2006 Mazda Mx-5 Miata Manual Transmission on 2040-cars

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Mazda MX-5 Miata Cup racecar priced at $53,000

The 2016 Global MX-5 Cup is one of very few internationally competitive racing series that the average person can imagine (or afford) getting into. The ready-to-race Miatas are available to order now for $53,000 and deliveries are set to begin later this year. The first one is actually already on track as a pace car at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. With competition planned in North America, Europe, and Asia, all of the cup cars are identically prepared to emphasize drivers' skill rather than their bank account. The full list of Cup components hasn't been announced yet, but the roll cage and stripped interior are obvious. The 2.0-liter SkyActiv four-cylinder is still under the hood, too. The Global MX-5 Cup will also offer competitors big rewards, including a $200,000 scholarship for the season champion to move another rung up the motorsports ladder. In addition, Mazda will bring together the top racers from across the world to Laguna Seca to crown a series world title holder in a finale event. That winner will get a test In Mazda's prototype from the IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship. For now, Mazda is giving first priority to buyers planning to compete in its series. In the future, buyers of MX-5 Cup cars have other competition options, being eligible for some classes in Sports Car Club of America and National Auto Sport Association racing. Related Video: Mazda Announces Global MX-5 Cup Race Car Pricing - Initial Orders Being Accepted for the $53,000 Ready-to-Race 2016 MX-5 Miata - Oct 1, 2015 IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mazda MX-5 Miata is the most road-raced production car in the world. The reason is simple - great performance at an affordable price. The new Global Mazda MX-5 Cup race car follows that formula, and will be Mazda Motorsports' first-ever ready-to-race MX-5 Miata. The new race car will be available at the special introductory price of $53,000. The race car ordering process begins on www.MazdaMotorsports.com with first deliveries scheduled to begin later this year. 2016 Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Race Cars Having a turnkey, ready-to-race car removes the effort of engineering and costs of fabrication, enabling the racer to focus on racing. All racers can purchase identically-built race cars so that driving talent will be the number one determining factor for on-track performance, rather than budget, engineering capability or fabrication skills.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata and saving a marriage

I've had the privilege of knowing Zach Bowman – former Autoblog scribe, now penning great things over at Road & Track – for nearly a decade. We met at the Detroit Auto Show when we were both relatively new to the business, and joked about how someday, we'd work together and eventually conquer the world as big shots in the industry (we're still figuring that last part out, by the way). Thus, I was thrilled when Zach joined Autoblog in 2010, just a couple of months after I was hired, and was equally saddened when I learned he'd be leaving us. Zach is someone I'm proud to call a colleague – nay, a friend – and I've enjoyed the voice he's brought to this line of work. I tell you this on a personal level because Zach has just published what you could arguably consider his most heartfelt piece of automotive work to date. It's a charming, emotional story about his relationship with his wife, and how they, like so many young couples, learned to make marriage work through the many ups and downs found in any solid relationship. I call this "automotive work" because Zach intertwines this tale into a story about driving his 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata across the country, his wife by his side, learning about love and life from the cockpit of a two-seat roadster. I can honestly say it's one of the best things I've read in a long while. Rather than continue to wax poetic about Zach's latest piece, I'll let his own words speak for themselves. Head over to Road & Track to read the full piece.

Mazda Hazumi concept presages next Mazda2

Looks like Mazda's big Geneva Motor Show debut is actually something quite small. Teased here, the Hazumi concept "points the way to the future" for the brand's subcompact offering, the Mazda2. Details are slim as of this writing, but from what we can see in the image above, the Hazumi will use the same Kodo design language found on the Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX-5. We're big fans of this styling direction, so we fully expect the concept to be quite an attractive little number.
Hazumi means "bound" or "spring up" in Japanese, with Mazda saying this nomenclature is "particularly well-suited to a small car that appears to be bursting with energy." In other words, say goodbye to the friendly faced Mazda2 we've enjoyed since it launched in the United States in 2010. Instead, prepare for something decidedly more assertive, hopefully improving upon the already-great driving dynamics of the current subcompact. If we're honest, we can't wait.
Mazda will also use the Geneva show to debut its new small-displacement, 1.5-liter Skyactiv-D diesel engine. The automaker hasn't confirmed that this new fuel-efficient powerplant will be part of the Hazumi concept package, but considering the two are debuting alongside each other, it would seem to make sense. As for whether or not this engine could come stateside when the next Mazda2 launches, we're not holding our breath for that, especially considering the company's current woes with US-spec diesel engines.