Mazda RX-8 2012 News

While the original MX-5 was quite a basic car; nicely appointed but hardly luxurious, the current iteration with its 20 years of refinement is in a new league. The Mazda designers have managed to evolve the car over that time, completely changing it along the way while always keeping it exactly the same. They have developed a look that is instantly recognisable through three major redesigns while improving it with each iteration.In its market space the MX-5 Roadster Coupe has only two true competitors, the BMW Z4 and the Mercedes SLK. These are the three two-seat rear-drive roadsters currently available with the folding metal hardtop. The MX-5 is by some margin the cheapest. The fact that it does not have the prestige of the Germans does not diminish its appeal, however as there are a large percentage of buyers that simply like it as a package over the other two. All three for some reason suffer from the hair-dresser reputation, which in our opinion is ridiculous.When the new top was first introduced, a number of automotive journalist where asking why bother, it's not broken, it doesn't need fixing. The soft-top and the experience it brings may not be broken but the folding hardtop has enormous appeal for many buyers. Drivetrain Power comes from a 2-litre, 16 valve DOHC in-line four cylinder engine that develops 118kW at 7000 rpm in the manual version and 118kW at 6700rpm in the automatic we tested with paddle shifters. Both develop a maximum 188 Nm of torque at 5000rpm. Exterior With 20 years of very good sales it would be hard to find anybody who can’t recognise an MX-5. The Roadster Coupe with its folding hardtop adds a bump to the body behind the seats. This metal torneau manages to not adversely impact the simply lines of the car. The 17-in wheels fill the continuous arch of the wheel wells beautifully and the whole package is very neat.Interior The cocoon that is the cockpit is appealing to all senses. Visibility is very good and the only thing that may be troubling initially is finding the petrol cap release - it's in the compartment between the back of the seats.  Operation of the folding hardtop is a simple lever release near the rear vision mirror and then it’s a matter of holding the button down until it buzzes - all while in Park. Just do the same in reverse to put it back up. Safety The MX-5 features both front & side SRS airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) as well as Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) which alters power delivery when the car judges it needs to intervene with an overly aggressive turn-in. This can be switched off.Pricing The MX-5 starts at $43,850 for the base manual soft top and goes through to $53,655 for the folding hardtop with automatic and the Sports package (as tested). This excludes all current additional charges and taxes.Driving Driving is a joy. It is far from a hardcore sports car but it does give you a refined sports car experience.  Steering is very direct, as it should be - you point it and goes and stays where you point it. The steering we found very neutral with no surprises.The cockpit is very comfortable and there is not a great deal of road noise for a small two-seat. A bit more engine note into the cockpit would actually be a good thing.  It is extremely easy to drive - in automatic you can just putter around sedately and feel comfortable. Rev it a bit and start using the paddles correctly and it becomes a true sports car.SummaryThe Mazda MX-5 is the epitome of a practical sports car.  It has its market space all to itself as you need to move up several price rungs to reach the competition. While the competition might beat it in the performance stakes, they still only equal it on overall appeal to many buyers.  The MX-5 is also quite a practical mode of transport if you don't need space. It is easy to park, fits in small garages and only consumes 8.1l/100km.Verdict: 9.1/10

Only 200 examples of the RX-8 Anniversary model, priced at $55,840, are being brought to Australia. Mazda launched its rotary engine in 1967, the engine gaining recognition mainly in the R100, RX-3 and succession of RX-7 models until 1998. The rotary engine, and the RX sports-car prefix, reappeared in 2003 when the RX-8 was launched. The RX-8 has had good success, winning a string of car awards globally, including the Wheels magazine Car of the Year. It is notable due to its pair of smaller rear doors allowing access for rear passengers, yet maintaining a two-door sports coupe style. The Anniversary edition comes with the 170kW version of the high-revving Renesis rotary engine, which also generates 211Nm of torque and feeds its power to a six-speed manual transmission. It has a unique leather and Alcantara-trimmed interior with leather cladding on steering wheel, handbrake lever and gearshift. It gets Bilstein shockers and a special suspension cross member to aid handling. The Anniversary RX-8 wears high-gloss 18in alloy wheels, a special rear spoiler, sunroof and blue reflector fog lights. The standard RX-8 (from $48,990) has a premium Bose sound system, traction control, stability control, six airbags and climate-control airconditioning. Mazda also has confirmed it has developed a 2009 RX-8 with “a refreshed exterior and interior” design and offering an R3 sport package for enthusiasts. Mazda claims the RX-8 now is the only mass-produced passenger car powered by a rotary engine.

Meanwhile, the midlife revision of the world's only mass-produced rotary engined car will be unveiled at the North American International Motor Show in Detroit alongside the Furai concept. While that revised RX-8 is not expected to reach Australia before June, enthusiasts need wait only until January for the strictly limited RX-8 rotary engine 40th anniversary edition. The limited run model anticipates the midlife revision by bringing a contemporary automatic transmission to the model. The alternate to the manual is now a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters adapted from the MX-5 — a significant step up from the current auto which has but four cogs and is significantly detuned. Mazda is the only marque to mass produce a rotary engine car. The 40th Anniversary model recognises an association with Felix Wankel's singular powerplant that dates from 1967's Cosmo Sport 110S. The RX-8's interior is designed to evoke that car and includes exclusive black leather and light silver alcantara combination seat covers. The exclusive body colours are Marble White or Metropolitan Grey with limited-edition side panel badges. Refinements include exclusive Bilstein dampers and a urethane foam-filled front suspension cross member, a sunroof, high gloss 18-inch alloy wheels, rear spoiler and blue reflector fog-lamps. Mazda showed a larger capacity, more powerful 16x rotary engine at the Tokyo show, which is likely to power its future cars, though not any that will appear in the next 12 months or so. Mazda is also working on a hydrogen rotary engine as part of its Sustainable Zoom Zoom program. While RX-8 afficiondos are jostling for the 40th Anniversary examples available here, the Furai concept will be the high-flying Hiroshima manufacturer's star turn at Detroit. Most concepts sit on a stand being evocative or, at best, putter around a carpark with minders looming menacingly, but the Furai is race-ready. Built on a Courage Le Mans chassis, it has a 335kW three-rotor engine and goes, according to a Mazda spokesman "like the proverbial". Though the translation of its name — "sound of wind" — will no doubt cause guffawing, it is the fifth of the Nagare ("Flow") family on concepts named for the elements. Mazda have released a teaser picture which hints at the sort of design departures featured byrecent Nagare concepts. There are apparently more Mazdas and Mazda-powered cars road-raced in the US than any other brand, so the Furai has been built on the chassis of an American Le Mans Series racer, the Courage C65 which campaigned in the ALMS series only two seasons ago. "Furai purposely blurs boundaries that have traditionally distinguished street cars from track cars," says Franz von Holzhausen, Mazda's North American director of design. "Historically, there has been a gap between single-purpose racecars and street-legal models commonly called supercars that emulate the real racers on the road. Furai bridges that gap like no car has ever done before." Mazda are riding high in Australia, having eclipsed their best-ever full year's result in October. As of November 30, 71,292 Mazdas had sold here in 2007, making the marque easily the nation's favourite fully-imported brand. With the release of the new CX-9 seven-seat SUV last week to positive reviews, Mazda continue their run with a range of vehicles that qualitatively sit at the top of their various segments. Apart form the dual RX-8 releases, the second generation Mazda6 get here in in late February. Driven by Carsguide in France last month, the new model is class leading, improving on its forebear in every respect. Later in the year, expect a facelift of the Mazda3 and a three-door version of the Mazda2. Mazda design chief Laurens van der Acker has said that the new Mazda3 will be ... "more eye-catching than the current model".

The re-birth of one of Mazda's popular sports cars, the legendary RX-7, might be just over the horizon. There has been speculation about the revival of the rear-wheel-drive, rotary coupe that ended li