Mazda6 Tamura Reintroduced

Mazda reintroduced its special edition Mazda6 Tamura with a host of additional goodies at no extra cost.

Taking a leaf out of the top of the range sport model, the 6 Tamura offers big 18" alloy wheels fitted with low-profile tyres, alloy pedals, privacy glass and clear rear light bezels for for superb dynamic road holding.

To give it striking looks they've also thrown in a sports pack which includes front and rear sports bumpers and sports grille, side skirts and rear spoiler. Metallic & Mic paint is also Free of charge.

All this at a modest £17,200 makes the Mazda6 Tamura better value than it's mid-range 2.0 TS cousin.

Stocks are strictly limited with Stormy Blue Mica or Sunlight Silver the only two colours available. All Mazda6 Tamura's come with a 3yr 60000 mile warranty and 3 yrs European Roadside Assistance.

All New Mazda 6 Press Shot

It has been a long time in coming, but Mazda finally released a press image of their forthcoming all new Mazda 6.

Although only a shot of the front end, first impressions are stunning showing slight overtones of their Mazda RX8 Coupe, well at least around the light clusters anyway. Were still going to have to wait until Tuesday 11th September to get the real low down when Mazda will unveil the new 6 at Frankfurt's 62nd Motor Show.

The new Mazda 6 is all new in design, although early indications are the MZR engines used in the current 6 will remain, we expect the new car to be lighter whilst taking a step forward in quality, strength, safety and be more environmental.

Despite using the same engines in the current Mazda 6, expect performance to be improved as the Mazda wizards incorporate the same weight saving techniques used on the all new Mazda 2. This strategy known as 'Drive Light' uses high and ultra-high tensile steels for less weight, with greater rigidity and better crash resistance, but also improves fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, whilst still delivering agile handling and safety attributes.

Roll on Frankfurt.

Will The 6 MPS Survive?

I was thinking the other day about this new Mazda 6 that's due to be unveiled at Frankfurt 2007.

Whilst reading the blogs and looking at spyshots, it's clear that Mazda's embargo on its dealer network and the press is working, as very little information is doing the rounds with only the odd quote of "it looks like a Lexus" coming from the privileged few that have clocked eyes on it.

This really is an important launch, you can tell. I mean we knew two years ago about the Mazda Crossport which eventually became the Mazda CX7 and we've been teased for a year and half with the impending all new Mazda 2.

The competition in this segment is fierce and has grown since Mazda launched the 6 in the UK back in March 2002, where it simply trashed the opposition. Since it's launch, a recent Mazda 6 Review reveals the car has won no less than 100 awards globally, 59 of which were won on the battle grounds of Europe.

So get this wrong Mazda and your going to go backwards and i think they know it. Let's hope this silence is golden.

So where will the current Mazda 6 MPS fit into all of this. From all accounts the car has not really captured the imagination of the petrol heads, drawing them away from their high powered Beamers or Impreza's. Although it's a super quick car, handles like on rails and has the build quality of a Rhino, Mazda know that subtle and serenity will never beat brash and bold in the world of high powered sports saloons. And they should know, hell, they are the masters at it.

Unlike its sibling the 3 MPS, which is selling like hotcakes, the 6 MPS will be left between a rock and a very hard place when the all new 6 hits the showrooms. Rumours of a much larger car with more powerful engines, although you can rule the V6 out for the UK thanks to Gordon, are going to leave the 6 MPS with even less identity than it has now.

So here's my prediction. Mazda will drop the current 6 MPS and relaunch it in the all new Mazda 6 design where it will finally earn some Kudos. That said, whether it will ever join the hall of famers like the MX5, RX7 and RX8 remains to be seen.

Mazda 6 Kumano A Car To Seek Sanctuary

As the Frankfurt Motor Show draws nearer and the impending launch of the all new Mazda 6, a plethora of limited edition Mazda 6's will be finding their way into UK showrooms over the coming weeks.

The limited edition Mazda 6 Kumano, the final swan song to a car that kick started the Mazda revival and returned them to where they rightly belong as a car manufacturer that makes seriously good motor cars.

Kumano, is a general name given to the southern part of the Kii Peninsula and is one of the most prominent religious sanctuaries for the people of Japan. And with a BOSE Premium audio system with 6 CD autochanger and seven speakers, steering wheel audio controls, electric windows and sunroof, electric heated door mirrors, climate control air conditioning, cruise control, leather wrapped steering wheel, gearknob and handbrake lever, the 6 Kumano will feel heaven.

Based on the popular and highly specified five-door hatchback TS 2 model, the Mazda 6 Kumano sports additional exterior and interior equipment. Inside, there is blue/black seat trim and a piano black centre console.

On-the-road, the Mazda 6 2.0 Kumano costs £17,550 and the Mazda 6 2.0 D Kumano is priced at £18,650. While the Kumano package has a total value of £925, the price of the petrol model is increased by just £370 and the diesel by £380 – compared to the TS 2 derivative – representing a customer saving of £555 and £545 respectively.

Outside, the Kumano boasts powerful Xenon headlights, with auto headlamp and auto windscreen wiper operation, plus special ‘dark brushed finish’ 16-inch alloy wheels, unique Kumano badging and metallic or mica paint – free of charge.

Both the 147ps petrol-engined Mazda 6 2.0 Kumano and the 143ps diesel powered Mazda 6 2.0 D Kumano come in a choice of two colours – Titanium Grey Metallic or Stormy Blue Mica paint.