Anyone who spends enough time on The Car Lounge has doubtlessly seen numerous threads and posts with all manner of Volkswagens, Subarus, Hondas and (ugh) Miatas with improbably low ride heights, low offset BBS RS wheels in all colours of the Popsicle rainbow, roof racks and even rusted body parts.

The “stance” movement is the biggest thing going for people who seek validation from anonymous automotive forum members, though I have yet to really see a car like this in person. Maybe it will fly in California, but in Toronto, with roads like the surface of the Moon and 6 months of snow, this style is impractical if not unfeasible.

Continue reading Rich Corinthian Leather #2: Hella Suck

The number 112 red Mazda RX-7 got it done at ChumpCar with a huge gain at the end of the race picking up first place and a thousand dollars at the Infineon race on Sunday.

Continue reading Mazda Wins ChumpCar Sunday

Happy CX-7 is happy.

I glide to a stop at a red light. It’s Thanksgiving and I have my ladyfriend and parents in tow. This is the first time my folks have been inside our CX-7 tester and they’re still getting acquainted.

My dad pipes up from the rear seat: “So this has a V6?”

“No, 4-banger,” I reply. “165 horsepower or so, I think” (it’s actually 161).

“Ahh,” he says. “So what’ll it tow?”

“It won’t, really,” I respond. “Maybe 1,500lbs tops.”

“Oh…”

I can tell he’s mulling that over. This is a man–a computer programmer–who dailies a turbodiesel Dodge Sprinter. Yes – the big white plumber van. You could say he’s a fan of practicality.

“So what’s the point, then?” he finally asks.

I shrug and gesture around the cabin at the four comfortably-seated occupants.

“This.”

Continue reading Lord Byron — Plus-Size Frugality: The 2010 Mazda CX-7 i Sport

Franck Montagny and Stephane Sarrazin gave Peugeot its first American Le Mans Series victory on Friday, winning a weather-shortened 12th annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6. Race officials, citing hazardous conditions due to torrential rains that fell at Road Atlanta just past the four-hour mark, called the race at eight hours, 44 minutes running.

Peugeot’s two diesel-powered factory prototype coupes finished 1-2 with the pole-sitting 908 HDi of Pedro Lamy and Nic Minassian in second. The first of Audi Sport Team Joest’s Audi R15 TDIs placed third, the car driven by Allan McNish and Dindo Capello. The Peugeot-Peugeot-Audi finish mirrored the end result at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, and it ended Audi’s nine-year unbeaten streak at Road Atlanta.

“We only did three races this year,” Montagny said. “We missed Sebring by only 22 seconds, and it was a win for the Peugeot team at Le Mans and a win here. I think if we had a full time we really would have battled it out with the Audis.”

Continue reading 2009 Petit Le Mans Wrap-Up

Mazda NA Ops pres and CEO Jim O’Sullivan confirmed the Mazda2 for the U.S. and Canada during a dealer meeting.

Mazda2/Demio

MAZDA CONFIRMS THAT MAZDA2 SUBCOMPACT CAR

WILL BE SOLD IN U.S. AND CANADA 
 

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – Mazda North American Operations’ president and CEO, Jim O’Sullivan, confirmed today during a meeting of the company’s top dealers that the MAZDA2 subcompact, or B-Car classification, car will be sold in the U.S. beginning in late 2010.  It was previously announced that the car also will be sold in Canada, beginning at about the same time. 

“You’ve asked us for it for a while now, and we’ve been studying the market to make sure we can make a business case for it across North America,” O’Sullivan told the assembled dealers.  “As consumers’ tastes and attitudes toward small vehicles have changed, we now believe strongly there is a place in our lineup for a car below our current least-expensive car, the MAZDA3.  MAZDA2 will be true to everything that makes our cars stand apart from the competition: it will be stylish, fun-to-drive and a heck of a value.  In short, it will be Zoom-Zoom.” 

No further details were released at the meeting, other than notice that the final North American-specification MAZDA2 will be unveiled to media and the public at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show.  Further information on specifications, content, pricing and on-sale timing will be provided closer to launch. 

MAZDA2 has been a sales and media success in markets around the world, winning more than 50 awards and being named Car of the Year in more than 20 separate countries.  Additionally, MAZDA2 was named the 2008 World Car of the Year, besting all other new cars around the world. 

Celebrating its 40^th Anniversary in the United States in 2010, Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif. and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico through nearly 900 dealers.  Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario; and in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. 

I’ve noticed over the past several months a certain shift in my attitudes toward driving. It’s a disconnect. I simply can’t find that groove these days. If you’re any kind of enthusiast (and you must be if you put up with our nonsense) then you know what I’m getting at. Every auto writer has waxed philosophical at one time or another about the connection between man and machine and how, from time to time, the elements come together to form a rare moment of perfect automotive bliss. Sometimes it’s triggered by the perfect road; sometimes it comes from having the perfect car. Hell, sometimes it happens when you’re stuck in traffic on a beautiful evening with the breeze coming through the windows of your ‘94 Caravan while one of your favorite songs crackles from the half-shot factory speakers. It’s in that confluence of events that we remember why we love what we do and why we’re willing to make sacrifices for it.

But those moments are few and far between for me these days and more and more I’ve come to realize it’s a product of my living situation. I have a super convenient apartment and a catered commute. I don’t need to drive at all during the week. Hell, I don’t want to either, because you can’t go more than ten miles in any direction before sunset without hitting traffic. Weekday or weekend, driving anywhere around here is a chore. When you’re at least 40 minutes from the closest two-lane that isn’t littered with cops or traffic signals (or both), just getting to the open roads sucks most of the joy out of driving them.

And any icebreaker conversation inevitably leads to the same question: “Wait a second, you live in an apartment in Alexandria and you own four cars?”

Yep. Four cars. And last week, when we hosted Mazda’s latest 3, it was five.

Continue reading Lord Byron — Driven: A Speed:Sport:Life Road Test of the 2010 Mazda3

Cacophony. That’s the only way to describe the sound that permeates the cabin as the tach needle sweeps past 4,000RPM. The normally melodious warble of the aftermarket muffler is choked off by the muted drone imposed by the factory airbox. The 1600cc engine wheezes in air as though snorting it through mucus-clogged nostrils. For once, I think to myself, I’ll be looking forward to having my helmet on. 80MPH in a 25MPH zone. Solid as a rock.

This is pre-tech.

Continue reading Speed:Sport:Life Almost Racing — The $1350 Miata

As part of our push for more volunteer and guest driven content, Jeff Glucker of NADAguides.com will be providing us with several of his reviews as a guest contributor.  Thanks Jeff, and we look forward to more of these in the near future! – Zerin

The 2009 Mazda MX-5… Home of the Happiest Grill on Earth

I stand 75.6 inches tall. I get physically ill at the thought of the middle row in coach. I am always more than tall enough for any carnival ride. However I was excited at the prospect of getting behind the wheel of the 2009 Mazda MX-5. I have never driven a Miata but I have heard that they are representative of pure motoring joy. Keys in hand and chiropractor on speed dial I sat down in the MX-5 and moved the seat all the way back and all the way down… which wasn’t very much of a move – this could be a long week.

Continue reading Road Tested: 2009 Mazda MX-5

View Complete 24 Hours of Lemons Houston Punishment Gallery

Photos by Zerin Dube

The best part of any 24 Hours of Lemons race are, of course, watching the penalties and punishments being handed out to drivers who received the dreaded black flag for doing something stupid. Head Judges, Phil Greden and Jonny Lieberman made me the Honorary Judge for the weekend which meant I was allowed to do some punishing of my own.

We have over 200 photos in our Punishment Gallery, and several videos to follow. For now, enjoy these videos and photos after the jump!

Continue reading 2009 24 Hours of Lemons – Houston Gator-O-Rama – The Punishments

View Complete 24 Hours of Lemons Houston Photo Gallery

Photos by Zerin Dube

After two days of hard racing, countless penalties, and several thousand laughs later, the Houston 24 Hours of Lemons race is history. The winner at the end of it all was the #0 Mustang of the Formula M for Mullet race team. This race marks the first time in Lemons history that a Mustang has ever won the race! So, what was the secret to their success? We don’t really know, but we can say they were one of the few cars that never had to come in for a penalty.

True to the Southern hospitality that Texans are known for, the Mullet team donated the $1500 purse they won to a fund set up for the Norwegian Slaab team’s mechanic who was critically injured in an accident outside of the track on Saturday night.

We’ve set up several galleries (all available in 1280×853 glory) and will be uploading videos through the week of many of the punishments that were handed out over the course of the weekend. For now, enjoy these photos and videos, and be sure to check out Jalopnik as well for additional coverage throughout the week.

Click for Larger Image

24 Hours of Lemons Houston Gator-O-Rama Winner, the #0 Formula M for Mullet Mustang

More race photos after the jump!

Continue reading 2009 24 Hours of Lemons – Houston Gator-O-Rama – The Race