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NFL player Alfred Morris receives his thoroughly restored 1991 Mazda 626

Washington Redskins starting running back Alfred Morris might not drive a flashy sports car or SUV, but after today, he'll be driving the nicest 1991 Mazda 626 on the planet.
Back in July, Morris temporarily traded in his 626 - cheekily named Bentley - for a 2014 Mazda6 loaner courtesy of Mazda, and today the sedan was presented back to him after the ultimate PR stunt: a reported 275-man-hour restoration that left this 22-year-old daily driver looking like it just rolled off the assembly line.
Not everything was brought back to original condition, though. The expired sticker from Morris' final year at Florida Atlantic University was left on the windshield, but to fit the car's nickname, a few high-end touches were added to the interior. This includes the quilted, cross-stitched leather seats (just like a real Bentley) and the touchscreen Pioneer audio system. There's also a plaque under the hood marking this car as the "Alfred Morris Project."

2014 Mazda Skyactiv Prototype looks ready for Daytona

With less than two weeks before the Mazda Skyactiv Prototype makes its race debut at the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Japanese Zoom-Zoom brand brought its diesel-powered racer to the floor of the 2014 Detroit Auto Show.
The red prototype marks Mazda's return to prototype racing, and will campaign the inaugural Tudor United SportsCar Championship using a 2.2-liter, SkyActiv-D diesel engine. With 451 horsepower on tap and 580 pound-feet of torque, the racer should stand up well against a field of gas-powered competitors.
Should the Skyactiv win Daytona, it'll be a coup for Mazda. The racer is running an engine with over 50 percent of its parts drawn from the oft-delayed production Skyactiv-D. Head up top for our full gallery of images of the new Skyactiv Prototype. The 2014 Rolex 24 will be run from January 25 to 26.

Mazda revamping dealers with 'Retail Evolution'

Mazda introduced its Retail Revolution dealership design language 12 years ago, which focused on open-plan spaces, multimedia areas, and allowing customers to interact with the brand before needing to interact with a salesperson. Two years ago the carmaker started work on the next step in its dealership design, and the new language, called Retail Evolution, was unveiled at Mazda of Everett in Seattle, Washington. Aiming to make the Mazda brand feel more premium and increase dealer profits, it goes even further on the open-plan to create "a new level of business transparency." It's all done with a lot of black, white, raw wood, metal finishes, and a lot of glass. Mazda Lounges will offer free wi-fi, and digital displays will replace static photographs. So as not to hurt showrooms still recouping their investment in Retail Revolution, Mazda will work with dealers to figure out how best to update facilities, and the Retail Evolution has three tiers that can be adapted to particular locations. The press release is below, a couple of renderings are above. MAZDA ANNOUNCES ALL-NEW RETAIL EVOLUTION DEALERSHIP DESIGN Mazda of Everett Showcases First Ground-Up Retail Evolution Design IRVINE, Calif. (August 27, 2015) – Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced its all-new dealership design, dubbed "Retail Evolution", featuring an open concept floorplan that offers a new level of business transparency, and a look and feel enhanced through the use of natural materials that results in an even more upscale decor than the company's current popular Retail Revolution design. The first Retail Evolution dealership built from the ground up to this exacting standard will be Mazda of Everett in Seattle, Wash., opening today. "Thanks to our KODO design philosophy and suite of SKYACTIV technologies, our vehicle lineup has never been stronger. We are now able to take that groundbreaking design language and translate it into our dealership experience," said Jim O'Sullivan, president & CEO, MNAO. "Retail Evolution embodies the spirit and direction of the Mazda brand, while offering an upscale experience our customers expect and deserve." Clad in premium black, clean white, and featuring new chrome Mazda signage, the new Retail Evolution Mazda dealerships will provide dealers with strong curb appeal. New materials throughout the building give dealers an upscale look and feel with warm raw-material tones of wood and metal in the showroom.