Mazda MX-5 News

They would have learned everything they need to know at the world's most successful new car show, the Goodwood Festival of Speed.Goodwood has been running for many years, but more recently it's morphed from a garden party at the stately home of the Earl of March into a genuine motor show which draws every major maker in the UK - and beyond.So what began as a chance for the owners of historic racing cars to exercise their old-timers is now a major event that draws more than 200,000 people each June on the same weekend as the Glastonbury music festival.Some fantastic retired racers still sprint up the Earl's driveway but it's the modern stuff which is drawing the big crowds and the big brands.Goodwood is an event and a destination, proving that cars are still more than just appliances for a lot of peopleMercedes-Benz uses the weekend to unveil its facelifted A45 AMG and new C63 S, Aston Martin rips the covers off its $2.5 million Vulcan and launches it up the hill, and Peugeot shows its 308 GTI for the first time. Mazda, which is the star brand at the show and has its Le Mans winning rotary 787B doing noisy demonstration runs, has its all-new MX-5 in action.There is also a moving motor show where ordinary fans can take a passenger ride and a supercar cavalcade including all of the world's most desirable cars, right up to the 400km/h Ferrari FXX K.And that's the real key to the Festival of Speed. The cars move and there is lots of interactivity for visitors, from off-road driving events to racing car simulators and even kiddie slides.Did I mention Ken 'Gymkhana' Block in the outrageous Ford Mustang that starred in his most-recent internet video hit?Old-school motor shows are just giant showrooms, but Goodwood is an event and a destination, proving that cars are still more than just appliances for a lot of people. If it can work in Britain then the same formula should be just as tasty in Australia.

The world's favourite sports car enters its fourth generation with a price that takes it back 23 years.

Mazda has released local pricing for the all-new MX-5 convertible sports car, with the hotly-anticipated new fourth-generation model priced from $31,990, sharpening the pricing by over $15,000 compared to the outgoing NC model.This puts the MX-5 squarely up against the Toyota 86, with the other budget rear-wheel drive hero still kicking off at $29,990. The MX-5 brings the added bonus of an open roof, however.Two variants of the MX-5, designated as the ND, will be available when the model arrives on our shores in mid-August.From launch, both entry-level Roadster and Roadster GT trim levels will be powered by an up-rated version of the Mazda2’s 1.5-litre petrol engine, bringing an extra 15kW and 9Nm to now total 96kW/150Nm.Driving the rear wheels as per MX-5 tradition, the new model can be had with a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. A more powerful 2.0-litre petrol engine will join the lineup later in the year.Impressively the ND is only 59kg heavier than the original 1989 NA modelIncreased use of aluminium and high-strength steel helps make the all-new MX-5 is significantly lighter than before, with a starting point of 1009kg a full 91kg lighter than the equivalent NC model.Also aiding weight loss is the fact the model is shorter than ever before, with an overall length of 3915mm and a wheelbase of 2315mm. The ND is 1730mm wide and 1235mm tall.The new model also reverts to a lighter soft-top roof, doing away with the folding hardtop fitted exclusively to the final NC models. Impressively the ND is only 59kg heavier than the original 1989 NA model, which lacked most modern safety features that are standard in the new car.Mazda’s attention to weight reduction even extends to reverting to a four-stud wheel and brake package, compared to the five-stud package of the NC.The new 1.5-litre MX-5 may trail the 118kW/188Nm output figures of the NC, but the new model's lighter weight has kept the power-to-weight ratio within the same ballpark, and easily better than the 1.6-litre NA.The upcoming 2.0-litre version should easily eclipse the performance of the NC, however, making it the fastest non-turbo MX-5 yet.Australian-spec ND MX-5's started rolling down the Ujina production line near Hiroshima last week.

But the start of 2015 is gearing up for more hot deals than usual because new car sales stalled last year for the first time since the Global Financial Crisis.It means dealers are overstocked and they're even more eager to make way for fresh metal.Adding to the pressure - and putting buyers in the driver's seat - is the uncertainty around Australia's currency, which has taken a hit in recent months. Buying a new car now could mean a double-saving; get the discount on end-of-year bargains and beat possible price rises.Record low interest rates and favourable exchange rates saw new car prices fall to 20-year lows in 2014 as affordability hit a 38-year high in 2014.But once the cars imported at last year's exchange rates are cleared, the chances are new models won't be discounted as heavily, or prices may even rise.Most cars sold in Australia are sourced from Japan (30 per cent), Thailand (20 per cent) and South Korea (12 per cent) - rather than the US (5 per cent) - but most car companies buy in US dollars as it has historically been more stable.The prices of Japanese branded cars are likely to remain steady because the Japanese Government artificially devalues the yen to boost exports. But the value of the Australian dollar against the currencies of Thailand, South Korea and the US is less stable.It means price rises are likely on almost every ute sold in Australia because most are made in Thailand, including the top-selling Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi Triton and Holden Colorado, among others.South Korean brands Hyundai and Kia, two of the industry's biggest discounters, may also lose some of their bargaining power if the Australian dollar continues to head south.But one brand you may not be expecting to go backwards due to a shift in currency is Holden, which sources eight of its 12 models from South Korea and two from Thailand.With that in mind we have assembled the 10 cars we reckon are worth waiting for. Remember to always judge a car by its build date (the day it went down the production line and how its age will be measured when it comes time to sell), rather than the compliance plate (in effect, when the car cleared Australian customs).Be warned: there are still some 2013-built cars out there (Nissan, we're looking at you), so be sure to haggle hard and make sure the factory warranty starts the day you take delivery.Sometimes it's worth waiting for an all-new model, or at least knowing if you have more bargaining power if the dealer is trying to clear not only last year's model but one that is about to be superseded.The successor to Australia's cheapest car from a mainstream brand is just around the corner with a new look and a new name. The Suzuki Celerio is bigger than the Alto and the 1.0-litre three-cylinder has been tuned to run on regular unleaded (rather than premium like its predecessor), making it one of the cheapest cars to own and operate. Expect a super-sharp $13,990 drive-away starting price when it goes on sale in February.Australia is going to be crawling with pint-sized SUVs next year but the Mazda CX-3 is likely to take most of the spotlight. Available with a 1.5-litre turbo diesel or a 2.0-litre petrol engine it is expected to start between $20,000 and $25,000 when it goes on sale in March. It will join the Honda HR-V (February), Renault Captur (February), the next generation Suzuki Vitara (June), the unusually named Citroen Cactus (June), and the cutesy Fiat 500X (November).The city-sized soft-roader market is so huge globally even off-road brand Jeep has joined the fray. The Jeep Renegade may look like a scaled-down Tonka Truck but it is based on the same underbody as the Fiat Punto, Alfa Romeo Mito and the Fiat 500X. Powered by a 1.4-litre turbo petrol or 2.0-litre turbo diesel matched to a segment-leading nine-speed automatic transmission, the Renegade is due in showrooms in October priced between $20,000 and $30,000.The first new Nissan Navara in 10 years arrives in showrooms in April with two new 2.3-litre turbo diesel engines (one with a single turbo, the other with twin turbos). The outputs are almost the same as the previous 2.5-litre turbo diesel, despite being smaller in capacity (a 118kW/403Nm version and a 140kW/450Nm version). Payload and towing capacity are yet to be confirmed but bank on a one-tonne cargo rating and a 3500kg towing limit (bringing the Navara into line with class leaders). The 550Nm Navara with the Renault 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6 has been dropped. It will be a big year for utes, with a rebodied Mitsubishi Triton due in May, significant updates due for the Ford Ranger and Mazda BT50 in July, an all-new Toyota HiLux in October.Take a close look at the new Ford Mondeo due on sale in April. This is a pointer to the vehicle that will eventually replace the Falcon. Available in sedan and wagon body styles, likely with a choice of 2.0-litre turbo petrol or 2.0-litre turbo diesel engines, prices are expected to range from $30,000 to $50,000. It will also be loaded with technology including LED headlights, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and industry-leading rear seatbelt airbags. A hybrid version will join the Mondeo line-up later in the year.Jaguar is making a second attempt at the lucrative mid-size luxury sedan market dominated by the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C Class. After learning from the ill-conceived 2002 X-Type based on the Ford Mondeo, Jaguar has started with a cleansheet design and aluminium construction. It will be available with a 2.0-litre petrol engine, and a 2.0-litre turbo diesel said to sip 4.0L/100km, less than the Audi A4 (4.8L/100km) and BMW 320d (4.5L/100km) aided by an eight-speed auto. At the other end of the scale: a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 with a 0 to 100km/h time of 5.1 seconds. Due on sale in September, it's likely to start about $60,000.The first new Volvo XC90 in 12 years is also the first all-new model developed since Volvo was bought by China's Geely motor company in 2010. Promising to the world's safest SUV it will automatically slam on the brakes if you're about to turn in front of an oncoming car, and can also spot cyclists and pedestrians at night. It even has eyes in the back of its head: a radar system can detect if you're about to be hit from behind, and will prepare the seatbelts and headrests for the sudden impact. It will be available with a choice of four-cylinder petrol or diesel power, and a plug-in hybrid that can travel up to 40km on battery power alone (before switching to petrol power), the first seven-seater of its type in the world. Due in showrooms in July priced about $90,000.Mazda has gone back to basics – in every sense of the word – and wound back the clock with the new MX-5 sports-car. The first all-new MX-5 since the original was launched 25 years ago goes back to its lightweight, low cost roots (each wheel only has four locating nuts instead of five, for example) and promises a soft-top roof and a sub-1000kg mass for the first time since last century. Since 2006 the Mazda MX-5 has had a folding metal roof to help it weather storms and thwart thieves, but this has added weight, complexity and cost. The new model is expected to be available with a choice of two engines – a 1.5- and a 2.0-litre – when it goes on sale in September priced below $40,000.The Ford Mustang returns to Australia in October for the first time since 2003, but it will be the first time in the nameplate's 50-year history that it will be made in right-hand-drive on a Ford production line (Flat Rock, Michigan). All models before this one were converted to right-hand-drive locally. It will be available with a choice of 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo or 5.0-litre V8 power in coupe and convertible body styles. Prices will range from $50,000 to $70,000.Mercedes-Benz's answer to the Porsche 911 arrives in July priced about $270,000. Powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 that will also power the upcoming AMG C63 sedan, it can complete the 0 to 100km/h dash in just 3.8 seconds. Fun fact for the tech heads: it has a better weight distribution (47/53 front to rear) than either the Porsche 911 (39/61) or Cayman (46/54). Game on.

New fourth-gen Mazda MX-5 to spawn global one-make racing series in 2016.Mazda has announced that the upcoming fourth-generation MX-5 will form the basis of a new global race series starting in North America, Europe and Asia in 2016.The track-prepped MX-5 racer was previewed at this week’s SEMA show in the US, with the showcar wearing a discreet aero bodykit, single outlet exhaust and larger wheels than the roadgoing example revealed in September.The interior has also been stripped out to make room for a race-spec rollcage, steering wheel and instruments, along with a racing seat and harness for the driver. What is shown may not be the final form that takes to the grid in 2016. Further development will occur over the coming months, with the final specifications confirmed when the car goes on sale in 2015.Mazda has confirmed that the Global MX-5 Cup racers will use the 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G petrol engine destined for the road car in some markets.Each regional series of the Global MX-5 Cup will run identical production-based machinery, and the season will culminate in with a Global Shootout grand final at the end of the year held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in the US.The prize for winning the Shootout will be a one-day test in Mazda's Skyactiv-D LMP2 prototype racer, which competed this year in the Tudor United SportsCar Championship in the US.Single-make global series like this are not new, with Porsche's Carrera Cup running in Australia for a decade and in Germany since 1986. However this is Mazda’s first tilt at a factory-backed single-make series.Previously, their involvement has been limited to the US-based MX-5 Cup and Spec Miata series. Mazda has also hoted the MX-5 Challenge since 2011, which pits motoring journalists from Australia and Europe against each other in conditions not typical of the topless sports car.There’s no mention of an Australian leg of the Global MX-5 Cup at this stage, but exact locations of circuits are yet to be confirmed.

Are you tired of being stuck behind an SUV? If can’t beat em, join em. Paris motor show previews the next big thing on four wheels: pint-sized SUVs for the city.The world’s car makers are rushing to release high-riding hatchbacks that have the commanding view of a family-sized SUV -- but fit in the same size parking space as a Toyota Corolla.SUVs are second only to small cars when it comes to new vehicle sales, and the big brands are finding new ways to fill every possible niche.That means we can expect to see a bunch of tiny-tot SUVs designed for the city, even though they will be dressed up with rugged, go-anywhere looks.Indeed, most city SUVs won’t even have a four-wheel-drive system because they’ll never leave the tarmac.So why are car makers so desperate to get their small SUVs into showrooms? Because buyers are happy to pay a premium for them even though they cost only a fraction more to build than a regular hatchback.Japanese car giant Toyota, the world’s biggest automotive brand, will unveil a city-centric SUV inside enemy territory at this week’s Paris motor show.Even though Toyota is one of the biggest sellers of SUVs on the planet, it has completely missed the march to city-sized softroaders, or “faux-wheel-drives”.Toyota’s swoopy looking “C-HR” concept car is a rather large clue as to what the showroom version will look like when it arrives next year, although no-one knows what ‘C-HR” stands for. “Compact High Rider” perhaps?Even the French, which once revolved against the SUV and vandalized them in the street less than a decade ago, has joined the party.Citroen is poised to unveil the oddly but honestly named “C1 Urban Ride”. It’s a version of its smallest car but with bulging bumpers and slightly taller suspension to give it a macho appearance.Maybe that’s why they’re becoming so popular: blokes need peer approval to buy small cars. Is a Bear Grylls bumper bar enough to get them over the line?Then again, Citroen also released a compact SUV called the Cactus, complete with plastic side mouldings so you don’t get door dings in the shopping centre car park.The Cactus might be made for the urban jungle but it’s not exactly the type of name that would make you want to boast about it.Australians have been at the forefront of the swing to super-small softroaders.Already on sale locally are the Suzuki S-Cross, Holden Trax, Ford EcoSport and Nissan Juke, all priced between $20,000 and $30,000 (when the cars on which they are all based start at less than $20,000).Around the corner are the Honda HR-V and Fiat Panda Cross. Next month Mazda is due to unveil a SUV to slot under the top-selling CX-5.South Korean car maker Hyundai is also working on a super-small SUV, which should be in showrooms in 2016.Meanwhile, for those who think motor shows should always be about high performance exotic supercars, fear not, although the definition of supercar has changed slightly.Lamborghini is preparing to unveil its first ever hybrid sports-car, while Porsche is about to unveil its first ever plug-in hybrid SUV.Porsche’s two-tonne luxury SUV sips less fuel than a Prius -- providing it has enough charge to travel the first 50km on electric power alone before the petrol engine takes over.More affordable eye candy, however, will come in the form of the first ever motor show outing for the new Mazda MX-5 (the world’s top-selling two-seater roadster), and Jaguar XE sedan (no relation to the Ford Falcon from the 1980s of the same name).

New Mazda MX-5 on sale in Australia next year priced close to $30,000, about $15,000 less than the current model.Mazda has unveiled the successor to the world’s top-selling sports-car, the MX-5 convertible.In a bizarre display at the global unveiling in Monterey California, the Japanese company used 1980s pop sensations Duran Duran to take the covers off the first all-new MX-5 since the original was launched 25 years ago.When the MX-5 first went on sale, Bob Hawke was Prime Minister, Ronald Reagan was the president of the United States and the Australian cricket team regained the Ashes on UK soil for the first time in 40 years.Still not feeling old? The year 1989 was when Australian Formula One star Daniel Ricciardo was born.Mazda is trying to tug at the retro heartstrings with the new model because it is one of the few Japanese cars that have developed a global cult following.But, much like its owners, the Mazda MX-5 put on some middle-age spread over the past decade or so, getting bigger and heavier with each new model.The latest MX-5, however, has lost much of the weight it had put on over the years and gone back to its roots, weighing less than 1000kg for the first time since the original.The other good news for sports-car fans is that Mazda will bring the MX-5’s price back to basics.When the fourth-generation car goes on sale in Australia in late 2015 it will likely have a starting price close to $30,000 -- about $15,000 less than today's car -- and once again be available exclusively with a soft-top roof.Since 2006 the Mazda MX-5 has had a folding metal roof to help it weather storms and thwart thieves, but this has added weight, complexity and cost.The new model is expected to be available with a choice of two small and economical engines -- a 1.5 and a 2.0-litre -- and a version with a folding metal roof is due to follow in the coming years.The new MX-5 is also significant because it is the first time Mazda will share a car with Italian car makers Fiat and Alfa Romeo.The Italian version of the MX-5, due to be unveiled later this year, will be made in Japan and have a unique appearance and engines.Alfa Romeo announced two years ago that it would work with Mazda to deliver a low-cost two-seater sports-car.But the Italian company has since hinted that the convertible will be sold as a Fiat, its sister brand, rather than an Alfa Romeo.In the meantime, Mazda has revealed little other detail on the new MX-5, only showing that it is smaller and lighter than before, and announcing it will be on-sale next year. Watch the 2015 Mazda MX-5 launch video here.

Mazda's top-down two-door marks 25 years and 16,000 local sales. As anniversary presents go, this is one of better options ... but the buyer may just want to let the partner share it.The 25th anniversary limited-edition of Mazda's modern-day classic MX-5 sports car has arrived in Australia but the brand isn't expecting it to gather dust in showrooms.Just 40 of the 1000 built for sale worldwide are coming to Australia, asking an extra $1100 over the normal retail price but staying below $50,000 before on-roads.Unveiled at the New York motor show earlier this year, the roadster sold out within hours of release in the US and Japan. Australian MX-5 buyers have been a little more conservative.Mazda Australia spokesman Steve Maciver says 13 of the allocated 40 cars have been reserved for customers and he expects the rest to sell quickly.The arrival of an all-new MX-5 - it's officially being revealed in September - isn't expected to put potential customers off buying the anniversary edition, he says.'This is a limited-edition car, unique styling, lightweight components, Bilstein shock absorbers, Soul Red paint - a few of those things put together makes it unique so, for collectors and enthusiasts, we think there will be demand for it," he says.The red paint is a first for the MX-5. Anniversary models are badged and numbered and also will be distinguished by black paint on the windscreen pillars, door mirrors and retractable roof.Off-white leather seat trim, red-stitched black leather-wrapped sports steering wheel and manual gearshifter are among the limited-edition features. There is also a 'his-and-hers" commemorative watch set.The Mazda two-door - inspired by the 1960s Lotus Elan and launched in 1989 - reinvigorated the affordable sports car market and has sold more than 940,000 examples globally and 16,000 in Australia, gaining a Guinness World Record as the most popular two-seater open-top sports car.Current MX-5 program manager Nobuhiro Yamamoto and his predecessor Takao Kijima echoed tributes paid to the enthusiastic fan base from first-generation MX-5 program manager Toshihiko Hirai.Hirai says that before the initial series MX-5, lightweight sports cars were nearly extinct. "Although the project was officially approved, both human resources and budget were extremely limited. However, the developers, who believed that true car lovers would love the MX-5, made every effort to get it on the market and managed to accomplish this feat."

Mazda has laid bare its next generation MX-5 sports-car, taking the unusual step of unveiling just the barest of essentials -- the engine and chassis -- at this week’s New York motor show.The unprecedented move was driven by the Japanese brand’s desire to show the world that the next-generation MX-5 is still purely Mazda DNA, even though there will also be an Alfa Romeo version of the same car, made in the same factory.The deal between the unlikely pair was brokered almost two years ago: Mazda needed economies of scale to help develop the new MX-5, and Alfa Romeo was in need of a fun, affordable sports-car.The Mazda MX-5 and the Alfa Romeo will look completely different, say company insiders, and may not even share the same engines.The Mazda MX-5 is due to bow first, and is expected to be unveiled later this year ahead of its arrival in showrooms in the second half of 2015.Mazda says the new MX-5 is going back to basics: it’s expected to be smaller and lighter than the car it replaces.Mazda famously measures the weight of every component that goes into an MX-5 -- once even developing a thinner radio antenna -- in its bid to trim weight.Carsguide understands the company has set an ambitious target of 1000kg for the mass of the new model. Given today’s crash safety standards and the weight of new technology, it will be no mean feat if Mazda can reach this goal.The original Mazda MX-5 weighed just 940kg, the second-generation model weighed 1065kg, while the current version is the heaviest yet, at 1167kg, due in part to its folding metal roof.Mazda unveiled a “super light” 1000kg version of the current MX-5 as a concept car at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show, for the 20th anniversary of the vehicle, likely as a tease for the new model now under development.Mazda has only released three generations of the MX-5 over the past 25 years; the current edition has been around since 2005 and is due to be replaced in its 10th year of production.Spy photos of the fourth-generation 2015 Mazda MX-5 during testing show the next model is smaller than the current car in its overall dimensions, but the footprint has grown (longer wheelbase, wider track), and a soft-top roof returns.On the new model Mazda is also expected to introduce its unique fuel-saving “Skyactiv” technology, the name given to a special type of engine tuning that runs a high compression ratio which delivers fuel economy savings. Meanwhile, Mazda also unveiled this week the final edition that will see out the current MX-5.Just 1000 versions of the 25th anniversary Mazda MX-5 will be made globally, with 40 destined for Australia. Due on sale later this year, they will have Bilstein sports suspension, while the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with gain specially modified pistons, conrods and a flywheel. Visually, the limited production model will gain unique 25thanniversary badging (including a build number), white leather trim (with “25thanniversary” embossed in the headrests), and charcoal-finish alloy wheels.Only one body colour is available -- metallic red -- and one body style: the folding metal roof. To reflect the sales mix of the current model, about 30 per cent of the 25thanniversary models will come with automatic transmission, the balance will be manual.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

Despite an official full steam ahead on the Mazda/Fiat Chrysler joint project to develop an Italian-badged roadster based on the next MX-5, its now looking like that badge may not be Alfa Romeo after all.The project has been praised by Alfa loyalists craving the return of an affordable rear-drive Alfa, but Fiat Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne has repeatedly insisted that he will not allow any Alfa Romeo models to be built outside Italy.Both versions of the car were planned to be built by Mazda in Japan, and recent spy shots of each version undergoing testing suggest that development is well underway.According to Automotive News Europe, the Fiat Chrysler end of the project is now more likely to wear a Fiat or Abarth badge when it arrives after the fourth-generation MX-5’s 2015 debut.Citing anonymous sources, the report suggests that product planners will soon decide which of Fiat Chrysler’s suite of brands the new model will fit under. If the Fiat Chrysler model does shift from Alfa, a significant redesign will likely be necessary, particularly around the trademark Alfa shield grille nose. The mechanicals will likely remain as planned though, with the expected 1.4-litre turbo engine already in use across several Fiat Chrysler models.Such a move would not leave Alfa without a rear-drive convertible either, with a drop-top version of its 4C sports car due to be revealed in Geneva this week.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn