Mazda builds final rotary engine

Mark it down, auto enthusiasts. Mazda built its last rotary engine on Friday, June 22.

By final, we mean the line that assembled Renesis engines for Mazda's RX-8 sports car was idled, and there are currently no plans to restart its production. Mazda has a long-running history of building Wankel powerplants, and its production of the high-revving engine has seen a few stutters since Mazda put the first dual-rotor Wankel in a production car in 1967.

Of course, it's always possible that Mazda finds a way to solve – or at least drastically improve – the failings of the Renesis: high fuel consumption and poor emissions. We've been hearing about the so-called 16X rotary for years, and we'd love to see it enter production at some point in the not-terribly-distant future.

Even if the world never sees another production rotary, at least it's been a good ride.

Driver's Seat: Mazda's crossover to get excited about

2013 Mazda CX-5 Sports FWD SkyActiv: Now here's a small crossover to get excited about.

Price: $21,490 as tested (no options).

Conventional wisdom: Edmunds.com cited it for "very good fuel economy" and "agile driving dynamics." Consumer Reports praised the handling as "Taut and agile."

Marketer's pitch: "It's like science fiction, without the fiction."

Reality: It's not all Mazda says, but I'm with the folks from Edmunds and CR.

The SkyActiv's the limit: Mazda's much-ballyhooed SkyActiv technology is designed to boost gas mileage without sacrificing performance.

I first tried it in the Mazda3 and it squeezed 36 m.p.g. out of a little car that used to get in the high 20s with the previous engine. A nice improvement, but the car itself was not a hands-down winner, to me. In fact, as an owner of two aging Mazdas, I've been disappointed by Mazda's recent offerings.

But it took a CX-5 to make me believe again. Here's a small crossover with plenty of room for four people and their stuff, and a slight squeeze for five, that got 31 m.p.g. in my real-world test.

Zoom-zoom: From the start, the CX-5 just feels so much more spirited on turns than the others I've driven in its category — and that list includes the Honda CR-V, the Kia Sportage, Subaru Forester, and Volkswagen Tiguan. The steering is tight, and the CX-5 feels like a sporty car on windy roads.

Of course, it is still a tall vehicle, so there's some lean when things get really twisty. But for its category, it's sharp.

Power: The SkyActiv engine does sacrifice a bit in acceleration, though.

The 2.0-liter four makes just 155 horsepower, which compares to 185 in a CR-V or 176 in a Sportage. The CR-V weighs 200 pounds more than a CX-5, but the Sportage's weight is almost identical.

Thus, the acceleration difference is noticeable, and it's probably part of the reason the tester came with a six-speed manual transmission. Mazda knows that if it doesn't give guys like me something to do, we'll be bored by the CX-5's lethargy.

Shifty: To that end, I'd encourage anyone who has ever considered trying a stick to give the CX-5 a shot. Its clutch is extremely forgiving — I never stalled it once, and I'm usually good for at least one dippy driver move like that during a test week — and it offers strong rollback resistance when pulling out on hills.

And as a service to you, dear reader, I headed straight for a June Friday afternoon traffic jam on the Schuylkill and never got clutch leg or shifter's elbow.

Up to the task? Driving the hills west of New York City, I found the CX-5 had plenty of climbing ability. Sixth gear is even OK for somewhat leisurely passing. But it's best left for the limited-access highways.

Friends and stuff: We put full-size Sturgis Kids 1.0 and 2.0 and 11-year-old 4.0 in the back and there was adequate room across for people to move. Legroom was generous and the seat comfortable. The console kind of gets in the way of the vict — er, passenger — in the middle of the backseat.

The luggage space behind the rear seat is large enough for a giant box or several bags. At 34 cubic feet, cargo capacity is much more than the Sportage (26) and close to the CR-V (37).

And the seat splits 60-40 to allow a mix of passengers and cargo.

A big CD holder in the armrest features a smaller tray, as well, and both CDs and the tray fit in together.

Comfy: The base seats offer support and some cushioning, but the black cloth picks up everything except money.

Tuning in: The base model stereo offered good-quality sound. No screen meant Mazda's less-than-appealing red-letter readout, but it's functional.

Keeping cool: The simple heater controls feature three dials, and operate smoothly. I'll take these over temperature settings and buttons almost any day.

"Thar she blows!" I long for a temperature gauge. The CX-5 features just a blue light when it's cold and (one hopes) a red light when the engine is too hot. But I find I can learn a lot about a car by gauging changes in its operating temperature.

Fuel economy: I observed 31.5 miles per gallon during the week I tested it, which included an even mix of highway and stop-and-go driving, and even some tall hills in North Jersey.

Where it's built: Hiroshima, Japan.

How it's built: Mazda's vehicles run the gamut in J.D. Power and Associates surveys; its other crossovers tend to be middling in reliability. The CX-5 has not yet been rated.

In the end: Fun to drive, gets good mileage, and isn't a giant compromise? Sounds like a winner.

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See the full gallery on Posterous

Thanks for the 5-star review, Janelle!

"My family and I had a very good experience purchasing a 2005 Toyota Sienna from Tracy Mazda. We were helped By Alfonzo and took an initial test drive but needed to think about it. He did not pressure us at all. We returned a week later to see if the vehicle was still there and if they had finished detailing it. The van looked awesome!! So we decided to buy it. Alfonso helped us through the entire process and was very friendly. The van had an after market tv screen and hook ups to put a dvd player in and when we went home we tried to plug one in and noticed it did not work. So we called Alfonso the next morning and he told us to bring it in so they could check it out. They checked it there at the dealership and then referred us to a place in town that did there electrical work. He called ahead to say we were coming. They were able to take care of it for us no problem. It was a great experience. Alfonso helped us out so much and we are very grateful for all his help." -Janelle O.

Mazda Developing Race-tuned SKYACTIV-D Diesel Engine for 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours

Following in the footsteps of other mainstream carmakers like Audi, Mazda is developing a racing version of its SKYACTIV-D diesel engine for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Japanese automaker will supply the 2.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel unit to teams competing in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class of international motorsport starting from next year.

The SKYACTIV-D race engines are currently being jointly developed by the Mazda Motor Corporation in Japan, Mazda North American Operations and Florida-based SpeedSource Engineering.

"Today we reopen our love affair with Le Mans and mark the beginning of a whole new chapter in motor racing for Mazda," commented Jay Amestoy, Vice President of Mazda Motorsports, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO).

He continued: "We’ve won international races with rotary engine technology at Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring. Now we’re looking to return to the winner’s circle with what we believe will be the most advanced and cleanest production-based powerplant the sport has ever seen."

Mazda, which is the only Asian carmaker to have won the Le Mans endurance race, in 1991, said that dyno testing of prototype engines has already begun with on-track testing is scheduled to start before the end of the year.

Useful Automotive Tips : How to Clean Car Windows to Avoid Mists

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Mazda unveils plans for hydrogen fuel cells

Hydrogen continues to find support amongst automakers

The auto industry has become enamored by hydrogen fuel cells. Automakers from around the world have adopted the energy system as the power source for many of their new vehicles. Some car manufacturers have proven resilient to the charms of hydrogen fuel cells, while others have been aggressive in their adoption of the technology. As fuel cell technology becomes more advanced, the number of automakers announcing the development of hydrogen-powered vehicles is growing. Japanese automaker Mazda has become the latest company to unveil its plans for hydrogen fuel cells.

Mazda’s history with hydrogen fuel cells

The company is no stranger to hydrogen fuel cells, but the new RX-8 will be the first all-hydrogen vehicle Mazda has produced. In 2009, the automaker introduced the Mazda5, a hydrogen-battery hybrid. The vehicle garnered acclaim for its ability to travel 130 miles before needing to refuel. Before this, the company had plans to introduce an all-hydrogen version of its RX-8 sports car. Though this plan was scrapped in favor of the Mazda5, the automaker’s plans concerning hydrogen fuel cells do not stop there.

Fuel cell to be used as range extender for new system

Mazda has announced that it is developing a new electric motor that will be equipped with a hydrogen-powered generator. The generator contains a hydrogen fuel cell, which will be used to produce surplus electricity for the company’s future vehicles. The generator is being billed as a “range extender,” allowing its electric vehicles to travel further before needing to recharge. The company believes that this system will provide consumers with an economically viable alternative energy vehicle and help the public ease into the concept of hydrogen fuel cells.

Mazda cites infrastructure as primary concern regarding hydrogen fuel cells

Mazda has tentative plans to make vehicles utilizing this system available for lease in 2013. These leases are expected to be available in Japan initially, with wide-scale implementation in the following years. Though Mazda has shown support for hydrogen fuel cells, the automaker continues to express concern over the lack of an effective hydrogen fuel infrastructure.