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The Mazda MX-5 Miata RF's trick roof will cost you at least $2,555 extra

Now that loyal customers have been given the opportunity to preorder the Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Launch Edition, Mazda has finally announced pricing for the regular 2017 MX-5 RF lineup. The vehicle, with its gorgeous power retractable hardtop, will come in two trims – the MX-5 RF Club and Grand Touring when the vehicle goes on sale early next year. The MX-5 RF Club with the manual transmission is priced at $32,390, including $835 destination, which represents an additional $2,955 over a six-speed manual MX-5 Club with a soft top. An automatic is a $730 option for both RF and soft top Club models. The range-topping MX-5 RF Grand Touring trim will start at $33,455 with a six-speed manual transmission, which is $1,170 less than the Launch Edition's price tag of $34,685 and $2,555 more than a soft-top model. Opting for the automatic transmission on the Grand Touring trim bumps the price tag up to $34,660. The MX-5 RF models are similarly equipped to the soft-top models. The Club models benefit from cloth seats with red stitching, a limited-slip differential (when equipped with a manual transmission), suspension from Bilstein, and an optional Brembo brake and BBS wheel package for an extra $3,400. The more luxurious Grand Touring models get adaptive headlights, heated leather seats, and lane departure warning. The MX-5 RF models, just like the regular soft-top models, don't have many options. Hands-free keyless entry is a $130 option, while premium paint options, which includes Machine Gray Metallic (the same color on the Launch Edition) and Soul Red Metallic both cost $300. Crystal White Pearl Mica is only available on Grand Touring models and will cost an additional $200. Unlike the Launch Edition that was limited to only 1,000 units, there's no production limit on the regular MX-5 RF. Mazda will being delivering the MX-5 RF Launch Edition in February of 2017, with the standard MX-5 RF models following shortly after. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF View 15 Photos News Source: MazdaImage Credit: Mazda Mazda Convertible Lightweight Vehicles Performance pricing mazda mx-5 rf

eBay Find of the Day: 1990 Mazda Miata with just 27 original miles

Some cars have low mileage, and others have close to no miles at all. This 1990 Mazda Miata, currently listed on eBay Motors and located in Kingman, Arizona, falls into the latter category with only 27 miles on the odometer, according to the seller. But we have to wonder: how did one of the best-driving, most influential sports cars of the past two decades sit without being driven for 24 years? Consider it the seller's loss on this one.
The seller says he bought the car with 20 miles on it, and explains 6.9 miles were added when the car was towed home on a car dolly. It was never registered. Furthermore, the seller says the car didn't come with a set of keys, so he had to have a set made. Though the paint is clean and shiny, the Miata didn't escape minor cosmetic damage over the years, with scratches on the hood, the trunk and the factory hardtop that is included with the car. The front, right fender has a small dent as well, which can be seen in a picture. The seller says the car was stored in a building with windows, so the paint is faded a bit in some places. It's missing its antenna and the battery, and the only non-original parts on the car are the windshield wipers. The clear-title car comes with all paperwork, according to the seller, but, besides the owners manual, he didn't specify what other documentation would be included.
With bidding currently at $10,300 and the reserve not met, this Miata definitely isn't the deal of the century, and we have to question where the value is in this one. The way we see it, it's hard to justify the money if it can't be driven as-is (come on, no battery?), has questionable history, isn't rare and sat in storage for its whole existence. The "weather cracked" tires are probably just the first rubber parts on the car that need to be replaced before it can be driven, but at least the spark plugs were removed and the cylinders were filled with Marvel Mystery Oil prior to storage, which helps to prevent rust and corrosion from forming in the engine.

WAVE 2015: Metron 7 sets new record of 513 miles on one charge

Sometimes you just gotta push harder, faster, longer. Last fall, the Metron Institute team from Slovenia took their converted all-electric Mazda5 minivan on an impressive 457-mile journey from Bled (in Sloveniva) to Dubrovnik (in Croatia) without stopping to recharge at an average speed of 40 miles an hour. Today, as part of the WAVE Trophy 2015, the Metron 7 EV just finished up a drive of 826.1 kilometers (513.3 miles) on a single charge. The drive started in Berlin and ended in Karlsruhe, Germany. As you might suspect, a drive of this length on normal roads required a big battery pack. The total pack capacity was 108 kWh, thanks to the combination of the built-in 86-kWh pack that uses lithium polymer cells from Kokam and a 130-pound, 22-kWh external pack that Metron has developed that can charge the built-in pack while driving. The average speed of the 500-mile journey was 45 miles per hour (72 kilometers per hour) through rural countryside, towns, and some time on the highway. The drivers –Andrej and Jasna Pecjak – did not use air conditioning, but the fans were running. The weather was temperate enough that AC wasn't needed anyway these last two days. The Metron 7 was a part of the last two WAVE events and has been updated since the last record was set in October 2014. On the new record journey, the minivan was loaded up with gear, but the Metron engineers made improvements to the car in the last eight months: the side mirrors are smaller and they fitted a better aerodynamic cover underneath the vehicle, for example. Andrej said that the cost for the batteries was around $50,000, since some of the cells he got were used. Today's record is unofficial, but AutoblogGreen witnessed both the sealing of the charge port in Berlin and was in the car for the last 125 kilometers today. Featured Gallery WAVE 2015: Metron 7 EV Distance Record Green Mazda AutoblogGreen Exclusive Fuel Efficiency Green Culture Electric mazda mazda5 mazda5