2005 Mazda Mx-5 Mazdaspeed Convertible. 1 Owner. Less Than 31,000 Miles!!!!! on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: 61 miles on Autopilot; Mazda CX-9's 32% mpg improvement

A technology analyst at The Motley Fool used Tesla's Autopilot uninterrupted for 61 miles. In order to see how far the Tesla Model S could drive itself without driver intervention, Daniel Sparks set off on the highway from Monument, Colorado, through Colorado Springs and onward toward Pueblo. Only when a truck encroached on his lane did the driver take command of the wheel, rather than waiting to see what the car would do. "With [the] Model S nearly out of Pueblo and onto a long, boring stretch of highway by the time I had to grab the wheel, chances are I could have made it all the way to Colorado City if it wasn't for this interruption," says Sparks. Read the full account at The Motley Fool. The 2016 Mazda CX-9 offers 32 percent better fuel economy than the outgoing model. The front-wheel-drive CX-9, equipped with Mazda's Skyactiv-G 2.5T engine, gets an EPA-estimated 22 mpg city/28 mpg highway/25 mpg combined. The 2016 CX-9 has shed significant weight compared to its predecessor. Its turbocharged engine uses a Dynamic Pressure Turbo system, which improves performance at lower rpm by controlling the degree of exhaust pulsation according to engine speed. The new CX-9 goes on sale this spring. Read more at Green Car Congress. A group of eight US cities have formed the Energy Secure Cities Coalition (ESCC), pledging to switch their fleets over to alternative fuels. Atlanta, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Orlando, Rochester, Sacramento, San Diego and West Palm Beach will retire their petroleum-powered vehicles in favor of EVs and cars using cleaner fuels like natural gas. The cities expect the change to help improve air quality and save taxpayer money on fuel and maintenance costs. The ESCC hopes to grow to include 25 major cities, removing some 50,000 petroleum-fueled vehicles from service and saving 500,000 barrels of oil per year. Read more in the press release below. Eight Major Cities Unite to form Energy Secure Cities Coalition—Fleets Embracing Alternative Fuels to Improve America's National and Economic Security Coalition's goal is to retire 50,000 petroleum-powered vehicles, saving tens of millions in taxpayer dollars and improving U.S. national and economic security. Washington, D.C.

2014 Mazda6 recalled due to fuel overfill fire risk

Mazda is recalling 19,000 Mazda6 sedans from model year 2014, over concerns that the fuel tanks can be filled up too much. What is it with Mazda and fuel tanks?
The big concern is, obviously, spillage when filling up. There's also a risk that a radical temperature swing could cause the fuel volume to expand, causing a full tank to spill over without the driver knowing about it. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration bulletin, if the fuel spills over, it could end up in something called the charcoal canister, which helps with the car's emissions. If it fills up the canister, it could leak out onto the road. None of this is really desirable.
The affected vehicles were all built between October 25, 2012 and May 9, 2013. It's unclear if there have been any fires due to this problem. Dealers should have been notified by now, while owners should begin receiving official recall notifications very soon.

Weekly Recap: Toyota, Mazda team up to 'make cars better'

Toyota and Mazda are teaming for a noble purpose: to "make cars better." That's how the two Japanese automakers termed their partnership, which was announced this week. So what does this actually mean? The companies said they will set up a joint committee to look for areas of cooperation and named safety and the environment as issues they plan to tackle. From a product perspective, it's believed that Toyota is interested in Mazda's Skyactive engine portfolio. In turn, Mazda has its eye on Toyota's fuel-cell and plug-in hybrid technology. While more specifics were not confirmed, the companies said the "agreement will go beyond the traditional framework of cooperation," and it has the potential to be a long-range partnership. "The main purpose of this initiative is to enhance the appeal of our cars," Toyota president Akio Toyoda said at the announcement. Previously, Mazda has licensed Toyota's hybrid tech and assembled compact cars for Toyota in Mexico. Akio Toyoda said these projects "triggered" the automakers to explore further collaboration. Dave Sullivan, product analysis manager for AutoPacific, said the tie-up echoes Daimler's wide-ranging work with the Renault-Nissan alliance. "This could be a well-groomed match due to each having very unique skill sets," he said. OTHER NEWS & NOTES Volvo selects South Carolina for US factory Volvo confirmed this week that it will build its first US factory in South Carolina, with construction set to begin this fall. The company first revealed plans in March, though it didn't announce a site. The plant will have initial annual production of 100,000 units, though the vehicle or vehicles to be assembled were not specified. The factory, located near Charleston, will open in 2018 and ultimately employ 4,000 people. The facility will help Volvo continue its growth strategy, which includes strengthening its presence in the US market, where it wants to sell more than 100,000 cars per year. "Building a plant in the US is a reflection of Volvo Cars' commitment to the US and the key role the US plays in our growth objectives," Lex Kerssemakers, senior vice president, Americas, said in a statement. Ford GT spied on the road The 2017 Ford GT was spotted testing around the Blue Oval's headquarters in Dearborn, MI, this week. The raw body panels were exposed, and they lacked paint or camouflage. It's the first time the GT has been captured on the street after a spring of auto show reveals.