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Britain's BBR already promising 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata with 200+ horsepower

The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata is one of Autoblog's most anticipated cars to drive this year, and with good reason. Thanks to svelte, angular styling, the promise of less weight, the possibility of more power and all at a fairly affordable price, it represents pure, automotive enjoyment. Mazda is still not saying exactly how much power the new Miata's 2.0-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder engine will make, but that isn't keeping British tuner BBR from already working out how to squeeze even more ponies from the mill – potentially as much as 200 horsepower with natural aspiration. The company bought a Mazda3 for access to its 2.0-liter Skyactiv and went to work on it. "Our objective with the all-new MX-5 is to achieve the same 200 bhp output that we can easily enjoy with simple bolt-on components on the current 2.0-litre NC model, before building on further power upgrades using forced induction," said Neil McKay of BBR in the company's release. The 3's version of the engine is rated at 155 hp and 150 pound-feet of torque but is expected to be tuned for additional grunt for the droptop. Still, it gives BBR something to experiment with before the real thing is available. The tuner also got the opportunity to take a look at a pre-production 2016 Miata and is already developing "subtle bodywork alterations" for the upcoming convertible. You can get a taste for the company's plans with the rendering above. It sports tinted lights, a front lip spoiler, lower side sills and a tiny rear spoiler. Scroll down to read more about BBR's plans in the official announcement. BBR UNVEILS STUNNING 200 BHP ALL-NEW MAZDA MX-5 CONCEPT Despite deliveries not scheduled to begin until July, legendary Mazda performance tuner BBR is making great progress with both its visual concept and powertrain development for the all-new MX-5. "A program of detailed performance enhancements has already commenced at our Brackley base," says BBR's Neil Mckay, "thanks to our investment in a 2.0-litre Skyactiv powered Mazda 3. Our objective with the all-new MX-5 is to achieve the same 200 bhp output that we can easily enjoy with simple bolt-on components on the current 2.0-litre NC model, before building on further power upgrades using forced induction." Having viewed a pre-production version of the car BBR is also working hard on visual enhancements to add more presence to the svelte lines of the all-new MX-5.

Mazda recalling 18k Mazda6 and RX-8 models over airbag inflators

Faulty Takata airbag inflators keep taking their toll on automakers. Mazda is the latest to be affected in the US by announcing a recall covering 18,050 Mazda6 and RX-8 models to replace the front, passenger-side airbags. Specifically, the campaign covers 18,000 Mazda6 units from the 2003 and 2004 model years built between May 29, 2002, and March 4, 2004, and 50 RX-8 vehicles from the 2004 model year made between June 25, 2003, and June 30, 2003.
As with the rest of the vehicles with these faulty inflators, it's possible for the part to rupture when deploying the airbag and potentially spray shrapnel at the occupant. Mazda's defect notice goes into a bit more detail than most about the problem saying: "some propellant wafers have been produced with an inadequate compaction force, or may have been exposed to uncontrolled moisture conditions (those wafers could have absorbed moisture beyond the allowable limits)."
This isn't Mazda's first difficulty with Takata-supplied airbags this year. The company was among the seven automakers that recalled vehicles in hot-weather states over the inflators. It also had to recently fix 42,000 Mazda6 vehicles in China over the issue.

Japan could consolidate to three automakers by 2020

Sergio Marchionne might see his dream of big mergers in the auto industry become a reality, and an analyst thinks Japan is a likely place for consolidation to happen. Takaki Nakanishi from Jefferies Group LLC tells Bloomberg the country's car market could combine to just three or fewer major players by 2020, from seven today. "To have one or two carmakers in a country is not only natural, but also helpful to their competitiveness," Nakanishi told Bloomberg. "Japan has just too many and the resources have been too spread out. It's a natural trend to consolidate and reduce some of the wasted resources." Nakanishi's argument echoes Marchionne's reasons to push for a merger between FCA and General Motors. Automakers spend billions on research and development, but their competitors also invest money to create the same solutions. Consolidating could conceivably put that R&D money into new avenues. "In today's global marketplace, it is increasingly difficult for automakers to compete in lower volume segments like sports cars, hydrogen fuel cells, or electrified vehicles on their own," Ed Kim, vice president of Industry Analysis at AutoPacific, told Autoblog. Even without mergers, these are the areas where Japanese automakers already have partners for development. Kim cited examples like Toyota and Subaru's work on the BRZ and FR-S and its collaboration with BMW on a forthcoming sports car. Honda and GM have also reportedly deepened their cooperation on green car tech. After Toyota's recent buyout of previous partner Daihatsu, Nakanishi agrees with rumors that the automotive giant could next pursue Suzuki. He sees them like a courting couple. "For Suzuki, it's like they're just starting to exchange diaries and have yet to hold hands. When Toyota's starts to hold 5 percent of Suzuki's shares, this will be like finally touching fingertips," Nakanishi told Bloomberg. "I absolutely do believe that we are not finished seeing consolidation in Japan," Kim told Autoblog. Rising development costs to meet tougher emissions regulations make it hard for minor players in the market to remain competitive. "The smaller automakers like Suzuki, Mazda, and Mitsubishi are challenged to make it on their own in the global marketplace. Consolidation for them may be inevitable." Related Video: