Mazda at 2010 SEMA Show

Mazda is taking its “zoom zoom” philosophy to a whole new level at the 2010 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show, which is taking place in Las Vegas this week. It features an aerodynamic body kit, an H&R suspension, a roll cage, Sparco seats, and lightweight 15-inch wheels with Hoosier race tires.

The Mazda 2 Street is a bit less adventuresome, with wide-profile Toyo Proxes RA-1 tires mounted on 949Racing 6UL 15-by-9-inch wheels and a light gray metallic paint job with matte graphic accents.

For the Mazda3 Turbo, designers added black exterior accents, tinted windows, and 19-inch forged aluminum wheels. Under the hood, power is provided by a 2.5-liter MZR engine which has been outfitted with a Garrett turbocharger.

Mazda’s iconic roadster also arrives in two souped up versions. The MX-5 Super20 celebrates the 20th anniversary of the droptop sports car. Under the hood lies a supercharged Cosworth engine and the paint scheme is black on gray, both of which give this MX-5 a substantially meaner aura. The other Miata at SEMA is the MX-5 Cup Car, which is a full-on spec racer outfitted with a plethora of racing equipment.

Also on show are two different Mazda3 sedans, as well as the Grand-Am GT Mazda RX-8. The SpeedSource Grand Am GT Mazda RX-8 is based on a tube-frame chassis jointly developed by SpeedSource and Riley Technologies, and powered by Mazda's three-rotor 20B Renesis rotary engine--a significantly more powerful unit than the smaller 13B engine used in the regular RX-8 sports car.  

Source: Mazda




Press Release

Mazda 2010 SEMA

Mazda's product lineup of sedans, sports cars and crossovers offers consumers and exciting choice for their transportation needs; a choice that offers the Soul of a Sports Car in every vehicle. Showcasing the depth and breadth of the brand, Mazda will display a slew of products, each one demonstrating Mazda's aftermarket capability and potential.

"The versatility of Mazda vehicles is extraordinary. With just minor modifications to a stock Mazda, it can be ready for the track or a car show," said Derek Jenkins, director design, MNAO. "Our SEMA cars demonstrate this ability; taking a vehicle from the dealership and making it a truly unique piece."

The newest member to the product lineup is the MAZDA2. With great styling, superb fuel economy and an affordable price tag, the 2011 MAZDA2 subcompact sedan is Zoom-Zoom in its most concentrated form. MAZDA2 is a car that only the engineers at Mazda could have created. It was designed and engineered from scratch to be a pure Mazda, offering the sort of driving experience that could only come from the company that developed the timeless MX-5 two-seat roadster, and it brings a combination of athletic design and dynamic performance to the subcompact class. Mazda Design Americas took two MAZDA2s and created a street car and a track car.

MAZDA Evil Track
The MAZDA2 Evil Track car was envisioned as a fully equipped car for series racing, and all required safety equipment to meet SCCA and NASA competition regulations. This iteration was inspired by the MAZDA2 Evil concept which debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2009. The MAZDA2 Evil Track car has an enhanced motorsport aesthetic achieved through Mazda race-inspired graphics and colors.

MAZDA2 Evil Track car is equipped with a Mazda Design aero body kit, including side skirts, front and rear air-dam and carbon fiber rear deck spoiler. Modifications include H&R race suspension and coil over kit, AWR full custom safety cage, Sparco Circuit pro seat, steering wheel, safety harness and fire system, AIM MXL Pista data acquisition system, race-tuned Magna-flow exhaust, 949 6UL 15x9 lightweight wheels and 225/45/15 Hoosier race tires.

MAZDA2 Street
The Mazda2 Street is a streetwise, urban sport inspired version of the highly successful Mazda2.
This new tougher street version is reinforced visually by using smaller diameter light weight 949 6UL 15x9 wheels and wide profile Toyo Proxes RA-1 R-compound tires. The aesthetic enhanced through the use of a light gray, superfine metallic body color and matte graphic accents.

MX-5 Super20
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the MX-5 has been re-imagined with a darker, edgier attitude in the MX5 Super20. It's a purposeful combination of street-tough style and motorsports-inspired attributes. This third generation vehicle acknowledges the iconic first-gen iteration with modifications such as a supercharged Cosworth engine, small diameter wheels, more substantial tire profile and wider fenders.

A hardtop has replaced the soft-top and the interior stripped down and fitted with a roll-bar lending a GT-inspired look and feel. The seats have suede seat inserts and channel stitching, providing improved grip for the driver. Orange contrast stitching highlights the sporty seat profile as well as providing a polished look throughout, coordinating with the exterior graphic treatment which plays off the black and Storm Gray exterior.

Additional modifications include a DPTune reflashed ECU, Racing Beat 304-stainless steel header and exhaust, ACT organic street clutch, MAZDASPEED coil overs, Racing Beat hollow front and rear anti-roll bars, MAZDASPEED shock tower brace, Power Slot slotted brake rotors, StopTech DOT-compliant stainless steel brake lines and street performance brake pads, SpeedSource front brake ducts, 16x9 Enkei RPF1 wheels wrapped with 245/45-R16 Toyo Proxes RA-1 R-compound tires, 20mm H&R Trak+ hubcentric bolt-on wheel spacers in the rear and 15mm Sparco hubcentric wheel spacers up front.

MAZDA3 Redline Time Attack
The Redline Time Attack Super Modified series is where you see the fastest road racing tuner cars in the country. Full use of carbon/composite body panels, big wings, tires and lots of power are common. The fastest Super Modified class cars can run lap times faster than World Challenge GT cars and are close to surpassing American Le Mans Series GT2 lap times - top speeds at some tracks will surpass 180 mph.

The MAZDA3 Reline Time Attack car is a Super Modified (unlimited rules) class car with more than 500 horsepower at the wheels from a highly modified 2.5-liter turbocharged MZR engine. It features 280/650/18 Yokohama Advan Racing slick tires on 18x10.5 Volk Racing TE-37 wheels.

MAZDA3 Turbo Sedan
A small team of designers and engineers at Mazda R&D in Irvine, Calif., decided to have a little fun with a MAZDA3. The team took its knowledge of the Mazda parts bin and its close relationships with MAZDASPEED Motorsports suppliers, looked in the mirror, and decided to build a tuner car that shows its own vision of the MAZDA3.

The car is painted to mimic the MAZDA3 Time Attack race car, but in a more subdued Crystal White Pearl base coat with soft gray tone graphics. The scheme is a modern twist on the famous Renown graphics used on the Mazda 787B that won Le Mans in 1991. Exterior details, including grille inserts, side mirrors, fog lamp bezels, the roof panel, and the formerly chrome interior of the front lamps are all given a bright black paint treatment. Combined with tinted windows, and dark red taillight lenses, the dark details tighten the car visually, emphasizing the MAZDA3's taught, muscular shape much like a tailored black suit on an athlete. Wheels are forged aluminum 19x8-inch with 225/40-19 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires straight off the RX-8 R3.

The sedan was sent to Tri-Point Engineering for a boost in power, so they installed a turbo kit utilizing a rugged cast iron turbo manifold feeding a high-efficiency Garrett GT2871R ball bearing turbo. At a mild 10 psi of boost, the 2.5-liter MZR engine is making well over 250 horsepower at the wheels. To handle this extra power, the front brakes were replaced with rotors and calipers from a MAZDASPEED3, while the rear rotors and calipers were sourced from a MAZDA5. Double-adjustable coil-overs from KW Suspension, paired with a Tri-Point adjustable rear stabilizer bar bring the handling back into harmony with the engine's higher output.

Grand-Am GT Mazda RX-8
The SpeedSource Grand Am GT Mazda RX-8 is based on a tube-frame chassis jointly developed by SpeedSource and Riley Technologies, and powered by Mazda's three-rotor 20B Renesis rotary engine. The 20B three-rotor engine is the cornerstone of Mazda's Grand Am GT RX-8 program, and based on the engine used in the RX-8 street car. With its compact size and light weight, the rotary engine brings with it a vast history in sprint and endurance racing. Revving to over 9,000 rpm, the distinctive 20B rotary engine sounds like no other engine on the Grand Am ROLEX GT grid.

The Mazda RX-8 dominated the 2010 Grand-AM GT season winning six of 12 races, and winning the drivers, team, and manufacturers championship.

MX-5 Cup Car
The most road-raced car in the world -- as well as being the best-selling two-seat roadster in the world - the MX-5 Miata is no stranger to the track. The MX-5 Cup is a series that pits similarly modified MX-5s together on the track. The MX-5 Cup car weighs just under 2,600 pounds and features an authoritative 195-horsepower motor. The series was launched in 2006 and has since enjoyed strong fields and close competition.

Engine Modifications: A MAZDASPEED cold air intake system is required.
Chassis Modifications: The only modification is the addition of the 3-piece front strut tower brace that comes with the sport package.

Transmission/Final Drive Modifications: The stock six-speed gearbox is used by all cars.
Suspension/Steering Modifications: The MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development MX-5 Cup kit is comprised of double adjustable shocks, specified springs and threaded-perch coil-overs. All cars also run identical anti-roll bars and end links.

Brake System Modifications: Brakes must maintain stock brake rotor specifications.
Wheels: All cars run their choice of the stock alloy 17x7" wheels available on MX-5 Miatas.
Tires: The series spec tire is the BFGoodrich g-Force R1, size: 225/45/17.
Body Modifications: None
Safety Modifications: All MX-5 Cup cars run with full safety equipment, including an eight-point rollcage that must be welded into the car. Other safety equipment includes a racing seat, head/neck restraint, an electrical shut-off switch and an incorporated fire-extinguishing system.

Australian Motor Show: 2011 Mazda BT-50

The Japanese carmaker Mazda has just releases official photos and details for the 2011 BT-50 at the Australian International auto Show in Sydney.

The new 2011 Mazda BT-50 has been developed with the Active lifestyle vehicle theme in mind and offering a refined and expressive styling and a high quality interior. The front and of the 2011 Mazda BT-50 features the brand's "family face" with a five-point grille and boomerang shaped headlights. The rear of the 2011 Mazda BT-50 shows horizontally stretched taillights that aim to offer the pick-up a premium SUV look.

Mazda is staying mum on engine specifications, but choices will likely include a 110 kW (150 PS / 148 hp) 2.2-liter Duratorq TDCi I4, a 147 kW (200 PS / 197 hp) 3.2-liter Duratorq TDCi I5, and a 122 kW (166 PS / 164 hp) 2.5-liter Duratec I4 petrol.

Inside, the dashboard has an asymmetric design, while four metallic panel strips span from the door trim to the sides of the center console. A metallic outline highlights the two cylindrical dials and connects them via a center strip to enhance the sporty mpression of the instrument panel.

Mazda said it developed the all-new BT-50, which shares its basic platform with the Ranger, under the styling theme "Sophisticated Beast." The exterior design is, to say the least, rather unusual for the compact-truck segment.




Press Release

All-New Mazda BT-50

"Active Lifestyle Vehicle"

Mazda is proud to announce a brand new direction in the utility market.

At this year's Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, Mazda is unveiling the All-New BT-50 that signifies a new direction in the utility segment. It was developed as an "Active lifestyle vehicle," and is intended to further extend the appeal of a utility from traditional business users to a wide range of customers, including families and pleasure-seekers.

The current BT-50 is Mazda's only offering in the utility segment. It is an established one-tonne utility that has won numerous awards and gained a strong following all over the world. In developing the new model, Mazda intended to expand its appeal to customers who lead active lifestyles and have needs that cannot be met by conventional utilities. It offers all the functionality required for business use combined with passenger car-like comfort for family use; and for active customers in Australia and Europe, it is the perfect answer for all kinds of outdoor leisure activities. In this way, the new BT-50 has been developed to fulfill the varied requirements of customers in every market.

To ensure all these aims were met, the all-new BT-50 was developed under the theme "Active lifestyle vehicle." The result is a utility that offers unique value; it has refined and expressive styling; a comfortable, high quality interior; a smooth ride with the feel of a passenger car; sporty and responsive driving dynamics that reflect Mazda's DNA; and outstanding environmental and safety performance.

Design: "Sophisticated Beast"

We wanted to design a truck that car lovers would be deeply pleased with and proud to own. We targeted a unique and expressive design that people would find desirable, and we also wanted it to be seen as strong and dependable. This led us to define the design concept as a "Sophisticated Beast."

As Ryo Yanagisawa, chief designer of the all-new BT-50, explains: "Mazda's brand message is Zoom-Zoom, which refers to the emotion of motion first experienced as a child. With the All-New BT-50, we aimed to express this emotion through the design, and we drew a lot of inspiration from various "movements" in the world around us. For example, we had a photograph of a lion. He looked like a magnificent predator with his muscles all bunching up as though he was about to pounce on his prey. His sinews were stretched taut ready to strike, and his mane framed a sharp, masculine countenance that seemed to say, ‘I am the proud king of the beasts!' In profile, that lion appeared to be both intelligent and powerful. I really wanted the design of the truck to project that kind of image. This kind of inspiration was the basis of the emotional design that we worked so hard to achieve with the all-new BT-50."

Exterior - Lively and Imposing Styling

Without detracting from the strength or the level of functionality, we wanted to give the exterior of the All-New BT-50 an athletic design, overflowing with movement, that would make people immediately want to get in and drive. The crisp lines will have owners looking on with pride.

The finished car has a beauty and individuality that can be recognized at a glance from any angle, even up to 100 meters away.

• Dynamic wedge-shaped proportions evoke an image of a large carnivore about to pounce on its unsuspecting prey. This is unlike any other utility.

• Casting off the conventional boxy image of a utility, sporty and dynamic lines are in tune with the rest of Mazda's passenger vehicle lineup.

• Further evolving Mazda's traditional prominent fenders, muscular lines flow from the fenders along the body sides.

A Front Fascia with a Bold, Overwhelming Presence and an Individual Rear End

• Mazda's family face, the five-point grille, is further evolved for a more imposing expression with the headlights and a chrome crossbar forming a large pentagon.

• The headlights have a bold boomerang shape, elaborate details and a functional beauty.

• A first in the segment - the taillights are stretched horizontally, reaching around the corners and across the tailgate, for a sporty and refined rear view that is similar to a premium SUV.

Interior - A Sporty and Personal Space

We wanted to give the interior of the All-New Mazda BT-50 a more sporty and personal feel to complement the dynamic exterior image, and create a comfortable space to rival Mazda's current passenger car standard. The cockpit is designed to wrap around the driver and provide an environment that supports enthusiastic driving. It raises anticipation for a sporty and responsive driving experience that goes beyond any conventional utility.

• The flowing design smoothly connects the center of the instrument panel to the raised center console, which has never before been seen in a pickup truck.

• The dashboard has an asymmetric design to create optimal space on each side; it reassuringly wraps around the driver and provides an open space for the passenger.

• Four bold metallic panel strips on the door trim and sides of the center console express dynamism and seem to be supporting the interior space.

• A metallic outline highlights the two cylindrical meters and connects them via a center strip to improve readability and enhance the sporty, driver-oriented impression of the instrument panel.

• The audio control panel and the climate control switch panel, which has independent driver- and passenger-side temperature controls, form a beautifully designed human interface.

With modern and refined styling both inside and out, the All-New Mazda BT-50 will raise the bar in the utility segment and for the first time provide a realistic alternative to the family wagon and 4x4 SUV.

2010 Mazda Sport Cars Coupe Shinari Concept Car

Mazda launched the 2010 Shinari sports cars coupe at the Paris Motor Show in early October, a four door concept car that shows the new design. This design as well as to replace the Nagare design. Mazda Shinari Concept represents the profound connection of driver and machine and the beginning of Mazda's latest design theme 'KODO-Soul in Motion'. Shinari exhibits a functional aesthetic that will continue to evolve as Mazda continues to define its next generation of vehicles.

2010 Mazda Sport Cars Coupe Shinari Concept Car

The development of the Shinari Concept was actually a collaboration between three of Mazda’s design centers in Japan, Germany and the United States. Mazda also said it is working to improve the quality level of its interiors for future vehicles. With 2010 Mazda Sport Cars Coupe Shinari Concept Car as the first step, Ikuo Maeda, general manager of Mazda's design division, aims to create original Mazda designs that will be recognized around the world. He summarizes his resolve in the following words:

"My goal is to create designs that people can point to proudly and say, 'This is a Mazda design'. There is no need for Mazda to build cars for people who are only concerned with 'style' and 'trends'. Whether working on sports cars or compact cars, I have always worked to create designs that evoke an emotional response in people and I hope to keep doing the same as I remain fully committed to develop designs for people who love and admire cars. It is my personal belief that the only way to create designs that fundamentally connect with people and to create designs they love, is if the people creating them are absolutely passionate about cars and are willing to make that passion a firm policy for design expression.

The Mazda Shinari is a pure design concept model of a four-door, four-seater sport cars coupe which perfectly expresses the 'KODO - Soul of Motion' design theme in a graceful and carefree form. All of Mazda Shinari Concept's body surfaces appear as if constantly undergoing transformation. There is no static shape to be found, as if the car is in perpetual motion. For instance the subtle control of the angle of the upper surface of the side sill, from the front to the rear, results in a form that suggests a flash of speed along the body of the car. Aerodynamic performance was a major priority for Mazda Shinari Concept, and the centre of the lower sections - on both the front and rear bumpers - are designed to optimize the flow of air along the underbody of the car.

2010 Mazda Sport Cars Coupe Shinari Concept Car 

The principle of 'dedicated driving ergonomics' is further reflected in the car's next generation Human Machine Interface (HMI). The availability of smaller electronic components has allowed Mazda Shinari Concept's designers to create a floating HMI three-dimensional display; a design element that represents the very latest HMI technology . The system offers three distinct modes: 'Business, Pleasure and Sport'.

Yasushi Nakamuta, the chief designer who led the design of the third generation Mazda MX-5, was the first to begin the ideation of the Mazda Shinari Concept: "The challenge for us was to create an innovative new expression for energetic and powerful movement; something that we had never attempted before. We began by developing the design around the image of a predator, as it strikes at its prey, or the stabbing movement in kendo, Japanese fencing, to express the instant where accumulated force is released.

Ikuo Maeda say, "Further, I consider it vitally important to have an awareness of Japanese originality in designing cars for Mazda. This is not merely about incorporating traditional Japanese elements into car design. I believe in reflecting the Japanese spirit in car designs as part of a subconscious practice. So, while I consider where this may lead in the future, my plan is to create cars that will be instantly recognizable as a Mazda, even when viewed at a distance. My ultimate goal is to create a brand presence that car lovers around the world recognize as representing both Mazda originality and Japanese originality. Future Mazda's will move people physically and emotionally - this is 'KODO - Soul of Motion'."

2010 Mazda Sport Cars Coupe Shinari Concept Car