Mazda Rx-7 Turbo Ii With 46k Original Miles on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mazda has no plans for an RX-9, despite ongoing rotary development

We know Mazda is capable of making wonderful cars in any form or bodystyle. It also likes to tease enthusiasts with promising concepts like the stunning RX-Vision. In news that's sure to raise the ire of enthusiasts around the world, it seems the automaker has no plans to follow through with a production version of that beautiful, Soul Red coupe. In fact, it doesn't look like Mazda is interested in building any sports car that would slot above the Miata. In an interview with Automotive News, Mazda CEO Masamichi Kogai responded with a simple "No" when asked if Mazda has plans for a larger sports car entry. Kogai was asked if Mazda has any plans for a production rotary. He said that the 1.5- and 2.0-liter engines in the Miata are more exhilarating. That's a debatable and subjective argument that thousands of rotary owners both past and present would likely disagree with. It's more likely that despite ongoing development of the Wankel, Mazda is still struggling to meet emissions standards. Despite the advantages of a rotary (high power-to-weight ratio, compact size, rev-happy nature), it's not very fuel efficient and struggles with emissions testing. Also, despite the prestige and attention a halo sports coupe could potentially bring, Mazda is a small, independent automaker that needs to focus on mass appeal. Creating an all-new design with a unique engine isn't cheap. Badging a non-rotary car as an RX would be sacrilege, so don't expect an RX anything anytime in the near future. Current RX owners should take a moment to lament. Their car probably needs another quart of oil anyway. Related Video:

2020 Mazda CX-30 shows off new appearance package at Tokyo Auto Salon

Following its introduction at the Geneva Motor Show last year, the 2020 Mazda CX-30 has appeared at the Tokyo Auto Salon wearing some new duds. The automaker developed a body kit for the compact crossover that's going on sale in Japan. The complete kit includes a front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser panel, rear spoiler, wheels and mirror caps. The body kit is stylish and subtle. The silver accents help it stand out against the plastic body cladding of the stock CX-30. It also has some faux aluminum "skid plate" sections on the front and rear so that people still recognize it as a crossover, even though it looks lower and sportier. Although the kit has only been announced in Japan for now, we expect it will eventually be available in the U.S. just as the Mazda3 appearance package did. The complete kit is priced at $3,147 at current exchange rates, and it's discounted over the price if you were to buy each part individually. That price could change for the American market if or when it's offered here. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mazda Slovakia brochure reveals Skyactiv-X Euro power numbers

After driving a prototype of Mazda's Skyactiv-X engine in a Mazda3 in January last year, we wrote, "If you want to talk numbers, they're understandably fuzzy. The Skyactiv-X tune isn't final yet, so horsepower and torque figures are a moving target." They're no longer fuzzy in Slovakia, where a brochure for the new Mazda3 sells final figures as 181 metric horsepower and 222 Newton-meters, or 178 horsepower and 164 pound-feet. We don't know the Slovakian engine's displacement. If that Skyactiv-X is a 2.0-liter, it compares to our 2.0-liter Skyactive-G in the Mazda3 that makes 155 hp and 150 lb-ft, or the tuned Skyactiv-G in the 2019 Miata that makes 181 hp and 151 lb-ft. According to the spec sheet on the Slovakian Mazda site, their 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G in the CX-3 makes 148 hp and 152 lb-ft, and in their Mazda6 makes 162 hp and 155 lb-ft. According to the brochure, those numbers will rise to 164 hp and 157 lb-ft in the coming Mazda3. The Skyactiv-X numbers are in sight of what reps at Mazda in California gave us for output during our drive, which was closer to 190 hp and 180 lb-ft. Mazda said at the L.A. Auto Show last year that the Skyactiv-X would launch in markets with stricter emissions regulations first, so a small European market with tighter controls doesn't define what we get. Given our less restrictive environment, tuning for more power shouldn't be a moon shot. Doing so would put the Skyactiv-X in with the optional 2.5-liter four-cylinder in the U.S. Mazda3, which makes 184 hp and 185 lb-ft. The real test will be gas mileage; the purpose of the Skyactiv-X is to provide those figures in company with 20 to 30 percent better fuel economy than the Skyactiv-G. Autoweek characterized Mazda CEO Akira Marumoto's comments on the engine as, "The Skyactiv-X variant will be positioned as the higher grade. It will have the driving dynamics of the 2.5-liter gasoline setup but the fuel economy of a 1.5-liter diesel." We have questions about this strategy, but we'll have to see how the pricing works out. Since the 2.5-liter serves as the base engine on the 2019 Mazda3, buyers can expect a meaningful premium to get into a Skyactiv-X. Right now, there's a $1,495 surcharge to go from the current 2.0-liter Mazda3 hatch to the 2.5-liter.