It may be tougher than you think to produce a simple roadster like the Mazda MX-5. Mazda is currently hard at work on the next generation of the sporty little car, and the automaker is concerned with its efficiency. To help matters, Mazda wants to lighten the engine's workload by making the entire car at least 10 percent lighter. If that happens, the new MX-5 would be just about as lithe as the original Miata, which was introduced all the way back in 1989. Aluminum won't be used for the chassis, though, as it's just too expensive for a car that needs to sell at a specific price point.

To go along with the weight savings, the sportscar could get some sort of alternative powerplant, either a diesel or hybrid. While those options would surely make a big difference, a diesel engine is much heavier than its gas-powered counterpart and a hybrid would need a battery pack stored somewhere. Since either option would make it difficult for Mazda to achieve its necessary 50/50 weight balance, a downsized gas engine, possibly fitted with a turbocharger and direct injection, seems much more likely for the 2011 model year.


Sources: Autocar, Drive]

We've been seeing spy photos of the next generation Mazda3 for months and now we finally have official photos of the new compact sedan that will debut at the LA Auto Show next month. While I recently speculated that the new 3 might just be a refresh rather than a full redesign based on the resemblance of the greenhouse to the current model, it now appears from the pics in the gallery below that it is all-new. Externally, the 3 inherits all of the bold, swoopy styling of other recent Mazdas including the new 6 and the 2 that we don't get. Mazda hasn't revealed much technical detail yet other than the 2.0L and 2.5L four cylinder engines that will provide power. The new 3 will apparently conform to Mazda's "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom," philosophy which means it will almost certainly see some weight reduction compared to the current car, likely on the order of 100-200 lbs. The hatchback version will appear some time after the sedan debuts early next year.


[Source: Mazda]

There are numerous companies working on hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines, most notably BMW with its Hydrogen7. Mazda however, is uniquely positioned to take advantage of hydrogen as a combustion fuel. They are, after all, the only manufacturer currently building Wankel rotary engines. The nature of the rotary engine - where the intake and combustion chambers are separate - makes the design well suited to the rapid burn characteristics of hydrogen. Mazda is also using direct injection of the hydrogen to time the combustion more precisely. Piston engines can have issues with backfiring when fueled on H2 but Mazda has been running a fleet of over 30 hydrogen-fueled rotary RX-8s for several years with some success. Last week at the Paris Motor Show, James Muir, Mazda Europe's CEO, told AutoCar that the Japanese carmaker plans to mass produce hydrogen-fueled Wankel engines but it will take another half decade. The main stumbling block? Same as for everyone else: hydrogen storage.

[Source: AutoCar]

Mazda is using its new Kiyora city car concept as a platform to demonstrate how it plans to achieve fuel efficiency improvements of 30 percent in the next few years. The Kiyora takes the design themes seen on recent Mazda concepts like the Furai and Ryuga and applies it to a 12.4 ft long 4-seater. The water theme of this design has a drag coefficient 10 percent lower than the recently introduced Mazda2. The 1.3L four cylinder engine features the latest generation direct injection system along with variable cam phasing and valve lift on both cam shafts. Power is transferred to the wheels via a lightweight new 6-speed automatic transmission. Since the Kiyora is designed as a compact city car, an automatic start stop is an obvious addition. This concept has Mazda's new Smart Idle Stop System that utilizes the direct injection system to get the engine restarted without using the starter motor.


[Source: Mazda]

With its most recent entries, the mid-sized 6 and sub-compact 2, Mazda has demonstrated that new generations of cars don't necessarily have to get heavier. Each of the recently introduced new models are at least 100 lbs lighter than the predecessors. For its next generation of new cars, Mazda intends to step up its game even more, aiming for reductions of over 400 lbs. Mazda engineers will completely re-examine the structural design of the cars. One of the areas of focus will be to direct crash forces through the floor pan rather than the body. The large surface area of the floor apparently requires less reinforcement to achieve similar load bearing capacity than the upper body structure. New aerated plastics will also help reduce the weight of the components that dominate the interior of the car. New powertrains, including continued development of the Wankel rotary engine, will also contribute to weight savings.

[Source: AutoCar]

Mazda has just launched it's latest "Kei-class" car in Japan with the redesigned AZ-Wagon. The "Kei" cars are built to specifications defined by law in Japan that place limits on size engine displacement and power. Kei cars are limited to 660 cc of engine displacement and 63 hp along with a maximum length of 3.4 m. The new AZ-Wagon is claimed to beat current Japanese emissions standards by 50-75 percent. All of the engines get variable valve timing and normally aspirated versions with a manual transmission are rated at 55.3 mpg (U.S.) on the Japanese urban test cycle. There are three transmission choices, a 5 speed manual, 4 speed automatic or a CVT. Amazingly for this tiny car, it can also be had with either front wheel drive or all wheel drive. None of these Kei cars are designed to meet U.S. crash safety standards so they aren't likely to appear here anytime soon with one distinct exception, the Mitsubishi iMiEV electric car. The i that it's based on is also a Kei car. The AZ-Wagon is priced from $8,600 to $13,800 and the press release is after the jump.

[Source: Mazda]

We aren't automotive executives, we just play them on the internet. If we were the real thing, one of our first decisions would be to get all the great small cars that are offered overseas into American showrooms. One of those small cars would undoubtedly be the Mazda2. Sales numbers in Europe indicate that buyers love the new little machine, and those figures stand only to climb as the automaker continues to roll out a new three-door model and diesel engines. So, if it's such a solid car, why isn't it sold in the U.S. market? For one reason, Mazda is concerned that having the smaller Mazda2 here could eat into sales of its hugely successful Mazda3. We wonder, though, if having two pretty big sellers isn't better than having one really good seller. Isn't variety the spice of life? In any case, Ford will soon be selling some of its small Euro-cars in our market, and the Mazda shares much in common with them so, in a way, we'll soon be getting our wish.


[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

The next time you open your door and get in your car, take note of the amount of plastic that makes up your vehicle. Chances are, if it was made in the last fifty years at least, that there is a bunch of plastic there. And, the future only promises ever-increasing use of the easily-molded and relatively cheap bits. There are a few problems, though, which will need to be addressed as we move forward. Synthetics and "bioplastics" do already exist, but the vast majority of the plastic used in our cars uses a petroleum base. As you surely know, automakers are doing what they can to reduce the use of petroleum in their cars, and Mazda is no exception. The Japanese automaker has created a new process that cuts the use of petroleum-based resin by 20 to 30 percent and reduces the overall weight of each part.

Mazda is also working hard on other eco-friendly tech, such as stop/start. The automaker claims that its implementation of the technology can start the engine is half as much time as its competitors and reduces fuel consumption by nine percent. Diesels are also on the menu for Mazda, and its 2.2-liter common-rail turbo unit with 182-horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque should be available in Europe along with stop/start sometime next year.


[Source: Wards]

Ever since Ford's U.S. operations decided to forego the second-generation Focus in favor of a freshened version of the first generation model, Americans have been complaining that we can't get the best Focus. In fact, the essential underpinnings of that C1 Focus have been available here under two other brands. The pricier Volvo C30/S40/V50 and the current Mazda3. The Mazda has actually been quite popular here and it looks like it will be getting a mid-cycle refresh soon. Judging from the batch of spy photos that has popped up on a Czech website it won't be an all-new car. That's probably a couple more years away when the next-gen Focus comes to the U.S. market. Instead, the 3 is getting some new bodywork from the belt-line down. The greenhouse looks carry-over from the current car, while the front fender area in particular looks all new. The 3 looks set to inherit the arching wheelhouses used by other current Mazdas like the 6, CX-7 and CX-9 as well as the tiny Mazda2 that's not available here. Since they have taken off most of the heavy camouflage, it seems likely the 3 will be introduced fairly soon, probably at either the Los Angeles or Detroit Auto Show. Thanks to Kris for the tip!

[Source: news.auto.cz]

Automatic start-stop systems for engines are becoming increasingly common on vehicles in Europe. However, these systems typically use the conventional starter motor to re-start the engines after a stop. This can result in slow re-starts and additional load on the starter. Mazda has devised a new system that they claim will provide quicker, more consistent re-starts. The Mazda system relies on direct injection to function. When the engine is stopped, sensors are used to stop the engine with the pistons in a precise location. This will allow one of the cylinders to have a known amount of air in the combustion chamber. When the time comes to re-start, fuel is injected directly into the cylinder and ignited. The expansion of the burning fuel is used to get the engine turning to re-start the engine. Mazda claims the engine can re-start in 350 milliseconds, about half the time of a conventional starter. The re-starts are indexed to consecutive cylinders so that the same cylinder isn't used every time. Mazda claims a 10 percent reduction in fuel consumption on the Japanese urban test cycle.

[Source: Mazda]

At the Paris Motor Show next month, Mazda will be showing off its new 2.2L MZR-CD clean diesel engine that will be installed in the Mazda 6. The new engine is rated at 182 hp and yields 42 mpg (U.S.). One of the interesting elements of the new engine is a Mazda-developed diesel particulate filter (DPF). The combination of modern common rail injection systems and particulate filters are the technology that has allowed new diesels to be almost soot free. Typical DPFs contain a porous ceramic core that captures the particles. Periodically, the filter has to be regenerated to clear the particles. This is done by injecting more fuel into the engine and raising the exhaust temperature to a point that will burn off the particles. This process that typically occurs about every 500 miles and increases the fuel consumption somewhat.

The Mazda DPF has a new molecular structure for the core that allows oxygen to pass through more easily, getting it into contact with the particulates. As a result the regeneration process is more effective. They claim that the interval between regenerations is doubled and time for each regeneration is cut by two-thirds. The new diesel will go on sale in Europe in 2009.

[Source: Mazda]

It's back to school season and, since buses aren't available everywhere, for some people it's time to drive the kids to their classes. With all those important soccer football matches games, swimming lessons and family escapes on long weekends, you need a vehicle with enough seats for your children and a place to keep all their gear. Minivans tend to be heavier than sedan counterparts, not only because of size, but because they have the latest security additions available. But can you keep your mileage high while driving such vehicles and reduce your emissions? For European minivans, the keys include keeping the vehicles compact, developing them from compact cars and using diesel powertrains. Follow us past the jump for a look at what the European market has to offer.

[Source: Auto News]

Click for a high res gallery of the new Kiyora concept

Mazda has just released renderings of its latest concept car that will be hitting the stage next month in Paris. Dubbed the Kiyora - which reportedly means "clean and pure" in Japanese - the new concept continues with the design theme seen on other Mazda concepts over the past two years. Based on the press release, the city car should be fairly compact with power coming from a new generation direct injected four cylinder engine. Continuing another recent Mazda theme from the 2 and 6, the Kiyora uses a new lightweight platform that still has the strength required for safety and performance.

Mazda will also be showing the 2 and 6 with new 1.6L and 2.2L diesel engines and an MX-5 Roadster with a new face that picks up the chiseled, flowing look of its stablemates. The press release is after the jump.


[Source: Mazda]

While both General Motors and Ford have shown extended range electric vehicle concepts, only the former has committed to producing such a vehicle. We have written endlessly here about the Chevrolet Volt, but now there may be a new challenger on the horizon from an unexpected corner. The Zoom-Zoom factory at Mazda may be developing an ER-EV. Unlike the Volt which uses a four-cylinder piston engine for a range extender, Mazda is reportedly planning to use a Wankel rotary. According to AutoCar, there is a running prototype in a Mazda 5 shell.

The rotary is an interesting choice for this application. Wankels produce a lot of power in a small package but typically aren't very fuel efficient. While Mazda may have a running prototype, production likely won't occur until battery costs drop.

[Source: AutoCar]

Mazda's efforts at self-policing/self-reporting continue today with the release of the company's 2008 Social and Environmental Report (SER). Mazda, like many other automakers, has been releasing these annual reports since 2001, and they are a broad look at how the company as a whole is doing with its attempts at making greener vehicles.

The SER discusses Mazda's plan to increase the average fuel economy of all Mazda vehicles sold around the world by 30 percent by 2015. The report also describes Mazda's participation in the Norweigan hydrogen progect HyNor, where Mazda has sent RX 8 Hydrogen RE vehicles. The "Social" part of the title means that Mazda's support of human rights in the workplace is also covered. Mazda also issued its Annual Report 2008, focusing on management information and financial news, today.

The full SER 2008 will be available in English at the end of September, but the Annual Report is currently available on the Mazda website. A web version of the SER is also available now. Full details after the jump.

[Source: Mazda]