Mazda to leave Flat Rock plant it shares with Ford

Detroit News staff and wires
Mazda Motor Corp. will pull out of its manufacturing venture with Ford Motor Co. and stop making cars in Michigan, a Japanese newspaper reported Friday.

Ford and Mazda both declined to comment on the report.

But Mazda has been studying whether to keep making autos at the Flat Rock plant, and senior executives have said they expect to make a decision this year.

Mazda and Ford operate the AutoAlliance International plant as a 50-50 partnership. But the plant was running at less than half of its capacity last year, as its 1,700 workers produced just 36,000 Mazda6 cars and 78,000 Ford Mustangs on a single shift.

Citing unidentified company sources, the Nikkei business daily said Mazda was considering selling its stake to Ford as part of a restructuring of its global production operations.

Mazda would ship cars to the United States from Japan and from Mexico starting around 2013, according to the Nikkei.

The Japanese automaker said in a statement Friday that it had "nothing to announce at this time.

"Today's news report … is not based on information released by Mazda. We do not comment on speculation."

Several analysts expect Mazda to announce a decision soon.

"Mazda has signaled for months that it may be ending its U.S. manufacturing presence at the Flat Rock assembly plant, and although the company still hasn't confirmed the action, it seems circumstances are pointing in that direction," said Bill Visnic, senior analyst at online research firm Edmunds.com.

"Sales in the United States for the redesigned Mazda6 built at Flat Rock are running at about one-third of expectations," he said.

This year, Mazda has sold 103,072 vehicles in America, up 5.7 percent. But sales of Mazda6 cars, battling in the cutthroat midsize sedan segment, are down 8.9 percent at 13,604.

Ford has maintained employment at Flat Rock by increasing output of its vehicles at the plant, the Nikkei said.

But the ties binding the companies have loosened. Ford, once Mazda's controlling shareholder with a 33.4 percent stake, has reduced its holding to 3.5 percent.

In the meantime, Mazda is struggling financially. In the fiscal year ended March 31, its losses widened to 60 billion yen, or $742 million, from 6.5 billion yen, or $76 million, in the previous year.

The Hiroshima-based automaker attributed the deterioration in its results to lackluster sales in Japan, the initial impact of the massive March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and the strength of the yen. Mazda exports around 80 percent of the vehicles it makes in Japan.

Source;
http://www.detnews.com/article/20110604/AUTO01/106040319/1148/AUTO01/Report--Mazda-to-leave-Flat-Rock-plant-it-shares-with-Ford

Carscoop: R.I.P. Mazda6 and Subaru Tribeca?!?

Mazda and Subaru may soon be forced to axe two of their models in the US market, the Mazda6 mid-size vehicle and the Subaru Tribeca SUV, due to low volumes that undermine the efficiency of the U.S. plants that they are built in, according to a newspaper report from Japan’s business daily Nikkan Kogyo. It should be noted though that spokesmen for both companies declined to comment on the report.

Nikkan Kogyo wrote that Mazda is planning to discontinue production of the Mazda6 at the Flat Rock, Michigan plant, which it operates as a joint venture together with Ford Motor Co., as sales missed expectations. When Mazda introduce the latest generation of the mid-size model in 2008, the company expected an annual production of around 100,000 units, but last year, the plant churned out just 45,168 Mazda6s. In April, Mazda6 posted an increase of 7.8 percent but sales reached just 2,734 vehicles.

But being that the mid size segment is an important category, the report says that Mazda is mulling other options including the introduction of another model or build a similar vehicle at a lower cost factory in Mexico.

As for the Tribeca, which has been in production since 2005 at Subaru’s Indiana plant, the Japanese newspaper said the company has stopped the development of a new version and plans to use the increased capacity to build the better selling Outback and Legacy. This year through April, Subaru sold just 910 examples of the SUV model.

Source;
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2011/05/mazda6-and-subaru-tribeca-to-be-axed.html

Mazda recalls 2009-10 Mazda6 for spider webs causing fuel leaks

Wow, now how did the engineers miss this obvious flaw?!? (sarcasm detected)

David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Mazda Motor Corp. is recalling 52,000 2009-10 Mazda6 vehicles over concerns the fuel tank could crack and leak — because of spider webs.

The highly unusual recall covers vehicles built at the Auto Alliance plant in Flat Rock between April 2008 and February 2010.

Mazda told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that "a certain type of spider may weave a web in the evaporative canister vent line."

That could lead to pressure in the emission control system that could stress the fuel tank and lead to a crack.

Mazda said it found a spider web when it reviewed a complaint in October 2009. The company will include a "spring to prohibit spider intrusion" and the computer will be reprogrammed to prevent a build-up of pressure in the emission control system.

Mazda will begin notifying owners March 14.

Source;
http://detnews.com/article/20110303/AUTO01/103030430/1148/Mazda-recalls-2009-10-Mazda6-for-spider-webs-causing-fuel-leaks

Mazda May Exit From U.S. Factory Operated With Ford

By Makiko Kitamura and Yuki Hagiwara - Feb 18, 2011

Mazda Motor Corp. may pull out from a U.S. factory it operates jointly with Ford Motor Co. after production turned unprofitable, Chief Financial Officer Kiyoshi Ozaki said.

The company will announce plans for the factory in Flat Rock, Michigan, by middle of this year, Ozaki told reporters in Tokyo today. Mazda may also consider overhauling the plant or changing the models built there, he said without elaboration.

Mazda, Japan’s second-largest auto exporter, has been hurt by the yen’s sustained rise against the U.S. dollar in recent months. The Hiroshima-based company’s U.S. sales fell 9 percent in January, as increased incentives on Toyota Motor Corp.’s Corolla compact, and demand for Hyundai Motor Co.’s Elantra sapped demand for the Mazda3, Ozaki said.

A decision by Mazda to leave the plant shared with Ford since the 1980s “wouldn’t catch Ford off guard,” said Kim Hill, an economist with the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

“Unlike several other Ford facilities, Flat Rock hasn’t had a major recent investment in flexibility,” Hill said. “If Mazda were to leave, Ford would probably want to look at putting something off its small-car platform in that facility.”

Marcey Evans, a Ford spokeswoman, declined to comment.

The Michigan plant needs to run at 70 percent of its full 240,000 annual capacity to make a profit, Ozaki said earlier today. Mazda aims to introduce a more fuel-efficient engine to spur demand and increase domestic production to improve economies of scale after slipping into a third-quarter loss.

Mazda will need to adjust U.S. inventory by 5,000 units through the end of March, he said.

Ford’s Stake
Mazda aims to increase domestic production 33 percent to 1.1 million units in the year ending in March 2016, compared with 827,910 units last fiscal year. The ratio of exports will also increase as demand for cars in Japan declines, he said.

Mazda’s Michigan plant produced about 54,000 units last year, Ozaki said.

Ford, the second-largest U.S. automaker, reduced its stake in Mazda to 3.5 percent from 11 percent last year, scaling back an alliance of more than 30 years. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker formed an automatic-transmission joint venture with Mazda in 1969 and acquired a 25 percent stake in the Japanese automaker in 1979.

The U.S. carmaker took effective control of the Japanese company in 1996, raising its stake to 33.4 percent. It reduced the stake to 13 percent in November 2008, and a share issue by Mazda in 2009 further shrank the holding to 11 percent.

New Powertrain
Mazda plans to introduce its new “Skyactiv” powertrain system across almost all models by 2015, starting with the domestic, U.S. and Australian markets this year. Earlier this month, the carmaker reported a third-quarter loss, citing the strength of the Japanese currency which reached a 15-year high in November.

The new Demio compact, the first model to use the system, will go on sale in Japan in the first half of 2011 and runs 30 kilometers per liter of gasoline under the Japanese testing system, Mazda said in October. The new car’s fuel-economy rating is the same as the hybrid version of Honda Motor Co.’s Fit and better than the current Demio’s 23 kilometers per liter.

Yen’s Impact
With exports making up 80 percent of Japan production in 2010, Mazda is more vulnerable to the yen’s impact than its domestic rivals. The strong yen against the dollar cut nine- month operating profit by 13.6 billion yen ($163 million), the company said this month.

Mazda posted a net loss of 2.7 billion yen for the three months ended Dec. 31. The company will still meet its full-year profit forecast of 6 billion yen as sales in Japan recover, Ozaki said.

While the strong yen erodes profitability of exports, Mazda needs to increase domestic output to boost economies of scale, the company has said. It aims to increase domestic production 33 percent to 1.1 million units in the year ending in March 2016, compared with 827,910 units last fiscal year, Ozaki said today.

Source;
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-02-18/mazda-s-cash-position-won-t-improve-next-fiscal-year-cfo-says.html

2012 Mazda MX-5/Miata Illustrations

Wow, now that is aggressive looking! Hopefully they put something under the hood to match these illustrations!
Source;
http://www.woodyscarsite.com/2010/12/2012-mazda-mx-5-miata.html

Video: 2011 Mazda2 - Good, but not quite (Honda) Fit

You know that the Honda FIT is a good car when it's used as a benchmark when comparing other good cars....

The subcompact Mazda2 isn't a bad car, but "not bad" isn't enough to take the world by storm. In today's competitive car market, there are plenty of really good cars to pick from.

Good fuel mileage is a big reason buyers go for small cars. The Mazda2 returned an average of 30 mpg overall with an automatic transmission and 33 with the manual in our testing. While that's not too shabby, it isn't outstanding these days. The larger and more comfortable Toyota Corolla compact returned 32 mpg overall in our tests with an automatic, and the midsize Hyundai Sonata GLS clocked in at 27 mpg overall.

Both of those cars are newer designs than the wee Mazda, and that's one of the 2's problems: Engine, transmission, and other technologies are advancing so fast that an older design just can't deliver the fuel economy of newer models. And the Mazda2 is an older design, having been on sale in Japan, Europe, and other markets for several years before being introduced to U.S. buyers earlier this year.

That leads to the other problem. There's good reason why carmakers bring certain models to certain markets and don't bring others. Roads, driving habits, and lifestyles vary tremendously around the world. The Mazda2 does not drive like it was designed for U.S. roads. That's because it wasn't.

The 2 is a kick to drive around town, zipping in and out of tight spaces and easy to park. On back roads, it's also entertaining to toss around. But the 2 isn't a fun cruiser. It's noisy on those highways we Americans rely on to get around so much, with a choppy ride, and it can feel a bit darty, requiring a lot of steering correction to stay on course.

Honda brought the subcompact Fit to our shores a few years ago, and it, too, was a design not intended for the U.S market. But with much more interior room and a clever folding rear seat that turns it into a mini cargo truck, the Fit has been a hit with American buyers. It's one of our top-Rated subcompacts.

The Mazda2 entered the increasingly crowded subcompact category as a contender and outscored some others in our testing. But it isn't as Fit as some others.

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/12/video-2011-mazda2-good-but-not-quite-fit.html

Honda, Mazda Improve Bottom Lines

TOKYO—Japanese automakers Honda Motor Co. and Mazda Motor Corp. both said that sales was growing strongly in Asia and North America as both reported improved earnings for the quarter.

Honda fared better of the two, reporting a surge in net profit of 272.49 billion yen ($3.13 billion) in the fiscal first quarter ended June 30, a huge jump from 7.56 billion yen in the same period a year earlier. The company also boosted its full-year outlook as solid sales in Asia and North America and cost-reductions more than offset the impact of the yen's strength.

Operating profit grew more than nine-fold to yen 234.44 billion in the April-June quarter, from 25.16 billion yen a year earlier.

The net profit beat the average forecast for a 106.78 billion yen based on a survey of four analysts compiled by the Tokyo-based financial information service provider Quick.

Honda, Japan's third-largest car maker by sales volume, said sales rose 17.9% to 2.361 trillion yen in the three months ended June from 2.002 trillion yen.

For the current fiscal year through March, Honda said it now expects group net profit of 455 billion yen against earlier forecast of 340 billion yen and operating profit of 450 billion yen against 400 billion yen.

Its full-year sales outlook was trimmed to 9.100 trillion yen from earlier-projected 9.340 trillion yen even as it raised its global vehicle sales target to 3.640 million units from 3.615 million units projected in April on an anticipated boost in sales for Asia.

Honda also said it will buy back up to 12 million shares for 25 billion yen and cancel 1.3% of outstanding shares Aug. 6.

Meanwhile, Mazda said Friday sales in North America and China, along with cost cuts, helped it narrow net losses in its fiscal first quarter, leaving it on track to return to profit this fiscal year after restructuring.

The company said said its retail sales rose 21% by volume in North America and 28% in China, which caused revenue to increase 35% to 578.0 billion yen from 428.2 billion yen last time.

Mazda, in which Ford Motor Co. owns an 11% stake, said its net loss narrowed to 2.10 billion yen in the last quarter, compared with a net loss of 21.5 billion yen in the same period a year earlier.

Though it finished the period in the red, Japan's fifth-biggest car maker by volume did log an operating profit of 6.37 billion yen in the April-June quarter, compared with an operating loss of 28 billion yen a year earlier.

Mazda, best known as the maker of the Mazda3 subcompact and the MX-5 Miata convertible, left unchanged its forecast for the current fiscal year through March.

The car maker continues to expect a net profit of 5 billion yen, an operating profit of yen 30 billion and sales of 2.270 trillion yen.

Honda reports earnings under U.S. accounting standards. Mazda reports earnings under Japanese accounting standards.

Source;
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703999304575398510078219100.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Honda Civic barely maintains No. 1 spot

I find it funny how everybody is riding Honda for delaying the redesign (to continue to leapfrog the market by 4 years) and how the newly redesigned (and nice I might add too) Mazda 3 has been gaining ground. If anything, this is a testament as to how good Honda engineering actually is, this 2010 (and soon to be 2011) is relatively unchanged since 2006, yet it is still extremely competitive, how many other manufacturers can you say have a 5yrs old car that still leads the market in sales. Having said that, I cannot wait to see what Honda has in store for the next gen Civic!
The Mazda3 is quickly gaining ground as the popular Honda compact awaits a redesign

Sales of the Honda Civic have crashed in Canada, though this stalwart compact has reclaimed the No. 1 sales spot among passenger cars. Barely.

The Civic has out-sold the Mazda3 by a mere 218 units through May of this year (21,690 to 21,472). However, Civic sales were down an astounding 40.6 per cent in May and are down 13.2 per cent on the year. The No. 2 Mazda3 is up 8.3 per cent on the year.

Honda does not plan to restyle and reengineer the Civic until next year, even as new versions of the Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra come to market early next year. The Civic faces a tough road ahead until a reinvented version arrives.

Still, to be fair, small cars overall are having a tough year. As DesRosiers points out, subcompacts are down 21.2 per cent year to date and compacts are down 0.1 per cent on the year.

“These are the two most energy efficient segments in Canada and have for more than a decade significantly out-performed the market,” Dennis DesRosiers of DesRosiers Automotive Consultants writes in a note to clients.

“I wonder,” he adds, “if all this talk about fuel efficient regulations is backfiring on our regulators, with consumers heading to the showroom to load up on the larger vehicles before the government forces compromises in their power train to achieve higher fuel efficiency standards.”
It could also be that less wealthy buyers, who tend to buy entry-level cars, are “still in trouble in our economy” and not buying at all, he notes. Or it may be that consumers are fully aware that a raft of new compact and subcompact models are coming in the next 12 months and are waiting for the latest in styling and engineering.

Source;

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/driving-it-home/honda-civic-barely-maintains-no-1-spot/article1623053/

Mazda RX-7 Revival Rumors Mark the End of RX-8

Mazda could introduce the new two-seater Mazda RX-7 by the end of 2011, according to InsideLine. The blog says the 2012 model year car is still progressing despite the poor economy.

The automaker may cancel the four-seater RX-8 upon the RX-7's release in contrast to earlier reports that a more powerful, more expensive RX-8 would come to market. Based on design characteristics of the Furai concept, the next-gen RX-8 would have carried over 300-horsepower.

However, by the end of the first quarter of 2009, RX-8 sales had plummeted 47.5% compared to a year earlier. Sluggish RX-8 sales may prompt the decision to halt the model for the time being. The new RX-7 will use the new-generation Renesis 16X rotary engine which debuted in the Taiki concept. This dual rotary Wankel engine has a roughly 300cc bigger displacement than the previous Renesis unit, putting out as much as 350hp and 214 ft-lb of torque over the RX-8's 232 hp and 159 lb-ft of torque.

Do not expect the RX-7 to be tuned for this much power, despite its engine's capabilities. A 250hp unit is more likely to appear on the $25,000 car, reports the blog.

Source;
http://www.worldcarfans.com/109122823723/mazda-rx-7-revival-rumors-mark-the-end-of-rx-8

Next-generation Mazda Tribute will be based on Ford Kuga

Mazda is preparing for the market to rebound by lining up several new vehicles with fuel-economic gasoline engines. Within two to three years, expect Mazda to launch an all-new Tribute based on the Ford Kuga crossover and a Mazda5 minivan with styling cues from the Nagare concept. Jointly developed by the two automakers, the current model Mazda Tribute is a twin of the Ford Escape. Both models were released simultaneously and reportedly, the future models of both vehicles will again be identical. However, Ford’s C1 platform, which was developed by engineers from Ford, Mazda, and Volvo, will be used. C1 currently underpins the stylish Kuga compact crossover sold in overseas, in addition to the Mazda3 and the European Focus. Expect the next-gen Mazda Tribute to arrive in 2011 as a 2012 model.

Source;
http://www.4wheelsnews.com/next-generation-mazda-tribute-will-be-based-on-ford-kuga/

Rendered Speculation: 2012 Mazda MX-5 could go lighter and smaller

Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Mazda MX-5 (or Miata) has shown remarkable resilience to the bloating trends of age. While other automakers tend to make new cars bigger and fatter with each successive generation, notwithstanding the optional retractable hardtop version, the Mazda roadster has remained relatively compact and light on its feet. But while the MX-5 Superlight concept due to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show takes the current Miata into ever lighter territory, reports suggest that the next-generation model could prove even lighter.With a compact four-cylinder engine and lightweight chassis, the replacement for the current MX-5 is reportedly being prepared for its debut in 2012. What this would mean, however, for the fate of the reputed MX-2 – a speculated sub-Miata roadster – remains to be seen.

Source;
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/18/rendered-speculation-2012-mazda-mx-5-could-go-lighter-and-small/

7Tune: Mazda Rear Wheel Drive “Mini Roadster”!

Apparently Mazda has been keeping this little RWD open sports car concept quiet due to the current economic climate in Japan, but as soon as things start to get back on track we should finally see this spiritual successor to Suzuki’s Cappuccino break cover.

Unlike most rumors we’ve heard recently, this one short but contains all good news. Mazda is apparently looking at a rear wheel drive open sports car to slot in under the current NCEC Roadster (MX-5/Miata) and hopes to emulate the success of the EA11R Suzuki Cappuccino by offering excellent handling and performance in a segment which is usually occupied by front wheel drive cars. The engine could either be a 1.0 or 1.3L unit making the mini Roadster one size up from Japan’s “kei car” category (capacity under 660cc) and could carve a new niche of sub-2.0L rear wheel drive cars in Japan. There are no hints as to when the mini Roadster will break cover or how much it’ll cost but from our point of view, this is very good news in that Mazda seems to be following Toyota/Subaru down the light compact rear wheel drive route.

Source;
http://www.7tune.com/mazda-rear-wheel-drive-mini-roadster/

RX-7 Concept May Appear at Tokyo Motor Show

This year’s Tokyo Motor Show is the perfect opportunity for Mazda to introduce a RX-7 concept so there’s a possibility we may see it appear in October. The RX-7 will likely showcase Mazda’s new design philosophy which goes once step beyond the previous ”Nagare” concepts.

The new RX-7 is said to relieve the RX-8 of its rotary flag-bearing duties and become Mazda’s flagship rotary sports car featuring a new design philosophy which we’re told is “one step beyond Nagare”. It has also been previously reported that the new RX-7 (or RX-9 according to Holiday Auto) would go on sale in the first half of 2012, which would mean the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show (TMS) would be the obvious place for its debut. This year’s TMS is an opportunity for Mazda to cash in on RX-7 fever as rotary enthusiasts start to wonder what’s going to happen once the RX-8 ends its production cycle. Mazda is expected to show its commitment to the rotary in October and what better way to do it than with a new RX-7 concept. Although it would be great to see a RX-7 successor revealed, Best Car conclude that there’s a “55% chance” that we could see a new concept break cover in Tokyo… so in other words, don’t hold your breath!

Source;

http://www.7tune.com/rx-7-concept-may-appear-at-tokyo-motor-show/

Mazda 2 Coming to Canada? = More Competition for the Honda FIT!

NEW YORK – The Mazda2, a slick little subcompact sold in Europe and Asia, is coming to Canada, confirmed Mazda Motor Corporation president and CEO Takashi Yamanouchi.


“I've just decided,” said Yamanouchi, a 42-year veteran of Mazda who assumed the top job last November.

The Globe and Mail is the first news outlet to confirm that the Mazda2 will join Mazda Canada' lineup. The announcement was not part of formal Yamanouchi's formal remarks during press days for the New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Centre.

While Yamanouchi would not confirm an exact launch date, sources suggest the Mazda2 would go on sale within the next year. It is designed to compete against the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent and Chevrolet Aveo, among others.

The Mazda2, of course, is the foundation for the Ford Fiesta already on sale in Europe and other markets. The Fiesta is due at a 2011 model. Yamanouchi said Mazda has wrestled with the decision to add the subcompact to the Mazda Canada's lineup.

“There has been a lot of discussion about that,” he said. “There is concern it would cannibalize Mazda3 sales. We need it to be incremental.”

The Mazda3 is the Canadian operation's most important model by far. The compact was Canada's best-selling car overall for the first two months of this year and No. 3 overall in Canada in 2008, behind the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

Mazda officials are rightly concerned that some buyers might opt for the less expensive Mazda2 rather than purchase the Mazda3. Mazda would need to price the Mazda2 starting below $15,000 for it to make any sense at all and that is at least $1,000 less than the most economical Mazda3.

Pricing the Mazda2 so that it can be profitable and also compete effectively won't be easy. The strong yen makes Japanese exports expensive overseas.

Nonetheless, Yamanouchi said that Canada is Mazda's fourth-largest market in the world and plays a critical role in the company's fortunes. Given 50 per cent of all passenger car sales in Canada are comprised of compact and subcompact models, Mazda Canada has been under pressure to sell the Mazda2 for some time.

News of the Mazda2 coming to Canada was the most startling development during a second media day at the New York show. But it was by far not the only announcement.

Subaru unveiled the 2010 Legacy sedan and Outback wagon, promising to tackle rivals such as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima and Chevrolet Malibu with more vigor.

Subaru Canada president and CEO Katsuhiro Yokoyama said the outgoing all-wheel-drive Legacy is slightly undersized compared to other midsize sedans. But the 2010 model, with its all-new platform, more robust styling and added features, is better positioned to take on the sales leaders in the midsize sedan segment.

“Now we can compete, but first we must get on the shopping list,” he said.

That means Subaru Canada will not cut its marketing budget this year in an effort to reach out to new customers. The company is reasonably well positioned to do so, too. Last year Subaru Canada had its best sales year ever, selling nearly 20,000 vehicles despite the economic downturn. Sales remain strong this year, also.

Yokoyama said Subaru's success in Canada can be traced to the new models launched in the last 18 months. The Forester crossover, in fact, won its category in the annual car of the year awards handed out by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

The Impreza compact, meanwhile, is one of the few AWD compact cars sold in Canada and it enjoys a strong reputation for safety and reliability.

The third pillar in the company's product lineup in Canada is the Legacy/Outback combination. It will roll into dealer showrooms late this summer. Pricing will be announced later this year.


Other announcements at the show:
Scion, Toyota's youth brand, showed a minicar concept clearly based on the Toyota iQ sold in Europe and Asia. Scion comes to Canada next year and a production version of the minicar might be part of the lineup, competing against the Smart fortwo.

Mercedes-Benz showed the E63 AMG, a 518-horsepower version of the E-Class; Hyundai previewed the next Santa Fe with a crossover concept; Mitsubishi had an upscale concept version of its Outlander crossover; and Acura's ZDX prototype, based on the MDX crossover utility platform, will go on sale in the fall. The ZDX is a so-called four-door coupe and will be built in Alliston, Ontario.


Source;
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/driving/

Next Gen Mazda RX-7 Rendering

Another day, another artist's impression of a fourth-generation Mazda RX-7 model. This time, the speculative rendering comes from Japan's Motor Magazine with the artist taking a more 'wedgy' approach to the design that incorporates all the usual styling cues from Mazda's latest production and concept models like the 'smiley' front grille, the pronounced front wheel arches and the sharp-angled headlights.

It's not our style to create stories out of nowhere, so we must say that both officially and unofficially, our Mazda sources have yet to confirm the return of the RX-7 in the Japanese automaker's car range. Plus, with the current global economic downturn and dire predictions for the near future, we gather that like any other automaker, Mazda will be cautious in its spending preferring to invest in the development of its core models rather than in niche cars like the RX-7.

Source;

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2009/02/japanese-magazine-spins-out-new-mazda.html