Mazda NA MiataMazda Mazda knows the world loves its Miata. The MX-5 Miata actually holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s best-selling two-seat sports car, so the secret’s very much out. Now, in an effort to encourage Miata restorations, the brand is introducing a new list of authentic reproduction parts for first-gen models. Mazda consulted Miata Clubs and specialty shops to curate the list of over 1,100 new and legacy parts, all of which it plans to re-manufacture in Japan. Included on the list is a new fabric soft top made from the same material as the original; replica aluminum wheels made lighter and with a protective finish; and “many moving parts – from the roller for the side windows to the brake piston caliper – that are likely in need of replacement.” “There is a pure feeling of joy when it comes to driving a Miata, of any generation,” said Masahiro Moro, Chairman and CEO of Mazda North American Operations. “Our unique Jinba-Ittai – ‘horse and rider as one’ – engineering philosophy has allowed for the engaging and exhilarating driving dynamic that has remained constant over the years, helping make the Miata an important vehicle for the brand and our fans.” “By helping prolong the life of MX-5 Miata NA models, Mazda is committed to supporting the roadster culture and looks forward to seeing these historic vehicles on the road – and on the track – for years to come.”So, if you know someone who’s got a less-than-perfect Miata sitting in their garage, give them a nudge in this direction — you can scope the full list of first-generation Mazda MX-5 parts right
Origin: Mazda now selling first-gen Miata restoration parts in North America
America
66 Years of Corvette complaints: a history of hating America
A 1977 Chevrolet Corvette.Chevrolet The Corvette is Americas sports car. Sure, it wasnt the first to come along, and it has seen plenty of competitors come and go, but GMs plastic two-seater remains the favourite sports car of a nation.Today we have the National Corvette Museum, where various models are enshrined (when they arent being restored from sinkhole damage).And on any given weekend, you can find several Corvettes (along with their fashionably dressed owners) at basically any classic car show.Still, the Corvette has not existed free of criticism. From its troubled beginning as a flimsy show car, professional car reviewers have not held back on sharing their honest opinions on the Corvette.Having been obsessed with Corvettes since well, before I was eating solid foods, Ive built a veritable library of period road tests of the model. And so on the eve of the C8s debut, I pored over my collection of Corvette road tests and found the rudest things reviewers said about each of the seven generations so far.C1: 1953 to 1962The production C1 Corvette was born haphazardly out of GMs Motorama show, and its kinda evident when examined up close. Most reviewers were simply happy Chevrolet was actually building the thing, but it wasnt all roses. Especially in the handling department.A driving impression not entirely favorable concerns cornering, said Motor Life in 1954. The outlet said it showed a definite unwillingness to tuck back in after flinging the back end out in a corner, and mentioned that the ride was not as comfortable as other Chevrolets.From its clean design in 53, the Corvette had grown a smattering of Harley-Earl-dictated chrome details by 1958, some of which displeased the editors of SCI magazine. They disliked the washboard-like phony louvers on the hood and Pontiac-like chrome strips on the trunk. In regards to handling, the magazine said it would simply plow right off the road as power was applied. Hardly high praise!Yes, the C1 Corvette had a handling problem, and by 1961 it still hadnt gone away. When either end of the Corvette does swing out in a corner, it swings pretty quickly and without much warning , so some vigilance is required said SCI in a 1961 road test. In 1962, Motor Trend found the ergonomics rather poor and the build quality even worse, but still said the car was completely satisfying.They said the steering wheel is mounted in a vertical position and most drivers will find it too close.It also leaves little room between the drivers lap and the bottom of the rim. This and the miserably mounted throttle pedal (it kept falling off) are the only real beefs we have about this otherwise completely satisfying car. So the C1 was ill-handling, was (in some years) covered with chrome trinkets and had old-world ergonomics. But lots of that would change in 1963.C2: 1963 to 1967The C2 Corvette was a revolution. Benchmarked against the new Jaguar E-Type during development, the C2 was fast, beautiful, and technically advanced. Made only for a short spell, the C2 is now the classic Corvette. But what drawbacks did the car have when it was new?I tried to find evidence to support the oft-repeated tale that reviewers found the split rear window annoying and found absolutely nothing to support that. Even when turning a critical eye to the car, most reviewers had very few bad things to say about it. Some equated it with the contemporary Ferrari 250 GT. But it wasnt perfect.In 1963, Car and Driver said On bumpy turns its at its worst, veering freely from one course to another, making high-frequency corrections standard operating procedure. Regarding the four-wheel drum brakes, the magazine noted fade is easily provoked. Four-wheel discs would be introduced in 1965 to quell that issue.But by 1967, Car and Driver was still unhappy about the handling. The Sting-Ray rides softly and vaguelyyoure never sure what the car is trying to tell you, editors wrote. In all, reviews here were fairly positive. Maybe the C2s classic status is well-earned.C3: 1968 to 1982The C3 is possibly the most misunderstood car ever made. Its definitely the most misunderstood Corvette. I own a beat-up 1970 model, and nearly caught fire after I claimed it was the second-best Corvette generation of them all. Over its lengthy 14-year run from 1968 to 1982, it morphed from a no-nonsense sports car bristling with power and seething with lumpy-cam attitude; to an overweight, outdated fashion statement on aluminum wheels.The fastest and most powerful Corvettes of the classic era were C3s and the slowest and least powerful V8 Corvettes were also C3s. The complaints I found for the C3 reflect this shift.Early complaints for chrome-bumper cars like mine point to its brutal, animalistic nature. In 1968, Car Life said, The 427 rides like a truck. It shakes so badly on normal roadways that you have to hang on to the wheel just to keep it from bouncing out of your grip. The fiberglass body twists like a snake, and the big V-8
Origin: 66 Years of Corvette complaints: a history of hating America
Mini’s first all-electric Cooper debuts, arrival date in North America uncertain
Mini took the covers off its all-electric Cooper SE early July, showing off a hatchback designed to make city driving emissions-free.Sporting classic Mini styling, you probably wouldnt notice at first glance that the Cooper SE is an all-electric vehicle.The EV makes a respectable 181 horsepower and 199 lb.-ft. of torque from its 135-kW electric motor; thats enough to dodge and weave through downtown traffic.Its also enough to get the small hatch to 96 km/h from zero in 7.3 seconds, which is about the same as a turbocharged three-cylinder Mini.The Mini is based on the older i3 platform, which BMW says fits perfectly where the engine used to be. The 32.6-kWh battery will help the SE reach a range of about 183 miles, which is slightly down on what were seeing with other brands recent EVs. The battery can be charged up to 80 per cent in 35 minutes or less when using a fast charger, and can also be charged using a standard 120-volt house outlet or Level 2 charger. Inside the cabin, the Mini is standard fare: not much has changed in here except for some colour-matched switches and lights. The large central information screen is still there, with touchscreens available in 5.5-, 6.5- and 8.8-inch sizes. Apple CarPlay and wireless charging are also available.While Mini has said we should expect the Cooper SE to show up on North American shores, it hasnt released a timeline for when thatll happen. As for the price? We arent sure yet, but we expect it to be a little more expensive than the Cooper S. Think of all the money youll save on
Origin: Mini’s first all-electric Cooper debuts, arrival date in North America uncertain
Volkswagen to introduce compact SUV, Tarek, to North America
Volkswagen is apparently bringing another SUV to North America. It’s called the Tarek; it’s slightly smaller than the Tiguan, so meant to challenge the likes of the Subaru Crosstrek, Honda HR-V and Kia Soul; it’s already on sale in China as the Tharu (pictured above); and its new North American presence is probably not supposed to be public knowledge just yet. The news was revealed by Volkswagen of Argentina, who outlined the Tarek’s future during a press announcement covering new investments at a local factory. Whether this was an intentional world-first announcement or not is a little hazy (probably not), but either way Autoblog Argentina was able to get its hands on this image of the distribution map, showing the Tarek’s migration from China where it exists as the Tharu, to Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. Volkswagen has yet to announce any official information about the North American Tarek, including what powertrain it’ll get, but in China, the brand builds the front-wheel drive Tharu on its MQB architecture. It carries a 1.2-, 1.4- or 2.0-litre turbo engine making 116, 150 and 186 horsepower respectively, all of which are tied to a seven-speed DSG transmission. The Tharu measures 175.3 inches long, 72.5 inches wide and 64.3 inches tall, with a 105.5-inch wheelbase. Comparatively, the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan is 185.1 inches long, 72.4 inches wide and 66.3 inches tall, with a 109.8-inch wheelbase. Will the Tarek look and behave like the Tharu, or will Volkswagen somehow distinguish it before its journey West? We promise you’ll know as soon as we
Origin: Volkswagen to introduce compact SUV, Tarek, to North America
2019 Mazda CX-5 finally gets a diesel for North America
2019 Mazda CX-5 dieselHandout / Mazda What is it? Mazda’s long-awaited diesel finally arrives in Canada. Why does it matter? Mazda has been trying to bring its oil-burner to our shores for years. There’s been all sorts of theories — I’m not sure if they actually qualify as conspiracies — as to its long delay: a lack of performance, not enough reliability or simply not enough production capacity. My personal theory is that Mazda wanted to emulate what they thought was Volkswagen’s ability — illusory, as it turns out — to reduce NOx emissions without having to inject urea into the engine. If VW could do it, surely so could the engineers from Hiroshima. We know how that story ended. Whatever the reason for the delay, Mazda swears its 2.2-litre turbodiesel is really coming this time and it will first appear in the Signature version of its compact CX-5 crossover. Said Skyactiv-D is said to pump out 168 horsepower and an even more stout 290 lb.-ft. of torque, while sipping fuel at a pretty-darned-low-for-an-SUV 8.5 L/100 kilometres overall. Sensing some hesitance amongst potential buyers, Mazda devoted an entire paragraph of its press release to meeting North American emissions regulations, noting that it adopts “special combustion control software and exhaust treatment to meet the strictest emissions regulations” and that the company “worked closely with all proper federal and state agencies in the U.S., such as the EPA and CARB, to ensure the Skyactiv-D 2.2 engine passes all appropriate regulations.” Paranoid much? When is it coming? Possibly later this summer, if summer ever arrives. Officially, all Mazda says is the second half of 2019. Should you buy it? I drove an early version of the Skyactiv-D 2.2 some years ago and it was an impressive piece of kit, free revving for a diesel and plenty torque, to boot. One presumes it has only gotten better in the ensuing three or four years. Better late than never, I suppose, and I suspect that if the Skyactiv-D proves popular in this little crossover, we’ll see it in other “Signature” Mazdas as
Origin: 2019 Mazda CX-5 finally gets a diesel for North America
Audi RS6 Avant Wagon could be coming to North America
The Audi RS6 Avant produces 553 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque. And its not for us.Handout Audi is poised to drop a bombshell on the North American market with a slew of new vehicles that haven’t yet seen our soil, including the much-fawned-after RS6 Avant Wagon. According to Car and Driver, Audi Sport’s research and development chief Oliver Hoffmann says some of its new products are going to be heading to North America. We are preparing for the biggest product offensive we ever had, he said. We will also see a new RS Q8, plus the next-generation RS7 Sportback. However, the big news here is that RS6 Avant. Audi pulled its wagons from the North American market after the C5 generation and didn’t offer the vehicles for lack of interest. That is all changing, however, with the North American market starting to turn onto wagons once again, and Audi is willing to place its bets the Avant will stand out amongst all the CUV craziness. The U.S. market is increasingly interested in real station wagons like the RS6 Avant, Hoffman adds. Therefore, it is entirely possible that we will bring it back to North America. Currently, European market versions of the fast-brake makes up to 553 horsepower from its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. The closest thing we’ve gotten to the latest generation of RS6 Avant has been the RS7 Sportback, which shares a lot of the DNA. It will be refreshing for a true wagon to come back to the continent that viewed most of the world through the rear-facing seat of
Origin: Audi RS6 Avant Wagon could be coming to North America
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