2010 Mazda Cx-7 Sv Sport Utility 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Mazda previews 2016 Miata Global MX-5 Cup racer

At this point, we all know that the Mazda MX-5 Miata is a highly capable racing platform. Mazda even claims that the car is the most road-raced model in the world. Fittingly, then, the Japanese brand is making a huge announcement about the future of motorsport for its next-generation convertible. The MX-5 Cup is going worldwide in 2016 as the MX-5 Global Cup, and all of the racers are getting behind the wheel of the upcoming fourth-gen Miata, similar to the gorgeous redhead pictured above.
"It has long been our goal to see Mazda fans around the world competing in identical MX-5s, and the launch of the 2016 MX-5 Miata is the perfect time to make this goal a reality," said Masahiro Moro, Managing Executive Officer in charge of Global Sales, Marketing and Customer Service for Mazda in the company's announcement.
The racing version makes its grand debut at this year's SEMA show, although at the moment it's really more of a concept. Mazda confirms that the racer uses the 2.0-liter SkyActiv four-cylinder, but the other important parts like tires, suspension and safety equipment are not yet determined. The cars "will be sold ready to race from a single supplier," according to automaker's announcement for the series.

2014 Mazda CX-5 with 2.5-liter Skyactiv engine

Back in October, we compared the relative merits of two new and very good small crossovers: the 2013 Ford Escape and 2013 Mazda CX-5. The CX-5 we tested then had Mazda's 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G engine under its hood, and it managed to just edge out the EcoBoosted Ford despite being down by some 23 horsepower and 34 pound-feet of torque. Had it been available, the 2.5-liter Skyactiv engine that we recently had the opportunity to try out in the 2014 Mazda CX-5, it may have made that comparison even easier to call in the Japanese CUV's favor.
Clearly, if you're in the market for a reasonably sized crossover, the CX-5 should, at the very least, be on your test-drive list. The new engine offering will let buyers opt for a stronger powerplant, with 184 hp and 185 lb-ft on tap. On our second day in Austin's Hill Country - the first was spent quick-spinning the 2014 Mazda6 i Sport, you'll recall - we covered a couple of hundred miles and put the new CX-5 through its paces; here's what we turned up.
Driving Notes

2014 Mazda3 configurator zoom-zooms to life

The 2014 Mazda3 is probably going to be on a lot of shopping lists, thanks to its striking good looks, clean interior treatment, fuel economy and driving character. If it happens to be on your personal list of new cars to test, you'll be happy to see that the configurator for Mazda's newest product has officially gone online.
In terms of build-your-own web items, configuring a 3 isn't much of a departure from the rest of the Mazda range. Most of the work comes from choosing one of the three trim levels - Sport, Touring and Grand Touring - and selecting either the 155-horsepower, 2.0-liter, Skyactiv four-cylinder or its larger sibling, the 184-horsepower, 2.5-liter, Skyactiv four. From there, a simple range of color and interior finishes are available, before a slim list of packages, options and accessories. Really, Mazda's made it easy to get through this build process.
Click on over to the configurator and take a look at the options, colors and prices for Mazda's newest five-door hatchback.