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Mazda starts production of new MX-5 Miata in Japan

We often regard a new model as having arrived when its manufacturer reveals it for the first time. But you might argue that nothing is official until actual production gets underway. And that's just what's happened now with the new Mazda MX-5. The fourth-generation Miata was unveiled a few months ago, and now the first examples have begun to roll off the assembly line at Mazda's Ujina plant in Hiroshima. The first ones are set to stay in Japan, where the new roadster is being introduced initially. Deliveries are set to launch in June. After that, we can expect the new MX-5 to proliferate to markets around the world, including our own. To date Mazda has sold more than 950,000 of its little roadsters, making it the best-selling two-seat sports car in the world. It shouldn't be long, then, before the new model tips it past the million-unit mark. 2015/03/05 Mazda Starts Production of All-new Mazda MX-5 HIROSHIMA, Japan-Mazda Motor Corporation today began production of the all-new Mazda MX-5 two-seater lightweight sports car (known as Mazda Roadster in Japan) at Ujina Plant No.1 in Hiroshima. The first models produced are destined for the Japanese market. Sales of the all-new MX-5 will begin in Japan around June this year and interested buyers can make an appointment for pre-sale discussions through a dedicated website from noon on Friday, March 20. Following sales start in Japan, the MX-5 will be progressively rolled out to overseas markets. The MX-5 is an iconic model representing Mazda's vehicle engineering philosophy: the pursuit of driving pleasure. With production exceeding 950,000 units as of the end of January 2015, the MX-5 continues to hold the Guinness World Record for the world's best-selling two-seater sports car. In order to respond to ever increasing demands for safety features and environmental performance while maintaining the element of fun that has always defined the model, development of the fourth generation MX-5 was carried out under the motto "innovate in order to preserve". In addition to incorporating SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY and KODO-Soul of Motion design, development focused on enhancing the senses and sensations through which people enjoy cars. Moving forward, Mazda will continue to enrich the lives of its customers through a variety of touch points including the production of high-quality vehicles, and become a brand that maintains a special bond with its customers. Related Video:

2016 Mazda CX-3 First Drive

If there's any doubt in your mind about the importance of B-segment crossovers, consider this: our review of the 2016 Mazda CX-3 arrives on your screen less than 24 hours after our first test of the 2016 Honda HR-V. Both of these vehicles are hugely important entries for their respective automakers. And while they take a similar shape and will compete head to head, the truth is, they're very different products. The HR-V is a knockout because of its excellent packaging and added versatility over Honda's own Fit and Civic. It's a wholly competent product, and we imagine it'll be one of, if not the best-selling vehicle in the class. In terms of being desirable for customers, it checks all the necessary boxes: frugal, functional, efficient, and affordable. Mazda takes a similar approach, but focuses instead on its key strength of offering cars that are great to drive, and look damn good. What's more, the CX-3 won't have to share showroom space as the HR-V does with the Fit – the all-new Mazda2 isn't slated for the US right now. Instead, the new CUV will serve as an entry point into the brand. Because of this, Mazda is betting big on the CX-3. That all starts with a product that's appealing to the eye. Design director Derek Jenkins says Mazda "didn't want to do the funky route" with its compact CUV – a nudge to the Nissan Juke and Fiat 500X, right there. Instead, the CX-3 uses the Kodo design language that Mazda has perfected since its production debut on the CX-5 in 2012. Across the board, the company's products look incredible, and the CX-3 is right at home amongst Mazda's latest beauties. Notice the long hood with a flowing character line that runs over the front fender and down the body side, chiseled off at the end with tight rear proportions and a small overhang. Huge arches draw focus to the premium 18-inch wheels found on our Grand Touring CX-3, but swallow up the 16-inch rollers used on lesser models. The glass area is kept to a minimum, but visibility from inside is still quite good. Details like the LED accents in the head- and taillamps look premium and aggressive. From all angles, this is an attractive crossover. It's a bold, dynamic entry in a class filled with cutesy, oddball, and bland designs. Underneath the CX-3 is the Skyactiv chassis found in the new Mazda2. At 168.3 inches long, 69.6 inches wide, and 60.7 inches tall, the CX-3 is smaller than the Mazda3 in every dimension except height.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata and saving a marriage

I've had the privilege of knowing Zach Bowman – former Autoblog scribe, now penning great things over at Road & Track – for nearly a decade. We met at the Detroit Auto Show when we were both relatively new to the business, and joked about how someday, we'd work together and eventually conquer the world as big shots in the industry (we're still figuring that last part out, by the way). Thus, I was thrilled when Zach joined Autoblog in 2010, just a couple of months after I was hired, and was equally saddened when I learned he'd be leaving us. Zach is someone I'm proud to call a colleague – nay, a friend – and I've enjoyed the voice he's brought to this line of work. I tell you this on a personal level because Zach has just published what you could arguably consider his most heartfelt piece of automotive work to date. It's a charming, emotional story about his relationship with his wife, and how they, like so many young couples, learned to make marriage work through the many ups and downs found in any solid relationship. I call this "automotive work" because Zach intertwines this tale into a story about driving his 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata across the country, his wife by his side, learning about love and life from the cockpit of a two-seat roadster. I can honestly say it's one of the best things I've read in a long while. Rather than continue to wax poetic about Zach's latest piece, I'll let his own words speak for themselves. Head over to Road & Track to read the full piece.