*1995* Mazda Rx-7 Base Coupe 2-door 1.3l on 2040-cars

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The 2017 Mazda CX-5 is new, and oh so very red

After examining the teaser photo and poring over spy photos, we knew that the 2017 Mazda CX-5 would adopt some design features from the larger CX-9 and Chinese-only CX-4. What we didn't know, though, is that the CX-5 would look like a miniature version of the CX-9. From the outside it's obvious the design is all new. The front of the SUV looks nearly identical to that of the CX-9's. Gone is the cutesy, roundish face in favor of a more angular theme. The headlights are slimmer, while the grille ditches the horizontal bars for a mesh pattern. Mazda calls the design theme Kodo - soul of motion, and the original 2013 CX-5 was the first production model under this mantra. View 12 Photos The changes at the back are less drastic than on the CX-5's new beak. The black trim that underlines the rear fascia is less prominent and the taillights looks leaner, but it's harder to tell the differences between the old and new model. Mazda says the CX-5 will be available with two engines here: the Skyactiv 2.5-liter gasoline engine and the Skyactiv-D 2.2-liter diesel (the Skyactive-D 2.0-liter, currently only used on Sport models, has been dropped for our market). We don't have specifics on power and torque yet, but in the old CX-5 (and current Mazda 3) the 2.5-liter four-cylinder generates 184 horsepower, while the diesel makes 173 hp and 310 pound-feet of torque. We expect front- and all-wheel-drive options, and of course we're hoping that the six-speed manual (previously on the base, front-drive model only) stays around as an alternative to the six-speed automatic. The interior follows the template of recent Mazdas, with the infotainment screen sitting on top of the dashboard with a control knob located aft of the shift lever. We'll have more information on the 2017 CX-5 at the vehicle's debut later today at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show. Related Video:

Mazda refurbishing this NFL running back's 22-year-old daily driver

I don't actually care for the Washington Redskins (which is a good thing, considering the start to their season this year), but I love their running back, Alfred Morris. Why? Well, to start with, Morris helped deliver a dominating 10-3 season for my fantasy football team last year after a flash of prescience saw me pick him up off the waiver wire in Week 1 (hit me up on Twitter if you need fantasy sports insight, guys, I'm sort of like the Ruxin of Autoblog).
Morris is also pretty endearing because of his loyalty to his car, Bentley. Hold up - that's not to say the running back has splashed out on a Continental GT or a Flying Spur. No, Morris gave his much-loved 1991 Mazda 626 the tongue-in-cheek name "Bentley" while he was still a student at Florida Atlantic. One 1,613-rushing-yard rookie season and a $2.2-million contract later, and Morris is still using his Mazda as his daily driver. It might be easy to assume that the young player is simply being really prudent with all of his newfound wealth, but the guy really just has a thing for his five-speed-manual 626.
And Mazda, of course, loves the story of Morris' affection. In an effort to keep his 626 running strong and looking good, the company's Washington D.C.-area dealers have agreed to refurbish Bentley back to its original showroom freshness. Rather than spoil the classic (?) lines of the 626, the Mazda folks are essentially restoring the car for Morris. The cracked dash will be swapped out for a factory replacement, the engine and transmission given a thorough going-over and the whole vehicle generally made as fresh as Will Smith circa 1991. Bentley is expected to be completed and rolling through the capitol city by October 15, and in the meantime, Morris has been driving around in a new 2014 Mazda6 loaner car.

Mazda RX-9 could be a 400-hp, 2,900-pound coupe due in 2019

Mazda poured fuel on the white-hot rumors of an RX-8 successor with the RX-Vision earlier this year. The long, low rotary-powered coupe was lovely, but as we reported, it wasn't going to happen. But now, there's another chapter in the RX rumormill, and like overnight parts, it's from Japan. Japanese site Holiday Auto claims that Mazda will debut the so-called RX-9 at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. But before that happens, the Zoom-Zoom company will preview the production model with a concept at next year's Tokyo Motor Show. 2017 is important, marking 50 years since Felix Wankel had the screwy idea for his eponymous engine and 40 years after the company's first rotary powered car, the Cosmo, hit the market. Exciting as Holiday Auto's report is, the stats on this long-rumored car are better – via Google Translate, the Japanese site claims the RX-9 will use a 1.6-liter, two-rotor Wankel with a single turbocharger. It's good for around 400 horsepower. Holiday Auto isn't exaggerating when it claims the car could have "bike-like acceleration." As with other Mazda products, a low curb weight is key, which is why engineers are targeting a meager 1,300 kilograms (2,866 pounds) for the production model – that weight should be pretty evenly split, too, thanks to a rear transaxle. So yes, the RX-9 will be stupid fast and extremely agile. But it will come at a cost. And by cost, we mean that the RX-9 will start just south of eight million yen. That's $79,641 at today's rates, or enough to purchase about 2.5 RX-8 R3s, the hardcore handling trim of Mazda's last-gen rotary car. And if Mazda follows Nissan's GT-R pricing model, we'll see a six-figure RX-9 by 2025. When it comes to Mazda rotary rumors, grains of salt are a must. That's doubly true when we're talking about a possible concept that won't debut for over a year. But with the RX-Vision, Mazda showed that it hasn't abandoned rotary power, and with 2017 marking a big anniversary for the technology, it seems unlikely that the company will let the date pass without some acknowledgement. A concept car seems like a solid bet. Related Video: