Mazda RX-8, 2009

 

 

 

 

Mazda RX-8, 2009

Launched in 2003, the Mazda RX-8 hit the global market with a serious bang. The RX-8 has won more than 50 global awards since its release including 2003 RJC Car of the Year in Japan Australia's Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 2003, 2003 International Engine of the Year, 2004 Singapore Car of the Year, the 2004 U.S. Best Sports Car and UK Car of the Year 2004. It was also named on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 2004, 2005, and 2006. All together, Mazda has sold nearly 167,000 RX-8s around the world.

For 2009, Mazda will further the evolution of the four-door, four-seater sports coupe, giving Mazda RX-8 a refreshed exterior and interior design, enhanced performance and a new R3 sport package for the ultimate driving enthusiast.
To enhance the highly successful Mazda RX-8, Mazda engineers focused on innovation in three key areas for the new Mazda RX-8: styling, performance and packaging. "The enhancements made to Mazda RX-8's exterior, interior, packaging and performance takes it to a whole new level of visual and driving excitement," remarked Nakazawa.

STYLING INNOVATION - REFRESHED DESIGN CUES PROVIDE "HIGHQUALITY" DYNAMISM
Mazda RX-8 was designed with an athletically sculpted exterior that provides a sense of originality that's unrivaled in the marketplace today. The new Mazda RX-8 receives design enhancements that are meant to freshen the styling and give Mazda RX-8 a new look, without impairing the basic design theme. Refinements for the new Mazda RX-8 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 new Mazda 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.

Taut muscular lines give Mazda RX-8 the liberating look of an athlete in motion. The muscular styling maintains classic sports car proportions while adding a Zoom-Zoom edge that is unmistakably Mazda.

The RX-8's unique "freestyle" four-door design is proof that a true sports car does not need to sacrifice space or convenience for performance. The advanced design of the rear-hinged rear doors provides a large door opening, allowing adult-sized passengers to easily enter and exit the vehicle. This design is also advantageous when securing a baby or a small child in the back seat. With a spacious rear seat area providing ample passenger room for four full-size adults, and enough trunk space for a weekend's worth of luggage, this sports car proves its versatility.

The Mazda RX-8's exterior styling presents a genuine sports car form, while the interior boasts a comfortable and intelligently designed cabin. Minor enhancements were made for the new Mazda RX-8 to provide a simple and functional interior design that supports driving pleasure. The center IP shape was redesigned to give a feeling of dynamic movement, a variable red-zone was added to the tachometer that will rise as the engine comes to operating temperature and a new steering wheel and redesigned front and rear seats are also added.

An extremely low cabin floor allows the seats to be mounted low in the chassis, which, along with a low instrument cluster and hood, allows a low center of gravity and allows outstanding occupant visibility. Mazda designers concentrated on the shape of the front seat backs and the rear seat cushions to ensure adequate rear-seat knee room. Front seat slide-rails are positioned to allow maximum leg room for rear-seat passengers.

The rotary design element is incorporated through the interior of the Mazda RX-8 in creative ways, appearing in the seats. The stylish cabin also evokes a sense of luxury and high-end quality. Mazda's design team examined every aspect and component of the interior and has created an elegant, driver-centric atmosphere. Through the use of advanced ergonomic research, Mazda engineers determined that improper seating posture is a major cause of driver fatigue and built in optimum support in the front seats to help offset discomfort. In addition, the color of the Mazda RX-8's instrument cluster was developed to reduce eye fatigue and strain.

Mazda MX-5, 2009

 

 

 

Mazda MX-5, 2009

The Exterior Design: A Fusion of New Mazda Elements and an Unmistakable MX-5 Look
The front grille has been enlarged and changed from an oval shape to the five-point grille that forms part of the well-known Mazda family face. Combined with tautly styled headlights and lowing fog- lamp bezels, the new grille creates a reined and athletic expression.
The five points of the grille are slightly rounded the new shape of the front bumper, with corners that extend downwards, enhances the dynamic look and improves the aerodynamics.
The rear bumper has a new design that makes the rear look wider, sportier, and more integrated into the body. The rear combination lamps inherit the traditional MX-5 elliptical motif, and protrude further outboard for greater aerodynamic efficiency.

The Roadster Coupe's more Upscale Identity
The Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe, which features a groundbreaking powered roof system, also incorporates several design changes that further emphasize its more upscale identity and distinguish it from the soft-top version.
    * Front grille: Whereas the soft-top version has a in-type grille, the Roadster Coupe has a mesh grille that is framed by a chrome ring.
    * Headlamp inner bezels: The headlamp inner bezels are painted silver on the soft-top version, but have a chrome finish on the Roadster Coupe.
    * Fog-lamp inner bezels: The fog lamp inner bezels are black on the soft-top version, but are painted silver on the Roadster Coupe.
    * Outer door handles: The outer door handles are body-coloured on the soft-top version, but have a chrome finish on the Roadster Coupe.
    * High-mounted stop lamp: The high-mounted stop lamp has a red lens on the soft-top version, but a clear lens on the Roadster Coupe.

The New Wheel Designs
The MX-5 is available with 16-inch and 17-inch aluminium wheels. The 16-inch wheels have five sets of twin spokes for a lightweight look. The 17-inch wheels have 10 twisted spokes for a stronger impression of power and dynamism.

The Interior Design: Higher Than Ever Quality and Driver- Friendliness
The interior design delivers the Mazda MX-5's traditional combination of comfortable snugness below shoulder level and openness above shoulder level. It also reflects customer feedback in the form of enhanced quality and driver-friendly features.
The decorative surfaces on the instrument panel have been changed from glossy piano black to dark silver, which has a subtler, higher- quality look befitting a sports car. The meters have new graphics for higher legibility. The climate-control dials on the centre stack have each been given a silver-coloured ring for a higher-quality look. A protrusion has been eliminated from the outer surface of each door pocket to create more leg space. And the door and centre-console armrests have each been given a soft pad for a better feel.
Recaro seats designed exclusively for the MX-5 are available in certain regions. They are upholstered in leather and perforated Alcantara for a sporty look, and they combine excellent support with easy ingress and egress.

Evolved Jinba Ittai for Enhanced Fun-To-Drive
The Jinba Ittai feeling on which Mazda has always focused with the Mazda MX-5 defines the kind of spontaneous car-and-driver interaction that anyone can experience whether they're driving the MX-5 in town, on twisty roads, or on an open highway. With the latest facelift, Mazda engineers evolved the attributes in the "driving", "cornering", "braking", and "listening" categories in the fishbone chart to realize performance that lets drivers enjoy the feeling of oneness with the car to an even greater degree.

A 500 rpm Higher Rev Limit Maximizes Engine Potential for Greater Enjoyment
The powertrain has been enhanced to enable the driver to enjoy the full potential of the engine's performance (a key "fun to drive" aspect of the MX-5). Specifically, the speed at which the engine delivers maximum power has been raised from 6,700 rpm to 7,000 rpm (2.0-litre M/T version) and the rev limit has been raised from 7,000 rpm to 7,500 rpm (all 2.0-litre versions). Without these enhancements, the engine feels smooth and linear right up to the rev limit, even with the throttle wide open. With them, however, the driver can really experience the sensation of extracting every single horsepower out of the engine (the enhancements described here apply to the 2.0-litre grades with a manual transmission). The crucial 500 rpm increase in the rev limit is enabled by greater precision in the engine, namely: a forged crankshaft (this ensures the required rigidity at high engine speeds), fully floating pistons and newly designed valve springs.

A Sportier Engine Sound that Responds More Crisply to Accelerator Inputs
The engine sound (a key element in the "listening" category of the MX-5 fishbone chart) is a big part of the sports car experience. With the latest facelift, Mazda engineers made the Mazda MX-5 engine sound even better without causing aural discomfort for people outside the car. Notably, they increased the rigidity of the plastic surge tank in the intake manifold. The optimized surge tank combines with the new forged crankshaft to realize a clearer engine sound throughout the rev range. In vehicles with the six-speed manual transmission, the engineers also adopted a newly developed device called an Induction Sound Enhancer (ISE). This amplifies the pulses that occur when an accelerator input opens the throttle valve to increase air low into the engine, thereby delivering a more exciting sound to the cockpit. The intake sound created by the ISE feels synchronized with the driver's accelerator inputs, so the driver enjoys a crisp, thrilling engine sound even when using the accelerator pedal gently to adjust the revs for a downshift.

Honda Odyssey Concept, 2010

 

 

 

Honda Odyssey Concept, 2010

The Honda Odyssey Concept, on display at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, introduces a sleek and distinctive exterior styling direction for the next generation of the industry's best-selling minivan, set to debut this fall, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.

The Honda Odyssey Concept dramatically departs from conventional minivan styling with its low and wide stance, highlighted by a "lightning-bolt" beltline that further distinguishes the vehicle's profile. Compared to the 2009 Honda Odyssey, the Concept's slightly lower roofline (-1.0 inch) and wider stance (+1.4 inch) contribute to a sleeker, stronger and more dynamic presence with improved aerodynamics that help increase fuel economy. Forthcoming improvements to the production Honda Odyssey's interior are designed to further enhance the current model's accommodating space for people and cargo.

The steeply raked front and rear roof pillars, unique side-glass profile, chamfered roof line, and tapered rear cabin shape combine to create a dynamic and distinctive appearance from any perspective. The lightning-bolt beltline dives toward the rear of the vehicle emphasizing the new Honda Odyssey's sporty appearance while enhancing outward visibility for third-row passengers. Aggressive body-to-wheel proportions reduce the perception of vertical height common to most minivan designs. Fender flares further accent the vehicle's securely planted and stylish persona. The concept vehicle's projector beam headlights, LED taillights and form-fit fog lights further heighten the sophisticated quality of the design.

Enhanced aerodynamics and advanced powertrain technologies will contribute to the next-generation Honda Odyssey's increased fuel efficiency. The all-new 2011 Honda Odyssey is expected to achieve an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 19 city/28 highway miles-per gallon on select models (preliminary estimate determined by Honda).

Currently in its third generation, the Honda Odyssey's unique array of features, including its superior driving dynamics, 3rd-Row Magic Seat® and efficient i-VTEC™ V-6 engine with three-mode Variable Cylinder Management™ (available) all combine to offer a sophisticated environment with room for up to eight people (seven on Odyssey LX). The Odyssey has been America's best-selling minivan since 2008 and is produced exclusively in Alabama by Honda Manufacturing of Alabama (using domestic and globally sourced parts). Both the concept and production vehicles, along with all development activity for the 2011 Odyssey, are being designed at Honda R&D Americas in Torrance, California, and Raymond, Ohio.

The Honda Odyssey has won numerous awards and critical acclaim. Recent accolades include the Edmunds.com 2010 "Top Recommended" minivan award, U.S. News and World Report 2010 "Best Minivan for the Money" award, Automotive Lease Guide 2010 "Best Minivan for the Money," the Kelley Blue Book award as one of the ten "Best New Family Vehicles of 2009" and "2009 Best Resale Value Award" in the van category, which recognizes vehicles that are expected to have segment-leading resale value after five years of ownership.

Honda Odyssey Concept Basic Dimensions
    * Length: 202.8"
    * Width: 78.5"
    * Height: 68.3"
    * Wheelbase: 118.1"

Honda New Small Concept, 2010

 

 

Honda New Small Concept, 2010

Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. (HSCI), a leading manufacturer of premium cars in India, unveiled the world premiere of the Honda New Small Concept, a concept model for a new small-sized vehicle, at the Auto Expo 2010 in New Delhi. HSCI also announced plans to begin sales of a new model in 2011 based on this concept model.

For the Honda New Small Concept, a wide platform with a stable center of gravity was adopted to create a highly efficient compact size with seating for five people. With the "Efficient Energetic Exterior" design, the dynamic design of the Honda New Small Concept with front forward fenders highlight the presence of the vehicle.

Honda is planning to introduce a new model based on the Honda New Small Concept in 2011, in India and also in Thailand.

Honda will strive to provide a new small-sized vehicle that is beyond the expectations of customers in rapidly growing markets and offer it at an affordable price by leveraging Honda's global parts sourcing network.