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Mazda MX-5 Miata Cup racecar priced at $53,000

The 2016 Global MX-5 Cup is one of very few internationally competitive racing series that the average person can imagine (or afford) getting into. The ready-to-race Miatas are available to order now for $53,000 and deliveries are set to begin later this year. The first one is actually already on track as a pace car at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. With competition planned in North America, Europe, and Asia, all of the cup cars are identically prepared to emphasize drivers' skill rather than their bank account. The full list of Cup components hasn't been announced yet, but the roll cage and stripped interior are obvious. The 2.0-liter SkyActiv four-cylinder is still under the hood, too. The Global MX-5 Cup will also offer competitors big rewards, including a $200,000 scholarship for the season champion to move another rung up the motorsports ladder. In addition, Mazda will bring together the top racers from across the world to Laguna Seca to crown a series world title holder in a finale event. That winner will get a test In Mazda's prototype from the IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship. For now, Mazda is giving first priority to buyers planning to compete in its series. In the future, buyers of MX-5 Cup cars have other competition options, being eligible for some classes in Sports Car Club of America and National Auto Sport Association racing. Related Video: Mazda Announces Global MX-5 Cup Race Car Pricing - Initial Orders Being Accepted for the $53,000 Ready-to-Race 2016 MX-5 Miata - Oct 1, 2015 IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mazda MX-5 Miata is the most road-raced production car in the world. The reason is simple - great performance at an affordable price. The new Global Mazda MX-5 Cup race car follows that formula, and will be Mazda Motorsports' first-ever ready-to-race MX-5 Miata. The new race car will be available at the special introductory price of $53,000. The race car ordering process begins on www.MazdaMotorsports.com with first deliveries scheduled to begin later this year. 2016 Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Race Cars Having a turnkey, ready-to-race car removes the effort of engineering and costs of fabrication, enabling the racer to focus on racing. All racers can purchase identically-built race cars so that driving talent will be the number one determining factor for on-track performance, rather than budget, engineering capability or fabrication skills.

Why the 38-mpg 2014 Mazda6 is on dealer lots, but you can't drive it

If you stop by your local Mazda dealer this month, with any luck, you'll see the much-anticipated 2014 Mazda6 parked in the showroom - there are already a few hundred of them out there. That's quite an accomplishment in light of the fact that it isn't even calendar year 2013. The move is part of a strategic decision by the Japanese automaker, which is hoping to capitalize on holiday showroom traffic. (The last five days of the year are typically among the busiest dealer days all year).
If you happen to spy the rakish sedan, you may notice something missing - a window sticker. That's because Mazda (like other automakers) can't legally display the Monroney on a 2014 model year vehicle until January 1, 2013. According to Autoblog sources, Mazda dealers are legally prohibited from letting you test drive until the start of 2013, so it's more of a sneak preview than anything else. Even so, we reckon shoppers will be impressed when they finally get a look at those window stickers - Mazda hasn't announced fuel economy figures yet, but Autoblog has learned that the 2014 model will carry a pair of impressive numbers: EPA estimates of 27 miles per gallon in the city and 38 mpg on the highway using regular gas.
Mazda dealers are legally prohibited from letting you test drive until the start of 2013, so it's more of a sneak preview than anything else.

Asian automakers still reluctant to use more aluminum

There's a logical progression of technology in the auto industry. We've seen it with things like carbon-ceramic brakes, which use to be the sole domain of six-figure sports cars, where they often cost as much as an entry level Toyota Corolla. Now, you can get them on a BMW M3 (they're still pricey, at $8,150). Who knows, maybe in the next four a five years, they'll be available on something like a muscle car or hot hatchback. Aluminum has had a similar progression, although it's further along, moving from the realm of Audi and Jaguar luxury sedans to Ford's most important product, the F-150. With the stuff set to arrive in such a big way on the market, we should logically expect an all-aluminum Toyota Camry or Honda Accord soon, right? Um, wrong. Reuters has a great report on what's keeping Asian manufacturers away from aluminum, and it demonstrates yet another stark philosophical difference between automakers in the east and those in the west. Of course, there's a pricing argument at play. But it's more than just the cost of aluminum sheet (shown above) versus steel. Manufacturing an aluminum car requires extensive retooling of existing factories, not to mention new relationships with suppliers and other logistical and financial nightmares. Factor that in with what Reuters calls Asian automaker's preference towards "evolutionary upgrades," and the case for an all-aluminum Accord is a difficult one. Instead, manufacturers in the east are focusing on developing even stronger steel as a means of trimming fat, although analysts question how long that practice can continue. Jeff Wang, the automotive sales director for aluminum supplier Novelis, predicts that we'll see a bump in aluminum usage from Japanese and Korean brands in the next two to three years, and that it will be driven by an influx of aluminum-based vehicles from western automakers into China. Only time will tell if he's proven right. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Sean Gallup / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Honda Hyundai Mazda Nissan Toyota Technology aluminum