meantime you can scope it out in the live and stock image galleries above and below. MAZDA KOERU The all-new crossover concept proposed by Mazda Mazda Motor Corporation is unveiling the all-new crossover concept Mazda KOERU for the world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show this year. The Mazda KOERU demonstrates Mazda's unique and daring interpretation of a crossover vehicle, proposed for the fast-growing crossover market. Featuring the full suite of Mazda's new-generation SKYACTIV technologies and designed under the KODO—Soul of Motion design language, the concept offers sporty yet delightfully refined styling and driving performance. The name "KOERU", which literally means "exceed" or "go beyond" in Japanese, comes from Mazda's aspiration to deliver value that goes well beyond the existing category norms and standards. As the latest incarnation of Mazda's new-generation products, the Mazda KOERU crossover concept offers styling that exudes power, vitality and a new level of polished refinement.