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Mazda Motor booked a record operating profit for Q1 with a year-on-year rise of 54% to JPY56.4bn (US$539m).

News 4 Aug, 2014

Reborn Lightweight E-Types, ultimate Range Rover Sport and US-spec F-Type Project 7 all bound for Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Porsche sales are booming as the carmaker looks set to hit a target of 200,000 annual global sales before a 2018 deadline, but some industry watchers worry that too much emphasis on volume jeopardizes the brand's exclusivity.

The latest issue of the Automotive News Europe monthly e-magazine is ready for you to view. This month's edition looks at the potential risks and rewards facing Porsche as it strives to achieve global sales of 200,000 vehicles a year.

Acura expects its improved, next-generation all-wheel-drive technologies in two upcoming sedans to help make up lost ground from a delayed product launch as the brand chases a full-year U.S. sales increase.

Kia Motors America wants to cut its outsize dependence on third-party shopping sites for online sales leads. Now, 80 percent of the online leads Kia sends to dealerships come from third-party vendors or sources other than its retail Web site.

Ford and GM delete the weight of some heavy parts, such as spare tires and rear bumpers, in calculating the maximum payload of some profitable pickups. The practice is raising questions of confidence.

Fresh off the heels of a joint venture in Barcelona, Spain, Penske Automotive Group Inc. will continue to expand with acquisitions in the United States and elsewhere.

If Lu Guanqiu has his way, his Wanxiang Group will bring the Fisker Karma back to life and establish the Chinese supplier as a high-profile coach-builder in the United States. There are big ifs. But Lu is not accustomed to failure.

Memories of the recession have all but disappeared in the rearview mirror for Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, BMW and most other luxury brands, with their sales rising considerably faster than the rest of the industry this year.

North America may seem like a distant dream for China's automakers, but that's not the case for suppliers. No longer content to export parts from China, a core group of enterprising suppliers is establishing factories in North America.

Silicon Valley is making waves with news about self-driving cars. But the most-advanced vehicles that consumers can actually buy today came out of Mercedes-Benz in Germany.

Denso Corp., the world's No. 2 parts supplier, is developing advanced radar sensors as it seeks to catch Robert Bosch and Continental in the market for parts that prevent accidents.

Saleswoman Laura Madison markets herself and the brand she sells, Toyota, but not her dealership.

The wraparound liftgate on the 2015 Lincoln MKC is unlike those on most crossovers. Because the MKC's liftgate has such a complex, curvy shape, it must make a three-stop odyssey before being attached to the vehicle at Ford Motor Co.'

Porsche sales are booming as the carmaker looks set to hit a target of 200,000 annual global sales before a 2018 deadline, but some industry watchers worry that too much emphasis on volume jeopardizes the brand's exclusivity.

Despite my (some would say) advanced age I still get excited about cars. Like, really excited. Like, so excited that when I left Mazda Canada's regional office with my MX-5 presser, I may have done so slightly slideways, with my right foot as close to the bell housing as possible, lifting only to upshift a few rpm before the redline, slamming the shifter into 2nd, then repeating for 3rd...

An hour prior, I was romping the earth in no less than a Porsche 911 Turbo.

I've referred to the Mazda MX-5 as a fountain of youth in the past, and I still believe this to be the case. The 2014 Mazda MX-5 is not fast, doesn't handle like said 911 nor will it break any existing track record. What it will do is beckon you to drive on, lower the roof even when grey outside (cold and drizzly, in my case) and reveal to its driver the meaning of "life is beautiful."


What is a Mazda MX-5?
A roadster. A car with two seats. An instrument of pleasure. OK, I may have gone a little too far with the last comment, but the fact is that the MX-5 will make you happy and has been plastering smiles on driver's faces for 25 years.

The first MX-5 Miata hit showrooms in 1989 as a 1990 MY car and has since been revamped just three times. The current generation is on its last legs as Mazda has already begun the process of introducing the next MX-5 for 2015.



2014 Mazda MX-5 Price and Specs
The most basic MX-5 sports a sticker price of $29,450. At the other end of the pricing spectrum we find the GT, which retails for $40,250. This is where my tester of the week sits.

The GT -- as with all MX-5s -- features the same MZR 2.0L 4-cylinder which develops 167 horsepower @ 7,000 rpm and 140 lb-ft of torque @ 5,000 rpm. There is a 6-speed autobox available as an option, but not only is it a bad idea but it robs the 2.0L of 9 hp.

The MX-5 is a proper car with hydraulic steering, RWD, a sport suspension with Bilstein shock absorbers (GS and GT), and a limited-slip differential (GS and GT). Everything one wants; nothing more, nothing less.

Driving the 2014 Mazda MX-5
Street-light races will not end in glory, lapping days or time trials shan't reward you with a spot on the podium, but the bottom line is that pleasure, fun, and an enormously all-encompassing feeling of accomplished driving will fill your soul.

The Mazda MX-5 strikes the ideal balance between power and weight, and all of it is held within the right proportions. The grins come from the amalgam of all the car's driving characteristics. The 0-100 km/h sprint requires a little less than 8 seconds, but it's not the time that counts, it's the how.

A few engine revs, side stepping the clutch and up goes the car's nose as the weight travels rearward. Quickly, the right hand flies over to the stubby meaty shifter for a rapid flick into 2nd. As the clutch is depressed, masses flow forward, left pedal is dropped, and the go-pedal returns to the floor and once more, weight returns to the rear. The engine's growl is mechanical and reminiscent of what left British assembly lines 50-plus years ago.

The mill comes alive sometime over 4,000 rpm and pulls nicely to 7k. As it does, the rush forward is pleasant and controlled. When surrounding traffic hampers forward momentum, the binders clamp hard on the discs with firm and responsive pedal feel. Should time be too illusive for slowing down, the MX-5 will rapidly change lanes thanks to its sharp and direct steering.

As a daily driver, only the number of passengers it can carry limits the MX-5. The suspension, even with the sporty Bilstein dampers, is the opposite of harsh or stiff. I would further qualify the MX-5's ride as comfortable, soaking up some of the harshest potholes with nothing more than the occasional jitter.

The Mazda MX-5's chassis is stiff but malleable enough for some hoonage. Much like the Scion FR-S or Subaru BRZ, the tire's grip is lesser than what the car's suspension setup and components can handle. Thus, leaning heavily on the throttle results in some manageable opposite lock action. I may have tried it out a few times...

Inside and Out of the 2014 Mazda MX-5
A beauty contest will not be won if this is the intent behind owning an MX-5. The car's shape is still classic and I can only surmise that the next ND MX-5 will be a proper evolution of its existing style.

I'm not crazy about portions of the front-end, but the whole of the car is charming. The power-retractable top requires about 10 seconds to do its thing, and it does it well. Myself, I would prefer the soft top, however, it is only available with the base GX that settles for a 5-speed manual and is not equipped with the Bilstein suspension.

The cabin's design dates the car. Although functional and with easy ergonomics, it lags far behind in presentation and technological appeal. Personally, I don't give a damn.

The seats provide sufficient comfort and plenty support to hold occupants in place while the steering wheel rotates in the opposite direction the car is headed. The pedals, shifter, and steering all fall perfectly in hand, ideal for spirited driving.

Comparing the 2014 Mazda MX-5
In a nutshell, the Mazda MX-5 currently has no competitors. Should the FR-S (or BRZ?) ever be offered as droptops, then the MX-5 may have something to worry about.

With fixed roofs, Bob Hall's baby tangos with the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Volkswagen GTI, the two aforementioned twins, and a few more. We pitted all of these a few years ago: See for yourself how the MX-5 ranked.

From GMM

Toto Wolff began his summer break in hospital, the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reports.

During a pre-Hungary team building exercise, Mercedes' team boss broke his arm in several places in a high speed road cycling pileup.

Wolff, 42, had surgery to repair the damage but nonetheless made it to the paddock for the Hungarian grand prix.

But just days after the race at the Hungaroring, Wolff was due to travel to London for a meeting with fellow team chiefs.

The meeting was reportedly cancelled because the Austrian fell ill.

In fact, he was in hospital.

"After the race in Budapest I suddenly had a fever and had to return to the clinic," Wolff confirmed.

The newspaper said the doctors ordered that his mobile phone be switched off for at least 48 hours.

"I just had to rest as the injuries were easily inflamed," Wolff explained.

But his period of rest did not prevent him from lashing out at the cloud of 'negativity' that is sweeping F1, particularly after the crowd numbers at Hockenheim recently were so low.

"Just because Hockenheim had lower numbers doesn't mean the sport is bad," he exclaimed.

"I can't stand this permanent bad-talk about formula one. It is simply wrong. We haven't had so much overtaking in the last 20 years. We have Alonso keeping Ferrari in there with his amazing performances. We have the exciting question of whether Ferrari throw Kimi Raikkonen out. We have Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel desperately fighting back after four world championships. And we have our two drivers fighting freely for the title," said Toto Wolff.

Nonetheless, the cancelled crisis meeting has been rescheduled.

"We do not need a revolution, but an evolution," Toto Wolff insisted.

Adapted from GMM

Max Verstappen, the 16-year-old son of former F1 driver Jos Verstappen, in the midst of a meteoric switch from karting to junior single seaters, recently visited the paddock on the invitation of several Formula 1 teams.

Father and son sat down with the boss of Red Bull's prolific driver development programme, Dr Helmut Marko, but reportedly ultimately decided to sign with Mercedes.

As the Red Bull Ring hosted the latest F3 round, the Verstappens apparently had a "long meeting" with Marko.

Marko has reportedly promised Max, who will be a mere 17 at the time of the 2015 season opener, his F1 race debut in a Toro Rosso next year.

Verstappen would most likely take the seat currently occupied by Jean-Eric Vergne, who has been at Toro Rosso for three years but is being overshadowed in 2014 by the 20-year-old rookie Daniil Kvyat.

However, it was believed Vergne's seat would be filled for 2015 by another Red Bull-backed hotshoe, Carlos Sainz jr.

As the 'silly season' shapes up, however, there are other possibilities.  Perhaps Verstappen and Sainz will be paired at Toro Rosso, while Russian Kvyat moves to Red Bull Racing.

"Daniil has been sensational so far," Red Bull team boss Christian Horner is quoted by the Spanish sports daily AS.

Jos and Max Verstappen at the Formula 1 German Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

With McLaren pushing hard to sign a top driver like Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull could pair its on-form surprise of the 2014 season, Daniel Ricciardo, with Kvyat.

Horner, however, played down the possibility of a driver change for 2015.

"We have 100 per cent the best driver pairing in formula one," he told Sport Bild.

"Seb is comfortable with us, trusts us.  He has won 38 races with us and you don't forget that easily.

"And I don't think Seb actually wants to go somewhere else," Horner insisted.

From GMM

A leading contender to become a test driver for Honda's F1 return has emerged.

The publication Racer said Honda-powered IndyCar frontrunner Simon Pagenaut is in talks to make his F1 test debut with Japanese power next winter ahead of Honda's works McLaren foray for 2015.

"I've been in touch with some people, some promising things are happening, so we'll see," the Frenchman said.

Asked if Honda will support his push to test a formula one car, Pagenaut laughed as he answered: "I hope they would ... why wouldn't they?"

Simon Pagenaud is reportedly in the last year of his current contract with the IndyCar team Schmidt Peterson.

Simon Pagenaud, IndyCar driver. (Photo: Simon-Pagenaud.com)