1993 Mazda Rx-7 Custom Convertible on 2040-cars

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Reminder: Come hang out with Autoblog and the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata on Tuesday, May 19

Do you love chilidogs, French fries, meeting new friends, and the world's most popular convertible? Do you live in Southeast Michigan? Do you like lists of questions? If you answered "yes" to any but the last of those, we'd like to invite you to a little get-together we're hosting next week. Driving impressions are still under embargo for the US-spec 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, but somehow we've conned convinced company PR reps to show the car to you, Joe Public Autoblog Reader. We're enthused about telling you more about the ND Miata, but before we do we'd love to share a Coke and talk about cars. Here's the skinny. A group of Autobloggers will be hanging out at the Athens Coney Island, in Royal Oak, MI, next Tuesday, May 19. We'll have the car on display from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and we'd love to see you. If you're a Miata owner, we'd also love to for you to bring your car along for the party. The more convertibles the better (just be prepared to have your picture taken). Go ahead and set your navi for Athens – 32657 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48073 ­– and we'll look forward to seeing you Tuesday. Mazda Geeks unite. Related Video:

2019 Mazda CX-5 turbo model seemingly confirmed, doesn't come cheap

We reported last month on some leaked documents that announced the 2019 Mazda CX-5 would get the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder as an option, and it's looking even more official now that additional documents have appeared on Reddit. The new information comes from a "Product Information Bulletin" that not only confirms the engine's availability but reveals pricing, trims and feature sets for the new model year. As it turns out, the turbo CX-5 won't be cheap. The base price for a CX-5 with that engine will be $35,865 with destination. That's about $5,500 more than the cheapest turbocharged Mazda6. There are a couple of reasons for this. The turbo engine will only be available on two new high-end trims for the CX-5, Grand Touring Reserve and Signature. Both of those trims bring a variety of high-end features and options with them. It can also only be paired with all-wheel drive. The Mazda6 turbo engine is available on the slightly lower Grand Touring trim and is only paired to a front-drive drivetrain. Conspicuously absent from the 2019 documentation though is the elusive Skyactiv-D diesel engine. This is strange, since the engine has been rated by the EPA, so it's presumably ready for introduction to the U.S. market. We'll be curious to learn that engine's fate. We could see the turbo gas engine threatening the diesel's U.S. introduction, since it delivers the same amount of torque as the diesel with more horsepower. Plus the diesel didn't get amazing EPA numbers. But that's just speculation on our part, and it's entirely possible the diesel will still come here. The rest of the CX-5 lineup sees some welcome upgrades, too. The infotainment on CX-5s starting with the second-lowest Touring model will get standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. All models also will receive G-Vectoring Plus. The feature, along with the turbo engine option, was announced for the Japanese CX-5 recently. What this system adds is a little bit of braking force to the outside wheel as the driver winds the wheel back to a straight position when exiting a corner or completing a lane-change. The idea is that it helps make the car more stable when straightening out after a turn. Also, although the turbo CX-5 models will be rather pricey, the other CX-5 models won't change much in price. The base Sport trim starts at $200 more than the 2018, the Touring model increases just $100, and the Grand Touring goes up by $400.

United States drivers buying fewer Mexican-made cars

Crossovers and pickup trucks are not only growing in market share, they're also more profitable than cars. A crossover on the same platform as a sedan retails for thousands more, despite similar components. It's one of the reasons we've seen automakers rapidly shifting production of their sedans and hatchbacks to Mexico, where cheap labor preserves the thin profit margins on these inexpensive vehicles. But as the market continues to shift in the United States, Mexico is getting burned by its lack of product diversity. The country's auto exports, which are heavy on cars, suffered a 16-percent drop last month, Automotive News reports. In total, year-over-year exports fell from 233,515 to 197,020 last month, while year-to-date exports are down by 7.4 percent, from 922,029 to 854,118. The number one culprit? America – which usually accounts for 75 percent of Mexico's exports – and its appetite for crossovers and pickup trucks bolstered by cheap gas prices. While Mexico does build some light truck models – AN specifically calls out the Ram 2500, Honda HR-V, GMC Sierra, and Toyota Tacoma as export leaders – the vast majority of vehicles rolling out of its factories are sedans and hatchbacks. In fact, the three biggest drops in Mexican exports came from companies whose south of the border factories only build cars – Ford (Fusion/Lincoln MKZ and Fiesta), Mazda (Mazda3), and Volkswagen (Golf and Jetta). Mexican Automotive Industry Association President Eduardo Solis told AN the export shortfall will likely be sorted out sooner rather than later, thanks to a pair of new factories – a Kia car factory and an Audi SUV plant – that are coming online by year's end. The two facilities will add around 100,000 vehicles to the country's export totals, which Solis said should leave the industry on the verge of breaking another export record in 2016. But how sustainable will these record-breaking years be? Slapping an "Hecho en Mexico" sticker on a new German SUV won't be enough to change the fact that Mexico's product mix is tilted too heavily towards body styles that are not growing in volume. Mexico's record-breaking export years probably aren't at an end, but we'd argue they're certainly under threat. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Omar Torres / AFP / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Ford GMC Honda Mazda RAM Volkswagen Truck Crossover SUV Mexico