The wait is finally over — nearly six-months after its official unveiling, Mazda has announced weight specifications for its latest MX-5 Miata sports car.
Mazda promised a light-weight sports car with the 2016 MX-5 and the company certainly delivered. When equipped with a manual transmission, the Miata will tip the scales at just 2,332 pounds. Checking the MX-5′s automatic gearbox option will push the car’s weight to a slightly more portly 2,381 pounds.

In comparison, the lightest version of the outgoing MX-5 was about 2,480 pounds, with the heaviest models checking in just above 2,600 pounds. The 2016 MX-5 isn’t quite as light as the 2,070 pound original, but it’s pretty darn close considering its modern safety and luxury features.

The 2016 MX-5 is down on power compared to the previous car (155 horsepower vs 167 horsepower ), but the new model actually boasts a better power-to-weight ratio thanks to its featherlight curb weight. That should translate to a 0-60 time in the low six-second range.

The 2016 Mazda MX-5 won’t hit dealer showrooms until this summer, but you can now drive the roadster virtually on Xbox One’s Forza Horizon 2.

Photos by Brian Williams.

The BBC has reportedly decided to cancel the rest of the current Top Gear season due to a recent scuffle between host Jeremy Clarkson and a producer.
Previous reports suggested the final three episodes in the show’s 22nd season, however BBC News now claims the network has finalized its decision to not air the episode related to Clarkson’s alleged confrontation and the remaining two scheduled segments.

One source claims Clarkson attempted to punch producer Oisin Tymon in a dispute over hot meals following a day of filming, but details surrounding the incident have not been officially detailed or confirmed by BBC.

The fiasco has infuriated many fans, leading to a “Bring Back Clarkson” petition at Change.org. The campaign has been signed by more than 770,000 supporters.

Despite the truncation of the current season, Top Gear is one of the BBC’s most popular shows and is not expected to be completely cancelled, even if the dispute leads to Clarkson’s resignation or ouster.

Honda is reportedly developing a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine for its next-generation Civic.
The company has switched to a 2.0-liter VTEC Turbo powerplant for the new range-topping Civic Type R, and forced induction has long been viewed as an inevitability for the basic variants.

The 1.5-liter four-cylinder mill will become the new standard for the base models, while naturally-aspirated options are expected live on for higher trim levels, according to Automotive News.

“Downsized turbocharging will be the base, even for the Civic,” said Honda’s R&D head, Yoshiharu Yamamoto. “The power is very good.”

The executive promises the small engine will provide power figures on par with naturally-aspirated 2.0- and 2.4-liter engines. For reference, the 2.4-liter straight-four in the current Civic Si delivers 205 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque.

The Japanese automaker is preparing to invest $340 million in it Anna, Ohio, plant to build turbocharged engines, with an estimated annual volume of 200,000 units for the North American market.

The redesigned Civic is expected to arrive in the not-too-distant future, though Honda has not yet announced full details.

Chrysler has released a few concept teaser sketches for the 49th Annual Easter Jeep Safari.
The company promises to reveal seven new concept vehicles at the Moab, Utah enthusiast jamboree, though most will likely be production models decked out with available Mopar accessories.

The Jeep Chief and Wrangler Red Rock Responder will be two of the highlight concepts at the event. The others have not yet been revealed.

The annual gathering invites Jeep owners and fans to spend a week in the iconic backcountry terrain, where they can take off on short or multi-day off-road expeditions on many miles of local trails. Trails are rated by difficulty, enabling drivers to test their skills in anything from rental vehicles to fully-customized rock crawlers.

The full lineup of Easter Jeep Safari concept vehicles will be detailed next week, while the event is scheduled to begin March 28.

General Motors’ $5 billion stock buyback plan has been met with criticism from some analysts and experts.
The company announced the move after an activist investor threatened to run for a seat on the board and push for a larger $8 billion buyback. The initiative may be great for GM investors in the near term, but University of Massachusetts economics professor William Lazonick argues that the investment threatens GM’s stability if the industry encounters another downturn.

“GM did $20.4 billion worth of buyback from 1986 through 2002,” Lazonick wrote in a story for the Harvard Business Review. “If it had saved that money and earned a modest 2.5% on it, the company would have had $35 billion on hand when the financial crisis and Great Recession hit and probably would not have had to file for bankruptcy protection.”

The bailout ultimately cost US taxpayers more than $9 billion in absorbed losses, combining a $11.2 billion loss attributed to GM and a $2.4 billion profit from its loan arm, Ally Financial.

Major automakers are currently enjoying global sales gains as demand continues to grow, but some analysts view changes in lending trends as the first small signs of potential trouble in the coming years. The average car loan term has grown steadily from 60 months in 2002 to 78 months in the current market, according to Edmunds.

Ally Financial recently began offering 84-month loans in many states, according to Automotive News. The extra-long term allows buyers to purchase more expensive vehicles, but potentially delays their next trip to the dealer.

“Going forward, GM will need all the financial resources it can muster to produce automobiles that buyers in diverse global markets want at prices that they are willing to pay,” Lazonick added.

Former GM chief Bob Lutz appears to agree, recently telling The Wall Street Journal that buybacks are a “harbinger of the next downturn” and nearly always a regretted decision.