Mazda6, 2014 CX-5, Facelifted 2013 CX-9 and Global Motorsports Premiere Coming to LA

Mazda is the next carmaker to confirm its North American and global debuts for the LA Auto Show that runs for the public from November 30 to December 9, 2012.

While not a world premiere, the star of the Japanese brand’s booth will no doubt be the all-new Mazda6 mid-size sedan, which in the U.S., will launch in January 2013 with a new SKYACTIV-G 2.5-liter gasoline engine and a number of fresh technologies.
These include the Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) system that is designed to mitigate front-end collisions at low speeds, and Mazda’s i-ELOOP, which is a capacitor-based brake energy regeneration system for improved fuel consumption.
The CX-5 will be introduced as a 2014 model gaining the SCBS system as part of an upgraded Technology Package for the Touring and Grand Touring grades. It also goes on sale in January, 2013.
Next up is the restyled 2013 CX-9, which we first saw at last month’s Sydney Motor Show. Available for order now, the CX-9 sports a new front fascia, tail lamps and rear bumper, all of which adopt Mazda’s familial KODO design cues, along with some minor upgrades to the interior, including a new audio and infotainment system with a 5.8-inch color multi-information touch screen display.
The only world premiere taking place at Mazda’s LA Auto Show stand will be an as of yet unnamed competition race car that will make its motorsports debut in January at the 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona, and which is powered by a turbocharged SKYACTIV-D 2.2-liter diesel engine – a first in the 51-year history of the endurance race.
“It’s definitely an exciting time for the Zoom-Zoom brand,” commented Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO of Mazda North America.
“The long-awaited, redesigned 2014 Mazda6 will naturally receive much interest but let’s not take away from our strong SUV lineup in the CX-5 and CX-9, which are segment leaders in their own right.  Motorsports, an innate part of Mazda’s soul, will have important news to share and last but most certainly not least SKYACTIV-D will be here. I have no doubt that consumers will look at Mazda’s upcoming lineup with wide eyes, stirred hearts and driving inspiration,” he added.
Source : Carscoop
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Sale in December : Mazda Confirms UK Prices for Updated MX-5

The new model year versions of the Mazda MX-5 will hit dealerships in the in United Kingdom on 1 December, with on-road-prices (OTR) starting at £18,495 for the base 1.8-liter SE Roadster (soft-top) and topping out at £23,595 for the Roadster Coupe (retractable hardtop) PowerShift.

Mazda’s subtly revised sports car comes with a refreshed face sporting a more aggressively styled bumper, plus a new pedestrian-friendly bonnet, improved throttle response for the six-speed manual gearbox models and an upgrade braking system.
The MX-5 also benefits from enhanced equipment with climate control air-conditioning and glossy dark grey dashboard panel and steering wheel inserts now being standard on every model. Furthermore, the Sport Tech and PowerShift variants gain an auto-dimming interior mirror, while the Sport Tech also features a new an alloy pedal set.
New to the range is the Sport Tech Nav trim level, which as the name implies, gets a TomTom satellite-navigation system with an integrated 5.8-inch touch screen monitor, 4GB SD card based map (45 countries), Live Services, iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, and complete multi-media functionality.
Engine choice remain the same for the new model year, and include a 1.8-liter unit producing 124bhp (126PS) and a 2.0-liter four-banger rated at 158bhp (160PS).

Source : Carscoop
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2014 Mazda6 to be Offered with 2.2-liter Turbo Diesel from Next Year

Mazda will soon become the first Asian automaker to offer a modern diesel engine on one of its passenger cars in the United States. And that car is none other than the all-new Mazda6 sedan, which received its North American debut today at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Initially, the 2014 Mazda6 will go on sale in the States in January 2013 with the firm’s new SKYACTIV-G 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine delivering 184 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 185 lb-ft of torque at 3,250 rpm. This engine will be available with a choice of SKYACTIV transmissions in either six-speed automatic or six-speed manual versions.
The diesel model powered by Mazda’s new SKYACTIV-D 2.2-liter four-cylinder unit will follow during the second half of the year.
Mazda said performance estimates for the turbocharged diesel unit are not yet available, but we do know that in Europe, the SKYACTIV-D 2.2 is offered in two states of tune, delivering 147Hp and 173Hp (150PS and 175 PS respectively), with the same transmission options as the gasoline model.
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2014 Mazda6 Grand-Am Series Racer at LA

The best way to convince consumers about a new technology is to showcase it on the track or at least put a racing spin on it. Diesel engines aren’t anything new by any means, but the push to get American buyers to give them yet one more chance is.

Together with next year’s launch of the new 2014 Mazda6 equipped with a 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D diesel engine in the States, Mazda will also field a racing version of the sedan during the 2013 Grand-Am series.
The Mazda6 Skyactiv-D racer, which was teased through the above rendering, will make its motorsports debut at the Rolex 24 endurance race on January 26-27, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Florida. It will be the first time a diesel-powered vehicle of any kind has ever competed at the Rolex 24.
The announcement was made today at the Los Angeles Auto Show where Mazda is displaying its new mid-size sedan for the first time to the American public.
“We have been eager to announce this car for months, but had to wait until the production car was revealed,” commented John Doonan, Motorsports Director, Mazda North American Operations.
“We’re happy to report that the engine is meeting the performance targets for both power and endurance.  That means 400+ hp for over 50 hours, with an engine that includes a very long list of production Mazda parts.  This is not a pure race engine; it is a production block SKYACTIV-D.  We’re excited about having our newest engine powering our newest car,” he added.

Mazda6 Grand-Am Racer to Showcase SkyActive-D

Mazda has used the Los Angeles Auto Show to announce plans to offer its first diesel engine in the United States.

Set to become available in the Mazda6 during the second half of 2013, the 2.2-liter SKYACTIV-D engine has a two-stage turbocharger and an ultra-low compression ratio of 14:1. Detailed performance specifications haven’t been released, but the European version has outputs of 148 bhp (110 kW) and 280 lb-ft (380 Nm) of torque as well as 173 bhp (129 kW) and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque.
While the diesel-powered sedan won’t be available for several months, a petrol-powered variant is scheduled to be launched in January. It will feature a 2.5-liter SKYACTIV-G engine which produces 184 bhp (137 kW) and 185 lb-ft (250 Nm) of torque.
To emphasize their support for diesel in the U.S. Mazda has also announced a racing version of the 2014 Mazda6 will make its motorsports debut at the Rolex 24 endurance race in Daytona Beach, Florida this January. The Mazda6 racecar will be powered by a Mazda SKYACTIV-D Clean Diesel engine and is being developed for the new GRAND-AM GX class.  This will be the first time a diesel-powered vehicle of any type has ever raced at the Rolex 24.
Mazda has also confirmed that a unique racing version of the 2014 Mazda6 will make its motorsports debut at the Rolex 24 endurance race on January 26 in Daytona Beach, Florida.  The Mazda6 race car, previewed above, will be powered by a racing version of the SkyActiv-D diesel engine and will compete in the newly created Grand-Am GX class.

Source: Mazda

Car of the Year Award in Japan – Mazda CX-5 Beats Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ

With less than a month remaining until the end of the year, all kinds of “Car of the Year” awards will inadvertently start to pop up. Some, of course, are much more important than others are; and the Japan COTY title belongs to the former category. In 2011, the winner was the Nissan Leaf, which had also been awarded the World and European COTY titles.

This year, Mazda won the crown with its CX-5compact crossover getting 363 votes, 45 more than the second-placed Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ “twins”. BMW’s 3-Series was third, while it’s interesting to note that the top 10 was evenly split between Japanese and European models.
“We are thrilled to have the CX-5 receive such a coveted award”, said Mazda Executive Officer Kiyoshi Fujiwara. “Spurred on by this honor, we will continue to dedicate ourselves to the task of crafting cars that only Mazda can, in order to continue winning the support of our fans and customers into the future.”
The CX-5 is the fourth Mazda to win the Japan COTY title, and the first since the MX-5 in 2005. It has proven to be a commercial hit for the company: since sales commenced in February, Mazda has sold more than 128,000 units globally, 37,000 of which in Japan and 33,000 in Europe.
In order to be eligible for this year’s Japan Car of the Year award, a vehicle must have been announced or launched in Japan between November 1, 2011 and October 31, 2012.

By Andrew Tsaousis

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New Mazda6 and CX-5 Custom Concepts to Take Center Stage at Tokyo Auto Salon

The rapidly approaching 2013 edition of the Tokyo Auto Salon will see Mazda exhibit an array of customized versions of its newly launched Mazda6 (called Atenza in Japan) in both saloon and Wagon body styles as well as of the CX-5 crossover.

We’ll begin our tour of Mazda’s concepts with the new “6″ that will be shown in three flavors in Tokyo.
These include the Atenza Racer 2013 sedan and the Atenza Wagon Grand Touring, both of which are fitted with an aggressive aero kit, large wheels and upgraded chassis parts, while the Atenza GT Sound Special comes with a subtle body kit, a more luxurious interior and a high-end audio system.
Joining the Mazda6 prototypes are two concepts of the CX5, the red-colored Grand Touring based on the diesel model and equipped with 20-inch tires, aero parts and a sported up interior, and the Active Driver study finished in white with a carbon fiber hood and other performance upgrades.
Mazda’s display will also include a selection of racing models like the Le Mans LMP2 SKYACTIV-D racer.
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Presenting the One-of-a-Kind Mazda RX-8 Blacknight Coupe Project from Singapore

It’s been more than two-and-a-half years since CarScoop reader Shawnz from Singapore piqued our interest with a custom project for a unique looking Mazda RX-8 Coupe.

To refresh your memory, back in February of 2010, Shawnz had sent us pictures of his project car, which at the time, was still being built and honed.
As a student, Shawnz had limited funds and time to complete the car of his dream, but he never let go and today, he can proudly present to us his finished creation that he likes to call the Blacknight RX-8.
After hard savings and refining the drawing board and the power mods…presenting the Decepticon to the Veilside 4509 GTR Supra.
He continued: “Let’s just say there have been carbon fibre parts & Lightweight FRP molded and constructed, very minimal fiber glass involved and power mods added, tuned and refined with Knight Sports (Japan) goodies, to enable it to tear up the streets!”
We asked Shawnz to feed us more photos and perhaps even a video of the Blacknight RX-8, and we’ll update this post when he does. In the meantime, head past the break for the photo gallery and the comments section to share your thoughts on the car.

Thanks go to Shawnz!
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