28 Feb 2013

On This Day: Mazda Licenses Wankel Rotary Engine In 1961

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Fifty-two years ago today, a Japanese firm by the name of Toyo Kogyo procured a license from a German company for a novel engine design. In those terms, it sounds relatively innocuous, but that move is precisely how Mazda first gained access to the legendary Wankel rotary engine.

The Wankel rotary is the handicraft of Dr. Felix Wankel, an engineer who worked in partnership with Germany’s NSU (which was later absorbed into Audi) to bring his piston-free engine to fruition. Wankel’s finalized design emerged in 1954, and passed durability tests in 1959. NSU not only began planning Wankel-powered cars and motorcycles of its own, but also licensed the technology to interested parties. Toyo Kogyo/ Mazda was the fourth firm to do so, but the first that intended on using the Wankel to propel a passenger vehicle. 

Mazda’s first car to utilize the Wankel was the vaunted Cosmo Sport. Development of the jet-inspired two-seat coupe began in early 1963, despite the fact Mazda’s second-generation Wankel design – a 798-cc, two-rotor engine dubbed the L8A — wasn’t fully ready until July of 1963. Mazda showed the car at the 1963 Tokyo Motor Show along with both the L8A and a single-rotor variant with half the displacement. 

Series production of the Cosmo Sport 110S didn’t start for another four years. In the interim, Mazda continued to build and showcase a number of Wankel-powered Cosmo Sport models as it perfected the design. In 1966, the L10 two-rotor, which displaced 982cc and offered 110 hp, was locked in for the production car. Mazda built another 60-80 development cars before series production finally commenced on May 30, 1967. Cosmo Sport production ran all of five years, resulting in roughly 1500 production vehicles.

Over the past 45 years, Mazda stuck the Wankel in a number of different vehicles, including small family sedans, luxury coupes, LeMans racers, and even compact pickup trucks. Still, Mazda’s rotary is perhaps best known as the hallmark of its RX-7 and RX-8 sports coupes. The RX-7 debuted in 1978, ran three generations, and was phased out in 2002. The larger RX-8 debuted in 2004, and was on sale until production – along with that of the RX-8′s Renesis rotary engine – ended in late 2012. Although many automakers licensed Wankel’s design at one time or another, it’s safe to say Mazda stuck with the technology the longest.

Will the Wankel continue to live on at Mazda? The termination of the RX-8 and the Renesis are largely blamed on the engine’s inability to meet increasingly stringent fuel economy and emission standards around the globe. Mazda officials continue to say they’d like to reintroduce the Wankel — complete with new tricks and technologies to boost its efficiency – as it’s a key part of Mazda’s identity, but we keep hearing that possibility is still five years away at the very least.

 

Courtesy of AutomobileMag

26 Feb 2013

2014 Mazda CX-5 & 2013 Mazda3 — SKYACTIV® TECHNOLOGY

26 Feb 2013

Thank you for your recommendation, Roberta! Check out her 5-star review on Yelp.

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25 Feb 2013

Special Offer - Oil Change

Keep your Mazda running like new with this special offer. Hurry, this deal won't last!

 

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21 Feb 2013

Video - Mazda Rear Window Shades

20 Feb 2013

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19 Feb 2013

Mazda6 Celebrity Challenge - Wayne Cooper

15 Feb 2013

MAZDA NAMED MOST AFFORDABLE COST-OF-OWNERSHIP AUTOMOTIVE BRAND BY KELLEY BLUE BOOK'S KBB.COM

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Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) announced that it has been recognized by Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com as having the most affordable five-year cost of ownership among any other automotive manufacturer. As a result, Mazda is the recipient of the "2013 5-Year Cost to Own Award" while the Mazda5 received the "2013 5-Year Cost to Own Award" in the Minivan/Van class from Kelley Blue Book.

"This award celebrates everything Mazda has been working toward over the past few years so we are honored to receive this recognition from KBB.com," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, MNAO. "As we move forward with our new sixth-generation of products that showcase improved quality, fuel efficiency and driving dynamics, owning a Mazda will continue to be an enjoyable experience that doesn't have to break the bank to maintain."

"­­New-car shoppers often are most concerned with the upfront cost of a vehicle; however, consumers would be wise to consider their purchase from a more holistic standpoint by examining the total cost to own a vehicle over the initial five-year ownership period," said Dan Ingle, vice president of vehicle valuations for Kelley Blue Book.  "Kelley Blue Book's 5-Year Cost to Own winners provide the top options in multiple categories and at the brand level."

KBB.com cites Mazda's ability to offer consumers low maintenance costs and, thanks to SKYACTIV®[1] TECHNOLOGY, excellent fuel economy in combination with consumer confidence in Mazda's low depreciation. Thanks to these factors, Mazda is able to offer consumers an ownership experience that is both enjoyable and affordable, two things that don't always accompany each other. Best of all, the 2013 KBB.com 5-Year Cost to Own Award for Mazda means that this experience can be had across all carlines in the Mazda brand, including Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda5 and CX-5.

The 5-Year Cost to Own Awards honors the vehicles and brands (luxury and non-luxury) with the lowest projected ownership costs, based on Kelley Blue Book's 5-Year Cost to Own data for new cars for the initial five-year ownership period.  While depreciation (or loss of value) and fuel costs may be the greatest expense incurred in owning a vehicle, there are other factors that can have a significant impact on a consumer's pocketbook.  Available on Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com, 5-Year Cost to Own information takes into consideration depreciation, expected fuel costs, finance and insurance fees, maintenance and repair costs, and state fees for new models.   Kelley Blue Book's 5-Year Cost to Own Awards, like all new- and used-car information provided by KBB.com, exist to help shoppers make more informed new-car buying decisions by breaking down typical ownership cost details and naming the brands and models with the lowest projected five-year total.

 

Courtesy of Mazda

14 Feb 2013

Four Ways The 2014 Mazda 6 Emulates A Luxury Car

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Mazda is making its cars look and feel more premium in an effort to stand out.

At a presentation during the press launch of the all-new 2014 Mazda 6 sedan, several executives talked about how the car is a class above in terms of styling, quality and content, meaning that even though it has a $20,880 starting price, it looks and feels like something more expensive.

Pinpointing exactly what lends it that air of luxury isn’t easy. Fortunately, Derek Jenkins, director of design for Mazda North America, was on hand to break it down.

Proportions

If you look at the Mazda 6 from the side, you can see that the hood is long and the cabin looks like it’s pushed toward the rear of the car. This was accomplished by increasing the space between the front wheel and the base of the windshield.

“When you take the A post [the front roof pillar] and pull that back, it puts the visual weight of the vehicle farther back over the rear wheels, which is what gives you that sense of power and prestige in the proportion of the car. And you really see that in the premium segments,” Jenkins says.

Details

Things that are overdone tend to look gaudy or cheap. But being too plain isn’t good either. The 2014 Mazda 6 has just enough details to catch the eye.

Jenkins points out the line that runs under the front grille and into the headlights. It gives contrast without being busy. “Everything’s done in this sharp, precise, knife-like quality,” Jenkins says. “Nothing is overly radiused or too round and puffy. Everything is very precise and clear, and to me that lends to this feeling of high quality.”

The wheels help too, he says. They are sprayed with three coats of paint for a rich gray finish, creating a look that’s similar to some luxury cars.

Craftsmanship

On the inside, the Mazda 6 pleases with its uncluttered dashboard. The strong horizontal line that cuts it in half creates a sense of spaciousness. “We were trying to avoid this kind of boom box, stacked-up center console and just keep things very clean, very simple,” Jenkins says.

The leather seats look like those of a European premium sedan with their stitching and rich grain. Using real metal for the door handles and other trim pieces would have been ideal, but was too expensive. So Mazda worked with suppliers to create a paint finish with high metallic content that mimics the look and feel of metal.

“In the past with Mazda interiors, we tended to do a lot of just painted silver surfaces,” Jenkins says. “On the new car, we used a lot more discretion on how we applied our liquid metal accents.”

Colors

Color is key when it comes to creating the right impression, and the Mazda 6 sports several new ones. Jenkins mentions the Soul Red and Reflex Blue as examples.

“A lot of effort goes into the sculpting of our vehicles … and you have to show off those surfaces with quality, deep finishes,” he says. “There’s even a new paint process that allows us to get a deeper look, get a brighter highlight and a darker shadow, again really highlighting the sculpting of the car.”

The 2014 Mazda 6 just rolled out this month, with a diesel option coming later this year.

Courtesy of Forbes

14 Feb 2013

Check out these TWO Awesome 5-Star Reviews on Yelp!

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"In April I will have my Mazda 5 for 5 years.  It's been serviced at the Oakland branch where I had purchased it.  Why?  Easy that's why.  Courtesy shuttle service, thanks Luis, repair service manager, Jack Barbieri, great to work with in all situations regarding my Mazda.  Ladies in office are fun and efficient..Here's to another year of great service and a fine tuned Mazda!" -- Rosa

"I bought my Mazda 3 through a buying service from another dealer near Monterey. Mazda of Oakland is the nearest Mazda to me and having just had 5000 mile service to my car, it makes me wish I had purchased the car through them. Service was very quick and professional, and customer service very thoughtful in providing me transportation to my and from my home in a timely manner in Alameda. The price was very good as well - far better than I expected from dealership service. I will definitely bring my car for service again, even past the paid maintenance period." -- Julia

Check out more customer reviews here.

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