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News - Troubled Mazda looking to raise $2B in shares, fund Mexico plant

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:28:00 +0000

Filed under: Japan, Mazda, Earnings/Financials

Mazda once again finds itself in dire financial straits after warning its investors to expect a loss in 2011 of 100 billion yen ($1.3 billion). In an effort to keep itself afloat, the Japanese automaker is rumored to be considering a new issue of as many as 690 million shares, which would raise about 100 billion yen while diluting current share value by a massive 38.7 percent.

In addition, Mazda is thought to be seeking loans of 70 billion yen from a number of Japanese banks. A good portion of these funds are necessary to bolster Mazda's overseas production facilities. At present, 70 percent of all its vehicles are produced in Japan and 90 percent of those are exported. In order to combat the high value of the yen, Mazda is seeking to renovate a production site in Thailand and build a new one on Mexico.

Only time will tell if Mazda, Japan's fifth-largest automaker, is able to remain an independent company or if it will be forced to partner up with a larger partner, as it once had with Ford.

Troubled Mazda looking to raise $2B in shares, fund Mexico plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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News - Mazda debuts "Revolution" ad to promote new Skyactiv tech

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:57:00 +0000

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Technology, Videos, Crossover, Mazda

Mazda hasn't turned its back on "Zoom-Zoom" in the least, but from now on the double onomatopoeia takes its orders from the company's SkyActiv technologies. Mazda has been prepping us for the suite of engineering innovations that it plans to use to make its cars, like the 2013 CX-5, more Earth-friendly but just as much fun to drive, and company CEO Takashi Yamanouchi got big into it during the LA Auto Show.

The first commercials to publicize SkyActiv are here, in 30- and 60-second flavors, and you'll find them along with a press release after the jump.

Continue reading Mazda debuts "Revolution" ad to promote new Skyactiv tech

Mazda debuts "Revolution" ad to promote new Skyactiv tech originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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News - Mazda CX-5 joins the cast of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Crossover, Mazda

Aston Martin has the chap Bond, Acura has its Avengers and now Mazda has its own movie vehicle, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. The computer-generated film from Universal will feature a "Seuss-ified" Mazda CX-5 rolling through a forest of lollipop-like truffula trees.

It's a slightly strange movie for a car company to call its own, since the original book was a enviromentalist tale and the Lorax - who spoke for the truffula trees against the industrial ambitions of the Once-ler - complained even more when trucks began rolling into the forest. The case is aided by the fact that Universal got rid of that storyline almost completely, and Mazda's Skyactiv credentials are what's really in play here.

Follow the jump for Mazda's 45-second commercial for the CX-5 and the movie, as well as a press release on its donations to the National Education Association.

Continue reading Mazda CX-5 joins the cast of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax

Mazda CX-5 joins the cast of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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News - 2013 Mazda CX-5 priced from $20,695*

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:45:48 +0000

Filed under: Car Buying, Crossover, Mazda

Mazda's attractive and fun-to-drive 2013 CX-5 goes on sale this month, and the automaker's North American arm has just announced that it will be priced from $20,695 (*not including $795 for destination). That's a higher base price than competitors like the Hyundai Tuscon, Kia Sportage and Subaru Forester, but the CX-5 boasts some of the best driving dynamics in the segment, not to mention the best fuel economy numbers in the class.

That $20,695 price point refers, of course, to the CX-5 Sport with the (remarkably good) six-speed manual transmission. Opting for the six-speed automatic will set you back an additional $1,400, and if you want to add all-wheel drive, be prepared to dish out another $1,250. Moving up, Touring models with either front- or all-wheel drive start at $23,895 and $25,145, respectively, and are only available with the six-speed automatic gearbox. Lastly, the range-topping Grand Touring comes in at $27,045 (FWD) and $28,295 (AWD), and with the $1,325 technology package added to the GT trim, you'll be looking at $29,620 for a fully loaded CX-5.

The 2013 CX-5 uses Mazda's brand new 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G gasoline engine, along with a host of other weight-saving technologies. We've driven the CX-5 on two different occasions, and while we're quite impressed with the steering, manual gearbox and suspension, we wish interior refinement were a bit better. Still, Mazda is positioning the CX-5 as the enthusiast's small crossover, and we're inclined to agree. Follow the jump for Mazda's official pricing release.

Continue reading 2013 Mazda CX-5 priced from $20,695*

2013 Mazda CX-5 priced from $20,695* originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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News - Twin-engined, sixteen-cylinder Mazda MX-5 Miata, anyone?

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:21:39 +0000

Filed under: Convertible, Videos, Mazda, Specialty

As far as two-seaters go, they don't get much farther apart than the Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 and the Mazda MX-5 Miata. The Mazda is as cheap as the Bugatti is expensive, and the Veyron has as many turbochargers - and digits in its output figures - as the Miata has cylinders. But this homegrown example aims to bridge the gap.

Someone, it seems, has stretched out their Miata's wheelbase and fitted a pair of eight-cylinder engines (which is essentially what powers the Bugatti) under the extended hood - or where the hood used to be, anyway. The result, as you can see from the brief clip after the jump, is rather rumblesome. Here's hoping the next vid has a bit more action...

Continue reading Twin-engined, sixteen-cylinder Mazda MX-5 Miata, anyone?

Twin-engined, sixteen-cylinder Mazda MX-5 Miata, anyone? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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