2012 Touring 3.7l Auto Grey on 2040-cars

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Japan plans real-world diesel emissions test after companies fail

Japan's transport ministry plans to start real-world diesel emissions tests after an experiment found four models from Toyota, Nissan, and Mitsubishi that produced more nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions than the nation's rules allow, according to The Japan Times. Regulators there usually only perform emissions checks in the lab. The VW diesel scandal has everyone double-checking their figures. Diesel versions of the Toyota Hiace van, Land Cruiser Prado, and Nissan X-Trail produced up to 10 times more NOx than allowed. The Mitsubishi Delica D:5 was up to five times over the limit, The Wall Street Journal reports. There was no evidence of defeat devices in the vehicles. Mazda performed well in the experiment, though. The CX-5 passed with nearly the same results on the road and in the lab. The Demio, better known as the Mazda2, did nearly as well with only slighter higher figures in the real world than in the controlled setting. The experimenters theorized the reason for the excessive emissions was that cold weather caused the engines' software to shut off the exhaust gas recirculation to prevent damage, according to the WSJ. However, this behavior also increased NOx production. Toyota, Nissan, and Mitsubishi don't have to worry about punishment from the transport ministry because this check was just an experiment. Their models already passed the mandated lab tests, which was the only requirement, according to The Japan Times. As governments begin greater real-world emissions tests, the results suggests diesels aren't very clean. A recent check in France found models from Ford, Renault, and Mercedes-Benz that didn't perform up to the standards. Regulators in India conducted similar evaluations and ordered VW to recall over 300,000 vehicles. Related Video:

100th Anniversary 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata announced for sale in the U.S.

The 100th Anniversary Special Edition Mazda MX-5 Miata will be sold in the U.S. When Mazda initially announced all of its 100th Anniversary vehicles, U.S. availability was still questionable for Mazda’s roadster. ThatÂ’s no longer the case, as the company announced all the details on the car today. ItÂ’s going to be based off the Grand Touring trim, so itÂ’s outfitted with the maximum amount of equipment. Those that purchase one will be able to choose from either the traditional soft top or an RF version. The soft top is red, while the RF gets a black-painted roof. Every last one of them will be painted in Snowflake White Pearl Mica and feature red accents throughout. Mazda plans on making them with both manual and automatic transmissions. We asked how many will be available, but Mazda told us it isn't sharing that information yet — limited edition Miatas tend to sell out quick. On the exterior, the front fender gets a “100 Years 1920-2020” badge. Wheel center caps for the 17-inch dark-silver wheels also have the 100th Anniversary logo on them, but thatÂ’s it for the exterior. The inside is where Mazda really had its fun. Full red leather seats and red carpeting pop and make this interior unlike any other Miata on sale today. Both the headrests and the floor mats feature 100th Anniversary logos, and as a finishing touch, Mazda put together a special 100th Anniversary key fob that is embossed with the same logo and comes presented in a special edition box. Since this car is based on the Grand Touring, you get performance goodies like Bilstein dampers, limited-slip differential, front shock tower brace and sport-tuned suspension. Of course, it needs the proper six-speed manual transmission to get all of that. From a cost perspective, you only pay a small price for the special edition car. With the soft top and six-speed manual, it totals $33,615. ThatÂ’s just $1,000 more than an identically-equipped regular MX-5 Grand Touring. An RF with the manual totals $36,370, which again, is just $1,000 more than the standard RF. The difference is the same with the automatic transmission Miatas. A soft top auto costs $34,140, while an automatic RF costs $35,695. Mazda says the special edition Miatas will be arriving in dealerships “later this year.” Related Video:

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition goes bold

For a car with a mischievous grin and penchant for fun, the MX-5 Miata's color palette is on the drab side, but thankfully the 30th Anniversary Edition gets a vivid hue called Racing Orange. Mazda says it "evokes the breaking dawn of an exciting new day," and that it's partly inspired by the bright yellow of the Miata Club Racer concept from 1989. That's all well and good, but it looks to us more like the orange from the 1991 Le Mans-winning Mazda 787B race car. Whatever the reason, we dig the color. It will be important that the new owners like it, too, because the color is everywhere. It's on the brake calipers, door sills, air vents, stitching and piping. Everything else is a black or charcoal color, including the gorgeous Rays forged aluminum wheels, exclusive to this model, and the Alcantara trim on the dash, doors and seats. All versions of the special Miata come with Recaro seats, Brembo brakes, Bose sound system and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The manual models add a limited-slip differential, Bilstein shocks and a front shock tower brace. Mazda isn't making many of these special Miatas, with just 3,000 of the soft top and RF combined for the world. The U.S. will get only 500. Customers can order one now at a special configuration website, and they had better bring plenty of cash. The manual soft top starts at $35,915, and the manual RF starts at $38,515. Adding an automatic ups the price by $499 on the soft top and $400 on the RF. Related Video: