The 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata is getting more horsepower. And we approve.

Photo: Mazda USA Newsroom.

Ah, Miata. The car that, in spite of sometimes being maligned as a “chick-mobile” or “secretary’s car,” has earned a reputation as the world’s best selling roadster, the world’s most raced car, and the universal solution to how an enthusiast on a budget can gain entry into ownership of a true sports car.

Mazda’s Messaging for the CX-3 Makes the Target Market Pretty Clear

Photo: Mazda media website.

Excuse me, but what exactly is the point of a “subcompact crossover?”

Surely, the very existence of an unfathomable abomination like the Nissan Juke suggests that there is a market for this class of vehicle, but why?

First, let’s take a look at what first led down this automotive rabbit trail.

Kelley Blue Book Picks Mazda for Performance, Styling Awards

Photo: Mazda media website.

Mazda announced Monday that they have added two new awards to their trophy shelf this week, this time winning accolades in the performance and design categories.

Kelley Blue Book selected Mazda for two 2018 Brand Image Awards: “Best Performance Brand” and “Best Car Styling Brand.” This is Mazda’s second year in a row as the winner of “Best Car Styling Brand” award, while the marque is a first-time winner in the “Best Performance Brand category.

Mazda MX-5 Miata, CX-5 Bring Home the Award Bling in New York Daily News Competition

Photo: Mazda media website.

Mazda Motor Corporation announced this week that two of their models recently earned more industry accolades, winning top segment honors in the 2018 Daily News Autos (DNA) Awards, a competition organized by automotive editors of the New York Daily News.

Daily News editors select winners from nominations in a full range of automotive segments and  classes, selecting models that best represent the “DNA” of a specific segment. The cars, SUVs, trucks and minivans that win DNA Awards not only contain the core requirements and characteristics necessary to credibly serve their expected functions, but they also reflect superior design, engineering, innovation, value and dynamism.

Mazda Scores Innovation Award for SKYACTIVE-X Compression-Ignition Engine

From our perspective, there are two key ways that Mazda is strongly distinguishing itself within the automotive today's automotive industry

The first is car model design aesthetics. In a world where you increasingly need to play "find the badge" to identify the manufacturer of that latest boring crossover or lookalike Sonata- or Fusion-shaped fastback sedan, Mazda takes the intractable reality of the aerodynamic and safety-driven basic shapes that the industry feels obligated to produce today and manages to produce standout designs that are stunning enough to make a car enthusiast drool.

Mazda is also pushing the edges outward on the technology and research-and-development side. To name just a few examples, Mazda has made automotive technology news recently with a partnership with Denso and Toyota for electric vehicle R&D, an effort to obsolete the lead-acid starter battery with a lithium-ion replacement, and their latest public triumph: a Gold Edison Award for the SKYACTIV-X compression-ignition engine. 

Mad Skills in Auto Racing Sim Games Could Win You a Test in a Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Car

If you're an accomplished player of online racing simulation games who also dreams of triumph on a real-world track, take note. The Mazda Hot Lap Challenge could give you a chance to put your gaming skills to work to win the grand prize: a test in the Mazda MX-5 Global Cup Car.

Two paths can be taken to the grand prize of the test in a Global Mazda MX-5 Cup car. At select Mazda Motorsports events throughout 2018, Mazda’s consumer display will feature a racing simulator that utilizes a Mazda Global MX-5 Cup car at Daytona International Speedway. The race fan who records the fastest lap time throughout 2018 on that simulator will earn an all-expense paid VIP trip to the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona as a guest of Mazda Team Joest.

Mazda's Updated CX-3: An Example of What Tasteful Design Can Do for a Generally Boring Category—the Crossover

The crossover, or CUV, is not an automotive category that we're crazy about. We don't try to make that a secret around here. That said, it's also no secret that, at least relatively speaking, we are crazy about what Mazda has been doing design-wise recently. And the updated 2019 Mazda CX-3, which, interestingly, Mazda positions as a movement toward its next generation of vehicles, is a nice, if not earth-shattering, of what tasteful design can do for a category that, overall, is, well, shall we say somewhat lacking in the excitement department?

Get Ready to Say Buh-Bye to That Lead-Acid Battery in Your Car—if Mazda Has Their Way

Photo: Towel401 (Wikimedia commons).

Mazda Motor Corporation, ELIIY Power Co., Ltd. and Ube Industries, Ltd. have agreed to jointly develop lithium-ion batteries for use in automobiles. The three companies will work together to develop durable, heat- and impact-resistant 12-Volt lithium-ion batteries as a viable replacement for lead-acid starter batteries in motor vehicles by 2021.

Lithium-ion batteries offer a promising alternative to conventional lead-acid car batteries, as environmental regulations in some regions restrict the use of lead and engineers aim to reduce vehicle weight for improved fuel economy. But their application in motor vehicles so far has been limited due to the need for car batteries to withstand the high temperatures of the engine room and the potential impact forces of a collision. With this new project, Mazda, ELIIY Power and Ube Industries will combine their technical strengths to overcome such issues.

Toyota, Mazda Form Joint Venture to Manufacture New Mazda Crossover and Toyota Corolla in Alabama

Mazda Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation announced on Thursday that they have launched a new joint venture, Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc. (MTMUS), to build vehicles in Huntsville, Alabama, beginning in 2021.