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After officially debuting its new 3 at the L.A. Auto Show this week, Mazda has decided to take control of the release of information regarding the 3 hatchback as well. Rather than face the inevitable deluge of spy photographs from outside sources, the company has gone ahead and taken its own “spy” shots, revealing a clad Mazda3 hatch running around in scenic Iceland.

The move makes a sort of sense, as Bob Lutz made clear when Camaro spy shots started cropping up all over, as it gives the automaker the ability to have its mule seen in the best possible light, even if it is largely covered up. The car isn’t dissimilar from the Mazdaspeed3 we’ve already caught out this year and should prove to be a spirited driver. Have a look at the extra pretty spy photography in our gallery above.

+ Jalopnik: 2010 Mazda3 Hatchback Spied By Mazda

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With around 1.8 million units sold so far and some 90 awards won, the Mazda3 has been treating the Japanese automaker quite well ever since its initial release five years ago. So to keep the favorable trend going, Mazda will show the all-new Mazda3 sedan at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.
 
The styling has been nudged towards what the automaker likes to call a unified Mazda global "family face." This translates into a lower air intake, and a modernized and 'instantly recognizable' five-point grill. The lines have also been tweaked and molded on the body for a more coupe-like shape, featuring a similar the C-pillar profile as the one on the 2009 Mazda6.

Interior upgrades include a sharper and more contemporary look than the previous generation, with keyless entry and push-button start as its standard party piece. Options will include rain-sensing wipers, heated side mirrors, leather upholstery, and heated seats. While these changes are nothing too special, it does come with a Bose 10-speaker premium surround sound system, a dock for iPods, Sirius satellite radio, and connectivity for cell phones and portable media players. These additions should happily satisfy anyone with a techno-accessory junkie within.
 
The power comes in the form of either a 2.0-liter inline-4 capable of generating 148 horsepower and135 pound-feet of torque, or a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder that produces 167 hp and 168 lb-ft of torque. To transfer power to the wheels, there is yet another list of choices ranging from a five-speed or six-speed manual transmission, as well as a five-speed electronically controlled Sport-AT autobox.
 

The safety features of today have come a long way from just padding and seatbelts. Nowadays, the technology released by auto manufacturers is becoming more and more advanced. Some may even start to implement radar in cars, if a recently released report can be trusted. As the story goes, beginning February 2009, Mazda may be adding a Rear Vehicle Monitoring System (RVMS) as standard on every European Mazda 6 Sport model.

The system utilizes two sensors mounted facing rearward that detect vehicles behind and to the sides of the fitted car. It will alert the driver when there is a car in the blind spot just off the rear of the quarter panels, and even provide a warning if there is a vehicle approaching at a rapid pace. The RVMS will also notify the driver of any vehicle, within 150 feet rear of the car that is approaching at more than 36 miles per hour. This should help drivers to anticipate cars that will be in the blind spot area by the time a lane change is initiated. All of these indications are given through a small speaker near the A-pillar, in the form of a warning tone.
 
Though the report and the extent in which this safety feature will be fitted have yet been confirmed by Mazda, the system may help reduce the high number of accidents occurring while performing lane change maneuvers.

+ Motor Authority: Mazda implementing rear-facing radar system from 2009

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Now that the new Mazda3 has been shown to off to the public, it seems that engineers at Mazda are plowing ahead with another new version of the car, the fire-breathing 2010 Mazdaspeed3.

The first super noticeable feature on the upcoming white hot hatch is the massive scoop that graces the front hood, surely an add worthy of a second glance from even the most died-the-wool Subaru junkie. That intake is likely there to feed a turbocharged 2.5-liter four, with Mazda said to increasing displacement just a bit for this generation of Speed3. The resultant powerplant should be good for at least 300 horsepower, and may even signal a shift to an all-wheel-drive vehicle—though a front driver is still the most likely configuration.

An impressive set of front and rear spoilers, as well as two hefty exhaust pipes help to complete the look of the ultra aggressive Mazda; making our hearts beat a little faster at the prospect of our first drive in the process. Read the photographer’s own notes below.

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The Mazda RX-8 continues to have us puzzled as to why more of these aren’t on the road. No, the rotary engine isn’t four-season friendly, and neither is the car’s rear-wheel-drive, but when the weather is right, the RX-8 really shines. For 2009, a re-worked exterior sports a slightly more aggressive fascia, and while our Grand Touring model doesn’t have all of the beefy visual add-ons found on the R3 (a new model for ’09), we still had a lot of fun throwing this Mazda into bends and revving the twin-rotor engine way up past 8000 rpm.

(Click through the post to read our full notes on the RX-8.)

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Say this for Mazda designers; they certainly know how to get some serious mileage from a single design theme. Casting its tried and true Nagare styling language into the form of a highly efficient city car, Mazda came up with the flowing Kiyora for the Paris show. The concept may look radical, but it is powered by a truly conventional small four-cylinder engine; relying more on a slippery shape and lightness to make mpg headway.

Have a closer look at the Kiyora in our huge live image gallery of the concept above.

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We’ve seen plenty of spy shots of the 2010 Mazda3, but now the automaker has released the first official images of its new pivotal compact. The overhead front photo of a sedan variant came bundled with a press release confirming that the sedan will debut on November 19 at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, while the five-door model will roll out elsewhere on the international show circuit.

Although no real specifics were divulged, the Mazda3 is expected to be marginally longer and wider than the outgoing car, and it will once again be available in America with a choice of two four-cylinder engines, a 2.0-liter and a 2.5-liter, both with direct-injection.

What do you think of the 3’s new duds? Check out the official press release below, then drop us a line in ‘Comments.’

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Mazda has just lifted the veil on its updated MX-5 Miata, and in addition to new the obvious exterior changes, there are some incremental but important changes beneath the skin.

In the main, the European-spec MX-5 receives a redline that’s 500 rpm higher than the current model. In part, that has been made possible by a new forged crankshaft, redesigned valve springs and fully floating pistons. The six-speed manual gearbox has revamped synchros (the triple-cone pieces on 1st-4th gear are carbon coated, and the diameter of the syncros on both 3rd and 4th has been increased). The suspension has also been buttoned up, with Mazda claiming a lower front roll center thanks to new settings on the same basic architecture. The MX-5 gets a bit stiffer and quieter, too, thanks to revamped cross bracing and new reinforcements in the door structures and additional sound deadening material. On the creature comforts front, there’s an uprated Bose stereo and Bluetooth available, along with revamped HVAC controls, and so on.

To reveal the anticipated Kazamai concept at the Moscow International Auto Salon, Mazda reached into its bag of tricks and pulled out four sets of dancers, guys in neon-pink shorts on roller skates, and to top it all off a forty man singing group adorned in Soviet-style attire. Though the singing group fits within a Russian theme, one has to wonder where the idea for pink men on roller skates came from.
 
The two-door crossover concept Kazamai, which means "swirling crosswinds" in Japanese, is one of several recent concepts that were designed using the "Nagare" design language. As seen above the tangible concept is indeed faithful to the initial renderings released in mid-July.
 
It is still skeptical whether or not this will be the new CX-7 but hopefully it will still keep most, if not all, of its radical curves and lines.
 
+ Autoblog: Moscow 2008: Mazda Kazamai concept officially unveiled

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Hard as it may be to fathom, we automotive journalists get things wrong every once in a while. Despite perpetually cheering for the 2003-2008 Mazda6’s ragtag charms and dynamic excellence in a crowd of somnambulant sedans, it never really sold. Nevermind that it was a wieldy package and fun to grab by the scruff on winding roads, it languished on showroom floors while far duller drives poured out of showrooms like so many bags of rice. Heck, we even heartily applauded the availability of a segment-best three separate body styles (sedan, wagon, and touring), as well as a genuine high-performance variant, the Mazdaspeed6. Still no dice. Great handling and a multiplicity of formats are evidently no substitute for outright size and power in the family sedan stakes. Not that we’re bitter or anything.

Say hello to the 2009 Mazda6, in pictures.
 
+ Autoblog: Pics Aplenty: 2009 Mazda6

The first sighting of Ford’s F-150 Diesel. Sounds like 350 horsepower is a possibility. Looks just like any other F-150 though.

+ Jalopnik: 2009.5 Ford F-150 Diesel Spotted, Could Produce 350 HP

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According to Mazda, its compact sport crossover vehicle concept, called the Kazamai, will be unveiled at the upcoming Moscow International Automobile Salon on August 26.

Previous concepts such as the Nagare, Ryuga, Hakaze, Taiki and Furai have been modeled with a nature in mind. The Kazamai is no different. Designed with the theme "crosswinds," the Japanese automaker hopes that its unique proportions and unconventional lines will have a deep emotional appeal amongst on-lookers, and give them a sense of visual lightness.

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Mazda has announced that it will be showing the next concept to feature its Nagare styling language at this year’s Moscow International Automobile Salon. The yet to be named concept will join the ranks of the Nagare, Ryuga, Hakaze, Taiki, and Furai concepts, utilizing the flowing and unconventional design direction.

It’s been nearly two years since the cargo ship Cougar Ace tipped on its side near the Aleutians in Alaska, in the process damaging thousands of new Mazda vehicles in its hold. And while company officials were originally optimistic that most of the 4,703 vehicles could be salvaged, in the end they are all finally set to be scrapped.

Mazda’s ASV-4 (Advanced Safety Vehicle) will take to the roads in Hiroshima this week for testing. The unassuming ASV-4 is a bustling test balloon filled to the brim with safety technology.

Sorry, Cadillac - any hopes that the new CTS would carry home the World Car of the Year award for 2008 have effectively been dashed. The powers that bestow the title have announced their even-shorter short list for the award, scheduled to be announced at the New York Auto Show on March 20.

While Mazda recently rolled out a facelifted version of the current Axela/Mazda 3 in Japan, the car is going on five years since its debut and a new model is on the horizon.

If this heavily modified 1993 RX-7 looks really familiar to you, you’re probably guilty of letting your love of cars overpower your fear of bad film.