Advertisement

Mazda REPU: Rotary-engined Pick-up Truck

May 13, 2007 at 9:39 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Mazda

Mazda REPU

Mention the name Mazda and the first thing that comes to mind to most people is it’s iconic RX7 and RX8 sports cars which are powered by a unique type of engine – the rotary engine. A rotary engine works differently from piston engines – it uses one or more rotors to produce power instead of pistons.

Mazda put rotary engines in more cars than just the RX7, but did you know Mazda used to sell a pick-up truck powered by a rotary engine?

Mazda marketed the Mazda Rotary Pick-Up, or Mazda REPU with the slogan “the pickup with pickup”. The Mazda REPU was a light truck powered by a 1.3 litre 2-rotor rotary engine, similiar to the one in the RX7, however it did not have a turbo. The 2-rotor engine was a carburetted unit, using a 2-stage carburettor. The single cab truck had a 6-feet long bed at the back for loads of up to 635kg. It came with either a 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission, without any overdrive gears.

Unfortunately, poor sales of just about 15,000 units in it’s entire 3-year lifespan of between 1974 to 1977 made Mazda decide to discontinue it.
[Read more...]

13 Comments    

New Mazda Fighter Spyshots

May 13, 2007 at 3:52 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Mazda, Spyshots

Shortly after the new Ford Ranger TDCi arrived on Malaysian shores, this lightly camouflaged new generation Mazda Fighter sharing the same underpinings as the new Ranger TDCi was spotted making rounds around Sri Hartamas near EON Bank. Thanks to Derrick Tew for sending in these photos. It looks pretty much like the new Ford Ranger TDCi except for changes on the front grille, headlamps, bumper, and other changes around the outside and inside – mostly aesthetics. We will have to wait until the launch to find out the full specs and differences, or the lack of any for that matter.

The new Mazda Fighter will likely be powered by the same class-leading 2.5 litre TDCi intercooled turbodiesel engine as the Ranger TDCi, making 141bhp/143PS at 3500rpm and 330Nm at 1800rpm. Look at 3 more spyshots after the jump, as well as undisguised product photos of the new Mazda Fighter sourced from Mazda Thailand.
[Read more...]

36 Comments    


2010 Mazda CX-5 to be developed

March 26, 2007 at 7:37 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Mazda

hakaze-cx5.jpg

Mazda will be developing a new crossover CUV called the Mazda CX-5 based on the recent Mazda Hakaze Concept. Mazda says the CX-5 will be engineered to provide the fun driving experience of an MX-5 combined with the practicality of the CX-7 SUV. It will be a targa, which means roof panels are removable to create a semi-open top cabin. The 5-door small SUV will also have it’s rear doors installed RX-8 suicide-style.

13 Comments    

Mazda3 1.6 for RM99,500

March 15, 2007 at 8:37 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Mazda

mazda3_16_450_promo.jpg

Great news for those who are looking to buy a new car and have a budget of less than RM100,000. The Mazda3 1.6 litre is now available for RM99,500 while stocks last. This is for the standard specification Mazda3 1.6 litre. There is also a special finance package available where your first year’s installment will only be RM888 a month.

A basic recap on what the Mazda3 1.6′s loaded with – a 105 horsepower 1.6 litre DOHC engine with S-VT variable valve timing, a 4-speed auto with manual shifting, dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, and a 3-year warranty backed by Cycle & Carriage Bintang Berhad.

The Mazda3 1.6 litre sedan normally costs about RM111,863.00 without insurance, so this is a saving of roughly RM12,000. Just head on to a Mazda showroom for more details about the deal.

58 Comments    

More photos of Mazda 2 1.3 and 1.5

March 6, 2007 at 5:14 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Mazda

Here is a collection of more photos of the upcoming Mazda 2 (or Mazda Demio depending on market) to be revealed at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show this week. The Mazda 2 will come with three engine options to begin with, a 75hp 1.3 litre, an 84hp 1.3 litre as well as a 103hp 1.5 litre.

The stock Mazda 2 can be seen as the green car in this set of photos, but there is an optional Sports Appearance Pack which gives the car a little more sporty flair. You get new bumpers that appear more aggressive, for example the fog lamp inserts curve upwards in the Sports Appearance kit instead of downwards in the standard kit. The Sports Appearance grille is also one with a solid bar running through it, while the standard kit has a mesh grille, pretty much the same idea to differentiate trim level as most Mazda cars – in Malaysia the Mazda6 2.0 has a mesh grille while the higher spec Mazda6 2.3 has the solid bar grille.

The center console design reminds me a little of the Mazda RX8′s, with that circular design in the middle, and I can somehow see a Mickey Mouse head there with the two round airvents looking like Mickey’s ears. Weird design cues there.

More photos after the jump – green is standard, grey is sports pack!
[Read more...]

34 Comments    

2008 Mazda 2 Preview

February 14, 2007 at 9:17 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Mazda

mazda2_1.jpg

Mazda gives us a preview of it’s new B-segment hatchback, the Mazda 2. Updated to modern Mazda design language, gone is the boxy outlook of it’s predecessor, instead you get a sporty hatch which is reminiscent of the Toyota Yaris. The new Mazda 2 is shorter at 3880mm, however it still keeps an identical wheelbase of 2490mm.

It has a sporty front, with a large air dam flanked by two smaller ones hosting fog lamps, and large headlamps, however I have to disagree with their choice of front grille design – something bigger would have looked better. Trunk space is rated at 250 litres, but with the seats down it enlarges to 469 litres of space. The 2008 Mazda 2 is expected to be unveiled with three engine options, a 1.3 litre petrol (two variants – 74hp/118Nm and 83hp/121Nm), a 1.5 litre petrol (103hp/136Nm) as well as a 1.4 litre turbodiesel.

Two more photos of the rear and side profile after the jump.
[Read more...]

30 Comments    

Pimped up Mazda CX-7 concepts by Mazda USA

February 4, 2007 at 2:42 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Concept Cars, Mazda

trickedcx7_1.jpg

Mazda has created three design concepts for the Mazda CX-7, it’s recently launched crossover 5-seater SUV slotted between the Mazda Tribute and the Mazda CX-9. Unlike the Mazda CX-9, it’s 7-seater older brother, the CX-7 is not built on the Mazda6/Ford CD3 platform but instead is a hybrid platform which borrows from the Mazda MPV and Mazda5, of which the latter is in turn based on the Mazda3/Ford C1 platform.

The three concepts are: “Adrenaline”, “Phobia” and “Wickledly Red”, designed by Mazda together with Rhys Millen, Troy Lee Designs and DG Motorsports respectively. More photos after the jump along with descriptions of the concepts.

Other than offering inspiration and showing off the trick-out-ability of the Mazda CX-7, you could also interpret this as a sign that Mazda is looking into developing a Mazdaspeed CX-7, or Mazda CX-7 MPS, whichever name depending on market.
[Read more...]

16 Comments    

Mazda 6 2.0 and 2.3 Test Drive Review

January 30, 2007 at 3:48 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Mazda, Test Drive Reviews

The new 2007 Mazda6 Facelift was launched late last year by Cycle and Carriage Bintang Berhad at its 3S showroom at Lot 9 today, beside the Federal Highway. This facelifted Mazda6 features 785 engineering changes that accompanies the expected exterior and interior cosmetic changes, making this more than a refreshing exercise to keep the car looking up to date since its launch in 2003. In fact, some have said that despite interior similarities, the pre-facelift and post-facelift model are two completely different animals when it comes to the driving experience.

Read my test drive report after the jump.
[Read more...]

33 Comments    

Mazda 3 1.6 and Peugeot 206XT 1.6 Naza Edition

January 29, 2007 at 4:54 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Mazda, Naza, Peugeot

mazda3naza.jpg

Naza Wheels Sdn Bhd and Nasim Sdn Bhd, both companies under the Naza Group unveiled the Mazda 3 1.6 (A) sedan Naza Edition and the limited edition Peugeot 206XT 1.6 (A) Naza Edition imported direct from France. The cars are done up by NZ Galaxy Sdn Bhd, a company that envisions to provide personalize vehicles for the masses at affordable prices, from what I see, something like a car styling company.

The Mazda 3 1.6 (A) sedan Naza Edition goes for RM113,993 and comes with a NZ Galaxy bodykit, rims, a leather interior, tinted glass, rear tail finisher, special emblem and global positioning system with Malaysian and Singaporean maps. As for the Peugeot 206XT 1.6 (A) Naza Edition, it too has a new bodykit, a leather interior, crystal clear head lights, tail pipe finisher and the GPS system. Only 10 cars are available for sale at RM85,000.

8 Comments    

Mazda 3 2.0 Sedan and Hatchback Review

January 10, 2007 at 3:06 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Mazda, Test Drive Reviews

After months of having to drool at this sleek smaller sibling to the Mazda6 bearing Singaporean number plates, the Mazda3 was finally launched for the Malaysian market on the 23rd of November 2006 by the Mazda Division of Cycle & Carriage Bintang Berhad at its newly refurbished showroom at Jalan Ampang. Sorry for not being able to cover the launch, but to make up for it here is my test drive report on the Mazda3 2.0 in both hatchback and sedan forms. Read my report after the jump!
[Read more...]

61 Comments