Items tagged with Mazda
The Miata may get mocked for its "dainty" looks and relatively low power output, but you can't ignore its extremely lightweight design and impeccable manners with regards to handling. Whereas the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is a blunt instrument, the Miata is a surgical tool. Complaints about power should subside slightly with the arrival of the 2019 Miata, which will bring a rather hefty increase in horsepower compared to the current car. Mazda has worked its magic on the SkyActiv-G 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine to make it more efficient and eager to rev. The pistons and connecting rods are now lighter and a new low-inertia dual-mass flywheel has been installed. In addition,...
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Ahhh, the 90s. The early to mid-1990s saw the rise (and eventual fall) of high-tech, high-powered Japanese sports cars that delighted the eyes and the senses. Three of the most prominent vehicles during their era were the Nissan 300ZX, Toyota Supra, and of course, the Mazda RX-7 (FD). My favorite of the trio was no doubt the RX-7, despite the fact that engine reliability was a major concern (it was one of the first vehicles to incorporate dual, sequential turbos), mainly due to its sinuous curves, breakneck performance, and incredible handling prowess. Mazda hoped to capture some of that same magic with the follow-up RX-8, but it never quite lived up to the high bar that the RX-7 set and went...
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Any time you deal with technology, rooting out bugs is inevitably part of the process. Sometimes it's a literal step -- just ask Mazda, which for the second time in three years is recalling its Mazda6 sedans in North America because of spiders that like the smell of gasoline crawling up into the fuel system and weaving webs that could cause bad things to happen. Spiders have been known to build webs in the evaporative canister vent hose. This is a problem because the web blocks the vent and causes the fuel tank to have an excessive amount of negative pressure, which in turn can crack the fuel tank. If that happens, fuel can leak out, increasing the risk of a fire. According to a report filed...
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