unofficial-mazda-racing-blog

[unofficial-mazda-racing-blog]

10 Interesting Facts You Most Likely Don’t Know About Mazda

1. The name Mazda apparently comes from Ahura Mazda, the god of Zoroastrianism, whatever that is!

2. The first car to wear the Mazda badge was the ‘special’ R360 Coupe.

3. The 1975 Mazda Roadpacer was the first car to feature an anti-hi-jack function, operating the central locking when you went over 10mph. It also did 103mph and managed 9mpg!!!

4. A 1979 Mazda RX-7 achieved a 1/4 mile time of 11.039 seconds at 111.8mph. Not bad, especially considering it had an electric motor! 

5. In the ‘70s the little RX-3 won the Japanese Grand Prix touring car category beating Skyline GT-Rs in the process.

6. The 256bhp Mazda 3 MPS is one of the quickest and fastest Mazda’s you can currently buy, with a 0-60mph time of 6.1 seconds and a 155mph top speed faster even than the RX8. 

7. The largest parade of Mazdas was at the grounds of the UNESCO Zollverein World Heritage site in Essen, Germany in 2010. There were 459 MX-5 owners in total.

8. The first production rotary powered Mazda was the quirky 110S Cosmo. A slightly modified one finished fourth in a monster 82hr Nurburgring race.

9. If you really have to, you can get an ʻAston Martin styleʼ MX-5. Custom Automotive Restyling in Australia make this, the AMX07.

10. The Worldʼs fastest RX-7 is the Racing Beat Bonneville which recorded 242mph. It has a highly modified 13G lump and it was hoped it would hit 300mph!

[unofficial-mazda-racing-blog]

Picture credit: www.mazdausa.com

There’s definitely comfort in the new Mazda MX-5; no, it’s not the comfort of opera windows, or plush leather seats, or even the soft ride. It’s the comfort of understanding that this brand new model, already the 4th generation, has preserved the initial spirit of its grand grandfather two-seat roadster Miata.

As the world we know grows bigger and bigger each day: cars are bigger, mediums are larger, waistlines are rounder, jeeps still exist—the defiant Miata retains roughly the same dimensions of the 1990 original. What did you look like a quarter-century ago? More surprisingly, the new MX-5 has actually slimmed down a bit from the previous,  3rd generation predecessor. It has a shorter wheelbase and is nearly a half-inch lower.

New MX-5 looks and feels the same from outside, but on the inside its way larger. Cabin space is surprisingly ergonomic, seats can be reclined more to the back and there's more space for your and your passengers head. The steering wheel tilts yet doesn't telescope, the sills are somewhat higher, and the seats are lower by about an inch. In the last version of mazda MX-5 Miata, a high seat position and the low location of doors gave the driver the impression that he was on top of the car instead of in it.

Despite the deeper seating position, forward visibility is better than expected. The hood is about 1.5 inches lower than in previous model, mostly due to the fact that the engine is positioned half an inch farther back and a lower-profile oil pan is designed to bring the engine down by another 1.5 inches —while tall fender creases make the car easy to place on the road.

New model is run by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder direct-injection gasoline engine that will be standard in most of the countries. Its output can reach up to 129 horsepower at 7000 rpm and 111 lb-ft of torque at 4800 rpm. Willing and happy to rev to its 7500-rpm redline, the 1.5-liter builds power steadily and never emits a coarse tone. Nicely working gear box is a traditional characteristics for the particular 2 seat roadster. A six-speed with delightfully short throws is seemingly drawn into each cog. 1st gear is good for 36 mph, 2nd redlines at 61 mph, and the 3rd goes to approximately 90 mph. Particular engine does 0 to 60 mph an about 7 seconds. Not the fastest car around, however, a pretty decent result for such a small engine volume.

New mazda weights almost  2200 pounds, but up till now there’s no news on the total weight of the American-spec version. The 1990 Mazda Miata we tested with optional A/C and power steering weighed 2210 pounds.

To keep off the fat in the new car, Mazda utilizes aluminum more widely than before. The previous Miata had an aluminum hood, trunk lid, center frame brace, and suspension arms. In addition to these lightweight pieces, the new MX-5 has an aluminum front fenders, front knuckles, convertible-top supports, rear bulkhead and roll hoops, and front and rear bumper supports.

The vehicle for the USA market will come with 17-inch wheels and 205/45R-17 tires. Perhaps the plus-sizing is necessary because 16 inch wheels are the new 13 inch wheels so to speak, or maybe it’s because our MX-5 will get a bit bigger brakes that will not fit inside the 16-inch wheels. That wider rubber will be working through a control-arm front suspension and a multi-link rear suspension.

Since the Mazda Miata’s arrival before 26 years, sports cars have slowly developed into massive and aggressive titans. Bigger cars may have bigger engines, more horsepower and higher torque, they may carry passengers more comfortably, and they might sell better in Asia and Russia, but it’s gratifying to know that the Miata continues to stay true to the original, which itself stayed true to the Lotus Elan. It’s still a small sports car, with which it is exciting to play with it. Best of all, it still makes us smile.

[unofficial-mazda-racing-blog]

Paintless Dent Repair - the Proper Way toTreat Your Mazda

Today we open a new topic under our blog – how to take a good care of your Mazda vehicle. In this post we will talk about a method called paintless dent repair (PDR). PDR is quite a new achievement in auto repair industry. It is recognized as a fast and reliable method to treat small to mid sized dents on the auto body. It can be applied in most of the cases – to remove door dings, dents, hail damage, bumps etc – as long as the vehicle's initial paint work is not damaged. If it is, only a regular visit to an auto body shop, where they repaint the damaged part, can help.

Image credit: mobile dent removal phoenix

What are the paintless dent removal advantages over traditional panel beating techniques?

Some of the benefits include (but for sure there are many more) impressive time (pdr is often provided as a mobile service) and money savings (up to 70% depending on the work, of course), vehicle's original body panels and paint-work is preserved (back then car's were made of more durable materials, especially in terms of corrosion and rust), it is approved and recommended by vehicle manufacturers and major insurance companies (it will not harm your credit score as much as fixing it at a dealership or even a regular auto body shop). For some the fact that paintless dent removal is environmentally friendly (more friendly materials, less chemicals etc) may also play a big role.

How PDR is performed?

Technician uses a special lighting to inspect the auto body – all dents are marked with a special highlighter. As soon as all imperfections are located, a special tool is used to push out all the dents, dings, creases etc; in other words, the damaged car panel is brought to the initial position. In places difficult to access, custom made  adhesives are used by the technician, delivering the same – absolutely best possible results. It may sound like a really simple task to do, however, this technique requires month or even years of extensive experience to be deliver completely flawless results. There are hundreds of people complaining about the paintless dent removal technique, most of whom have tried to do themselves and have done it wrong. You don't try to mend your teeth yourself, right? Just like teeth, leave the paintless dent repair to professionals.

Correctly executed PDR leaves absolutely no trace, the original paintwork remains intact. Hence, there is no surprise this makes old dent treatment methods such as filling, sanding and repainting a thing of the past for eliminating uncomplicated dings, dents, hail damage and other body part kinks. It should as well be noted that the particular repair method can be applied to both types of body panels – aluminum and steel.

Where can I get a paintless dent repair?

There should be no problem whatsoever to find a decent paintless dent repair company around your location. For instance, in Arizona largest cities Phoenix & Scottsdale there are more than 10 outstanding professional teams at your service. You just have to give them a call!

More on paintless dent repair check out wikipedia.

[unofficial-mazda-racing-blog]

Mazda revamping dealers with Retail Evolution

Mazda presented its Retail Revolution dealership outline dialect 12 years back, which focused on open-arrangement and mixed media spaces, allowing clients to get acquainted with the brand itself before communicating with a sales representative. Two years beforehand the car maker began take a shot at the following stride in its dealership outline, and the new dialect, called Retail Evolution, was revealed at Mazda of Everett in Seattle, Washington.

Planning to make the Mazda brand feel more premium and build merchant benefits, it goes significantly advance on the open-arrangement to make another level of business straightforwardness. It's all finished with a ton of dark, white, crude wood, metal completions, and a considerable measure of glass. Mazda Lounges will offer free wifi access, and computerized showcases will supplant static photos.

So as not to hurt showrooms as yet recovering their interest in Retail Revolution, Mazda will work with merchants to make sense of how best to overhaul offices, and the Retail Evolution has three levels that can be adjusted to specific areas. Find the official press release below.

PRESS RELEASE

MAZDA ANNOUNCES ALL-NEW RETAIL EVOLUTION DEALERSHIP DESIGN Mazda of Everett Showcases First Ground-Up Retail Evolution Design IRVINE, Calif. (August 27, 2015) – Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced its all-new dealership design, dubbed "Retail Evolution", featuring an open concept floorplan that offers a new level of business transparency, and a look and feel enhanced through the use of natural materials that results in an even more upscale décor than the company's current popular Retail Revolution design. The first Retail Evolution dealership built from the ground up to this exacting standard will be Mazda of Everett in Seattle, Wash., opening today. "Thanks to our KODO design philosophy and suite of SKYACTIV technologies, our vehicle lineup has never been stronger. We are now able to take that groundbreaking design language and translate it into our dealership experience," said Jim O'Sullivan, president & CEO, MNAO. "Retail Evolution embodies the spirit and direction of the Mazda brand, while offering an upscale experience our customers expect and deserve." Clad in premium black, clean white, and featuring new chrome Mazda signage, the new Retail Evolution Mazda dealerships will provide dealers with strong curb appeal. New materials throughout the building give dealers an upscale look and feel with warm raw-material tones of wood and metal in the showroom. Organized with excellent use of space, the new Retail Evolution facility will use more glass, allowing customers a transparent view into the dealership operations. The recharged Mazda Lounge will provide customers with technology features such as multiple-device charging stations and access to free WiFi. Digital displays will provide continuous motion and reduce stale imagery as vehicle designs and models change with time. "After working closely with Jerry McCann, the general manager and dealer principal of Mazda of Everett, we are thrilled to finally reveal this new Retail Evolution experience. I'm confident it will be well received by Jerry's staff working in the store every day, as well as customers looking to purchase or lease a new or used Mazda," O'Sullivan added. Retail Evolution will feature three different tiers that are loosely based on the Retail Revolution model, which was introduced 12 years ago. Mazda will continue to work with its dealers to find the right tier for their specific needs. Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at www.mazdausamedia.com.

[unofficial-mazda-racing-blog]

Welcome to the unofficial mazda racing!