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Junkyard Gem: 1991 Mercury Capri XR2

Just a year after the Mazda MX-5 Miata first went on sale in the United States, Ford's Mercury Division began selling a similarly-priced two-seat convertible here. This was the 1991-1994 Mercury Capri, and I've found an example of the hot-rod turbocharged version in a northeastern Colorado car graveyard. The Capri name has an illustrious history within the Ford Empire. First used on a Lincoln in 1952, it went on to serve as the name for a hardtop version of the early-1960s Ford Consul in the UK, then as the designation for a low-end trim level on the 1966-1967 Mercury Comet. Starting in the 1969 model year in Europe (1970 in North America), Ford began selling the best-known Capri of all: a sporty coupe based on the Cortina, sold through Mercury dealers in the United States but never badged as a Mercury here. Sales of that Capri halted here after 1978 (they continued through 1986 in Europe), but the Mercury Division then moved the name over to its version of the 1979-1986 Ford Mustang. After that, Ford Australia took the Capri name for a new Mazda 323-based sports car beginning in 1989. Then Dearborn decided that an Americanized version of the Australian Capri would be a success on this side of the Pacific, and left-hand-drive Capris began showing up in American Mercury showrooms in late 1990. Today's Junkyard Gem is one of those first-model-year cars, and it's the very rare turbocharged XR2 version. While this car was intended to be a competitor for the Miata, it's really that car's Mazda cousin. Both cars got their power from 1.6-liter versions of Mazda's versatile B engine, though the Capri had the same front-wheel-drive setup as its 323/Protege (and Escort/Tracer) platform siblings. At the same time, Ford was selling Kia-built Mazdas with Festiva (and, a bit later, Aspire) badging, alongside Mazda MX-6s with Probe badges. Just to make things interesting, American Mazda dealers were selling Ford Explorers as Mazda Navajos, while Rangers with Mazda badges followed starting in 1994. The 1990s were Mazda-riffic times at Ford! This car wasn't the first Australian-designed, Mazda-based Ford product sold in the United States. That honor belongs to the 1988-1989 Mercury Tracer, which was based on the same Mazda 323 platform as the Capri and built in Mexico. Later on, the Tracer remained a member of the 323 chassis family but was a nearly identical twin to its Ford Escort sibling.

Driving a $500 junker in a 500-mile off-road rally race | 'The List' #0500

Jessi and Patrick have done some insane rally races on "The List," but in an effort to continually out-do themselves, this might be the craziest yet. It's called the Gambler 500, and the idea is that 2,000-plus participants take $500 cars and drive them 500 miles across Oregon, mostly off-road. It's a maniacal mishmash of cars with not enough doors, too many doors, airplane wings strapped to the tops, graffiti'd cartoons on the hoods, stuffed animals hanging out the windows — you get the idea. Our hosts start the race with an absolutely epic Mazda Miata sitting atop super swampers. It didn't have a top, but have no fear because it had a roll cage, so ... that's better? Unfortunately though, they didn't have time to customize the car fully to their liking before the race, so the first stop after the starting gun was naturally a garage sale for some knickknacks to give the car a little more flair. One of the defining aspects of the Gambler 500 is having the most obnoxious, bonkers car possible, and the old Miata needed a bit of a kick in the ass. Thankfully, the crew found the largest teddy bear in existence, strapped that bad boy to the roll cage, and they were on their way. There are a few routes you can choose to take in the Gambler 500, and our crew chose the most challenging, called "The Devil's Butthole." A hilarious name for an outrageously fun route, it's definitely not one that many Miatas have likely tackled. And therein lies the gamble: Will they make it to the end? As always, you'll have to watch the episode above to find out. If you liked the episode, don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube page and like our Facebook page for more exclusive content from "The List" and if you're interested in learning more about the Gambler 500 or even participating in the event, check out their official website or follow them on Facebook! Click here to find more episodes of "The List" Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick Auto News Celebrities Weird Car News Mazda Convertible Special and Limited Editions The List Videos Original Video jessi combs patrick mcintyre

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata reveal livestream is here and now

Let's not understate the significance and difficulty of what's been accomplished here. In this ever-connected, constantly surveilled modern auto industry, Mazda has pulled a coup - it's kept a new vehicle under wraps. Yes, we've seen hacked up and camouflaged mules and maybe a form under a sheet, but Mazda is about to reveal its next-generation MX-5 Miata, and the car - let alone its specifications - hasn't been leaked anywhere yet. Not via clandestine camera phone snapshot, not by patent drawing, not by leaked ad copy, not even by diecast model. Believe us, we've looked.
And this isn't just some humdrum crossover or workaday compact, it's the Miata, the world's most popular roadster, apple of the enthusiast community's eye and seeming center of gravity for the Japanese automaker. For those who are genuinely excited about cars - about motoring - this is an impressive feat. If anything, Mazda's radio silence regarding the fourth-generation ND Miata has only served to heighten our anticipation for a model that probably won't reach showrooms for another year.
So, what's true and what's false among all the rumors? Will the already lightweight Miata really shed hundreds of pounds? What exactly will live under hood and drive those rear wheels?