Facing An Uncertain Future, Mazda Looks For Partners

In the fiscal year that ends on March 31, Mazda Motor Corporation estimates it will lose some $1.29 billion due to declining sales and a strong Japanese yen. That makes 2011 Mazda’s worst year in over a decade, since its $2 billion loss at the end of the 2000 fiscal year. On its own, that would be bad news; however, this year marks the fourth in a row that Mazda has lost money. Read more

Mazda’s Rotary Engine Program Could Be Done

It’s been 44 years since Mazda first launched the Cosmo with an unconventional rotary engine. In the years since, Mazda has become synonymous with rotary engines, despite the fact that piston-engine vehicles make up the lion’s share of their worldwide sales. Certainly no manufacturer has done more to develop the rotary engine than Mazda, who views the technology as an essential part of its soul. Read more

Will Technology Save The Rotary Engine?

The rotary engine has been a trademark for Mazda since 1964, when the then-fledgling Japanese automaker debuted their Cosmo sport coupe with rotary power. Since then, Mazda has expanded and then reduced the number of rotary engines in their product line; today, only the soon-to-be-discontinued RX-8 offers a rotary engine. The biggest reason is fuel consumption; when driven to make adequate power from its 1.3 liter displacement, the rotary engine sucks down gasoline like Lindsay Lohan knocking back appletinis at happy hour (when she isn’t under house arrest, that is). It also produces a significant amount of carbon dioxide, which is why the RX-8 has already been discontinued in the EU. Read more

Report Says Mazda To Halt U.S. Production

Mazda and Ford used to be like a newlywed couple. Arm in arm, they seemed to do everything together, from collaborating on new cars and trucks to building them on the same production lines. Mazda sold rebadged Ford Escapes and Ford Rangers in their dealerships, and even used Ford engines in Mazda cars. Like a lot of couples, the automakers drifted apart as the years went by, and today the pair are separated if not yet divorced. A recent rumor had Mazda ending production of the Mazda 6 sedan, but the story turned out to be just that. Mazda isn’t killing off the 6, but they may well be changing where it’s built from Flat Rock, MI to Mexico or Japan. Read more

Mazda Builds Their Three Millionth Mazda3

The Mazda3 has been built for just under eight years, and Mazda recently announced the production milestone of three million cars assembled. A global product, the car is built in three factories (one each in Japan, China and Thailand) and sold in roughly 90 countries and regions around the world. Over 1.1 million Mazda3s have been sold into North America alone, and the Mazda3 has become the fastest-selling model in Mazda’s current lineup of passenger vehicles. Read more

Ugly Rumor We Hope Isn’t True: Mazda RX-8 Successor To Be A Hybrid

Let’s be clear on something up front: I have nothing against hybrids or EVs, but building a hybrid sports car is a contradiction in terms. Hybrids have two propulsion systems, and propulsion systems add weight. Weight is the natural enemy of sports cars, hence the two are mutually incompatible. You can build a “sporty” hybrid, which is exactly what Honda did with the CR-Z, but you really can’t build an effective hybrid sports car unless you’re willing to price it into the stratosphere (like the Porsche 918 Spyder). Even Porsche’s 911 GT3 Hybrid is a compromise: it adds weight (the rotary accumulator and the electric motors) and only provides a few seconds of additional power at a time. Read more

Mazda, Honda Suspend Dealer Orders

The economic effects of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami will begin to hit U.S. auto dealerships in April and May. Last week, both Mazda and Honda temporarily suspended U.S. dealership orders for all vehicles built in Japan. For Mazda, this includes the Mazda 2, Mazda 3, Mazda 5, MX-5, RX-8, CX-7 and CX-9; for Honda, the vehicles impacted include the Fit, CR-V, Insight, CR-Z, Civic Hybrid, Acura TSX and Acura RL. Nissan will reduce U.S. vehicle allocation for May by 50%, while neither Toyota nor Mitsubishi have announced any changes to dealer ordering procedures. Neither Mazda nor Honda will speculate on when orders will resume, but it’s reasonable to expect inventory shortages of popular models heading into the summer months. Read more

Is Kia Working On A Mazda MX-5 Rival?

When it comes to manufacturing products, it’s best to not under-estimate the Koreans. As a Hyundai insider once told me, they’re the only people of the planet who can make the Japanese look like slackers. Just look at Hyundai and Kia if you need proof; two decades ago they were the butt of jokes, but today they’re on fire. The Hyundai Elantra is kicking ass and taking names in the compact car segment, and their Sonata is doing the same in the midsize class. Kia’s Optima and Optima Turbo are poised to give Hyundai a run for their money, and it looks like Hyundai is positioning Kia as a younger, more sporting brand. When Kia says they’re looking at building a rival to Mazda’s MX-5, I believe they’ll succeed where others have failed. Read more

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