MX-5

2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Grand Touring – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis

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I say Miata, you say convertible. Or roadster. Drop top. You get the idea. For most people, a Miata is a 2-seater convertible with a folding fabric (or vinyl) top that lets you take in the sun, the stars, the breeze. But there’s a percentage of people that like a Miata with a hardtop. Those that live in 4 seasons, but want to drive their Mazda year-round. Or those in environments where the added security of hard roof makes you less of target. Racers need them too – look at the prices for a hardtop – sans Miata –on Craigslist …

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Road Test Review – 2017 Mazda MX-5 RF Grand Touring (6MT) + 2 videos – By Carl Malek

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It’s no secret that the Mazda MX-5 is always a welcome visitor in the Car-Revs-Daily offices. We have sampled the roadster in many locales, and even had seat time behind the wheel of its Italian cousin the Fiat 124 Spider. In short, the MX-5 (in either guise) has become an iconic example in how to make a proper two seat roadster. However, we also like the idea of adding something new to this proven recipe, and we were quite excited when Mazda unveiled the RF version. But does the addition of a folding hardtop roof add a bit more pep …

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2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring (6MT) – Review By Carl Malek + Fiat 124 Visual Comparo!

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    When Mazda first unveiled the current generation MX-5 Miata back in 2014, it signaled a radical shift in focus, with Mazda designers breathing newfound life into a car that some thought had lost its way since it was first introduced in 1989. With bolder exterior styling, and a renewed emphasis on weight shedding, the newly rejuvenated MX-5 promises to blaze its own chapter in the sports car ranks. Our last sampling of the MX-5 was out on the track, but can it succeed out in the real world? The exterior styling of the MX-5 embraces newfound levels of …

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2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata Track Day 17

Drive Review – 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata – by Ben Lewis

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There are people out there not enamored by the all-new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. And you can include me. Well, sort of. Let me explain. First of all, a disclosure. A well-worn 1990 Miata lives in the Ben Lewis garage. I’ve had it over 15 years. And yes, it’s red. So I’m a fan. And when the Second Gen (NB to you and me) bowed in 1999, I liked it. But I was amazed that even though it only lost an inch of legroom, I didn’t fit comfortably. And really, I’m not that tall. I was personally happier when the …

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2016 Mazda MX-5 Club 6MT 3

Road Test Review – 2016 Mazda MX-5 Club 6MT – By Ken “Hawkeye” Glassman

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  In the spring of 1971, I was almost finished with my freshman year at the University of Iowa, and it was time for me to get my first new car.  My father and I were to split the cost.  His idea of the perfect car for me was a low mileage, 1969 Chevrolet Impala, 4-door.  And my idea was a 1971 MGB rag top.  While my friends were into muscle cars of the time like Mustangs, Camaros, Chargers and Barracudas, I was more interested in small British cars that, while not fast, were known for handling prowess, rather than …

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#NYIAS Live – Showfloor Mega Gallery – Part One in 222 Photos!

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Action-packed New York auto show this year! Much new and very hot metal to see and touch, with highlights including the new GT-R, the 911R, Civic Hatchback and Prius Prime.  MX-5 RF (retractable fastback) is cool too, as is the new 718 Boxster and Buick Encore with its sharp and premium new LEDs. Also included below is the first look at the new Subaru Impreza, Jaguar F-Type SVR and 2018 VW Tiguan. #NYIAS Live – Showfloor Mega Gallery

#NYIAS: 2017 Mazda MX-5 RF – Retractable Fastback Is New GT86 Rival

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RF does not stand for Really Fast.  But it could stand for Really Fun! In reality, it is the new badge for the MX-5 hardtop. This power retractable targa panel slides behind the new B-pillar uprights in back and atop the trunk. Scratch that: the entire roof actually folds under the rising uprights behind each seat.  These buttresses lift up and let the hardtop fold away.  This keeps a wind deflector in back with the top down, but does not appear to let the rear glass or roof move individually: only as a unit. It is not exactly as clean …

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2017 Abarth 124 Spider 10s

2017 Abarth 124 Spider – Boosted Turbo, Shouty Exhaust and Butch Body Mods

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Stunning new Fiat from Abarth at Geneva this year — proving the in-house tuner is still a big asset in the brand’s expansion worldwide.  The Mirafiori speed demons have wasted no time upgrading the design, performance and panache of the adorable baby Fiat: the new 124 Spider. From its cute looks emerges yet another harsh, focused look at what Abarth does best.  The scorpion logo makes sense the first time you fire up one of their specials: pops and brummy exhaust and engine notes that recall Maserati much more than Mazda. Then you turn to see… and are shocked that …

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2016 Abarth 124 Rally Prototype 5

Best of Geneva – 2016 Abarth 124 Rally Prototype – 300HP Kicks Off 2017 Abarth Racing Revival

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  In case the hot new Abarth Fiat 124 Spider were not enough to get your heart revving, Abarth Racing has brought along an even hotter version! A rear-drive rally racecar that started life as a ragtop!?  Sounds like a winner to us.  And it definitely looks like a winner too. A slightly raised ride height, boosted engine putting down 300Hp, plus a locking rear differential promise exciting, tail-out action to rally fans next year. Custom fender extensions, sill extensions and brake air vents behind the back axle speak to this car’s gravel-slinging dreams.  As does its gigantic, fire-spitting single …

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2016 Mazda MX-5 Recaro Edition is New UK Special: Aerokit, Diamond-Cut Alloys + Sport Seats

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Some handy shortcuts in the spec of the 2016 MX-5 in the UK: the Sport Recaro Limited Edition picks the best options from the standard kit, plus adds a gloss-black bodykit and unique diamond-cut alloy wheels. Although just 17-inchers, these really fill out the fenders quite well. The premium paints like this Ceramic Metallic or Soul Red are no-charge for the 25k MX-5 Recaro edition, which is available for order now across Britain.   2016 Mazda MX-5 Recaro Edition   MAZDA REVEALS ALL-NEW MAZDA MX-5 SPORT RECARO LIMITED EDITION 11/11/15 Limited Edition range-topping model joins the all-new Mazda MX-5 line …

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2016 Mazda MX-5 Spyder Versus MX-5 Speedster Concepts! Vote Your Pick

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2016 Mazda MX-5 Spyder Mazda Reveals Extreme Lightweight Design Concepts at 2015 SEMA MX-5 Concepts Display Two Different Takes on Staying True to Pure, Lightweight Sports Car Philosophy LAS VEGAS (November 3, 2015) – Mazda revealed two design concepts today at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, based on its all-new 2016 MX-5 Miata—MX-5 Spyder and MX-5 Speedster—demonstrating two vastly different takes on lightweight, open-air performance. Lightweight. Fun-to-drive. Roadster. Those three tenets have served as the foundation for the Mazda MX-5 Miata since its 1989 introduction and continue to serve the new fourth-generation model. Focused, lightweight engineering is a guiding …

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FUTURE-SPEC – Mazda MX-5 and CX-3 Platforms Reborn as Scion S-FR and Scion iD

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A few months ago, Toyota and Mazda announced a major partnership in vehicle development and production. The Mazda2’s conversion into the US-exclusive four-door Scion iA is a huge hit, and the two Japanese rivals seemed eager to deepen the bond. There may have been an equity swap to even seal their newly-strong link. But details on the ground were — and are — very secret. What are they working on together? PART ONE:  The S-FR As the months pass, we have a much clearer idea: specific Toyota variants of Mazda platforms. The S-FR sports coupe for the Tokyo auto show …

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HD Track Drive Review – 2016 Mazda MX-5 Is INCREDIBLE!

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Freshly back from a track drive with the 2016 MX-5 Experience tour — and have some serious vehicular brilliance to report! As you might know already, or simply expect, this latest MX-5 is an absolutely breathtaking evolution on the light/rear-drive roadster theme. Improving upon a genre the Miata defines conclusively? Not easy to do — especially with firm price and power caps limiting headline performance numbers. Yet the latest engineering, style and handling excellence from Mazda has done wonders for the MX-5. After all, if Mazda can make the CX-5 into a lively steer, the SkyActiv mantra should really make …

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2016 Mazda MX-5 Track Drive Dates! Fun, Free …and in Your City?

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Mazda’s new MX-5 looks stellar. We cannot wait one minute longer to try it out. Is that how you feel too? You might be in luck!  There are five or so dates left on the initial MX-5 Experience tour: Atlanta today Sept 11 and tomorrow Sept 12, followed by more dates in New Jersey, Texas and Arizona.  There is no RSVP list and no $2k fee, a la Jaguar and Lamborghini. First come first served!  Looks like the stations to try out the MX-5 are autocross, braking and hot track lap.  Mmmmm! Seriously debating the six-hour drive to Atlanta…. forgive …

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1971 Mazda COSMO Sport 18

1971 Mazda COSMO Sport – 130HP/Liter Flyweight Laid Roots for MX-5 and Wankel RX-7

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As you might know, we get really excited to find any Japanese car in the high-dollar auction world. The Monterey sale is the Super Bowl for car collectors. Tens of thousands of wealthy individuals descend on Pebble Beach and Carmel for a week-long extravaganza of past, present and future exotics. This makes the atmosphere fairly competitive even outside the fast-talking auctions. Polish up your current ride and eyeball what might become your next? A few Datsun roadsters, Skyline’s and Toyota 2000GT’s are the only regular attendees of the oceanfront Cali spectacular — but are joined this year by an exceptionally …

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Concept Flashback – 2009 Mazda MX-5 Superlight in 88 Photos!

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Racers worldwide have made lightening Mazda MX-5’s more than an art or craft: there is a science to shedding grams and gaining pace. This 2009 concept from Mazda’s European R&D center is a serious and comprehensive speedster conversion and custom strip-out. Once totally bare, the full MX-5 Superlight was resprayed in a Japanese Racing white pearl. The color and the contrast details for the hood and double bubble rollbars make the MX-5 Superlight’s proportions even more intensely rear-drive. A favorite detail is the brake light LED lining those integrated roll hoops. 2009 Mazda MX-5 Superlight Concept Mazda MX-5 Superlight Concept …

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2016 Mazda MX-5 Club 3

2016 Mazda MX-5 Club Tops Range With LSD, Black Aero Accents, BBS Wheels, Bilsteins and Brembos!

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This new MX-5 Club is looking incredible! With gunmetal grey wheels, black mirror caps and aero extras all around, the MX-5 Club will be the most stylish and sporty of the full MX-5 range. The order books are open now with pricing from $25,000 — so we’d pencil in around $29,000 for the loaded Club with its sweet additions. The BBS forged wheels and front Brembo brakes will be optional, but well worth their extra strength and performance chops! You might be wondering about those sweet LEDs in the lower front flanks of the MX-5 Club — they are special …

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2016 Mazda MX-5 Aero Accessories Concept 2

2016 Mazda MX-5 Aero Accessories Concept Packs Fresh Splitters, Wheels, and Sills for Chicago

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Sweet BBS alloys in gloss-black, splitters all around, a Brembo big brake kit and even a luggage rack atop the trunk for those cross-country trips?! We’ll take them all except that luggage rack, thank-you-very-much!     2016 Mazda MX-5 Aero Accessories Concept MAZDA UNVEILS 2016 MX-5 MIATA ACCESSORIES CONCEPT DESIGN AT CHICAGO AUTO SHOW CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — The only thing better than the all-new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata is a personalized 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. Today at the Chicago Auto Show, where the first-generation MX-5 Miata was introduced to the world in 1989, Mazda revealed an MX-5 …

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2016 Mazda MX-5 Roadster Sexy, Cool and Mean in 52 New Photos

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With the all-new 2016 MX-5, we can imagine Mazda had a few design goals in mind. It would definitely need to look: — completely fresh and unable to be mistaken for existing cars — cool and masculine, with a mean streak that shows its performance edge — modern and stylish; a sexy flair to fire up roadster passion We were not completely sure about the design when first shown, but are firm believers now. How cool and sexy and mean is this little roadster in its latest dynamic photos from Spain? Very. Most of these cars on Euro plates are …

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2016 Mazda2 Sedan Revealed in Thailand + Gorgeous White MX-5

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Mazda is killing it lately — in a good way! It is hard not to feel a bit of pride in their achievements, even as an outsider. The brand is a loveable underdog. The new CX-3 is amazing, while the exceptionally-competent Mazda6 and CX-5 are also updated for 2016 with cooler LED style details, tech updates and on-trend dark wheels. Just when you thought Thanksgiving could not possibly have any more to offer from Mazda, here comes the dapper new Mazda2 in four-door sedan form. This car was revealed in Thailand where it will be sold from early 2015 onward. …

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2016 MazdaSpeed MX-5 Racecar Revealed Ahead of Global Racing Series

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How incredible does the new MX-5 look in a tracksuit?! This car is a precursor to the 2015 MX-5 Cup – a global racing series for the 2015 MX-5 to battle it out for milliseconds on racetracks all over the world. Of course, the new MX-5 racer will be very relevant to current MX-5 owners. The MX-5 is the most-raced car model of all time in SCCA and track day events across the US. 2016 MazdaSpeed MX-5 Racecar   MAZDA WAVES GREEN FLAG ON 2016 GLOBAL MX-5 CUP RACING SERIES 05/11/14 November 4, 2014 (LAS VEGAS) – The Mazda MX-5 …

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Update2 – 2016 Mazda MX-5 Roadster in Paris Debut + Cabin Photos

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UPDATE2       Great to see this car outside the world of digital renderings. In the 4D Paris debut, the nose and low new beltline design really comes to life and is fantastic. This is great news — it looked a little pinched in the preview renderings. Overall, the new aesthetic appears to chop the surfaces anywhere that the previous-gen Miata was rounded. This is especially visible in the new drop-nose design and the hood’s strong leading edge – both new MX-5 design features. 2016 Mazda MX-5 Roadster Paris Debut Autoblog.com snapped some of these fantastic photos at the …

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Concept Flashback – 2013 Toyota FT86 Open Concept is Stunning Ragtop

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Is the long-rumored GT86 and BR-Z cabrio dead in the water? That is the strong rumor — which is very unfortunate when reviewing how fantastic the design looks as a soft-top. Shown in Geneva and Tokyo in 2013, the FT86 Open Concept would have some hills to climb as a production car. Pricing would likely top $30,000, which would be a cool $8,000 above the MX-5 at most levels. Additionally, the chassis bracing required would add nearly 200 pounds to the already-slow sportscar. 2013 Toyota FT86 Open Concept  

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2016 Mazda MX-5 Colorizer Shows Roadster Look In 26 New Paints

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UPDATE2 How frustrating to have so few high-quality photos of the new Miata… For the time being, what else can we do to see the new MX-5’s potential? COLORS! 2016 Mazda MX-5 Colorizer         Great to see this car in the flesh – where the nose comes to life and is fantastic. This is great news — it looked a little pinched in the preview renderings. Overall, the new aesthetic appears to chop the surfaces anywhere that the previous-gen Miata was rounded. This is especially visible in the new drop-nose design and the hood’s strong leading edge …

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Update1 – 2016 Mazda MX-5 Live Debut Photos

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UPDATE1 Great to see this car in the flesh – where the nose comes to life and is fantastic. This is great news — it looked a little pinched in the preview renderings. Overall, the new aesthetic appears to chop the surfaces anywhere that the previous-gen Miata was rounded. This is especially visible in the new drop-nose design and the hood’s strong leading edge – both new MX-5 design features. Autoblog.com snapped these fantastic photos at the live reveal last night, which give a much nicer MX-5 to look forward to. UPDATED WITH AUTOBLOG DEBUT PHOTOS http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2016-mazda-mx-5-miata-reveal/full/#photo-2900147   2016 Mazda …

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Track Test Review – 2014 Mazda MX-5 Club Hardtop at Road America Autocross

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Track Test Review – 2014 Mazda MX-5 Club Hardtop at Road America Autocross The next MX-5 is in the home stretch of development in Japan ahead of an expected debut some time in 2014 or early 2015, with deliveries to America set to start shortly afterward. The next MX-5 will spawn an Alfa Romeo Spider twin, with both built to quality standards Fiat could not dream of achieving without Mazda’s Hiroshima-based talent. Development of the MX-5 is the cornerstone of Mazda’s sports car teams these days – and for good reason! The MX-5 is the ultimate track-day thriller: with enough …

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2014 Volkswagen Beetle GSR Scoots Around Go-Kart Autocross at Road America

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Alternative headlines? “GSR Aims at Autocross Target, Misses.” “Beetle GSR Drives Like It Has Gorilla On Roof.” The Beetle GSR is supposedly tailor-made for racing and timed laps – it even includes a chronometer stopwatch right in the central dashboard and racing stripes outside. Unfortunately, all who drove it at Road America last week came away with various harsh critiques. Brakes were spongy and non-existent, the tires washed out all sense of grip, it felt pokey, and most damning of all: it handled extremely poorly. My critique that it felt like a gorilla was on the roof was echoed by …

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Nissan BladeGlider Concept Is DeltaWing MX-5

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Nissan today revealed an exciting new prototype sports car that blends the best thinking in racing ev tech, track-day lightness, and Z-car purity. As a pinched nose design, the BladeGlider is most similar, in negineering terms, to the Nissan-backed 2012 DeltaWing experimental LeMans entry. Sharing key rear-axle torque vectoring should allow the BladeGlider to have the precision and incredible pace of the DelaWing — but the affordable pricing and market potential of a Mazda MX-5 competitor. Interesting. Confusing. Exciting.  

Rare Ragtops - A Pair of Lotus Elans Graced Kiawah Island, SC Cars and Coffee Today GIF

Rare Ragtops – A Pair of Lotus Elans Graced Kiawah Island, SC Cars and Coffee Today

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A few fun facts about the very-rare Lotus Elan series three, of which less than 600 total were ever imported to the United States: — it was designed by Peter Stevens, who later designed the McLaren F1 — the turbo-charged engine and super-wide layout of the chassis gave the Elan much more speed on tracks and in corners than its MX-5 contemporary But prices nearly double the MX-5 meant the Elan was doomed to a niche fate in many core markets. As much as the badge appealed, the front-drive layout was hard to admire when Mazda had just proven beyond …

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Restyled 2014 Exocet is MX-5-based Trackday Dream: Ariel Atom Thrills for Miata Bills!

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This 2014 Exocet Race visited the Flyin’ Miatas booth at Road Atlanta last weekend, and caused quite a stir in its panel-free glory. Yes, it is just wearing its birthday suit in my Atlanta photos, but the 2014 kits actually all feature resdesigned panels and upgraded features. Here is the low-down of what this Exomotive machine is: — Kit car that uses core components of the Mx-5, but an ultra-strong and extremely lightweight steel exoskeleton versus the heavy and less-rigid factory unibody.     The Atlanta-based Exomotive design is shipped as a kit to owners, where the build is said …

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$300 Supercar Track Drive?! Velocity Motorsports of Atlanta Shows Impressive Fleet – And Pricing!

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Driving experiences are a highly recommended way to indulge the supercar and trackday fantasy lives we all have. But in my experience, the prices are absolutely eye-watering in many cases. But there is a new breed of supercar driving clubs out there that have pricing starting from about $300 — which is a far, far sight cheaper than the $2000-per-day that most of the big-name driving academies charge. Heck, even the Jaguar F-Type R Coupe driving day is priced in the thousands of dollars. Lamborghini is similarly outrageous – particularly for these clients who may or may not already own …

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Mazda MX-5 Adds 40HP, Drops 800LB: BAUER Catfish Shell Over Flyin Miata Turbo

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This is an interesting meeting of the Miata minds. Bauer Limited Production’s Catfish body overhaul for the 1990-2005 Mazda MX-5 with Flyin’ Miata’s turbocharged engine underneath. It is a recipe that delivers surprising style and divine performance, that is for sure! This Flyin’ Miata example is a bit gnarly in the headlight execution and in some tiny spots on the metallic vinyl wrap, but is still quite bewitching in the flesh. The $14,000 Bauer Catfish bodywork is a relatively simple bolt-on, bolt-off design – and also cuts 800 pounds from the cars’ curb weights. Not too shabby, especially considering the …

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2014 MX-5 Club (32)

2014 Mazda MX-5 Club Brings New Colors, Dark Wheels, Gloss Black Accents and Power Hardtop Option from $26,000

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The next MX-5 is in the home stretch of development in Japan ahead of an expected debut some time in 2014 or early 2015, with deliveries to America set to start shortly afterward. The next MX-5 will spawn an Alfa Romeo Spider twin, with both built to quality standards Fiat could not dream of achieving without Mazda’s Hiroshima-based talent. Development of the MX-5 is the cornerstone of Mazda’s sports car teams these days – and for good reason! The MX-5 is the ultimate track-day thriller: with enough power to feel the rush but also enough playfulness to really test your …

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CarRevsDaily

Time To Start Playing Grand Theft Auto 5?

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The video game business is evolving much more rapidly than many movie studios in terms of their broad reach and level of interactivity with the players who devote hours to winning the race, collecting a mad fleet of exotic cars, or even doing the most efficient kill shots on robo retro future zombies. Or something. The automotive genre of the car business is quite a unique subset. Guys and gals who have never enjoyed most console games with first-person-shooters, RPGs and other fantasy wizard content can somehow really love car games. Gran Turismo is obviously the mack daddy franchise, but …

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CarRevsDaily

Time To Start Playing Grand Theft Auto 5?

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The video game business is evolving much more rapidly than many movie studios in terms of their broad reach and level of interactivity with the players who devote hours to winning the race, collecting a mad fleet of exotic cars, or even doing the most efficient kill shots on robo retro future zombies. Or something. The automotive genre of the car business is quite a unique subset. Guys and gals who have never enjoyed most console games with first-person-shooters, RPGs and other fantasy wizard content can somehow really love car games. Gran Turismo is obviously the mack daddy franchise, but …

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Nissan BladeGlider

WOW! Nissan BladeGlider Concept Is Stunning – But Confusing

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WOW! Nissan BladeGlider Concept Is Stunning – But Confusing Nissan today revealed an exciting new prototype sports car that blends the best thinking in racing EV tech, track-day lightness, and Z-car purity. As a pinched nose design, the BladeGlider is most similar, in negineering terms, to the Nissan-backed 2012 DeltaWing experimental LeMans entry. Sharing key rear-axle torque vectoring should allow the BladeGlider to have the precision and incredible pace of the DelaWing — but the affordable pricing and market potential of a Mazda MX-5 competitor. Interesting. Confusing. Exciting.