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748: Nissan GT-R
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744: Jaguar XF
The new sedan from Britain’s storied automaker proves that appearances are, in fact, deceiving
736: Suzuki Swift Sport
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732: Dualis & X-Trail
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728: Toyota Vanguard
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724: Subaru Impreza S-GT
Japan’s automotive loudmouth learns some manners
720: Tokyo Auto Salon 2008
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712: Licensed to Drive
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700: Range Rover & Land Rover
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696: Aston Martin V8 Vantage
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680: Ford Mustang
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676: Citroën C6
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672: Nissan’s Pino and Otti
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668: Jaguar XK
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664: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster
Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy!
660: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster
Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy!
656: Alfa Romeo Brera
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652: Premium wheels
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648: Citroen C3 Pluriel
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644: Jeep Commander& Grand Cherokee
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640: BMW Z4 M Roadster
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636: Name dropping
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632: BMW Mini Cooper S
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628: Mazda Roadster
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624: Hyundai Sonata
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621: Lexus IS350
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616: Volvo XC90 V8
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608: The Big Ideas
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604: Tokyo Motor Show 2005
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589: Mazda Demio Sport
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573: Cadillac STS 4x4
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565: Alfa Romeo GT and 156 GTA
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560: Driving the Future
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556: Deja vu
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548: Lean machine
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539: Rules of the road
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537: Open roadster
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535: Extreme makeover
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533: Sporting chance
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531: Street smarts
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529: Speed zone
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527: Italian Stallion
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525: Hot wheels
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523: Mean Machine
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519: Mighty mouse
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513: Good save
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512: The road ahead
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507: Mom-mobiles
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503: Globe trotters
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501: Back to the future
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Cars&Bikes

Text and photos by William Bonds

Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster

Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy!

RX-8

The annoying thing about technology is not always the things that companies do; it’s what they don’t do. Take my Sony laptop, for example. Why does it have the power cable, USB ports and cooling fan all on the right side, where I stick my hand? And why do I have to rest my right hand on the nuclear reactor it uses as a battery? (I suppose that I’ll at least know when it’s about to explode.)

On most cars, you find yourself asking the same questions. For example, why do some manufacturers forget about designing the rear of their vehicles (e.g., the Rolls Royce Phantom)? Why do some put in four seats but allow no legroom to actually sit in them? Why would some foreign automakers even bother to sell their cars here when they can’t possibly make any money?

Having owned a Mazda 323, 626 and 929 many years ago, and having driven a lot of others since, I have often asked myself: why doesn’t Mazda put an engine with enough power in these things? That question became even more mystifying when I drove the Atenza (as the 6-series is known in Japan), because Mazda does have a 3-liter engine available for US models and a 2.3-liter turbo in Europe. The latter engine is now available in Japan, but not (yet) in the Atenza; curiously, Mazda opted to drop it first into the smaller and slightly more conservative Axela. The automaker has also made changes to the Roadster and the RX8, which suggests a company that’s trying to get things right. (Maybe they should buy a Rolls Royce.)

Mazdaspeed Axela

Axela

Drivers in Japan who see a Mazda Axela in their rearview mirror should try not to blink. If they do, they might not see it again. You may think of the Axela as just another stylish hatchback. Well, try thinking of it now as a stylish hatchback that will get you from 0-100kph in six seconds and which costs only ¥2.4 million.

Those are pretty amazing figures, and the new Axela is a pretty amazing car. It’s a sweet looker that impresses from any angle with a deep air intake, low-slung sidelights, slick aluminum wheels, triple-light clusters, subtle bulges and “wing” above the rear hatch. The interior also delivers, with aluminum pedals, dials lit up in deep red, two-tone seats and Bose speakers. The accommodation is spacious and can take four adults without any problem—five if you need to. The interior storage is neat and plentiful, and the trunk is also a decent size (you can, of course, fold down the seats for extra storage space). As with most of the Mazda range, the styling is exceptional.

The Axela has a stiffened suspension to go with its newfound grunt, which means that it really doesn’t like hitting bumps at speed. With front-wheel drive, this could present handling problems. But the more I drove the Axela, the more I liked it, and not just because it’s monstrously fast. I also like practicality in a car, and the Axela really delivers. It’s hard not to like the Axela—and for the price, it’s just unbelievable.

RX-8
Anyone who loves motoring but hasn’t yet driven the RX-8 needs to get their head checked. It is, as Mazda claims, a genuine four-seat sports car, with two reverse half-doors that improve access for backseat passengers. The RX-8’s unique rotary engine shoves the car around at a good clip, and it costs just ¥3 million or less. Mazda is now offering a six-speed automatic instead of the previous four-speed variety (there are also manual versions),
as well as a new leather interior package. Check this one out!

Roadster

Roadster

When we wrote about the new soft-top Roadster earlier this year, we described how Mazda had transformed a “girly” lightweight convertible into something a little more macho. It was a major change for a car that had already altered our thinking about little convertibles.

But in this modern era of technology, the new Roadster had one flaw: girls could still break their fingernails when putting the roof up or down (OK, guys could, too). Now, even that problem has been eradicated with the introduction of an electronically retractable hard-top roof. It’s actually slower to put up and down than the manual version, but it takes all that hard work out of the process. There’s probably not many more ways Mazda can improve the Roadster now, so if you have between ¥2.4 million and ¥2.8 million, rush out and buy one before they invent something else.

Autofile

The 40th Tokyo Motor Show will be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba from October 27 through November 11. This year, the organizers have added special events to promote audience participation—including test rides.

In addition to the usual attractions (which includes, of course, the babes adorning the various cars), a full lineup of funky concept vehicles will be unveiled. Nissan is showing off its battery-powered Pivo 2 (pictured), a state-of-the-art electric car that can move laterally and has a small robot to assist with navigation—and to keep an eye on things in general. The round-eyed ’bot head sitting on the dashboard has cameras that can tell when a driver is getting sleepy. It’s also bilingual, and can say things like “You look tired. There’s a coffee shop 500 meters ahead on the left.”

Meanwhile, Mazda’s theme for the show is “Sustainable Zoom-Zoom,” and the automaker will be debuting its all-new Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid, which visitors will have the opportunity to take on a test spin at the “clean energy vehicle demo drive course.”

www.tokyo-motorshow.com/show/2007/eng. Chris Betros

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