New Vietnamese Plant Begins Production of Mazda2

Mazda held a grand opening ceremony at Vietnam today to celebrate the beginning of local assembly of its Mazda2 model.
The new plant is located in the Nui Thanh district of Quang Nam province in central Vietnam and was constructed by Vina Mazda Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a 100-percent local car assembly and sales company with no capital ties to Mazda Motor Corporation.
Only last March did Mazda begin to sell completely built-up vehicles in Vietnam including the Mazda2, Mazda3 and Mazda6 and the CX-9, which it imported from Japan, and the Thailand-sourced BT-50 pickup truck.
The decision for the local assembly of the Mazda2 was taken in August. The 75,000-square-meter local plant, which has a yearly production capacity of 10,000 units, will build the 1.5-liter 5-door version of the supermini at an annual rate of 2,000 cars.
"We are confident that the Mazda2 will be warmly accepted by Vietnamese customers despite the extremely competitive compact car segment," said Executive Vice President Kanai.
"Vietnam is one of the largest markets in the ASEAN region, with a large youthful population and promising economic development in recent years. Mazda is strengthening its support of our local manufacturer and distributor in order to ensure our success in Vietnam," he added.

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Mazda Begins Construction of New Mexican Plant that will Produce the Mazda2 and Mazda3

In order to keep up with the growing demand in the Central and South American markets as well as to reduce its dependence on Japan, Mazdahas formed a new joint venture Sumitomo Corporation to build a new factory hub in Mexico.

The joint venture facility is named Mazda Motor Manufacturing de Mexico S.A. de C.V. (MMMdM) and is located in the Mexican city of Salamanca, in the state of Guanajuato.
On Wednesday, the company held a special ceremony to mark the beginning of construction of the factory. The guest of honor at the event was the Minister of Economy of Mexico, Mr. Bruno Ferrari.



“Since Mazda established its sales network in Mexico six years ago, we have experienced a remarkable acceptance from the people of Mexico. Last year Mazda sold over twenty-five thousand vehicles and captured over three percent market share,” said Mazda’s President Yamanouchi.
“We are excited to be constructing this new facility here in Mexico with our partner Sumitomo Corporation. It will be vital to bolstering our expansion in Central and South America," he added.
The new Mexican facility will include both vehicle and engine assembly plants and will begin operations in March 2014 with an estimated annual production capacity of 140,000 units. The plant will produce the Mazda2 (Demio in Japan) and Mazda3 (Axela in Japan) compact models.

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Japanese Carmakers' Production Back on Track, But it May not be Enough

For the first time after the March 11 earthquake and Tsunami, Japanese automakers have returned to their normal production levels. In fact, they are superseding last year’s numbers in an effort to make up for the lost time.

Toyota and Nissan, Japan’s two biggest car manufacturers are leading the pack, reporting increased production for the first time since March, with Mazda, Suzuki, Honda, Subaru and Mitsubishi following their lead.



Yet there are still issues that hamper their efforts. One of them is the continuing shortage of certain parts, such as microchips, with the companies trying to find alternate sources of supply, mostly overseas, overturning a decades-old tradition.
Even the so-called "just-in-time" model, which was introduced by Toyota in the 1950s and has since been copied by almost everyone, may change in the near future as car manufacturers are trying to create parts inventories so as to prevent the 2011 catastrophic results.
Honda’s global purchasing boss, Masaya Yamashita, says: “In order to supply carmakers, I think Tier 1 suppliers are really struggling to make deliveries to us all. The parts are reaching us. But the inventory is still pretty tight.”
The solution, according to Yamashita, is to have "at least two Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers".
As reported, Toyota is the first to make sure that it won’t face the same problem again. The firm's executive vice president for global production, Shinicki Sasaki, said: “We have instructed them to have a plan that allows them to go back to normal operations within two weeks of a major disaster”.
Therefore, even though production is back to normal in Japan’s domestic factories, depleted inventories in big markets, such as the US, will take more time to build up again – and in the meantime, will continue to limit their sales.
Story Sources: Autonews

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Mazda PR Tweets that the Company is Working on New Rotary Engine-Powered Model(s)

Even though Mazda President and CEO, Takashi Tamanouchi, has repeatedly stated that the company will continue to develop the firm's rotary engine after the demise of the RX-8 sports car in June of 2012, many have questioned the company's commitment to the Wankel concept.

To calm the Japanese brand's fans, Mazda posted a tweet on its Japanese account that said it is "zealously" planning the development of "new models", which will be equipped with a rotary engine.
Here's the (loosely) translated snip:

"Thank you so much for all your supportive messages concerning the RX-8 and the rotary engine! We are also excited. Mazda is aiming to achieve a breakthrough with the ‘Skyactiv’ technology, and we are zealously working on new models to house the next generation rotary engine. Thank you for your continued support!"

Now the question is what kind of Wankel-powered model(s) could Mazda be working on? While we can't say for sure, the evidence points at a possible two-door successor to the RX-7 and/or a production version of the Shinari sports saloon concept.
Story References: Mazda PR via Integrityexports [Hat tip to Stephen!]

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Mazda Bids Farewell to RX-8 with Japan-Only Spirit R Special Edition

e already knew that Mazda has decided to kill-off the RX-8 four-door coupe sooner rather than later. More strict fuel economy and CO2 emission regulations saw to that, forcing the Hiroshima-based carmaker to pull it from overseas markets and keep it alive in Japan only.
Today, Mazda announced that it is launching a final special edition of its rotary-engined sports car, which will only be available in the domestic market with sales set to start on November 24. Production will be limited to 1,000 units.





The RX-8 Spirit R is named after the final edition of its predecessor, the RX-7, and will be sold in two versions: one with a six-speed manual-transmission based on the Type RS and the other with a six-speed automatic based on the Type E model.
After its launch, the Spirit R and the automatic-only Type G will be the sole models in the RX-8 line-up until June 12, when production of the series reaches its end.
Mazda’s President and CEO, Takashi Tamanouchi, said: “Mazda’s iconic rotary engine recorded its famous victory in the Le Mans 24-Hour endurance rave 20 years ago. Throughout 2011, we have been celebrating the 20th anniversary of that victory by demonstrating the winning 787Bracecar at Le Mans’ Circuit de La Sarthe and various other events, which have been a powerful reminder of the widespread passion for the rotary engine."





“Although RX-8 production is ending, the rotary engine will always represent the spirit of Mazda. And Mazda remains committed to its ongoing development,” Tamanouchi added.
So, Wankel fans, you might mourn for the demise of the thrilling RX-8, but you can also smile because there you have it from the most official source possible, Mazda’s CEO himself: the rotary engine will continue to be with us in the future.

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New Mazdas to Use "Super-Strong" Bumpers Starting with the 2012 CX-5

All upcoming Mazda models including the CX-5 compact crossover that's due for its global launch in early 2012 will come equipped with "super-strong" steel bumper beams, the company announced this week.
The new ultra-high tensile steel is rated at 1,800 MPa and was developed as part of Mazda's SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY program. The steel bars fit inside the front and rear bumpers. According to Mazda, the beams are 20 percent stronger but also 4.8 kilograms (10.5 pounds) lighter than previous versions.

However, being that stronger materials tend to be less flexible and absorb less energy upon impact, Mazda also redesigned the bumper beams. The new design is said to absorbs energy more efficiently while maintain the strength of the steel.
The lightweight steel design was developed in cooperation with Futaba Kogyo Co., Ltd., which will also handle the production process.

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Mazda Launches MX-5 “Black Tuned” Limited Edition in Japan

The Mazda MX-5, also known as the Miata, is the best-selling two-seater sports car in the world. Now in its third generation, Mazda’s roadster has seen its fair share of special editions since it was first launched in 1989. The latest variant to hit the streets is the Black Tuned edition, which was launched today in Japan.




Based on the retractable hardtop model, the new special edition is offered with the 2.0-liter engine matched to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or 6-speed automatic transmission.
Bespoke exterior features include the Brilliant Black-colored retractable hard top and exterior mirrors and the Gun Metallic 17-inch allow wheels. Buyers have a choice of three body colors, two of which (Spirited Green Metallic and Velocity Red Mica) are exclusive to the Black Tuned edition.
Inside, the most noticeable changes include the black leather upholstery with contrasting sand-color stitching on the seats and the steering wheel plus the piano black decorative trim on the dashboard.
A similar special edition of the MX-5 was launched in the UK earlier this year.

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