In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, then you probably know that Lost has been one of the most mysterious and popular shows ever to grace your TV screens since The X-Files. People never fail to tune into it wondering whether the survivors will ever get out, if they’ll all die or if they’re already dead and in Purgatory (a lot of people think it’s the latter). One of its stars, 34-year old Yunjin Kim, has benefited from the show’s success. Playing the soft spoken Sun, husband of Jin Kwon (played by actor Daniel Dae Kim), Yunjin expresses her love, not for her hubby on screen, but for another bad boy, the Mazda MX-5.

Based on an interview conducted by Daily Mail, Yunjin chose the Mazda MX-5, a convertible sports car, as one of the cars she loves to drive. According to the actress, she says that she chooses the car she drives in based on the serenity of the place she’s staying in. Yunjin fell for the Mazda MX-5 since she found the car to be cute and considers it to be a great ride while driving around town thanks to its sporty look and folding roof feature.

Considered to be the biggest selling sports car in Britain, with a total of 10,000 units sold last year, the Mazda MX-5 was able to capture a huge piece of the markets thanks to its speed, reliability and affordability. The car features a power folding hard roof, it’s first in 17 years, which folds into a slot located in the car’s rear in just 12 seconds. This has given the Mazda MX-5 the distinction of having the fastest folding roof for a sports convertible. Aside from this feature, the Mazda MX-5 is equipped with a five speed manual transmission and a 1.8-liter engine that allows the car to hit 60 mph in just 9.3 seconds and a maximum speed of 122 mph.

With features and performance like these, it’s no wonder that Yunjin Kim loves to get lost with her Mazda.

Sources: Daily Mail, Mazda

Parents must be jumping for joy right now over Mazda’s press release that they’ll be adding a dock for the Gameboy Advance console. That pretty much keeps their kids at bay right? Well, too bad though since kids nowadays are probably using a Sony PSP or a Nintendo DS Lite. But at least Mazda is making an effort to help address the needs of the parents and the wants of their children (well, almost).

According to Mazda, the Dockable Entertainment System or DES, will be an optional feature that can be added to its Mazda CX-9 crossover vehicle. The system will allow Gameboy Advance users to dock their console to play games and it can also be used to watch movies thanks to its portable DVD player. The complete package of the DES contains the following accessories: a dockable DVD player with a 10.2 inch display, roof-mounted docking station, two wireless headphones, a wireless game controller, charger and carry bag. The DES is actually meant for vehicles equipped with a moonroof but for those who don’t have one, a Rear Seat Entertainment System complete with Bose 5.1 surround sound, 115V power outlet and audio/video input can be installed as an optional feature. The current price set for the DES feature is pegged at $1,400.

Okay, while the feature of docking a game console in your car comes off as innovative, the only problem with this is Mazda decided to make use of an out-of-date game console for its new entertainment system. Instead of going for a Gameboy Advance console, why not make use of the current handheld consoles out in the market today? Some kids may still have their Gameboy Advance with them but I’m sure they would probably prefer to lug around their DS Lite or PSP with them instead of their Gameboy. So to the creative geniuses at Mazda, while having this type of system in your car is cool, let’s try to up this one next time by using the latest game consoles alright?

Sources: Max Console, Jakopnik, Automotive Business Review

Road safety is part of Mazda’s top priority list. Since the chances of meeting an accident on the road are pretty high compared to having one on air or at sea, it’s only right for them to devote their time in developing reliable safety features for their cars. And through its ASV Project, Mazda is hoping to be able to accomplish that.

Starting March 11, 2008, Mazda will begin conducting road trials using its Mazda ASV-4. These road trials will be done in conjunction with the MLIT’s (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transportation) Advanced Safety Vehicle (ASV) Promotion Plan. The project aims to lessen road accidents through the use of ASV technologies. As of this date, Mazda has undergone three test phases, with the fourth phase being the most recent. From the first three phases, Mazda was able to develop the rear vehicle monitoring system that helps alert drivers of approaching vehicles from the rear. It also enabled them to come up with their own Precrash Safety System that allows the vehicle to detect oncoming roadblocks, alert the driver and stop the vehicle if necessary. For the forth phase of the testing, Mazda will work on establishing a “safe driving support system” that will allow vehicles to communicate with one another. Through this, Mazda is hoping to be able to alert drivers of approaching vehicles at intersections or roads with limited visibility thus preventing collisions and other type of accidents.

Ever since it was established by the MLIT in 1991, the ASV Project has continuously worked on creating safety systems for vehicles to ensure the protection of motorists. It’s nice to know that a big car company like Mazda is involved in this type of project. It just shows that they have their client’s interest and welfare in mind.

Sources: Mazda

You know you’ve got something special on your hands when the item or product you have produces big numbers. In Mazda’s case, that special something is their 2007 Mazda Demio.

Since production started last 2007 and as of January 2008, the Mazda Demio, also known as the Mazda 2 overseas, has been produced 100,000 times. That’s how popular and in-demand this four-wheeled delight has been. Compared to its predecessors, the 2007 Mazda Demio is lighter by 100 kilograms and has a sturdier body thanks to the ultra-high tensile steel used. It’s because of these improved features that the 2007 Mazda Demio has been able to provide better fuel economy, superb driving performance and outstanding safety features.

Just like your regular sales pitch saying, “but wait there’s more,” that’s not the only achievement that’s making Mazda proud of its new baby. Just like a hot shot rookie, the 2007 Mazda Demio has managed to collect numerous acclaims and awards worldwide in just a short span of seven months. For starters, it has won eight awards in Japan, including the 2008 RJC Car of the Year award. Outside Japan, the 2007 Mazda Demio received twenty-three awards, from being voted New Zealand’s Car of the Year, to finishing in second place for the 2008 European Car of the Year award. The 2007 Mazda Demio also managed to snag five stars from the European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) for providing adult occupant protection during the crash testing done, solidifying that its safety features are top-notch.

Because of these awards, sales for the 2007 Mazda Demio soared. Around 34,389 Demios were sold in six months in Japan, while sales in Europe skyrocketed to 311,247 units, the highest number Mazda has reached since 1991. China is also playing catch-up by ordering 578 units of the Demio Chiara during the end of January 2008. As you can see, Mazda must feel like a very proud parent as they watch their baby collect all these recognitions. I know I would.

Sources: Mazda, Top Speed

Japan is in luck as Mazda decided to release a redesigned Atenza into their shores. The new Atenza follows a design theme of “Bold & Exquisite” which combines a sporty yet sophisticated look. The Mazda Atenza comes in three designs: Sedan, Sport (5-door hatchback), and Sport Wagon.

The new Mazda Atenza is packed with a lot of features that make this baby stand out. One of these is the First Rear Vehicle Monitoring System, a safety feature installed by Mazda which alerts the driver of any vehicles approaching from behind while driving at 60 kilometers per hour by using a built-in radar. Another unique feature is the Cross Functional Network (CF-Net) which makes use of switches installed in the driver’s steering wheel. This gives the driver control of all systems including air conditioning and audio while keeping focused on the road and limiting any hand movement away from the wheel. The Atenza also has a Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Mazda’s Traction Control System (TCS) which provides support for safe and linear driving.

Aside from the new safety features, the Atenza is also equipped with a MZR 2.5 liter engine, an upgrade from the 2.3 liter engine of the previous model. The 25Z and 25S grades of the Atenza Sport and Sports Wagon come with an advanced six-speed manual transmission while its four-wheel drive models has an electronically-controlled Active Torque Split All-Wheel-Drive that enhances torque transfer for the front and rear axle. Its air conditioning unit is fully automatic and is equipped with a pollen filter. The temperature can be adjusted from either the driver’s seat or passenger seat. It also has a satellite navigation system which was tweaked to be user friendly and is equipped with a speech recognition feature.

The interior comes with different seat features depending on the grade of the car. The 25EX and 20EX grades have white leather seats, the 25EX grade has black leather seat, the 25S grade has a black fabric seat and he 25Z grade has a combination of black leather and fabric for the seats. Mazda made sure that the driver’s side has ample legroom allowing better movement and visibility. The exterior features an arched roof, headlights, a five-point grille, expanded lower air-intakes and fog lamps.

Other optional features include a Bose sound system with eight speakers (not available for the 20F and 25C models), an adaptive front lighting system with bi-xenon headlights which helps improve visibility during night driving and a parking sensor that detect objects, senses the distance, and emits beeps to assist in parking.

Sporty and chic is the name of the game and based on the features above, the Mazda Atenza has been able to live up to it and more.

Sources: Mazda

Everybody loves getting a discount. Who doesn’t? It’s an amount off the actual purchase price. It’s no wonder that shops that go on sale are mobbed by buyers. Going for an item with a discounted price doesn’t make you cheap. It actually leaves an impression that you’re a smart buyer since you get more out your money. The same thing applies with cars. When buying a car, we try to find the car which offers us the best value-for-money.

So for those interested in buying a car and want to get a portion of their money back, why not get the 2007 Mazdaspeed 6. The 2007 Mazdspeed 6 has been deemed one of the best “cash back” finds this month. The standard retail price is currently set at $27,995. Purchasing one at a dealer near you will give you a discount of $3,500. Now isn’t that a sweet deal?

Of course you’re wondering, what are the features of the 2007 Mazdaspeed 6 and why should I get one? Well, the car comes with a 2.3-liter direct-injected four-cylinder, turbocharged DOHC (Dual Overhead Camshaft) front engine AWD that runs on a 274 horsepower at 5,500 rpm. It’s built with a 6-speed manual transmission and its fuel economy is set at an estimated 18 miles-per-gallon for city driving and an estimated 26 miles-per-gallon for highway driving. The Mazdaspeed 6 also has a built-in all-wheel-drive system allowing your front and rear wheels to receive power depending on your needs.

As for the interiors, the car offers a spacious backseat for the comfort of your passengers, and the driver seat provides support and comfort while driving. Controls in the interior are also user-friendly and easy-to-use.

Safety was also taken into consideration by having the Mazdaspeed 6 equipped with antilock brakes, seat mounted airbags, full-length curtain airbags and whiplash-reducing front seats. These features were able to garner favorable reviews from the NHTSA, with a perfect five stars for frontal-impact protection and earning a “Good” rating from the IIHS in their frontal-offset crash testing.

Comfort, safety and performance all packed in one reasonably priced sedan with an additional cash-back of $3,500. Now how can you go wrong with that?

Sources: Kicking Tires, Edmunds, Car And Driver, Modern Racer

When driving, one of the things that we have to take into consideration is safety. Not just for ourselves but for our passengers and for the drivers around us. It’s a way for us to be responsible drivers and it’s a way to prevent and avoid accidents like head-on collisions, side collisions and rear-end collisions. In order to combat the latter from happening to drivers who are driving their cars, Mazda has come up with a system to prevent that from happening called the Rear Collision Warning System.

The Rear Collision Warning System is a system that warns the driver, prior to changing lanes, that a car is coming from behind. This ensures that the driver is forewarned and stays in his or her lane in order to avoid a collision. The system is able to alert the driver when his or her vehicle goes beyond 60 kilometers per hour. It is also able to detect the vehicles in the next lane that are 50 meters behind. While on driving, the warning device alerts the driver that a car is coming from behind by activating its LED. Once the driver makes an attempt to turn or maneuver to the next lane while the LED is activated, the system will then emit a sound and will trigger the LED to start flashing to warn the driver that a collision may occur.

The Rear Collision Warning System will be installed in the upcoming Mazda Atenza which will be released in Japan this month. This marks the first time that this type of system will be launched in Japan. Systems similar to this have already been released in Europe and installed in their automobiles, particularly by Volkswagen. Japan’s not the first country to have this type of warning system? That actually sounds funny considering that they’re known to be in the forefront of technological advancement. Hopefully this will help lessen, if not prevent, rear-end collisions from occurring in Japan.

Sources:

Speed Demon, Mazda News

Most designers have gotten inspiration for their work from nature. Some works are inspired by animals while some are inspired by endless greenery. Some even get inspiration just by watching the rising and setting of the sun. The designers of Mazda are no exception to this. The only difference is that they were inspired to base their design on something that could not be appreciated by the naked eye: air. Their aim when coming up with a design for the Mazda Taiki sports car was to capture the motion of flowing air. And based on the outcome of the design, it seems they were successful in doing just that.

At a glance, the first thing that the designers did in order to capture the effect of air is to create lines that give of the illusion of flowing air. They were able to do that by imprinting swooping lines in the car’s front grille. The designers were also able to incorporate the same design in the vehicle’s wheels. In order to ensure that the car not only looks like its flowing on air, but runs like it, they’ve installed their next generation rotary engine called the Renesis 2. The engine features a two-rotor design that has an increased displacement from 1.3 liters to 1.6 liters giving the car more stroke and torque. Combined with direct injection, the Taiki is also able to save up on fuel consumption. In addition, the people at Mazda installed a double wishbone suspension and a dry twin clutch 7-speed power shift to enhance the driving experience.

Aside from establishing the flowing design of air for its car’s exterior, Mazda’s designers also made sure that the car’s interiors provided a relaxing and spacious atmosphere by keeping the capacity of the car set to fit two people only. The driver seat comes with a seatback and headrest while the passenger seat is patterned after a lounge chair which will enable the passenger to stretch their legs during the trip.

This design concept is something that Mazda is hoping to apply to the overall design of their sports cars in the near future.

Sources: myride.com, autoblog.com, worldcarfans.com

Japanese car buyers are in for a real treat as the new Mazda Axela comes to their shores this year. Widely known as the Mazda 3 outside the Land of the Rising Sun, this refurbished model comes packed with new and improved features both for its exterior and interior appearance that will give the competition a run for its money. .

Modifications in the car’s exterior includes a black molding in the car’s rear, chrome outdoor handles, a roof spoiler, dark tinted windows for the rear door, rear quarter and liftgate windows and a set of 17-inch aluminum wheels . It comes in a new variety of colors ranging from Crystal White Pearl Mica, Metropolitan Grey Mica and Stormy Blue Mica. Changes in the Axela’s interior includes piano black panels for its center panel, instrument panel side garnish, steering wheel and power window switch bezels. It also has a chrome parking lever button and chrome inner door handles. Vanity mirrors are included in the driver and passenger seat. To top it off, the Mazda Axela also has an advanced keyless entry and engine starter system.

The Mazda Axela also has two special edition models, the Mazda Axela 23HS and 20 HS. The Axela 23HS has a 2.3 liter DOHC engine and five-speed automatic transmission while the Axela 20HS is packed with a 2.3 liter DOHC engine and five-speed automatic transmission. What sets this apart from the regular version of the Axela are the special equipments such as a set of discharge headlights, water repellent coating, leather seats, aluminum pedals, stainless steel scuff plates and BOSE sound system, which were created for the above-mentioned models in order to enhance the overall look of the vehicle.

According to Mazda, the new Mazda Axela is currently available in all Mazda, Mazda Anfini and Mazda Autozam dealerships all over Japan.

Sources: mazda.com, designtaxi.com

Star Mazda Championship and Andersen Racing Team have struck gold at the start of the year by inking racer Yannick Hofman, who will be campaigning in the 2008 Star Mazda Championship under the banner of the Andersen Racing Team. The racer agreed to this deal after spending two seasons with Formula BMW USA.

John Andersen has expressed his excitement over the acquisition they’ve made. “Yannick has shown definite racing skills and capacity of learning the race tracks when he joined us last year,” declares Andersen. “We’re happy to have him with us this year. He is a disciplined and intelligent driver that knows when to be aggressive. He’s going to be a front runner.”

Hofman earned the fifth place in his first race at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (or the GP3R) after entering two rounds last year with the team.

“The two rounds I did with Andersen Racing last year in the Star Mazda series were convincing enough to race a whole season with them. In this championship, Andersen Racing is a strong team that always delivers fast machines to its drivers,” said the 19-year old racer. “We will have to deal with new features this year: radial tires and standing starts, two characteristics that were part of the series where I was for the last two seasons.”

Yannick has also mentioned his eagerness to work with engineer Peter Mercier, who spent ten years in the Star Mazda series and was once a driver. Hofman also expressed enthusiasm over the fact that he gets to work with Marc-Antoine Camirand who will be his driving coach. The two have worked together the previous year at the GP3R.

Sources: insidetracknews, racing.auto123