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Mazda announces Takata expansion in US to 472k vehicles [UPDATE]

Update: Mazda is revising the total number of vehicles affected by its Takata airbag inflator recall downward to 464,684 units, compared to the original NHTSA documents showing 472,056. According to Mazda Public Affairs Manager Tamara Mlynarczyk to Autoblog, "It is my understanding that Mazda Japan will be submitting a revised Part 573 on Monday that reflects our numbers." The company's official statement on the recall is now included below. Mazda is the latest automaker in the US to officially announce the details of its expanded Takata airbag inflator recall. The company is broadening its campaign to cover a total of 472,056 vehicles. Mazda's airbag inflator recall covers now the front driver's side for the 2003-2008 Mazda6 produced between May 29, 2002, and May 5, 2008, the 2004-2008 Mazda RX-8 from between April 10, 2003, and February 18, 2008, and the 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 made between August 4, 2005, and June 29, 2007. Among these three models there are 444,907 units affected. This is an expansion from of the previous total of about 330,000 examples from 2004-2008. The passenger-side airbag of the 2004-2006 B-Series pickup is also being recalled for those with build dates between April 17, 2003, and May 2, 2006. There are 27,149 of these vehicles in need of replacement parts. Takata's airbag inflator recalls have affected 34 million vehicles nationwide from 11 automakers. In a recent hearing before Congress, Takata said it was producing 740,000 replacement kits a month and hoped to grow that to a million. Other suppliers have also started making the parts. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Driver's Frontal Air Bag May Rupture Report Receipt Date: JUN 04, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V345000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Potential Number of Units Affected: 444,907 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) MAZDA MAZDA6 2003-2008 MAZDA MAZDASPEED6 2006-2007 MAZDA RX-8 2004-2008 Details Manufacturer: Mazda North American Operations SUMMARY: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Mazda6 vehicles manufactured May 29, 2002, to May 5, 2008, 2004-2008 RX-8 vehicles manufactured April 10, 2003, to February 18, 2008, and 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles manufactured August 4, 2005, to June 29, 2007.

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata First Drive [w/video]

Hypothetically speaking, if you blindfolded me, put me in the car pictured above, and told me to hit the road, it would have taken me maybe two minutes to figure out that I was driving the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. There are just certain facets about Miata driving that have been baked into every generation of Mazda's roadster, and it makes for a symbiotic relationship between car and driver that's truly unique. Sure, I could rattle off a list of cars that come close to offering the same sort of experience, but they just can't quite capture the same intrinsic Miata magic. Mazda knows its Miata is an incredibly special machine. Listening to the company's engineers and designers talk about the development of this fourth-generation ND model is fascinating. The attention to detail is astonishing, and every single person involved in the Miata program knows that the most important goal is to keep this car as true to its predecessors' ethos as possible. It cannot just be a great convertible, or even a great Mazda – it has to be a great MX-5 Miata. But the company did not just want to improve upon the third-generation NC Miata, which has been around since 2006. They wanted to tie the ND Miata's roots back to the original NA from 1989. Back in '89, the Miata was a less-powerful, 1.6-liter model with 115 horsepower and 100 pound-feet of torque. Mazda's team said they are proud of every version of the MX-5, but it's this specific, first-generation model that the company calls the "most right" – the most true to the idea of what a Miata ought to be. So that's why, before being allowed to attack the winding roads of the Spanish countryside in the 2016 MX-5, Mazda wanted me to spend some time with a cherry example of the original NA Miata: a Mariner Blue darling that, even with some 239,000 kilometers on its clock, still felt absolutely impeccable from behind the wheel. Light, responsive, and perfectly balanced, it was the original embodiment of the harmony between driver and car that Mazda wanted in every Miata. Mazda executives said they felt the first Miata was also the right size. So they chopped off three inches on the ND compared with the NC, and put it on a wheelbase that's been reduced by six-tenths of an inch. In fact, these dimensions mean the new Miata is more than two inches shorter in length than the original, and only two-tenths of an inch taller. In this day and age of ever-expanding waistlines and footprints, it's a remarkable achievement.

Mazda mulling furniture, designer goods in bid to command higher prices

Brands like Porsche and Ferrari make a mint every year by selling branded lifestyle goods like shoes, hats and even wilder items. Bugatti takes things to the extremes with things like its $84,000 belt buckle. These products not only make their respective companies some extra money, but they reaffirm their high-end design aspirations to wealthy buyers. However, the next firm possibly dipping its toe into this upscale pool is a bit more mass-market - Mazda.
That's right. The Japanese automaker best known among enthusiasts for its segment-defining Miata and rotary engines is considering its own line of luxury goods in the coming years called Mazda Design. The project is the brainchild of styling boss Ikuo Maeda, and according to Automotive News, he has backing from company CEO Masamichi Kogai. Although the green light isn't quite on yet, Maeda is already brainstorming. "Not only furniture, but I'd like to build a Mazda Design brand. That's my dream," he said to Automotive News.
The possible project is just one aspect of Mazda's move to become a near-premium brand. According to Automotive News, it wants to see higher transaction prices partially by offering more stylish design than its rivals. Launching a line of luxury goods is meant to communicate this new focus to customers.