Tag Archives: mazda

Shunji Tanaka, Mazda Miata chief designer, 1946 – 2021

Shunji Tanaka, chief designer of the original Mazda Roadster/Miata, has died. He passed away at the age of 75 on December 12 at, according to a close friend and member of a Japan Roadster Club, who posted the news over … Continue reading

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Suzuki Samurai, Mazda RX-7 are classics to watch for 2022, says Hagerty

Hagerty Insurance has come out with their list of top ten classics to watch in 2022. The list is a reflection of how many customers ask for classic car insurance quotes for a particular model, with a focus more on … Continue reading

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The Lexus Electrified Sports concept sure looks like the stunning Mazda RX-Vision

Akio Toyoda surprised the world with a mega press conference yesterday, announcing Toyota’s plans for electrification. He showed no less than 16 concept cars in dramatic fashion, talking about a packed lineup of five before dropping the false wall behind … Continue reading

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Rays releases new wheels for 80s cars, celebrates anniversary of another classic

Rays has launched two new wheels that may be of interest to JNCers. One is new wheel specifically geared towards 80s cars. The other is an anniversary model for a take on a 90s classic, but sized for cars from … Continue reading

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Mazda reveals 990S Roadster, an even lighter ND Miata

God love Mazda. As if the ND Miata wasn’t already one of the purest, lightest sports cars on the road today, in Japan Mazda has just announced an even lighter model. It’s called the Mazda Roadster 990S because it weighs … Continue reading

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VIDEO: The 1982 RX-7 GS was reviewed surprisingly similarly to modern Mazdas

We’ve seen a lot of Motorweek‘s old reviews, but a recently uploaded flashback to a 1982 Mazda RX-7 GS is a standout. Few have raved about their subject matter as much as this one. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, … Continue reading

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Amazingly detailed Mazda 787B rotary engine model released for 30th anniversary of Le Mans win

This year marked the 30th anniversary of Mazda’s historic win at the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans. To commemorate the 787B race car’s victory, Mazda aftermarket parts company MZ Racing has developed a highly detailed 1:6 scale model of … Continue reading

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Gran Turismo 7 looks to the future, celebrates Japanese classics

Last month, Polyphony Digital dropped the trailer for Gran Turismo 7, the latest iteration its ultimate driving simulator. The gorgeous visuals built on the standard set by GT Sport, along with the promise that we will get to drive on … Continue reading

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Why the 100-mile MX-30 seems like a rare misstep for Mazda

Mazda is one of the few car companies operating today that we feel really “gets” cars as something more than simple transportation. Every move they’ve made recently has piqued our car enthusiasm interest, so much so that we can hardly … Continue reading

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TUNE UP: Dua Lipa drives a pink Mazda Cosmo Sport in “Levitating” music video

Unless you’re talking about a Land Cruiser or Datsun 240Z, classic Japanese cars don’t often cross over to American pop culture. Surprisingly, though, in the music video for the song “Levitating” by Dua Lipa, which is done in an anime … Continue reading

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Happy 929 Day from JNC

The pre-facelift second-generation Mazda Luce is probably one of the most underappreciated 1970s Japanese designs. Called the 929 when equipped with a piston engine and the RX-4 under rotary power, it struck just the right balance of elegance and menace. … Continue reading

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VIDEO: The Mazda 323 Protegé LX was good, but not Honda Civic good

Poor Mazda. Even though they typically make great cars that should sell far better than they actually do. This was even true in the late 80s, when the well-reviewed sixth-generation BF 323 was completely overshadowed by, as Motorweek found, by … Continue reading

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The Toyota Celica Supra and Mazda RX-7 make amazing transforming robots

You will soon be able to get highly detailed toys of two iconic Japanese sports coupes that transform into robots. Incredibly faithful to the 1980s Transformers they’re paying homage to, these recreations have super realistic automobile likenesses. However, due to … Continue reading

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Nicholas Cage drives a bugeye Celica in this bizarre Japanese movie

There’s a new trailer out for Prisoners of the Ghostland, a bizarre looking movie that takes place in some kind of Japanese Bartertown. It stars Nicholas Cage and, frankly, looks terrible, but there are at least some notable cars in … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Mazda UK Celebrates MX-5 Special Editions

The Mazda Miata has had a ton of special editions over the years, and we’re talking just the US models. When you account for all the Miatas sold in all the different markets around the world, their numbers are seemingly … Continue reading

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Mazda is working on an RX-Vision-esque flagship sports coupe, according to patent images

According to recently discovered Japanese patent filings, it appears Mazda is working on a flagship sports coupe. The unearthed illustrations show a rear corner view that looks like the stunning RX-Vision concept but with a slightly more production-friendly shape.

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Mazda’s new “R” logo trademark looks suspiciously like a Spirit R badge

Mazda Japan has filed a trademark for a new “R” logo, potentially hinting at a myriad of possibilities regarding its denotation. It’s stylized, battleship grey and red color scheme, and race-car ish aura leads us to believe that the marque … Continue reading

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Mazda almost built a front-drive rotary sedan in the 60s

Recently Mazda restored the 40-year-old MX-81 concept after it had been discovered in a warehouse. They shipped the Bertone-designed car back to Italy to have Italian coachbuilders recondition the body and interior.  However, the MX-81 from forty years ago is … Continue reading

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Reports that Mazda is killing the rotary are not true

Even though Mazda’s new rotary engine is not slated for a sports car, many Mazda enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting its return. However, several English media outlets are reporting today Mazda’s rotary engine is once again on the back burner, … Continue reading

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There’s now a Mazda 787B easter egg in the Mazda 2

It’s kind of a shame Americans don’t buy small, zippy hatchbacks anymore because the Mazda 2 by all accounts is an affordable car that is still pretty fun to drive. Even if it hadn’t been discontinued already, it was offered … Continue reading

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