History originally published in Sport Compact Car October 1996; republished by the author. No matter how fine you hone your products, if the market has moved on to something else, you’re dead. The best widgets in the world are useless if they been replaced by framuses. That was the dilemma facing Toyo Kogyo , as […]
Rock ‘n’ roll: Mazda MX-5 Miata versus Lotus Elan
Comparison review republished by the author; originally published in Motor Trend’s 1990 Sports Cars of the World They don’t make rock ‘n’ roll like they used to. My almost-a-teenager daughter disagrees with me, of course, because that’s her job. What does she know? The Sixtiess were the golden years of rock, just as they were […]
Ford Probe: Sporty econocar or Thunderbird stand-in?
Review originally published in Road & Track Car Buyer’s Guide 1997 Once destined to replace the Mustang as a properly down-sized, front-drive import-pretender, the Ford Probe instead became an in-house alternative to the rear-drive ponycar. Where the Mustang is bold, the Probe exhibits finesse. Where the Mustang is raucous, the Probe is harmonious. Where the […]
1992-1996 Mazda MX-3 GS: Do the math
History/driving impressions originally published in Sport Compact Car February 2002 Do the math. MX-5 plus RX-7 divided by two equals MX-3. Well, the Mazda MX-3 sporty coupe isn’t an exact cross between the Miata sports car in the third generation RX-7, but the genetic link is obvious. This little screamer, what Car and Driver called […]
Mazda Cosmo Sport: RX-7’s honorable ancestor
History originally published in AutoWeek May 7, 1984 The thrill was back, they told us, and how right they were. Emissions controls, beginning in the 1968 model year, had gradually turned most new cars into performance eunuchs. But Mazda was different, and the power of its Wankel engine made the phrase “rotary rocket” part of […]
1989 Mazda RX-7 Infini IV: The Orient Express
First published in the book, Sports Car Color History Mazda RX-7 (1994) by John Matras 1989 Mazda RX-7 Infini IV; photos by John Matras The first Infini was a 1987 Mazda 323. But it was more than an ordinary 323, more than the turbocharged 323 GT already on the market in Japan, even more than […]
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