Archive for the ‘Japan’ Category

We've mentioned before that the Mazda Miata (aka the Roadster or the MX-5) is celebrating its 20th birthday. In fact, we may have mentioned it a couple of times. But since we're such fans, what the hell: let's go for a third. Mazda has devoted an entire website to the little car on its big milestone, complete with clips from a recent Miata rally  (none of which are embeddable) and what we assume is other nifty stuff, though we can't be sure because the site's Japanese-only. Still, Miata fans should get a kick out of it. Others might want to check Bengt Halvorson's recent review of the 2010 Miata, just to see what the excitement's about....

Tech fans and early adopters, take note: Panasonic is prepping for the Japanese release of its new in-dash high-def navigation system and an in-car Blu-ray player. The latter is pretty standard, although its ¥99,750 ($1080) price tag isn't. However, that's nothing compared to the satnav, which not only plays media, but also provides navigation assistance via Windows Automotive, Google Maps, and Yahoo! Japan. The retail? ¥365,400 ($3,955). No word on when these babies will come to America, but we hope it'll be a while -- we need to save some pennies. [Engadget]

Back in February at the Chicago Auto Show, Mazda displayed a candy-colored array of Mazda Miatas (known elsewhere in the world as the MX-5 or the Roadster) to celebrate the model's 20th year of production. Now, the Hiroshima-based automaker is releasing a special edition of the popular two-seater for Japanese fans.

As you might expect, most of the upgrades in the special edition are cosmetic. The Roadster 20th Anniversary is distinguished first and foremost by its pristine coat of Crystal White Pearl Mica paint, a new tone for the model. The red bucket seats (by RECARO) offer an aggressive splash of color to the otherwise neutral palette,...