Best Of 2015 Tokyo Auto Salon Via Instagram Gallery

Hold on to your butts because January 9 marked the beginning of the 2015 Tokyo Auto Salon in Chiba, Japan. Over the years, the aftermarket automotive expo has consistently evolved and expanded to become the SEMA show of the Far East.

Despite Previous Positive Rumors, Mazda CEO Now Insists Rotary Engine is not Viable

Wankel rotary engines are part of what has made Mazda capable of gathering a large cult following over the years. Sure, they make competent and more recently stylish regular cars, but it’s always been their rotary sports cars that stuck in the minds of enthusiasts.

Now that they no longer sell a car equipped with such a power plant, they are a bit more like everybody else, which can be good for sales, but is definitely bad for individuality.

Sadly, after repeated rumors that it may be on its way back, a rotary-powered Mazda is not in the cards at all, says Masamichi Kogai, the brand’s new CEO, who recently expressed his very optimistic views regarding its future sales figures.

He made it perfectly clear in a report published by Autonews that "It has to be a viable commercial proposition. If we are going to adopt it, it has to be a product that can generate at least sales of 100,000 units a year. We have to be able to achieve a profit."

He formally admitted that there are currently no plans whatsoever in that regard.

The notion hasn’t been completely abandoned, though, as Kogai explains that they “are the first and only manufacturer to commercialize the rotary engine. In that respect, we have some responsibility… So please allow us to continue our research."

Thankfully, Mazda can still make enthusiasts’ cars without the special Wankel ingredient, and the upcoming MX-5 and hot MPS version of the new 3 hatchback are definitely cars to look forward to in the not too distant future.

By Andrei Nedelea

PHOTO GALLERY

Fast&Furious Mazda RX-7 VeilSide FD3S Crashes Into Crowd in Japan Taking Down 5 People

Warning: Some viewers may find the following videos disturbing

We've seen these types of accidents with cars crashing into spectators (one) too many times before, all around the world – a few incidents that come to mind include a De Tomaso in Sweden, a monster-truck in Mexico, a Ford Mustang in Britain, a Ferrari 458 in Brazil, and a Koenigsegg CCX in Poland.

This time, it happened in Japan on Sunday, November 10, during a super- and sports car meeting in Miyazaki Prefecture when the driver of a Mazda RX-7-based Hans VeilSide FD3S lost control and plowed into a crowd of spectators injuring five people, including a five-year old child.

Japanese media reported that all five people are well in their health and were simply treated for minor injuries. Police arrested the driver of the car shortly after.

While the "Fast&Furious Tokyo Drift" movie was mentioned in comments and reports from Japan, it was not immediately made clear if this particular actually car took part in the film or if it's just the same type of model.

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO

Mazda RX-8 Club Malaysia Organizes Mega Gathering in Kuala Lumpur, Creates Awesome Video Trailers

Our friend Shawnz, who you may remember from the Mazda RX-8 Coupe project we showed you last February, sent us these teaser trailers from a video that is currently being prepared to showcase a very large gathering of the rotary-powered sports cars that was held on the streets of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

Mazda Logo Evolution through the Century - Plus 185 Historic Pictures

Mazda, the maker of cars such as the RX-7, RX-8 and MX-5/Miata, turned 90 this month. So what a better time to take a trip down memory lane and see how the Japanese company’s logo and cars evolved over the past century.
The first corporate logo dates back to 1936. It was registered as a trademark when Mazda began manufacturing its first three-wheeler. The name itself is a derivative from Ahura Mazda, the god of wisdom, intelligence and harmony in early Asian cultures. It also derives from the anglicized version of the founder’s name, Jujiro Matsuda.