Futuristic Mazda concept car designs are not the only things to watch out for in the Japanese automaker’s latest finds for this year’s Tokyo Auto Show as precision-engineered Mazda Parts, specifically the engines, are set to grace the said event.

Aimed to improve the production of cleaner vehicle power are the upgraded four-valve direct-injection gasoline-powered engine, a ‘clean diesel’ engine, and an improved Renesis rotary engine.

The 2-liter gasoline engine’s goal is to keep the high horsepower production as well as maximize the fuel consumption. With this type of engine, a safer emission can also be expected. On the other hand, the new Renesis rotary engine is set to back up the Hydrogen engine studies of Mazda.

Aside from the top-of-the-line engines, Mazda pioneered the Smart Idle Stop System in its concept cars. An engine that has not been used for a while will be restarted without using the electric motor. In this way, the Smart Idle technology brings in fuel straight into the engine cylinders and revs up the power plant more efficiently. Fuel economy improves to as much as 10 percent with this new Mazda technology.

These are just some of the latest and useful finds of Mazda for its vehicles.

Mazda is really serious about building stronger ties with its followers as the Japanese car company asks the public to send in their creative car design ideas for the Mazda 3 concept, which is slated for release 11 years from now.

To date, Mazda has already received more than a hundred artworks through the multimedia social networking site of www.facebook.com. Interested individuals can send in their Mazda 3 concept car designs through the Mazda Design Challenge account until the 24th of this month.

Among the hundreds of entries, registered Facebook users can participate in the poll and from there the top five designs will emerge. These five lucky and talented individuals will then have the rare chance of polishing their ideas with Mazda designers. On the last day of October until November 7, the Facebook users will have to choose the best Mazda 3 concept design. The hailed winner’s work will be displayed using clay on the Los Angeles Auto Show this November.

As Mazda’s way building of stronger ties with its patrons across the globe, the Japanese automaker will come out thrice a year with the Zoom Zoom magazine.

Just last month, Mazda has started publishing Zoom Zoom in five languages to cater its eight-country destination. Since the magazine is practically new, the company decided to only have Zoom Zoom available in Mazda dealerships in Japan only. For those dealer customers, the magazine can entertain them while waiting in Mazda lobbies or offices.

“With sustained worldwide growth over the past few years, it is more important than ever to broaden the dialogue with our customers and make them feel part of the Mazda family,” said Dan Morris, who is the senior managing executive officer in charge of marketing, sales, and service of Mazda. “We are thrilled to be able to bring our vision to the people that trust our brand in every corner of the world, articulating our message in ways that will make our customers experience Zoom-Zoom in every page.”

What makes Zoom Zoom different from other automobile magazines? Aside from carrying just the Mazda vehicles, this latest offering from the company will also highlight the activities of some Mazda owners. From seasoned racers, celebrities, politicians, and average people, about anyone who owns a Mazda vehicle can be featured in Zoom Zoom. Aside from the Mazda owner profiles, this glossy find will also have articles on the new Mazda parts, accessories, and special performance parts for the precision-engineered Mazda vehicles. For Zoom Zoom’s debut, Mazda rotary engine’s four decades in the industry is the cover story.

 All the Zoom Zoom mags will have about the half of the same contents while the remaining pages will be solely for the local Mazda happenings. In this way, each Zoom Zoom is unique and similar as to the other magazines distributed in other localities.

Clearly, the Zoom Zoom magazine is one of the paths taken by Mazda to promote its quality automobile finds and services across the globe.

The North Hill Mazda dealership in Calgary proved that size does not matter as this relatively small Mazda one-stop shop established its presence in the Western part of Canada as one of the leading distributor for the Japanese automaker’s quality vehicles.

For the past few months, North Hill Mazda has performed really well according to its manager Riaz Ali. The dealership owes its decent feat to its devoted employees, excellent customer handling, and strategic site, among others. Moreover, this place has an air of utmost comfort that draws a lot of enthusiasts and owners.

“We are not a big mega-store, but we are more of a cozy nice place to do business,” said Ali.

Another strategy being employed by the dealership is acquiring just the most prized Mazda collection. Among the top picks of the North Hill Mazda are the following: the six-seater Mazda 5, the favorite Mazda 3, and the rugged sport utility vehicles Mazda RX-8 and Mazda MX-5 Miata. The versatile range of the ‘Zoom Zoom’ vehicles provides an avenue for customers to choose the product that suit her or him best. Moreover, North Hill Mazda has a detailing center, where Mazda users can have their four-wheel machines customized.

In preparation of the much-anticipated 2008 Mazda roster, the North Hill Mazda is going to sell as much it can from this year’s models. Aside from the precision-engineered Mazda Parts, the dealership plans to slash off huge amounts to further entice motorists to go for the 2007 Mazda vehicles.

If North Hill Mazda continues its excellent work, there would be more Mazda owners in Canada in the years to come.

The Transport for London (TfL), which is a local government arm, is considering implementing a congestion charge that focuses on the vehicle’s emission. If such plan pushes through, it could increase the Mazda 2 Superminis’ popularity as motorists would likely go for diesel-powered engines, according to the marketing director of Mazda in the United Kingdom.

“Lots of cities are looking at rolling out a similar congestion charging scheme as London. If they choose the same model as the one London is proposing, where cars with Carbon dioxide emissions of less than 120g/km will be exempt, we expect there will be a growth in demand for the diesel,” said Mark Cameron.

A driver of a Mazda 2 Supermini, which has a minimum Carbon dioxide emission, does not have to pay anything whenever entering areas under the congestion charge law. Thanks to precision-engineered Mazda Parts, especially the 1.4-liter diesel-powered engine and air filter, the new Supermini is able to answer the requirement of the possible modified congestion charge. The Mazda 2 user can now get to go in and out of Central London for free. Those motorists that use noxious gas-emitting vehicles, like those that have petrol-powered power plants, however, have to pay certain amounts to pass through.

If buying a greener car, like the Mazda 2 Supermini, is out of the picture, one can just opt to use the public transportations, such as trains, buses, and cabs. Such solution, which promotes usage of the public means to travel, is actually one of the goals of the present congestion charge. The other goal is to prevent overcrowded London streets.

While the modified congestion charge is still in the works, drivers of private automobiles that are entering areas under the said law still have to pay certain amounts to get through.

With all the new things and developments that the people in Mazda are putting forth, it is really not surprising that many believe that this is the high time for one to give one’s Mazda vehicle a little more spunk. Recently, Mazda After Sales has come up with special bargain prices for genuine accessories that came from an importer from Mazda Corporation in Japan.

When it comes to having a Mazda 3 vehicle, one can considerably boost the vehicle’s performance by adding on rear spoilers, side air dam skirts, fog lamps with brackets as well as muffler extensions. This is as far as performance is concerned. But for those who are keen on how their Mazda 3 looks like, accessories such as door mirror covers that have LED are readily available. Older versions of the Mazda 3 can avail of aero bumper sub kits, rear under spoilers, and cladding panels for an even more bargain price.

Mazda 6 owners who availed of the Mazda 6’s latest edition, can gear up their vehicle with MDLP kits, door mirror garnish, rear lip spoilers, side protectors and parking brake levers among others can be availed of at a good deal. Older versions of the Mazda 6 can have an upgraded look by means of stunning sports grill, aero bumpers (available for the front and back), RR spoilers as well as other add-ons on the vehicle’s interior such as MP3 kits, 6CD changers, and choices of steering wheels in colors red, yellow, blue, silver, and a lot more.

Improving the look of one’s Mazda BT-50 is easy with the bed liner, max bumper, concorde box extra as well as an aluminum side step or a max top that can be availed of at reasonable prices. According to LR Ragendran, the General Manager of Towell Auto Center, “[t]his is the best opportunity for Mazda 3, Mazda 6, and Mazda BT-50 owners who have not opted for accessories at the time of purchase to perk up their vehicles with these genuine accessories at best prices. We advice Mazda owners to keep up the ingenuity of their vehicles with these genuine accessories at best prices.” He carried on by stressing the last line, almost a repeat of what he earlier said. “We advice Mazda owners to keep up the ingenuity of their vehicles by using genuine accessories,” stresses Ragendran. The statement is almost a testimony of how the people in Mazda are promoting the use of genuine Mazda car parts in their vehicles.

Source: Arabianbusiness.com

In line with the need for conservation and the various ways through which conservation can be done, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) and the Student Conservation Association (SCA) has come up with a nationwide competition to promote awareness as well as creativity when it comes to conservation. It is for this reason that the MNAO and SCA will award a brand new Mazda 3 as well as $10,000 to whoever will “discover the next big idea in conservation.” Tagged as the SCA/Mazda Conservation in Action Contest, it serves as one of the major happenings to celebrate the SCA’s 50^th anniversary. Apart from this, the said contest’s primary objective is to challenge young people to develop their skills in being action-oriented. At their young age, the people involve in MNAO and SCA deem it wise that they develop an action-oriented mindset especially when it comes to coming up with environmental solutions.

The said contest pays tribute to Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam, who served as the SCA’s founder and was the one who in the mid-1950’s by means of her senior thesis, initially proposed to have a “Student Conservation Corps.”  For those who want to join the contest, they could submit their entries in all media formats. This includes MS word, powerpoint presentations, as well as video. According to Dale Penny, who is the current SCA President, “[t]he SCA/Mazda Conservation in Action Contest will not only mark SCA’s first 50 years but expand our mark on the next fifty. More than most, SCA recognizes that young people are powerful agents of change and we look forward to evaluating their fresh ideas and putting the best of them into action.”

There are two divisions that contestants can join in. Those who are 20-25 years of age are qualified to win a 2008 MAZDA3 and $10,000 cash. As for those who are 15-19 years of age, a total amount of $15,000 will proceed to the top entrant. There will be six regional winners who will each receive $2,000 as their prize. According to Jay Amestoy, who is the vice president of public and government affairs for Mazda North American Operations, “Mazda has proudly sponsored SCA for the past ten years, annually underwriting the placement of conservation interns in all 50 states.” The people behind Mazda believe that this SCA/Mazda Conservation in Action Contest is a good move to encourage new thinking as well as dialogues and practices to better protect the environment.

For those interested to join, the deadline to pass the entries is on December 1, 2007. Judges of the said competition includes respected panelists such as Jonathon Dorn who is the Editor-in-Chief of Backpacker magazine, David Lillard, the executive producer of the American Conservation Film Festival, Bill McKibben who already published his own books aside from being a professor at Middlebury College, and last but not the least, Margaret Ronsheim who is the Director of Environmental Studies at Vassar College. For the rules of the competition and to have more information of the said contest, one can visit their websites at www.thesca.org/contest or www.mazdausa.com.

The Mazda Motor Corporation is said to give an announcement regarding their plans on having a new Thai car factory. The said plan amounts to about $500 million worth of investment. The factory is supposed to be built right beside to Mazda’s existing pickup truck plant somewhere in the southeastern province of Rayong. The new factory that will be built is said to be used to produce subcompact cars. Word has been going around that Hisakazu Imaki, the president of Mazda, will have a news conference at Hiroshima in lieu of the company’s being 50-50—the joint venture with Ford. The news conference will happen at 0900 GMT and another one will take place at 0930 GMT in Bangkok.

Ford and Mazda have been keeping things at a hush even though a lot of people are expecting to hear a word from them. This expectation is not surprising at all especially after Robert Graziano, Mazda’s Executive Vice President, announced sometime in March that Mazda has already discussed matters with the Thai government regarding the issues at hand. As for what the new Thai plant will be producing, an executive from Mazda already gave the information that some of the vehicles this new plant will produce will be used to supply the demand for Mazda vehicles in Europe.

As of the moment, Ford and Mazda’s existing Thai factory produces an output of 173,000 units per annum.  With the plans to build another Thai factory, one can expect a considerable boost in the production of Mazda vehicles to supply the increasing demand for it.

Mazda has recently revealed the latest hybrid vehicle it was able to come up with. The said hybrid vehicle is powered by an electric motor that makes use of hydrogen fuel. This new vehicle is believed to help alleviate air pollution and will considerably assist in preserving fuel. Fuel, for quite some time now, has been the main agent that enables vehicles as well as other machines to function. As more and more machines exist and the fuel supply does not increases for it takes decades to generate fuel. It is because of this that many automakers like Mazda are coming up ways to develop vehicles that are no longer dependent on fuel.

This new engine of Mazda will be featured at its Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid, which will be released at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. This vehicle is said to have the capacity to run smoothly and quietly. This is because it is powered by a rotary engine that does not have any pistons that causes standard engines to make sounds. The Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid is motorized by the energy that is brought about when hydrogen merges with oxygen.

According to the statement said for the International Herald Tribune, the engine that is found in the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid is a big improvement from the ones that came before it. The hydrogen vehicle Mazda created at 2006 uses a full tank of hydrogen to run 100 kilometers. The Mazda Premacy, however is able to maximize hydrogen use and can run 200 kilometers with a full tank of hydrogen.

Another feature of the latest Mazda hydrogen hybrid rotary engine is that when its supply of hydrogen runs out, it can easily switch to gasoline. Standard engines only run on gasoline and cannot, switch to any other medium to fuel its need of energy. Upon the release of the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, more environment-friendly vehicles with relative independence to gasoline are expected to come in the coming years.

Mazda launches a one of its kind contest that makes use of the internet website “FaceBook.” The said contest has the goal of finding new and talented designers to be of assistance in creating the design concept of the 2018 Mazda 3. Basically, the contest seeks out new talents and new ideas. With the launch of the contest tagged as “Mazda Design Challenge,” Mazda is able to show that it has a good relation with its public. This is because the public will be the ones to determine the winner of the contest. They could cast their cotes at the Facebook website. At the said website, candidate designers are each paired with a Mazda designer that will help them in building the car’s design concept.

According to the statement of David Klan, Mazda’s marketing director, to Auto123.com, “By inviting young voices into the highly classified and secretive design process, Mazda will prove it’s a company involved in an active partnership with its customers. Never before has any other automaker built a concept car on the show stand, in full view of show attendees. The pressure’s really going to be on all of us—especially the contest winner—to get it finished in time for the closing weekend of the show.” It is for these reasons that many now look forward to knowing who will win the Mazda Design Challenge. If you are interested to take part in the competition, either as a contestant or a voter, kindly visit the FaceBook website.