Mazda

I am a sucker for a Miata track car. Few things are more satisfying that putting a beat down on a Camaro or Mustang driver, from behind the wheel of a little roadster with 100 horsepower at the wheels.

As families have migrated more and more to SUVs and crossovers in recent years, the mid-size car market has been shrinking. But that has forced automakers to step up their mid-size game in recent years, and there are currently several excellent entries in this once boring category.

Everyone loves to mention it. ‘Body roll.’ Apparently the car is so good, that it is judged mainly for the way it pitches into a corner. You know… suspension doesn’t have to be rock hard in order for a car to negotiate a curve.

The Tokyo Motor Show is upon us, and some cool new cars are already starting to surface. First up is Mazda’s sexy sports coupe concept, dubbed the RX-VISION. While its name might sound like a pair of eyeglasses, the “RX” is an indication that it’s the next evolution of the RX-7 and RX-8 line of sports cars.

In the US, all 2016 MX-5 models get the 2.0L 155hp four-cylinder engine. In other parts of the world, a smaller 1.5L 129hp engine is also available. Mazda has a special version of the MX-5 offered in Japan only that has some cool go fast bits and awesome new seats inside for drivers.

Factory -built racing cars that are ready to hit the track can be incredibly expensive. Take that M6 GT3 racer from BMW that cost around $430,000 ready to run. For racers on a much (much, much, much) more modest budget, Mazda has rolled out the MX-5 Cup car and the price is nearly affordable at $53,000.

Let’s get this out of the way right up front; no that’s not the Fiat 124 Spider in the image here. That’s the MX-5 our man got to spend some hands on time driving in the mountains not too long ago.

One of the coolest things that Mazda ever did (other than the Miata) is produce its high-revving Wankel rotary engines. That engine powered Mazda RX sports cars going back generations. Word has surfaced from Mazda head Masamichi Kogai that the company still has a team working on improving the Wankel engine.

Earlier this month, I talked a bit about a beat up little yellow Mazda Miata that some guys had purchased for 1000 Euros (~$1125 USD), dubbed the RingBanana. Their objective was to make the car hit a 9:00 flat time on the Nürburgring, with as little money invested as possible.

I tend to think that the last cool cars of the 1970s came in the first few years of the decade. Cars like the Ford Mustang were at their best until about 1973. Come a year later, they were ugly, underpowered cars that few people want to collect today.

I used to have a 1994 MX-5 Miata, known as the NA version to Miata geeks. It was an ugly, caged, turbo race car, with silly pop-up headlights. The reactions were the same at the track, lifted eyebrows and chuckles.

MotorTrend has published a new video in its Head 2 Head series that pits the 2016 Mazda MX-5 against the 2015 Subaru BRZ. This comparison has been done in the past, but with the old MX-5.

Ever since it was first announced, I’ve been really excited about the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. Its fresh new design has tremendous visual appeal, and Mazda managed to trim 150 pounds to get the car back to fighting weight after years of gradual bloat.

A few years back, the compact crossover market was limited to a couple of vehicles, including the Nissan Juke and Buick Enclave. However, the segment is growing logarithmically, with several new entries on the way in the coming months alone.

We recently saw the first 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miatas as they left port in Japan for the U.S. I’m happy to report that the cars are now here in the states, and should soon be making their way to dealers and customers just as soon as they’re processed through the port.