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Mazda to relocate its US offices into Irvine's tallest building

Mazda is the latest foreign automaker to be moving its North American headquarters. Only this time, it's not moving further south. Instead, the Japanese automaker is simply relocating to another facility in Irvine, CA. In a little over a year from now, Mazda North American Operations will move to 200 Spectrum Center Drive (pictured in the rendering at right), taking up five of the 21 floors in Orange County's tallest building for a total of over 100,000 square feet of office space. It'll also take up half the lobby with vehicles on display and the exclusive naming rights on the top of the building. The facility, designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, boasts full glass walls from floor to ten-foot ceiling for uninterrupted 360-degree views. Mazda has been in its current US headquarters at 7755 Irvine Center Drive (pictured above) since 1987. The five-story building was specifically constructed for the purpose and was the tallest in Irvine at the time. Prior to that it was based in Compton from 1970. The move to the new facility is scheduled to take place in February, 2017. Mazda's announcement marks only the most recent of foreign automakers to relocate their North American headquarters. Toyota is moving to Texas, Subaru to Camden, Lotus to Ann Arbor, Daimler to Farmington Hills, and Mercedes-Benz to Atlanta (where Porsche recently relocated, as well). Cadillac also recently moved from GM's Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit to its new headquarters in New York. Hyundai and Kia also quarter their North American operations in Irvine, as does Aston Martin. Meanwhile Honda and Toyota (for the time being) are based less than an hour away in Torrance, and Mitsubishi halfway in between in Cypress. Though they no longer sell passenger cars in North America, Isuzu and Suzuki still operate their US bases in SoCal as well, in Anaheim and Brea, respectively – all municipalities located just south of Los Angeles. Nissan and Subaru also base their US operations outside of California, with head offices in Tennessee and New Jersey, respectively. Related Video: Mazda Set To Relocate North American Headquarters in 2017 - With 50 years of roots in Southern Calif., Irvine will remain 'home' for Mazda - IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) has spent the last three years bringing all-new, upscale vehicles to the U.S. and earning outstanding critical acclaim in the process.

Next Mazda CX-9 spied for first time

After plenty of rumors, we finally have our first look at the second-generation Mazda CX-9. Development of the crossover look to be very far along based on these of production bodies hidden under form-fitting camouflage. The overall aesthetic, based on what we can see here, is very much in keeping with Mazda's handsome Kodo design language. The CX-9 you see here looks pretty much like a Mazda3 scaled up about 279.3 percent, with a five-pointed grille and expressive headlights prefacing a sculpted, swooshy body. In back, there's an aggressively raked rear window that won't do any favors for cargo capacity, but makes for a handsome silhouette. And if previous Mazdas are any indication, we'd expect the CX-9 to feature a very handsome, high-quality cabin, although it's impossible to see in these images. According to our spy photographers, the new CX-9 will abide by Mazda's Skyactiv philosophy, which should make for both an entertaining an efficient three-row crossover. A 2.5-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder will be the engine of choice, replacing the antiquated V6 of the current model, and will be available with an all-wheel-drive system. While this engine is slated for the CX-9, enthusiasts should take note that this first Skyactiv turbo will likely form the basis of future Mazdaspeed efforts. As previously reported, the CX-9 will make its debut this November at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show as a 2017 model. Should any info pop up before then, expect to see it here.

Mazda hopes to return to Le Mans

Mazda has been away from the winner's circle at Le Mans for some time now. But it could be preparing a return to the forefront at the famous French endurance race in the near future. That is, at least, if the racing enthusiasts within its ranks get their way. "I know that the expectation for us to return to Le Mans is high. I can imagine a day when Mazda returns," Nobuhiro Yamamoto told Top Gear at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this past weekend. "I hope - as with many other Mazda fans - that we go back to Le Mans." His words hardly serve as confirmation of the Zoom-Zoom brand's intentions, but they certainly speak rather loudly to a desire within its ranks. They hardly come out of left field, either. Yamamoto-san is arguably the man best positioned to spearhead such a campaign – or would at least be best informed if such a campaign were underway. He's currently the program manager for the MX-5, and decades ago was the racing engineer behind the 787B. That Group C prototype racer represented Mazda's last major effort at taking top honors at Le Mans, and take them it did when it won the race outright in 1991. The Japanese automaker was out in force this past weekend at Goodwood, the event's central sculpture honoring Mazda's racing history, and its presence only fueling rumors that it could be preparing a renewed assault on endurance racing – potentially once again under rotary power. The 787B, motorsport history buffs will tell you, represented the first and last time to date that a Japanese manufacturer won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Although Toyota has been competing with Audi and Porsche at the front of the field with the TS040 Hybrid, it has yet to win the key race, despite having taken the FIA World Endurance Championship last year. "Everyone at Mazda would love to see the only Japanese company to ever win the 24 Hours of Le Mans return to the famed twice-around-the-clock classic," a spokesman for Mazda's North American motorsports department told Autoblog by correspondence. "Whether that'll actually happen isn't something we can discuss at this time, but, given our historical and current involvement in motorsports, our interest in the event should be no surprise to anyone. We agree with Yamamoto-san when he says he hopes it happens." So while Mazda may not be ready to confirm the prospect of its return to Le Mans, it certainly isn't ruling it out, either.