Wednesday 19 November 2008

Ford Sells $540 Million of Mazda Stocks

Ford Motor Co., reeling from plunging U.S. car sales & a sinking share price, will raise about $540 million selling part of its stake in Japanese affiliate Mazda Motor Corp. to ease cash concerns, according to Bloomberg.




The automaker will sell 20% of Mazda today, reducing its holdings to 13%, according to a statement. Hiroshima-based Mazda said separately that it will buy back up to a 6.9% stake for as much as 17.9 billion yen ($186 million). The rest of the shares will be purchased by unidentified "strategic business partners."

Ford, which rescued Mazda from bankruptcy 12 years ago, is raising additional funds after burning through $7.7 billion in cash during the third quarter. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC are seeking a combined $25 billion in U.S. government loans.

"When the airplane is too heavy and you're losing power, you have to throw out what you can," said Edwin Merner, president of Atlantis Investment Research Corp. in Tokyo, whose parent company manages about $3.1 billion. "It's a desperate, desperate situation."

Ford's U.S. sales plunged 30 percent in October, as the industry heads to the lowest annual tally in 15 years. Ford Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally, GM's Richard Wagoner and Chrysler's Robert Nardelli are scheduled to testify today at a Senate Banking Committee hearing.

Source

Sunday 16 November 2008

Custom Mazda6 sedans showed at SEMA

Mazda teamed up with customizers Troy Lee Designs & David Green’s DG Motorsports to present a pair of mildly tuned 2009 Mazda6 sedans at the industry-only SEMA show in Las Vegas.



The black DG Motorsports “Green Energy” Mazda6 featured a pair of unique spoilers front & rear as well as custom 19 inch Volk alloy wheels and a paint scheme by Kustom Shop. The tuned car was tightened up underneath courtesy of Eibach.



The unique green Troy Lee Designs Mazda6 was custom painted by Troy Lee Designs, a name better known to two wheel enthusiasts. Troy Lee Designs also gave the modified Mazda a unique body kit with an ugly (imho) large rear spoiler, an Eibach suspension upgrade, cross-drilled, 6-piston brakes by Wilwood Engineering & 18-inch Momo Strike wheels.

Look here for more pictures at the Leftlanenews.com site.

Mazda6 "Best Family Car"

The Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (ASMW) has named the Mazda6 ‘Best Family Car’ in its Scottish Car of the Year Awards 2008, commenting that, 'Rarely has a car ticked all the right boxes when it comes to quality, refinement, and reliability… Mazda has more than met the ambitions of many motorists’.



Now in its 11th year, the Scottish Car of the Year is judged by members of the ASMW and more than 50 new models, launched during the past 12 months, were in contention for a 2008 accolade, awarded across eight categories.

"The family car sector has come on leaps and bounds in recent years," commented Bill Caven, President of the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers. "The quality of the vehicles available has risen dramatically as the manufacturers strive to offer something special. All of which is good news for those families seeking a solid all‑round transporter.

"Mazda has more than met the ambitions of many motorists following the introduction of its all-new Mazda6."

Mazda6 impressed the ASMW judges, with the panel selecting it above family car rivals Honda Accord, Mitsubishi Lancer, Citroën C5, Kia pro'ceed, Ford Focus, Dodge Avenger and Peugeot 308. Bill Caven added: "Not only does the Mazda6 look rather spectacular, but it also performs to the same high standard of cars costing considerably more."

Mazda UK managing director Jeremy Thomson added: “We are truly delighted that the Mazda6 has been named Scottish Car of the Year’s ‘Best Family Car’. This 2008 award is further confirmation that the all-new Mazda6 continues to attract family buyers thanks to its people and luggage carrying abilities and very competitive CO2 emissions levels, ideal for family motoring needs.

"The new Mazda6 has built upon the original model’s sportiness and design flair while the new bodyshells, which are significantly stiffer as well as lighter, mean that both the hatchback and the estate models deliver even more responsive handling."

You can read the complete article here.


New turbodiesel engine for the Mazda6

Early next year Mazda will introduce the new MZR-CD 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine with a choice of 3 different power outputs to the new Mazda6 model range.



“In its previous 140ps form, our diesel Mazda6 out-performed many potential rivals, particularly their entry and mid-level derivatives, and its reduced CO2 emissions delivered real financial benefits to company car drivers,” said Mark Cameron, Mazda UK Sales Director.

“Our mid-power 163ps diesel, with 16 percent more power, offers an amazing performance‑per-pound package, significantly out-pacing rivals. All three diesel engines are emissions clean with modest CO2 ratings, excellent fuel efficiency and genuine refinement."

The 2nd-gen Mazda 6 is now equipped with the MZR-CD 2.2-litre turbodiesel in 3 power derivatives, producing 182bhp, 11bhp and 14bhp of maximum power output and 295lb-ft, 265lb-ft and 228lb-ft of torque respectively using a variable-geometry turbocharger, according to the MotorTorque Team. This increases maximum available torque at both low and high engine speeds, while also increasing low-end response.

Fuel injection pressure has been upped by 11% , while high-pressure pump and new injectors are improved to enable more precise injection timing and an increase in both the frequency and quantity of the injections.

An exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) system with a cooler bypass structure decreases unburned gases and NOx to realise lower emissions, which are then then treated by a diesel particulate filter (DPF).

On the combined cycle, the new Mazda6 diesel returns between 51.4mpg and 49.6mpg, with CO2 figures of 147g/km to 152g/km, depending on model
Five Equipment Levels

Apart from the trio of new diesel versions, the lane-change radar monitor and the fitting of Smart Keyless Entry (with push button engine Start/Stop) on all Sport and Sport Luxury models, Mazda has made a number of other changes to specification levels.

As well as the established Mazda equipment levels – S, TS, TS2 and Sport – a new range-topper called ‘SL’ (Sport Luxury) has been added. The Sport grade features a ‘Sports Appearance Pack’ fitted as standard on this model, including 18-inch wheels.

Other SL equipment includes full leather seats, heated front seats, a 240W BOSE surround sound premium audio system with eight speakers, 18-inch alloy wheels, Bi-Xenon headlamps and front & rear parking sensors.

Mazda will also introduce the ‘Rear Vehicle Monitoring System’ will be as standard on 15 models, from TS2 upwards. The new active safety feature detects and warns the driver of an approaching vehicle before he/she has a chance to move across into a busy lane by mistake.

Welcome to Mazda6 news

Welcome to my site dedicated to the Mazda6. This year I bought my 1st Mazda, the 6 off course! This is the 1st generation of the Mazda6, build in 2003. As you may notice this is the Hatchback version, the 1.8 Touring to be precise.



On this site you will find the latest news & info regarding one the most beautiful cars ever build by Mazda.