Mazda Hakaze on the road by 2010?

The Mazda Hakaze (Japanese for 'leaf being blown in the wind'), following on the heels of the Nagare and Ryuga has already been called the closest to production reality. In truth the Hakaze is based on a shortened CX-7 chassis, and uses the same 260hp 2.3L turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder. This is paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox, and part-time all wheel drive system.

[source : CAR magazine]

"‘I can see the Hakaze slotting in towards our current four-year production cycle,’ says James Muir, Mazda’s European boss. ‘So if I have anything to do with it, it will be arriving by 2010.’

Muir has plenty to do with the Hakaze – the concept car is his pet project and with his considerable clout behind it, looks likely to push ahead of the three-seater Kabura concept car in the race for production. It’ll be a world car, too, tapping into Mazda’s predicted growth in Japan, Europe and America for compact crossovers. Which means a lot of sales.

With that thrusting five-point grille, LED lighting, camera wing mirrors, ‘sail-doors’ (that’s scissor doors to you and me), pillarless profile and full-length glass roof, it certainly looks pretty cutting edge. There are 1000 LEDs that take care of all the car’s exterior and interior lighting needs, and that one-piece rear windscreen, complete with tendrils that channel the brake and indicator lights, took three weeks of continuous machining to carve out of a single piece of perspex.

Muir is pushing very hard to make sure these key elements make it through to production. ‘I want the scissor doors, the four-seater layout, the side cameras and the glass roof to make it through to production,’ he claims. ‘Otherwise what’s the point of doing these concept cars?’"

This is a 3D computer rendering of what the interior looks like.




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15 Years of hydrogen development

With the flurry of press around Mazda's current hybrid Hydrogen \ Gas Rotary engine based cars, and hybrid cars in general, you might think this is a new trend. Not so. Mazda has been developing hybrid and hydrogen vehicle technology for over 15 years (almost 10 years longer that any other major manufacturer). Here's a look back at major milestones in these vehicles.
(click images for full-size view)

1991: Introduced to the world at the Tokyo Auto Show, the HR-X is the first Mazda hydrogen-powered Wankel Rotary engined car. The car features gull-wing doors, space-age materials and manufacturing techniques

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1992: Hydrogen fuel-cell powered golf cart (Hydrogen Fuel Cell producing electricity and powering electric motors)


1993: HR-X2 - Further development of the HR-X platform, featuring fully recyclable materials


1993: Hydrogen-powered MX-5 Miata. The first standard Mazda model powered by hydrogen Wankel Rotary engine.


1995: Japan's first public road test of a Hydrogen Vehicle. In this case, the Capella Cargo. (essentially the same vehicle as the Ford Escort Wagon in the US)


1997: The Mazda Demio FC-EV. In 1995 Mazda began pursuing hydrogen fuel-cell based electric vehicles while simultaneously developing the hydrogen rotary engine. This is the first commercial Mazda vehicle to be powered by a fuel-cell.


2001: The MPV FC-EV. This vehicle was the result of continued work in the Methanol-Reforming type of fuel-cell. This became the first fuel-cell vehicle to be tested on public roads in Japan.


2003: The RX-8 Hydrogen RE Wankel Rotary hybrid. This represents the world's first hybrid hydrogen\gasoline rotary engine. The car has both gasoline and high-pressure hydrogen tanks and has a switch for going between either fuel. This is still being used as a development platform, and available as a commercial lease vehicle in Japan. Several RX-8 Hydrogen RE models have also found their way into official government use as well.


This is the Mazda5 Hydrogen RE Hybrid vehicle. Not only is this the first front-drive rotary engined Mazda, it also has a front-drive electric motor, effectively making it a tri-fuel vehicle or Tribrid.

Mazda has been developing hydrogen vehicle technology almost 10 years longer than most major manufacturers, and could have a mass produced Hydrogen\Gasoline hybrid RX-8 available to the public as soon as 2010, assuming the infrastructure is developed to support it.

Here are some more pictures of Mazda's Hydrogen vehicle technology:

RX-8 Hydrogen fuel connection


RX-8 Hydrogen RE being refilled (the high-pressure hydrogen tank is visible in the trunk)


Hydrogen tank monitoring guages, and gasoline\hydrogen switch

Mazda2 images released

This is the all-new Mazda2, to be unveiled at the 2007 Geneva International Motor Show:


Currently there are no plans of releasing the Mazda2 in the United States, however with more manufacturers releasing their small cars in the US, and with tightening fuel economy rules, and rising gas prices, one can only hope. We'd love to see this car on our shores!

[Source: Mazda]
ALL-NEW MAZDA2 TO DEBUT AT 2007 GENEVA INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW

HIROSHIMA, Japan – Mazda Motor Corporation will showcase the world premiere of the all-new Mazda2 (known as the Mazda Demio in Japan) at the 77th annual Geneva International Motor Show to be held from Tuesday, March 6 through Sunday, March 18, 2007. Also on display at the Mazda stand will be the Mazda Hakaze design concept car and a Mazda3 (Mazda Axela in Japan) armed with Mazda's high-powered diesel engine.

Officially titled the Salon International de l'Auto de Genève, the Geneva Motor show press days are March 6 and 7, and the public days are March 8-18. Mazda will hold its press conference on Tuesday, March 6, at 2:15 p.m. (local time).

The all-new Mazda2 is more than just a model freshening of the current Mazda2. In 2002, the Mazda6 heralded the arrival of Mazda's new generation of Zoom-Zoom vehicles, and now the Mazda2 becomes the first of these to evolve to the next level. As such, the new Mazda2 represents the progression of Mazda's Zoom-Zoom brand promise. Plans to import Mazda2 to North America continue to be considered. However, at this time, there is no current intention to do so.

The future of Mazda Hybrids

OK, so Mazda has had the hydrogen-powered rotaries in development for over a decade. They've opened a hydrogen fueling station. The Mazda Tribute Gas-Electric Hybrid is coming out in the second quarter of 2007. Whats next?

How about a hybrid fuel \ hydrogen rotary engine + electric power.


This is the Mazda 5 Hyrdogen RE, which is powered by the Gas\Hydrogen Hybrid Rotary engine, plus an electric motor. “It’s very much in the prototype stage at the moment,” Jeremy Barnes, group manager for product communications at Mazda North American Operations, told reporters at the Detroit Motor Show.

Mazda calls their gas/electric/hydrogen vehicles HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) and will now be combining their rotary engine creating the first vehicle to have a HEV rotary engine.

Gas station of the future?

First it was the Hydrogen-powered RX-8, or 'H2RE', now its a full-fledged Hydrogen filling station:

HIROSHIMA, Japan, – Mazda Motor Corporation recently put a hydrogen filling station into service that will store and supply fuel for the company’s ongoing hydrogen vehicle research and development. The new hydrogen station began operating in early February and is located near Mazda’s global headquarters in Hiroshima. This unique filling station is the first in the Chugoku region of western Japan, and is another tangible step forward in Mazda’s support for the development of a hydrogen-fueled society.

The facility supplies fuel to both the hydrogen engine test facility and Mazda’s hydrogen rotary-engined vehicles currently on the road for under development and testing purposes. High-pressure hydrogen gas is stored at about 2,900 psi in compressed hydrogen gas tanks and then further pressurized to over 5,000 psi for delivery to the vehicles. The inventory stored at Mazda’s hydrogen fueling station enables up to 10 vehicles per day to be fueled with hydrogen gas.

Permission from Japan’s Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) came in October 2004 for the first public road tests of Mazda’s RX-8 Hydrogen Rotary (known as H2RE) – a rotary-engined, dual-fuel vehicle that runs on either hydrogen or traditional gasoline. The hydrogen gas station allows Mazda to continue development of hydrogen rotary engines with the goal of selling hydrogen vehicles to public entities and corporations in Japan within two years.

Mazda North America Operations is responsible for the sales and marketing, customer parts and services support of Mazda vehicles in the United States. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., MNAO has more than 700 dealerships nationwide. The company’s design and research & development facilities are located at a separate facility in Irvine, employing nearly 100 people dedicated to the design and development of vehicles specifically for the North American market.

Mazda: Leading the way in Hydrogen

Mazda has been developing the Wankel Rotary engine to run on hydrogen for over a decade, and has had the Hydrogen-powered RX-8 available for commercial lease in Japan since last year. Now Mazda has joined forces with the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau in cold-weather testing it's RX-8 Hydrogen RE. This cold weather testing coincides with the Environment and Transport Symposium on Hydrogen Energy that is being held in Muroran city, Hokkaido Prefecture.

Hokkaido is located in the northern part of Japan, and is covered with snow for 1/3 of a year, and an average temperature similar to Chicago. Most of the Japanese auto manufacturers, including Mazda, conduct their cold-weather testing in Hokkaido.

In conjunction with the Environment and Transport Symposium on Hydrogen Energy in Muroran city on Hokkaido, the RX-8 Hydrogen RE is doing some running on snow and ice and conference participants are getting an opportunity to drive it. The intent is demonstrate the practicality of using a hydrogen ICE, particularly a rotary, in winter weather conditions, which has until recently been a problem for fuel cell vehicles.

Click on any of the pictures for a full-size view.



[Source: Mazda]
Mazda's RX-8 Hydrogen RE undergoes its first cold weather tests -

HIROSHIMA, Japan-Mazda Motor Corporation is joining forces with the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau (HRDB) to test the cold weather performance of its hydrogen cars. In response to a request from the HRDB, a Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE is being used for the tests, which are scheduled to run from February 19 to 23, 2007. This cold weather testing coincides with the Environment and Transport Symposium on Hydrogen Energy that is being held in Muroran city, Hokkaido Prefecture, on February 21. Participants in the symposium will have a chance to ride in the RX-8 Hydrogen RE and attend a briefing session. The HRDB is a division of Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT).

For the tests involving the hydrogen rotary-engine vehicle provided by Mazda, only the tires have been changed to suit the cold weather. The vehicle is otherwise identical to the model currently available for commercial lease.

Akihiro Kashiwagi, Mazda's program manager in charge of hydrogen rotary engine development, said, "It's a real privilege for Mazda to contribute to these activities in Hokkaido, which are part of the drive to build a hydrogen-based, eco-friendly society. We plan to demonstrate that vehicles powered by Mazda's unique hydrogen rotary engine are very practical even in cold regions. Since hydrogen cars with rotary engines are relatively cheap to produce and can also run on ordinary gasoline, we believe they will have an important role to play as we move closer to a hydrogen energy society. Mazda intends to continue doing its part toward achieving a more environmentally-friendly hydrogen energy society in the future."

Hydrogen fuel produces no carbon dioxide, one of the primary causes of global warming. The HRDB is conducting feasibility studies into the uses of hydrogen in snowy climates. These include plans to conduct various cold weather tests in and around Muroran city and neighboring Noboribetsu city. Both cities are in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan's northernmost island. This region produces abundant volumes of byproduct hydrogen and is therefore one of the most feasible locations in Hokkaido for a hydrogen fuel network. These and other initiatives in the Muroran area are aimed at establishing a hydrogen energy-based, environmentally-friendly society. Through these initiatives, the city is becoming a model for a future society that uses new energy sources, and it is spreading its message around the world.

The Environment and Transport Symposium on Hydrogen Energy, taking place on February 21, 2007, is organized by the HRBD and the "Town Level Research Committee to Utilize Hydrogen in the Muroran Area." The symposium participants comprise local representatives of industry, academia and government who are meeting to discuss the possible uses of hydrogen in transportation.

Guiness Book of World Records + Zoom-Zoom

Back in May of 2000, Mazda built its 531,890th MX-5 Miata and set a world record in the process. Now they've got an even bigger number: 800,000; and they're going back to Guinness for an update.

Mazda found it had a winning formula with the original Miata, and while other carmakers have succumbed to the temptation of overgrowing and bloating their successful models when they come due for replacement, the Zoom-Zoom brand has been smart enough not to mess with success. The newest MX-5, introduced in 2005, is an enhancement of the original, staying true to the concept of a small, lightweight, well-balanced roadster. And the market has responded favorably.

After 17 years of production, the Mazda MX-5 Miata shows no signs of slowing down.

New pictures of the Mazda Hakaze

Mazda has been showing some really cool cars at the autoshows this season, and the Hakaze concept is said to be the closest to production reality. These new photos clearly show Mazda's emotion in motion design philosophy.

The Hakaze follows on the heels of the Negare, which debuted at the LA autoshow:

And then the Ryuga which debuted at Detroit:



Click on any image above to see a larger picture, or click here to go to Autoblog's full gallery.

Mazda ranks #1 in Warranty Direct reliability study

Mazda vehicles have claimed the top place in one of the world's largest-ever reports on vehicle reliability, according to Warranty Direct, an independent automotive extended-warranty specialist. Nearly 92 percent of the Mazda cars studied, including the MX-5 Miata, aged between three and nine years old, suffered no mechanical failure of any type - outperforming all other brands.

The report looked at the reliability of more than 450,000 vehicles from 33 manufacturers, across the United States and the United Kingdom.

Warranty Direct 'Reliability League Table' 2007
Top 10 Results
Manufacturer Incidence Rate %
1. Mazda 8.04%
2. Honda 8.9%
3. Toyota 15.78%
4. Mitsubishi 17.04%
5. Kia 17.39%
6. Subaru 18.46%
7. Nissan 18.86%
8. Lexus 20.05%
9. Mini 21.9%
10. Citroen 25.98%
* Number of mechanical failures reported by policy holders for every 100 vehicles aged between three and nine years old.

The 'Reliability League Table' shows the number of failures reported for every 100 vehicles covered by Warranty Direct's policies. Mazda was rated #1 with a failure rate of just 8.04 percent of vehicles aged between three and nine years old.

"The exception build-quality and long-tern reliability of Mazda vehicles is something we have been proud of for quite some time," said Jim O'Sullivan, President and CEO, Mazda North American Operations. "The findings of this report reinforce what we've believed all along - that Mazda reliability is not just very good, its the best. These results are proof that Mazda builds stylish and exciting vehicles without sacrificing quality or reliability."

Headquartered in Irvine, CA Mazda North American Operations 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, and in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico.