Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE review

          HIROSHIMA, Japan - Mazda Motor Corporation today announced that it has built the first Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicle with Norwegian specifications, developed specifically for participation in HyNor, Norway’s national hydrogen project. The first unit will take part in ceremonies marking the official opening of HyNor’s hydrogen filling stations. The initial opening ceremony will be held in Oslo on May 11, 2009. The RX-8 Hydrogen RE will then undergo certification to meet local standards and will be used for maintenance staff training. Mazda plans to commence leasing of Norwegian specification RX-8 Hydrogen RE models in Norway in summer 2009.

          The downside is power loss. The standard RX-8 makes 232-hp and 159 lb-ft of torque, whereas the hydrogen variant produces 107-hp and 103 lb-ft of torque. Range, at 62 miles hydrogen and 28 miles gasoline, isn’t very impressive, either. But get this: The RX-8 Hydrogen is fun. It makes moves like its gasoline counterpart, with quick responses and an intuitive feel. It even has a six-speed manual. You can heel-toe.

        The HyNor project aims to enable hydrogen vehicles to travel along a 580-kilometer stretch of highway by establishing a chain of hydrogen stations between Stavanger and Oslo in Norway. Mazda agreed to collaborate with HyNor on the project in November 2007 and began validation of the RX-8 Hydrogen RE’s driving performance on Norwegian public roads in October 2008.

                                                                                      "Source: Mazda Motor Corporation "

Mazda Atenza/Mazda6 review

         The Mazda Atenza has attracted a wide range of customers with its sporty styling and exceptional driving performance. The enhancements for the freshened Mazda Atenza are based on the Zoom-Zoom evolution development concept, and include improvements to its environmental and safety attributes, driving performance, interior and exterior design, and quality levels.

 

      Originally scheduled to be launched in June 2005, the Mazdaspeed Atenza was delayed until November. In North America, the Mazdaspeed6 comes in two trim levels; the Sport trim with cloth interior and standard key entry and ignition; and the Grand Touring trim with leather interior, keyless entry/ignition, and an optional DVD navigation. Automatic climate control is standard, as is a 200 W Bose stereo system featuring seven speakers and a 9 inch subwoofer in addition to an in dash six disc CD Change. 

 

 

           The exterior of the facelifted Atenza adopts the new Mazda family face with a five-point front grille and other spirited design elements that enhance its sportiness. Both the 17-inch and 18-inch aluminum wheels have new designs, and the range of eight exterior body colors has been augmented with new tints. The brand new colors are Clear Water Blue Metallic and Midnight Bronze Mica, which expresses a premium identity.

 

Specifications

          * Type of engine: 2.5L engine

          * Transmission: five-speed automatic transmission with Active Adaptive Shift (AAS).

 

         

Mazda RX-8 review

            RX-8 was designed with an athletically sculpted exterior that provides a sense of originality that's unrivaled in the marketplace today. For 2009, RX-8 receives design enhancements that are meant to freshen the styling and give RX-8 a new look, without impairing the basic design theme. Refinements for the 2009 model year include restyled front and rear bumpers and front fascia; sporty, high quality finish front and rear headlamps; and larger exhaust pipes (now measuring 90 mm across). The 2009 RX-8 also offers a new five-spoke wheel design featuring a symbolic and sporty design reminiscent of the rotary engine, with different arrangements for each wheel size.

           The RX-8 uses the latest generation of Mazda's Renesis twin rotary engine with a combined displacement of 1.3 litres. It doesn't rely on turbo-charging, yet manages to produce 228bhp. Instead of a succession of cylinders and pistons there's a large oval chamber in which a roughly triangular 'rotor' rotates. Where the faces of the triangle pass the spherical sides of the chamber, three separate crescent-shaped spaces are formed. Within these, the stages of the combustion process - induction, compression, ignition, combustion and exhaust - all occur as each pass the inlet ports, twin spark plugs and exhaust ports.

           The 2009 Mazda RX-8 is available as either a 232-horsepower model fitted with a six-speed manual transmission, or a 212-horsepower model fitted with a six-speed Sport A/T automatic with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters for a Formula 1-style driving experience.

2009 Mazda RX-8 review

           RX-8 was designed with an athletically sculpted exterior that provides a sense of originality that's unrivaled in the marketplace today. For 2009, RX-8 receives design enhancements that are meant to freshen the styling and give RX-8 a new look, without impairing the basic design theme. Refinements for the 2009 model year include restyled front and rear bumpers and front fascia; sporty, high quality finish front and rear headlamps; and larger exhaust pipes (now measuring 90 mm across). The 2009 RX-8 also offers a new five-spoke wheel design featuring a symbolic and sporty design reminiscent of the rotary engine, with different arrangements for each wheel size.

            The 2009 Mazda RX-8 is weird. Its body style. Weird. Its engine. Weirder. Its styling?. Yep, that's pretty strange too. Since its introduction five years ago, the RX-8 has served as an automotive asterisk. However, weird can be a good thing. Jim Carrey's weird and so is Japan, but plenty of people saw "Ace Ventura" and vacation in Tokyo. At the same time, though, those two entities also produced "23" and cucumber-flavored Pepsi (respectively, of course). So goes the Mazda RX-8 -- weird in good ways and bad.

           The 2009 Mazda RX-8 is available as either a 232-horsepower model fitted with a six-speed manual transmission, or a 212-horsepower model fitted with a six-speed Sport A/T automatic with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters for a Formula 1-style driving experience.