Automotive World

The Biante GRANZ showcar is a design study for a more luxurious version of the 4.7-meter (186-in.) long minivan. The most noticeable changes take place up front where Mazda's designers moved the firm's new five-point grille from the lower part of the bumper to right under the hood. The new grille also gains prominent horizontal chrome slabs.

Today, the Japanese company announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with OJSC Sollers for the establishment of a new joint venture plant in Russia.

Today, Mazda presented what it claims to be the world’s first passenger vehicle regenerative system that uses a capacitor instead of a battery pack for storing energy, named i-ELOOP (“Intelligent Energy Loop”).

Mazda's entry in the compact SUV segment, which made its world premiere in Frankfurt this past September, will go up against the also new Ford Escape and Honda CR-V as well as the current Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage and VW Tiguan models.

The CX-5 is the first Mazda to fully encompass the Japanese brand's SKYACTIVE TECHNOLOGY, which is a suite of powertrains and a chassis architecture designed to save fuel and reduce emissions while retaining a sporty drive.

Nothing weird about that. Well, not until you pay closer attention and see the Japanese model's brake lights going on and off and the wheels spinning – yes, the driver is inside the car and he's trying to break free from the metal claws!

However, the Japanese brand's engineers have already began work on the sedan model as you can see from these fresh spy shots that were taken in Germany.

A keen eye will immediately recognize that the lines of the prototype belong the current Mazda6. That's because what you see here is an early test mule that combines the next model's platform architecture with the body panels of the current Mazda6.

Even though Mazda's initial press release didn't disclose many details, the Takeri is believed to be a thinly disguised concept of the next generation of the Mazda6 sedan in the same way that the Minagi study previewed the CX-5 that was revealed in Frankfurt this September.

Since the two Mazda models are powered by the same 2.3-liter turbocharged four-pot, BBR's engine kits apply to both vehicles.

Dubbed the Mazda5 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (MRLS) support vehicle, the six-seater family car has been reimagined with a slightly sportier flair.

Without doubt, the Mazda2 Turbo is the one to watch out for as the concept model has been fitted with the MAZDASPEED3's MZR 2.3-liter Direct Injection Spark Ignition (DISI) turbo engine that pumps out 263-horses and 280 lb-ft of torque at 3000 rpm.

Introduced during last year's SEMA extravaganza, the refreshed MX-5 Super20 ditches the original model's dark color theme for an eye-popping Hyper Orange Mica exterior treatment offset by a matte black finish for the hardtop, wheel arch extensions, trim accents, stripes and 16-inch Enkei RPF1 twin-spoke racing wheels matched with Toyo Proxes RA-1 245/45ZR16 tires.

Based on the soft-top MX-5, the two-seater roadster model has been tastefully modded with a mix of bespoke accessories and body parts such as the ground effects kit and the redesigned front bumper that sports a new grille and air vents.

Mazda will be there with at least two concept models including the MX-5 Spyder and the Mazda2 Turbo.

So the lesson here folks is that if you happen to stumble upon a TV crew filming in the side of the road, please keep your eyes where they should be…