2006 Mazda B3000 Dual Sport Like Ford Ranger on 2040-cars

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Japanese students turning Mazda CX-5 into Dakar Rally-ready off-roader

Students at Japan's Nihon Automobile College (NATS) are transforming a first-generation Mazda CX-5 into a full-blown off-roader that looks ready to compete in the Dakar Rally. Named CX-Runner, the one-of-a-kind model will make its debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon opening its doors in January 2020. The Tokyo Auto Salon is the Japanese equivalent of the annual SEMA show, so anything goes under the bright lights. NATS students began the CX-Runner project with a used 2012 CX-5 and seemingly set out to leave as few original parts as possible. While the project isn't finished yet, a sketch released by the school suggests the crossover will receive wheel arch extensions, an external roll cage, a beefier suspension, and a shorter front bumper that increases the approach angle.  Photos published on the school's official Facebook page show the project is moving along nicely. The body extensions are made with a composite material that looks like Kevlar, and fitting the rear wheel arches required sealing the back doors, which is fine; the CX-Runner will be a two-seater. We don't know if students are planning to make changes to the CX-5's powertrain yet, but a thick skid plate will protect whatever is under the hood from expensive impacts with obstacles encountered off-road. nats-mazda-cx-runner-project-1 View 3 Photos The Tokyo Auto Salon will open its doors on January 10, so the students have time to finish the custom-made body kit, install the suspension, paint the CX-Runner, and fit the roll cage. They're not just doing this for fun, though. NATS began offering a customizing class in 1998, and building a tuner car is one of the requirements aspiring builders need to fulfill in order to graduate. With that in mind, it's no surprise that NATS will again have a big presence during the 2020 edition of the Tokyo Auto Salon. In addition to the CX-5 off-roader, its students are building six custom cars including a Nissan 370Z roadster wearing front and rear fascias sourced from a GT-R, a Toyota 2000GT-inspired convertible based on the Suzuki Cappuccino kei car from the 1990s, and a four-door, five-seater Toyota 86 built on Camry bones but powered by the coupe's flat-four engine. Relate Video:

Tesla Model Y and Cadillac CT5 | Autoblog Podcast #573

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale. They catch up on the Tesla Model Y, as well as the Cadillac CT5 and the brand's new naming structure. Afterward they talk about our driving the 2019 Mazda3, 2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI and 2019 Ford Ranger. Finally, the three editors take a lap around eBay looking for the best ways to spend $15,000 on a car. Autoblog Podcast #573 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Tesla Model Y unveiled Cadillac CT5 and Cadillac's new badging strategy Cars we're driving: 2019 Mazda3 2019 VW Golf GTI 2019 Ford Ranger How we'd spend $15,000 on eBay Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

More powerful 2019 Mazda MX-5 also more efficient

Bumping the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata's power from 155 horses to 181, plus little interior upgrades such as a telescoping steering wheel were more than enough to make the appealing roadster even more so. But there's yet another bonus in store for those that pick up the new Mazda: more efficiency. As initially spotted by industry watcher Bozi Tatarevic, the EPA released fuel economy numbers for the new model, and they're better than the 2018's. And between the automatic and manual versions, the manual sees the biggest increase. Now, these are, very, very minor increases in EPA fuel economy, but any increase is welcome when nothing is lost. The automatic continues to be the most efficient. While the city and highway ratings are unchanged at 26 and 35 mpg respectively, the combined rating increases by 1 mile per gallon to 30. The manual transmission model isn't far behind. City mileage stays the same at 26 mpg, as does the combined rating of 29 mpg. However, highway fuel economy picks up 1 mpg for a total of 34. So to recap, the 2019 Miata retains its good looks, and likely its playful handling and snickety shifter. But it also gets more power, better fuel economy, a better interior, and more options to customize than ever before. This is sounding like it could be the best Miata, yet. We can't wait to try it out. Related Video: Mazda Convertible Performance