Tag Archives: mazda

The ultimate Mazda Miata model car collection can be yours for just $1,300

Strap in, NA Miata fans. Mazda Japan has unveiled the ultimate collection of MX-5 scale models. The 17-model diecast car set, each slightly different, represents the complete history of the first-generation Mazda Roadster. And it costs a whopping ¥180,000, or … Continue reading

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Mazda and Toyota rumored to be working on straight-six sports car

Reports out of Japan claim that Toyota and Mazda are rumored to be deepening their ties by jointly working on a new sports car. The two companies are already linked in that Toyota owns 5.1 percent of Mazda and the … Continue reading

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Gene Hackman drove a Toyota Celica in the 24 Hours of Daytona

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman was found dead in his Santa Fe, New Mexico home yesterday, along with his wife and one of their three dogs. The cause of death is unknown as of yet. Though best known for his work … Continue reading

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The Mazda-built Ford Festiva was technically the first Kia sold in the US

Korean cars are common sights on the road today, but in 1987 the name Kia was a complete unknown in pre-internet America. Long before our streets teemed with Sephias and Souls, the first Kia to achieve widespread sales in the … Continue reading

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Legendary Japanese race cars gather at the Maniwa Speed Festival

After a 10-year hiatus the MH Hill Climb, the centerpiece event of the Maniwa Speed Festival, has returned. The event, now in a new location, gathered an impressive roster of legendary Japanese race cars both old and new, from tuner … Continue reading

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Tokyo Auto Salon sonohoka (odds and ends)

The Tokyo Auto Salon can be sensory overload. There’s just so much to see, you probably can’t finish it all in one day. In Japan the term sonohoka means “the rest” or “the others”, sort of like “etc.” in English. … Continue reading

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Toyota showcases classic Supra, Subaru, Mazda and more at Tokyo Auto Salon

Toyota brought a bevy of classics to the Tokyo Auto Salon. It’s not the typical venue for such machinery, but Toyota’s presence was big and a lot of cars where shoved under the Gazoo Racing banner. What’s perhaps even more … Continue reading

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Mazda RX-7 daily driven by 80-year-old grandmother begins new life

For the final post of the year we wanted to end on a heartwarming story about Naoko Nishimoto, the coolest lady you’ll ever meet. Nishimoto just turned 80 years old on December 18, and has been dailying an FD Mazda … Continue reading

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Someone donated one of the rarest Mazda RX-7s to the Toyota Automobile Museum

As visitors to the Toyota Automobile Museum in Japan know, it’s not just a hall of Toyotas. The TAM is a museum that celebrates the history of all cars, and just happens to be founded and funded by Toyota. Cars … Continue reading

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Mazda exec says Iconic SP ‘not just an empty show car’

While the prospect of a Toyota-Mazda partnership sounds promising, the car they built together had lost some of that Mazda soul. Toyota needs to let Mazda Mazda, especially if cars like the Iconic SP are what they come up with. … Continue reading

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2025 CX-50 Hybrid: What happens when Toyota and Mazda join forces

We’ve long wondered what would happen when Mazda and Toyota finally teamed up. Mazda, the enthusiasts’ choice that carries the torch for true drivers outgunned in a cruel market of crossovers and electrification, and Toyota, the juggernaut which for years … Continue reading

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Motorcycle racing pioneer, father of Prius, and more inducted into Japan Automotive Hall of Fame

The Japan Automotive Hall of Fame has selected its 2024 inductees. In addition to four vehicles of historical importance to Japan’s automotive history, the JAHoF has also selected five individuals whose work in the field are considered significant contributions to … Continue reading

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Peep the glorious diversity of cars on a Kobe street in 1972

A lot of Showa Era photos have the usual suspects when it comes to traffic. You got your Toyota Crowns, your Nissan Cedrics, maybe a Fuso or two. This scene published by the City of Kobe, though, has an incredible … Continue reading

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Kia has restored two Mazda-based examples of its earliest cars

The Korean auto industry has come a long way. So long, in fact, that they now have the luxury of looking back at their early history and honoring it by restoring a couple of the earliest Kia vehicles. At first … Continue reading

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Mazda CX-70 ad featuring an RX-7 GSL-SE is a real downer

We are always stoked when a JNC appears in an ad for a new car. It shows that the company cares about — or is at least aware of — its heritage. But there’s a rule of thumb in advertising … Continue reading

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Matchbox 2025 lineup gains Acura Integra Type R, Mitsubishi Pajero, Mazda RX-3, and more

Collectors of Japanese diecast cars will have a lot to look forward to in the Matchbox lineup of 2025. Last weekend Matchbox’s annual convention was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the hosts from Mattel previewed next year’s lineup. There … Continue reading

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Is this the new Mazda logo?

Mazda may be updating their logo, according to new trademark filings in Japan. The logo began circulating on Japanese social media on Monday after users unearthed it from the Japan Patent Office. It appears to follow the trend of “flattening” … Continue reading

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Flying Mitsubishi police cars chase a Mazda Grand Familia in one of Japan’s worst cop shows

The wild success of Seibu Keisatsu spawned a lot of similar cop shows. In Novemberr 1980 one short-lived series titled Hashire Nekketsukeiji (translated literally as “Run, Spirited Detective!”) followed the same format: police in the big city, hard luck stories, … Continue reading

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The FC Mazda RX-7 Convertible was the Miata before the Miata

When the Mazda Miata debuted in 1989 it was heralded as a rebirth of the once-common British-style roadster. But Mazda may have already been attempting to resurrect that segment before the MX-5’s arrival. The FC Mazda RX-7 Convertible was described … Continue reading

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The 1987 Mazda 323 was good, but not enough

The turbocharged 1986 Mazda 626 GT debuted to rave reviews but how was its little brother, the 323? In 1987 Motorweek tested North America’s version of the BF Mazda Familia in both hatchback and wagon body styles. Mazda’s successor to … Continue reading

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