Review: 2016 Mazda MX-5

Text and photos by Emily Chung

I review a lot of family-friendly vehicles and the 2016 Mazda MX-5 definitely doesn’t belong in that category. This spunky roadster is what I call a ‘sanity-friendly’ ride, when you just need some peace and quiet… there’s no room for backseat passengers!

Click to read more ...

GM to recall 200,000 Saab and Saturn cars for Takata air bag issues

GM is recalling more than 200,000 Saab and Saturn cars in the US and Canada because of air bag inflator issues on their Takata-made air bags. This is just the latest in a series of recalls of Japanese-made faulty Takata air bags.

The latest announcements are part of a widening recall which has seen roughly 500 million vehicles affected by Takata's airbag inflators, which can explode with excessive force, causing metal shrapnel to spray within vehicle compartments.

So far, these inflators have been linked to at least 10 deaths, mainly in the United States, and around 100 injuries.

Click to read more ...

Mazda plans to bring rotary engine to its new sports car concept

Mazda still plans to use rotary engines and they’re planning on putting in the new concept sports car they’re showing at the ongoing Tokyo Motor show. The new rotary engine is called the SkyActiv-R. It’s a challenge for the brand to have the rotary engine meet modern economy standards. But they seem to be working on that and plan to bring it to a two-seat pure sports car. At the moment, it’s called the RX-Vision. Mazda won’t say when this would come into production. But according to the company’s CEO Masamichi Kogai, he hopes the rotary-powered car won’t be a dream for too long.

Source: AutoCar | Via: SlashGear

Audi, Mazda, Jeep, Chrysler and Alfa Romeo rally behind Apple's CarPlay connected platform

The connected car platform wars are heating up. Audi, Mazda, Jeep, Chrysler, Fiat and Alfa Romeo have joined the growing list of Apple CarPlay partners whose upcoming models will offer the ability for users to plug in their iPhones and control various functions and apps right from their car's touchscreen or via Siri.

Many of these manufacturers and sub-brands are also part of Google's Open Automotive Alliance which means the type of smartphone you own may be a big determining factor on the next car you buy. CarPlay has 31 partners so far and companies like Pioneer and Alpine are creating CarPlay head units for those of us with older cars but who want the latest tech. Check out our video demo of Apple's CarPlay on the sexy $300,000 Ferrari FF.

Source: Apple