Is the 3 Auto a SkyActiv transmission? From what I’ve heard the SkyActiv autos drive like a manual gearbox after take-off. The concept is exciting for the likes of the 6 or CX vehicles.

Hnnggg, I love that interior!

The MX-5 doesn’t have a backup camara, not even on the Club/GT models. That said in 2018 it will be legally mandated, so at that point all Mazdas will indeed have backup cameras.

The MX-5 and I maybe all other Mazdas have blind-spot monitoring as an option, at least Mazda optional, meaning it is a part of a trim level.…

I want this and dearly miss my 94' Touring. The statement about the turbochargers worries me — turbo transition takes place at 3,800RPM for a healthy car but any number of things could cause what he reports, most commonly vacuum leaks.

Mazda has always (except the Ford years) had a dedication to feeling and lightness. The Power Plant Frame is what I think you mean by ‘strut brace’, which rigidly attached the transmission to the rear differential. The Miata was the first to utilize it, however I believe the idea was a part of the RX-7 design program…

Had it in my 94' sounded good for factory kit. Adding a proper equalizer allowed for fine-tuning to make it sound significantly better (what I did). Most would just rip it out though and toss aftermarket crap in. :/

So this is the day where the Korean cars transition from B-players to A-listers? I’m okay with this.

What a sad end. — You still have good taste!

You have good taste. I thoroughly enjoyed my brief time behind the wheel of a friend's AP1.

I mixed up your comment with a Prius comment made further down.


...and I’m sad now (due to that dyno graph).

I’m sure this was just tongue and cheek but that is an inaccurate statement.

Prius maintains ~100ft/lbs across the band

It is still a great car no doubt, but I’m not a rally driver. On the road I prefer RWD — not to say I won’t or don’t own FWD cars (loved my Civic Si and my current Fiat 500) but I prefer RWD if there is a choice. That choice in this case happens to be ALFA. ;)

Not sure how I feel about Mazda’s influence on Jalopnik. While my personal opinion is that a Mazda 3 is about the best hatch available at the moment, I can’t help but feel Mazda’s hand on some of Jalopnik’s recent articles which I don’t believe is a good thing, no matter how great their actual products are.

California logic (dreaming).

I contain so much lust for Gulias — sadly by the time I can afford one at their current price, they likely will consistently trade for twice that. :( I’m just going to buy a Miata and close my eyes.

It is beautiful but the price is in the same league as a Gulia, which offers the same sexy looks (even more-so, you might argue) and RWD.

I love these because the greenhouse and A-pillar forward design is so remeniscent of the Gulias. That said, my heart is broken to find they are FWD — I’ll save my pennies for the Gulia, my real love.

It is large, just not in respect to the overall airframe size. It provides meaningful rotation for the size. While a B-52 that could turn like an F-16 would be awesome and a feat, I can’t imagine much stability in it.

What a strange world we now live in.

Chevrolet looks like Hyundai, Hyundai looks like Honda, and Honda looks like they just don’t care any more. It is just a matter of time before Toyota makes a fun-to-drive RWD sport coupe again. Oh, wait...

To be fair, that orange is already sort of brown.