2011 Mazda MX-5 Karai

The new Mazda MX-5 Karai is based on the 2011 MX-5 Roadster coupe that comes with a retractable hardtop. It features a distinctive Metal Green Metallic paint job with contrasting glossy black finish on the surrounding parts. In addition, it comes with a set of dark 17-inch alloy wheels to compliment the black contrast theme.

Under the bonnet, power comes from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine able to produce 160 horsepower while a new exhaust and a revised suspension system are available at an extra cost. The new Mazda MX-5 Karai that is limited at 165 units will be available for order starting next month, as mentioned, only in Germany. According to the Japanese manufacturer, buying the new MX-5 Karai special edition will bring you a Sinn watch matching the car’s colors for no extra cost.

On the inside, the MX-5 Karai features a pair of Recaro sport seats trimmed in black leather and Alcantara with white stitching, aluminum pedals, leather steering wheel with white stitching while Mazda says all the interior trim pieces that are usually finished in silver are now painted in a glossy black color.

Mazda plans to release 165 copies of Karai, designed specifically for the German market. Prices start at EUR 30 000 (43 500 $). Car sales will start in August this year. All buyers will receive a free branded watches Sinn dials with green.



 

Mazda BT-50 Freestyle Cab to debut in Melbourne

Mazda has the world premiere of the new Mazda BT-50 Freestyle Cab will be held at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne announced.

One of the unique pickup that is, both doors can be opened in the opposite direction and and do not use the pillar B. So that, 2012 Mazda BT-50 Freestyle it could open the door wide up to 1408 millimeters (mm). Not only that, blessing the wide-open door without a hitch and B pillar, the back passenger comfort is also increased.

The new model promises to offer improved comfort levels for rear-seat passengers, mainly thanks to longer seats (by 50mm) which give greater thigh support, and higher seat-backs (by 128mm).

No mention is made of the powertrains for the Freestyle Cab, but engine options should be the new 197 hp and 470 Nm MZ-CD 3.2 litre turbodiesel engine, with either six-speed auto or manual transmissions, and the MZ-CD 2.2 litre diesel unit, offering 148 hp and 375 Nm, the same mills the dual-cab will wear for Australia.

Press Release

All-new Mazda BT-50 Freestyle Cab To Make Its Global Debut At Aims

Mazda has confirmed that the Freestyle Cab version of its All-New BT-50 utility will make its global debut at the upcoming Australian International Motor Show to be held in Melbourne on 1 - 10 July.

Utilising the revolutionary Freestyle door configuration first seen on the RX-8, the BT-50 Freestyle Cab offers a unique combination of seating for four, an exceptionally wide pillar-less door opening, and a large carrying capacity.

On each side of the cabin, a front-hinged door and a rear access panel combine to provide a 1,408mm-wide opening that makes for easy entry to and exit from either the front or rear seats.

Rear-seat comfort has been taken to levels never seen before in the Freestyle Cab. Cushions have been lengthened by 50mm for better thigh support and more stable fitment of child seats while the seatback height has been increased by 128mm.

The rear seat cushions can be removed and with the rear access panels opening to an angle of nearly 90 degrees, the option of loading and storing cargo into the rear seating area of the cab has never been easier.

A further advantage of the All-New BT-50 Freestyle Cab is its capacious carrying capacity. The cargo tub has increased in width, length and height resulting in an overall cargo volume of 1,453 litres. This is an increase of 266 litres over the equivalent current model.

Mazda Australia managing director, Doug Dickson, points to the significance of this global unveiling. "Just as we were delighted to be given the privilege of hosting the global debut of the All-New BT-50 Dual Cab in Sydney last year, we are equally delighted to be hosting the global debut of the Freestyle Cab in Melbourne this year. With Australia expected to be the largest market for the All-New BT-50 it's no coincidence that we've been asked to host not one but two global unveilings of this important new model. It's only appropriate that the Australian public see it first."

The All-New Mazda BT-50 will go on sale later this year.

2011 Mazda MX-5 GT Race Car

This is the new Mazda MX-5 GT, the fastest, lightest Mazda-produced MX-5 ever. Unfortunately, it's also the company's new entry for this year's Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship, so you won't be seeing it on the road anytime soon.

Designed to compete in this year’s Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship, the standard MX-5 has been completely reworked to FIA specifications. It features a modified version of Mazda’s 2.0-litre in-line four, developing 275bhp - up 117bhp on the road going version - and mated to a six-speed sequential paddle shift ’box.

The car is also fitted with FIA-spec gear such as roll cage, racing seats with harness, external electric cut-off and fire extinguisher, competition alloy wheels and steering wheel, and safety latches for the bonnet and boot lid.

Under the bonnet is seriously tuned and tweaked 2.0-litre engine. Rather than 158bhp the four-cylinder engine now produces 275bhp. It also sits lower in the racer, and drives the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox.

The Mazda MX-5 GT will compete in its first race at the Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship three-hour endurance race at Silverstone, scheduled to start at 3:00pm on March 26.




Press Release

MAZDA MX-5 GT BREAKS COVER

• Mazda MX-5 GT entry into Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship 2011
• Lightweight Mazda MX-5 GT race car to challenge conventional thinking
• Mazda MX-5 GT remains true to its roots but with more power and performance

Mazda is set to challenge Aston Martin, Porsche, Lotus, and BMW on the race track with its lightweight Mazda MX-5 GT entry in the Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship 2011.

Weighing in at just 850kg, the Mazda MX-5 GT race car will accelerate from 0-to-60mph in just three seconds and hit a top speed of 160mph. The build of the car has been an engineering challenge to get the weight as low as possible using Mazda's gram strategy as the inspiration. Jota Sport examined every nut and bolt to reduce component weight and then match the power to the weight to give the lightest and most powerful MX-5 ever built.

An important aspect of the build was to ensure the Mazda MX-5 still remains true to its roots: great handling, huge fun-to-drive and the ability to challenge bigger more powerful competition, but at an affordable cost. The Mazda GT car ticks all those boxes and is now set to demonstrate its challenger spirit on the track.

Jota Sport, the race engineering team that will run the cars in the 2011 series, took 400 hours to build the shell to a specification that ensured it was 17 times stronger than required by the FIA. During the development they faced a number of engineering challenges such as suspension adjustments, integrating the six speed sequential gearbox, and lowering the engine. Weight saving strategies such as, the removal of interior components, reducing component weight and dipping the shell in acid lost 15kg from the MX-5 race car.

The completed MX-5 GT features a modified Mazda engine to produce 275bhp, a six speed sequential paddle shift gearbox, carbon doors and Polycarbonate windows. On the exterior, the Mazda MX-5 GT boasts a Spirited Green metallic body colour - a first on the MX-5 for Mazda UK - complimented by Jota Sport corporate coloured liveries in orange and grey.

Mazda is renowned for challenging conventions so the motivation to develop a MX-5 GT car comes naturally. It also comes at a time when Mazda has recently celebrated a number of milestones for MX-5 including its 21st anniversary and producing 900,000 MX-5 units globally since its introduction in 1989, with over 10 percent of global MX-5 sales from Britain. Meanwhile, the Mazda MX-5 continues to hold the Guinness World Record as the world's best?selling roadster - testament to its continued popularity with British open top sports car fans.

The Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship is contested over nine races from March to November including a race at the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. The first race is a three hour endurance race at Silverstone next weekend, Saturday 26 March 2011, starting at 3.00pm.

This is the fourth time that Mazda has entered Britcar and this year the Mazda MX-5 GT car will be driven by two Mazda works drivers including experienced Mazda racing driver Mark Ticehurst, 39 from Hassocks, West Sussex and Auto Express journalist and racing driver Owen Mildenhall.

"The MX-5 production race car's modest power output, bullet proof reliability and nimble handling demonstrated last year how the MX-5 can be competitive against some of the purpose-built Lotus, VW and BMW race cars. With a higher power output combined with the durability, reliability and handling attributes that the MX-5 is renowned for; the MX-5 GT race car will be strong contender against the more powerful race cars in its class," comments Graeme Fudge, PR Director, Mazda UK.

The Mazda MX-5 GT car, prepared by Tunbridge Wells-based Jota Sport features the mandatory FIA approved safety equipment including a roll cage, race seats and harness, external electric cut-off and fire extinguisher, safety catches on the bonnet and boot lids, competition steering wheel and alloy wheels, while the running gear, rear axle, gearbox and engine have been modified to enhance performance.

2011 Mazda MX-5 GT Race Car

This is the new Mazda MX-5 GT, the fastest, lightest Mazda-produced MX-5 ever. Unfortunately, it's also the company's new entry for this year's Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship, so you won't be seeing it on the road anytime soon.

Designed to compete in this year’s Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship, the standard MX-5 has been completely reworked to FIA specifications. It features a modified version of Mazda’s 2.0-litre in-line four, developing 275bhp - up 117bhp on the road going version - and mated to a six-speed sequential paddle shift ’box.

The car is also fitted with FIA-spec gear such as roll cage, racing seats with harness, external electric cut-off and fire extinguisher, competition alloy wheels and steering wheel, and safety latches for the bonnet and boot lid.

Under the bonnet is seriously tuned and tweaked 2.0-litre engine. Rather than 158bhp the four-cylinder engine now produces 275bhp. It also sits lower in the racer, and drives the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox.

The Mazda MX-5 GT will compete in its first race at the Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship three-hour endurance race at Silverstone, scheduled to start at 3:00pm on March 26.




Press Release

MAZDA MX-5 GT BREAKS COVER

• Mazda MX-5 GT entry into Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship 2011
• Lightweight Mazda MX-5 GT race car to challenge conventional thinking
• Mazda MX-5 GT remains true to its roots but with more power and performance

Mazda is set to challenge Aston Martin, Porsche, Lotus, and BMW on the race track with its lightweight Mazda MX-5 GT entry in the Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship 2011.

Weighing in at just 850kg, the Mazda MX-5 GT race car will accelerate from 0-to-60mph in just three seconds and hit a top speed of 160mph. The build of the car has been an engineering challenge to get the weight as low as possible using Mazda's gram strategy as the inspiration. Jota Sport examined every nut and bolt to reduce component weight and then match the power to the weight to give the lightest and most powerful MX-5 ever built.

An important aspect of the build was to ensure the Mazda MX-5 still remains true to its roots: great handling, huge fun-to-drive and the ability to challenge bigger more powerful competition, but at an affordable cost. The Mazda GT car ticks all those boxes and is now set to demonstrate its challenger spirit on the track.

Jota Sport, the race engineering team that will run the cars in the 2011 series, took 400 hours to build the shell to a specification that ensured it was 17 times stronger than required by the FIA. During the development they faced a number of engineering challenges such as suspension adjustments, integrating the six speed sequential gearbox, and lowering the engine. Weight saving strategies such as, the removal of interior components, reducing component weight and dipping the shell in acid lost 15kg from the MX-5 race car.

The completed MX-5 GT features a modified Mazda engine to produce 275bhp, a six speed sequential paddle shift gearbox, carbon doors and Polycarbonate windows. On the exterior, the Mazda MX-5 GT boasts a Spirited Green metallic body colour - a first on the MX-5 for Mazda UK - complimented by Jota Sport corporate coloured liveries in orange and grey.

Mazda is renowned for challenging conventions so the motivation to develop a MX-5 GT car comes naturally. It also comes at a time when Mazda has recently celebrated a number of milestones for MX-5 including its 21st anniversary and producing 900,000 MX-5 units globally since its introduction in 1989, with over 10 percent of global MX-5 sales from Britain. Meanwhile, the Mazda MX-5 continues to hold the Guinness World Record as the world's best?selling roadster - testament to its continued popularity with British open top sports car fans.

The Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship is contested over nine races from March to November including a race at the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. The first race is a three hour endurance race at Silverstone next weekend, Saturday 26 March 2011, starting at 3.00pm.

This is the fourth time that Mazda has entered Britcar and this year the Mazda MX-5 GT car will be driven by two Mazda works drivers including experienced Mazda racing driver Mark Ticehurst, 39 from Hassocks, West Sussex and Auto Express journalist and racing driver Owen Mildenhall.

"The MX-5 production race car's modest power output, bullet proof reliability and nimble handling demonstrated last year how the MX-5 can be competitive against some of the purpose-built Lotus, VW and BMW race cars. With a higher power output combined with the durability, reliability and handling attributes that the MX-5 is renowned for; the MX-5 GT race car will be strong contender against the more powerful race cars in its class," comments Graeme Fudge, PR Director, Mazda UK.

The Mazda MX-5 GT car, prepared by Tunbridge Wells-based Jota Sport features the mandatory FIA approved safety equipment including a roll cage, race seats and harness, external electric cut-off and fire extinguisher, safety catches on the bonnet and boot lids, competition steering wheel and alloy wheels, while the running gear, rear axle, gearbox and engine have been modified to enhance performance.