10th Anniversary Mazda Miata on 2040-cars

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Las Vegas reporter makes literal street food

A reporter in the American Southwest did a test to see just how hot it was this week, and received her just deserts. With a promised high of 115 degrees in the Las Vegas Valley on June 20, Caitlin Lilly and Kira Terry of the Las Vegas Review-Journal decided to find out if they could bake cookies and cook breakfast using just the ambient heat of the day and some handy flat surfaces. First, the pair attempted to bake a couple dozen pre-mixed cookies on the dashboard of a Mazda. Starting around 1:00 pm, they left the cookies on a sheet tray propped up beneath the car's un-tinted windows. By 5:00 pm the cookies were done and, according to various R-J staffers, quite delicious. While the cookies were baking, they decided to make themselves something a little more substantial, something to justify the desert they had baking in the Mazda. They found a nice patch of parking lot and tried to fry an egg, some bacon, and a handful of shrimp. The shrimp cooked quickly, as shrimp are wont to do, but after 20 minutes the bacon only browned at the edges while staying raw in the middle. The egg remained uncooked, unfortunately, since even the hottest asphalt isn't hot enough to actually fry an egg. Record high temperatures are baking the American Southwest and Southern California as the region suffers the effects of a weather phenomenon called a " heat dome." Highs of over 100 degrees were reported throughout SoCal, Arizona, and Nevada, which is surprising for mid-June. The threat of wildfires is already astronomical, and people are suffering from heat-related illnesses. Recent Video:

Mazda recalls 193k CX-9 crossovers over corroded suspension

An issue with the suspension on the CX-9 has prompted Mazda and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to recall 193,484 vehicles across the United States. The campaign specifically affects units from the 2007-2014 model years, manufactured between October 24, 2006, and December 28, 2013. In those affected vehicles, the ball joints in the front suspension may corrode due to water leaking into the fitting. According to the statement below, if the ball joint rusts, the front lower control arm could separate, resulting in a loss of steering control. And needless to say, that could lead to a crash. To repair the issue, Mazda will have to replace both the left and right lower control arms, and will naturally do so free of charge, but will undertake the repairs in stages. First, owners of the affected vehicles will receive a notification that a recall campaign is under way. Then they'll get a second letter when the parts are ready and they can bring their vehicles into their local dealers. The company will start first with 2007-09 vehicles, specifically those registered in the snowy states of the Northeast and Midwest. Specifically: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington, DC. (Oddly, states in the the western portion of the Midwest, as well as the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest, were not included in that initial phase. Nor was Alaska, for that matter.) After that they'll call in 2010-14 models in the same states before undertaking repairs on vehicles in other areas to the west and south. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Corrosion of Front Suspension Ball Joint Report Receipt Date: JUL 20, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V451000 Component(s): SUSPENSION Potential Number of Units Affected: 193,484 Manufacturer: Mazda North American Operations SUMMARY: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 CX-9 vehicles manufactured October 24, 2006, to December 28, 2013. The affected vehicles have front suspension ball joints that may corrode from water leaking into the fitting. CONSEQUENCE: Over time, the ball joint corrosion may result in the front lower control arm separating from the ball joint, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.

2014 Mazda3 configurator zoom-zooms to life

The 2014 Mazda3 is probably going to be on a lot of shopping lists, thanks to its striking good looks, clean interior treatment, fuel economy and driving character. If it happens to be on your personal list of new cars to test, you'll be happy to see that the configurator for Mazda's newest product has officially gone online.
In terms of build-your-own web items, configuring a 3 isn't much of a departure from the rest of the Mazda range. Most of the work comes from choosing one of the three trim levels - Sport, Touring and Grand Touring - and selecting either the 155-horsepower, 2.0-liter, Skyactiv four-cylinder or its larger sibling, the 184-horsepower, 2.5-liter, Skyactiv four. From there, a simple range of color and interior finishes are available, before a slim list of packages, options and accessories. Really, Mazda's made it easy to get through this build process.
Click on over to the configurator and take a look at the options, colors and prices for Mazda's newest five-door hatchback.