The Mazda2s seen here are designed with two different goals in mind: looking slick on the street, or tearing it up at the track.
The Mazda2 Street keeps it simple by getting lowered on a set of 15x9s and adding some lower-body graphics, while the Mazda2 Evil Track gets the same rims, more aggressive vinyl, and enough safety/racing gear to meet NASA and SCCA standards. The "Evil Track" also wears a Mazda Design body kit and rides on H&R coilovers.
Automakers are trying their best to convince American consumers that size doesn't matter and that small cars can be equally fun and adventurous as their larger siblings. Following the example of Ford with the customized 2011 Fiestas, Mazda also displayed a trio of funky concept models based on the new U.S.-spec Mazda2 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Coincidently, the Mazda2 and Fiesta share the same underpinnings.The most impressive concept version of the Mazda2 is the 2Evil which gives us an idea of what a potential MazdaSpeed2 (MPS in Europe) could look like.
The supermini has been spiced up with a full body kit that includes an aggressive front spoiler, chunky side skirts, a roof spoiler and a rear diffuser that houses the new exhaust tip.
The 2Evil is finished Ceramic Grey metallic with subtle motorsports inspired graphics while wheels, mirrors and other details are accented in Spirited Green.
The MazdaSpeed-prepped hatch rides on 17-inch wheels with 215/45/17 Yokahama Advan tires while the lowered coil-over suspension by H&R and the Magna performance exhaust complete the package.
The other two concept models are the Active2 Surf and Active2 Snow. Both variants feature 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/45/17 Yokahama Tires, a H&R coil over suspension, special graphics and a Thule roof rack system.
Two years after its debut and market launch in Europe, Japan and Australia, the now not-so new Mazda2 has finally made its way to the USA. The North American-spec version of the Mazda2 features some mild styling tweaks that include a reprofiled front bumper that now houses Mazda's trademark 'smiley' lower grille and slightly different tail lamps.
Notably, the front-wheel drive hatchback shares the same vehicle platform as the 2011 Ford Fiesta that also made its premiere at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show.
In the U.S., the new Mazda supermini will be offered with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine.
The Mazda2 will be positioned below the Mazda3 and its competition will include the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Chevy Aveo and of course, the Fiesta.
It will launch into the North American market in late summer, 2010, with more details and pricing to be released at a later date.
The Tsukuba Environmental Style Test Project is scheduled to commence in March 2010 in Tsukuba city, near Tokyo.
The Japanese automaker said that through its participation in the EV project, it aims to further strengthen the base of its future R&D activities in the development of its electric drive technologies.
Participating organizations
Project leader
Itochu Corporation |
List of collaborating companies and roles & responsibilities
Family Mart | Provide sites for the project at convenience stores |
Itochu Enex | Provide sites for the project at service stations |
Tokyo R&D | Electric vehicle-related |
Th!nk (Norway) | Electric vehicle-related |
Kyuki | Supply rapid chargers |
EnerDel Inc. (US) | Supply vehicle batteries and fixed batteries |
Seiko Electric | Fixed battery system integration |
Itochu Techno-Solutions | Supply ICT technology, data center |
Windcar | Car sharing service operation |
Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation | Car sharing-related |
Nippon Car Solutions Co. | Car sharing-related |
Ecosystem Japan | Supply solar panel systems |
Mazda Motor Corporation | Electric vehicle-related (provide Mazda Demio vehicles) |
Advisory Committee
Tsukuba City |
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) |
Japan Automobile Research Institute (JARI) |
The Japan Research Institute, Limited |
The Ford Fiesta's Japanese cousin, the Mazda2, will make its debut on this side of the Atlantic at the Los Angeles Auto Show in early December, the company announced today. Mazda said that the North American-spec hatchback will go on sale in the USA and Canada beginning in late 2010.The Japanese firm has not disclosed any specific details or photos for that matter, but we suspect that the NA version of the Mazda2 will benefit from the same subtle cosmetic tweaks, chiefly up front, as the Thailand version of the subcompact hatch featured in the opening picture.
"Bringing Mazda2 to North America completes the bookends in our line-up," said Jim O'Sullivan, President and CEO, Mazda North American Operations. "The Mazda2 will be true to everything that makes our cars stand apart from the competition: it will be stylish, fun-to-drive and a heck of a value.In short, it will be the definition of Zoom-Zoom."
Let me guess; some of you are wondering what the heck is "doodle design"? Well, simply put, it's the sort of unfocused and usually random sketches you've all drawn at some point in your life on schoolbooks and quite possibly in your later years, on notepads during work meetings maybe even throughout some horrifically boring speech at an automotive press event... But what has doodle-design got to do with these one-off Mazda models?Well, as part of its sponsorship of the "O2 World Tour" event held in Hamburg, Germany, the Japanese firm raffled off a Mazda2, Mazda3 and an MX-5 / Miata Roadster, all of which featured the same drawings from doodle-design artist, Carl Heinz Daxl.
We can't but wonder how long will it take for the three owners of the cars to remove the 'doodly' finish...
