Unlike a sports coupe or sedan the Mazda6 is more like an all rounder, it offers a wide choice of engines from the 1.8 litre, 2.0 litre, 2.3 litre and the impressive 3.0 litre V6, as well as a choice from a four, five or six speed auto, or from the five or six speed manual gearboxes. Then finally, there is the body shape, does the buyer want a sedan, station wagon or hatchback version, with so many choices, it is clear to why the Mazda6 is fast becoming a popular choice with import builders.
The Mazda 6 is a wonderfully adaptable car, that started its production run in 2002 and continues today with the second generation version. The first generation of this car a wide choice for the buyer, with sedan, station wagon and hatchback. It is powered by either a 1.8 litre, 2.0 litre, 2.3 litre or the sporty 3.0 litre V6 power units with a four, five or six speed auto, or the five or six speed manual gear boxes, it is clear why import builders like this car so much.
Love it or hate it the RX-8 is a supreme car even though it only has a small yet perfectly formed 1.3 litre Wankel Rotary engine which even in its standard form produces around 190 HP, which by any account is staggering. Yet this has been coupled with a body that oozes style and class, even though it has that crazy half door that allows passengers easy access to the rear seats, no such problem with this modified version of the RX-8.
The Mazda RX-8 came out in 2003 and is still in production today, it marked a change in style for the RX, which was always seen as being a feisty little machine that used a strange little engine. However, the RX-7 changed this perception and with the RX-8 Mazda has taken the car mainstream, no longer is it looked as being weird or odd, this is a car that is seriously desirable by all types of car buyer. Despite its looks this car is classed as being a four door quad coupe as it actually has two half size door that make entry into the back a little bit easier.
There are lot of people who are not too fussed about the Mazda RX-7, or any Mazda come to think of it, the reason is difficult to pin point but it would appear that Wankel has something to with it. The concept of the Wankel rotary engine is something of a mystery, it sounds weird and when it comes to performance how is it even possible to get 250 HP out of a 1.3 litre engine, you can see where the confusion lies.
However, even without
There have been three generations of the RX-7 that classic Mazda that sort of changed the car scene when it was first launched during the late 1970’s, even back then the strange engine set up amazed people. The Wankel rotary engine was small in size at 1.1 litre and 1.3 litre, yet it is able to produce 100 HP and 135 HP respectively, which is amazing and this tradition continues with a 2nd generation RX-7.
The third and last generation of the Mazda RX-7 is considered by many to be the best made, yet with less than seventy thousand of these cars ever been made over the ten year production run, the stock is now rapidly reducing. Indeed, there will come a time in the not too distant future when the beautiful third generation RX-7 will be on the extinction list and that will be a sad day for motor industry.
Luckily,
When Mazda released the RX-8 into the world, it was accepted, as being one of the best Mazda’s to date, in fact in many circles this car is the ultimate road car. Launched in 2003 Mazda in their wisdom decided to produce on one but at least four variations of the car each with its own qualities depending on the needs of the driver and the demands they intended to put on the car during day to day driving.
We often look at the work that import builders have done, these are remarkable and resourceful people who are often on limited budgets and working on their cars in whatever spare time they have. So what is it like for those lucky folk at the other end of the scale, the pro builders whose work is their life and livelihood all rolled up into one big exciting package.
On the pro circuits, there are those
We see all different makes of car being modified but as rule, the import builder would be drawn to a model that already had a bit of a pedigree in either performance or in the world of modified cars, but isn’t that taking the easy way out! A coupe or hatchback has the smooth lines that make building a cool looking car easier, so where does the five door Mazda Protégé5 fit into this scene?
Well if this
