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RingBanana Miata breaks 9-min Nurburgring barrier

The RingBanana is a cheap Mazda MX-5 Miata on a screaming mission: to lap the Nurburgring in under nine minutes. And let us emphasize the word "cheap." The team wanted the least expensive Miata they could find that still ran, and then wanted to spend the least amount of money possible in order to hit their target mark. We don't know how much they spent on the Ringbanana, but they were so indiscriminate about the purchase that they don't know what year the car is. They only know that it's got 90 horsepower, green springs, Fulda tires, and "it's completely crap." After setting a base lap of 9:21.8 the guys behind the project figured they'd have a fair bit of work. Turns out a new set of Kumho V70A semi-slick, road-legal race tires paired with Gabriel Pirana's driving is all they needed. With just that mod Pirana set a lap time of 8:59.9, and that was while having to deal with one spot of slow traffic that was getting around a stricken car. According to Wikipedia, this puts them between a 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged and a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt SS. Even though the team achieved its goal on its first attempt, the Ringbanana game isn't over – there's probably a suspension mod in the near future while the guys figure out just how quickly they can go. The video above does a good job of showing just how fun it can be driving a slow car fast.

Mazda5 will officially die this year

We knew it was coming, but it just became a lot more official. Mazda is going to kill the closest thing to a driver-oriented people-mover when it phases out the Mazda5 MPV for model year 2016. The news was presented quietly and unremarkably, with Mazda giving its compact minivan a single-line obituary as part of an announcement recapping changes to the brand's lineup for 2016: "There are no plans at this time to bring a replacement Mazda5 to the US market beyond the 2015 model year." Despite being a critical favorite for its fun-to-drive nature and seven-seat capacity, the 5 never really resonated with consumers, representing a small percentage of Mazda's total sales. In its best sales year, 2008, only about 22,000 were sold, representing only about eight percent of the brand's sales that year. That percentage was even smaller in recent years, as the 5's sales fell into the low ten-thousands. In other Mazda news, the brand is making a number of small, subtle changes to its lineup. Almost all of them constitute new ore removed options and are available for your perusal in the attached press release. Scroll down for a look. 2016 MAZDA LINEUP: WHAT'S NEW Having launched two refreshed and two all-new models for the 2016 model year, Mazda North American Operations is keeping busy with broadening its award-winning lineup of cars and crossovers. For the 2016 model year, Mazda is keen to maintain its leadership in providing unmatched KODO—Soul of Motion design and excellent driving dynamics and democratizing advanced safety technologies like Mazda Radar Cruise Control and Smart Brake Support into even its smallest, most affordable vehicles. Mazda6 and CX-5 return for 2016 with new styling elements, interior amenities and refinement. Mazda CX-3 enters the North American market in a new, hot segment, and MX-5 Miata continues its mission to provide unadulterated driving thrills to the masses. Last but not least, Mazda3 has been repackaged for 2016. Below is a list of what's new and different with Mazda's 2016 lineup.

Turbocharged 2018 Mazda6 EPA mileage figures released

A few months after the reveal of the new turbocharged variant of the Mazda6, we now know how much more fuel the force-fed family sedan will require. The EPA rating puts it at 31 mpg on the highway, 23 in the city and 26 combined. That is less than the naturally aspirated model with either an automatic transmission or a manual, the former of which gets 35 mpg highway, 26 in town and 29 combined. But the naturally aspirated Mazda6's 184 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque are well short of the turbo engine's 250 horsepower and 310 pound-feet. The turbo Mazda6's fuel economy also puts it right in the range of similarly powerful sedans in the mid-size arena. In fact, almost every 2018 2.0-liter turbocharged sedan in the segment gets 26 mpg combined, including Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata, Chevy Malibu, Buick Regal, and most versions of the Honda Accord, with only a difference of 1 or 2 mpg in city or highway results. The V6 Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima also hit this 26 mpg fuel economy mark. As far as power is concerned, the Mazda6 is also very even with the competition, most of which makes right around 250 horsepower, though the Toyota Camry's naturally aspirated V6 is a class-leader at 301 horsepower. But the 6's advantage is in torque. None of the mainstream family sedans touch the Mazda's whopping 310 pound-feet. The 2.0-liter Honda Accord and Ford Fusion come the closest at 273 and 275 pound-feet respectively. To beat the Mazda6 would require going for the Ford Fusion Sport, which is a unique step up in the segment with a turbocharged V6 making 380 pound-feet. The Fusion Sport takes a serious hit in the fuel economy department, though, getting just 20 mpg combined. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.