2001 Mazda B2500 Sx Standard Cab Pickup 2-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Will Mazda show the next Miata's chassis in NY?

Mazda is being very sneaky about what it is bringing to the New York Auto Show, and it might have something to do with the next-generation MX-5 Miata. Australian website Motoring.com.au spoke to a company insider who told it that at least the chassis for the roadster would debut in Manhattan. The rumor goes that the show will act as the kickoff for the PR campaign for the new model.
We contacted Mazda USA PR Director Jeremy Barnes to find out more, and he would neither confirm nor deny the rumor. "Just because you read it on the Internet doesn't mean you should repeat it," he said to Autoblog. That's not exactly an outright, No.
Supporting evidence that the new drop top might be appearing in the Big Apple includes Mazda's plan to celebrate the model's 25th anniversary at the show. It's bringing 15 cars from the first three generations to display. "It will be absolutely worth attending the New York Auto Show if you're a Miata fan," Barnes said. That at least hints that there might be something he's not telling us. Otherwise it's a lot of sizzle without much steak.

Recharge Wrap-up: First EV to attempt Dakar Rally, Mazda makes bioplastic parts

Zap and Jonway Auto brought their Urbee EV and their new Falcon A-380 SUV to the Peru Motor Show in Lima. Jonway sells its SUV and minivan in Lima through Dai-Ichi Motors, which displayed the cars at the show. According to the companies, their cars "received tremendous interest from the public," including private citizens as well as groups who would use the EVs for security guard service or campus use. Read more in the press release below. California is the US leader when it comes to EVs. In 2013, California had 70,000 battery electric and 104,000 plug-in hybrids. The state boasts almost half of the country's electric vehicles, thanks largely to state and local EV incentives that go beyond the federal tax rebate. California also leads the way in legislation, and nine other states have adopted California's ZEV mandate. Washington, Maryland, Georgia and DC also have their own EV incentives, while some utility companies also offer benefits for EV owners in other states. Still, EV sales have only made up about 0.7 percent of new vehicle sales in 2014. Read more at the US Energy Information Administration website. Toyota will be using landfill gas to help power its Kentucky manufacturing facility. Beginning in 2015, Toyota's Georgetown assembly plant will use electricity converted from landfill-sourced methane gas from Waste Services of the Bluegrass. It will provide enough energy to produce 10,000 vehicles each year. Plus it diverts methane - a greenhouse gas - from entering the atmosphere and helps improve the local air quality. Learn more in the video or Toyota's press release below. Mazda has developed a plant-derived bioplastic for making exterior and interior parts. The dyed plastic doesn't require painting, and it reduces petroleum consumption and carbon emissions in the manufacturing process. The bioplastic will be used for interior parts in the all-new MX-5 before being put into use on the exterior of future vehicles. Mazda will display prototype parts at the Eco-Products 2014 exhibit in Tokyo. Read more in the press release below. Acciona will enter the first-ever zero-emissions vehicle (pictured) to compete in the Dakar Rally. The vehicle uses an electric motor and lithium ion batteries, as well as solar panels to power telemetry and security systems. The Dakar Rally will take place from January 4 through 17 through Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. See Acciona's Dakar EV in the video and read more in the press release below.

2021 Mazda3 to gain a turbocharged engine, finally, probably

Buckle up, Mazda fans. The Mazda3 turbo might really be happening, says a report from Jalopnik. Some details from Mazda’s dealership extranet system observed by Jalopnik suggest weÂ’ll see a 2021 Mazda3 turbo in both sedan and hatchback form. We donÂ’t have eyes on the documents ourselves, but the report says both the sedan and hatchback versions will be all-wheel-drive only with no option for front-wheel drive. In addition to that, it looks like the turbo models will be exclusively automatic, as theyÂ’re both only listed as “6A” in MazdaÂ’s system. Sorry to break the hearts of those who were hoping for a manual turbo. The hatchback manual with the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter from the modelÂ’s first two years appears to be sticking around for a third, in case you were worried. There is one minor mystery that's a possible glimmer of hope for someone wanting more performance, though. The report says that a “MAZDA3 HB PP TURBO” is listed in the docs. Our hearts are yearning for the PP to stand for Performance Package, but it probably stands for “Premium Package.” ThatÂ’s the name of MazdaÂ’s highest trim Mazda3 right now, and itÂ’d make sense to offer the turbo engine on the upmarket model. The last we heard on this front was from a report published over a year ago. It suggested MazdaÂ’s 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder as a possible drop-in. That motor makes 250 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque on premium fuel and would be a big upgrade to the 186 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque made by the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter under the hood now. Without a manual, the obvious transmission would be MazdaÂ’s traditional six-speed automatic. ItÂ’s a solid transmission for cars like the Mazda6 and CX-5, but itÂ’s not meant for sports cars, as we recently found in the automatic Miata RF. So no, this Mazda3 turbo wonÂ’t be a Mazdaspeed. It would simply be a quicker Mazda3, and while we can still pine for a true Mazdaspeed, this will be a welcome addition to the lineup. ThereÂ’s even more ancillary news in the report, too. The docs that Jalopnik saw say weÂ’ll be getting a Mazda3 with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder in 2021. That one has to be the Skyactiv-X engine weÂ’ve been patiently waiting for. It has already launched in Europe, but was delayed in the U.S. Those 100th Anniversary Edition Mazdas get a callout, too. The Mazda3 version of that is reportedly set to be equipped with the turbo engine, making that particular model even more enticing.