More proof that Mazda RX-8 owners want to be Ferrari owners

Thanks to an astute reader, we now have further proof that owners of Mazda's rotary powered RX-8 wish they were driving a Ferrari instead. Not that we blame them or anything, as the Prancing Horse has been plastered on many of the finest sportscars that this world has ever seen. What we don't recommend, however, is actually attempting to replicate a Ferrari of your own with a Mazda RX-8, as the owner of said car seen in our gallery has done. It's not that the car is an RX-8, a fine vehicle in its own right,– but a Ferrari it is not. The rotary is a fun engine to wring out on the way to its 9,000 RPM redline, but it just doesn't quite match the aural pleasure that a fine Italian V12 is able to deliver.
This particular Mazda-rrari was caught at a mall in Denton, Texas, and we believe it's probably the only one in existence. Before you get real upset about all that's been done to it though, remember that it could be worse. Much, much worse. Just don't tell the guys in Maranello, they tend to get rather upset about this kind of thing. Thanks for the tip, David!

[ Via: Autoblog (Mazda) ]
[ Tag: ferrari, ferrari badge, ferrari badges, FerrariBadge, FerrariBadges, mazda, mazda rotary, mazda rx-8, mazda rx8, mazda rx8 hydrogen re, MazdaRotary, MazdaRx-8, MazdaRx8, MazdaRx8HydrogenRe ]

Miata? Impractical? BAH!

Why is this man smiling? Because he's probably as amused by what he's doing as we are. Autoblog reader Doc B sent us these photos he took when he came upon the unlikely sight of a Mazda Miata being used to haul a sofa loveseat. Here we thought a Miata was barely spacious enough to transport two adults and a couple of overnight bags, and this guy just turns the conventional wisdom on its head. Seriously, try moving that thing with, say, a MINI Clubman or a Honda Fit. Not gonna happen. When it comes to hauling couches, it looks like the Miata has all those supposedly practical small hatchbacks beat. Roadsters for everyone, we say! Help friends move in the morning, then autocross in the afternoon. It's the ideal blend of practicality and performance. U-Haul, your days are so numbered.
Thanks for the pics, Doc B.

[ Via: Autoblog (Mazda) ]
[ Tag: mazda miata, MazdaMiata, miata as moving van, miata hauling sofa, MiataAsMovingVan, MiataHaulingSofa ]

Chinese authorities bring out the drug-sniffing dogs for Mazda Taiki

So you're a customs officer in Beijing, and out of the trailer you're inspecting is hauled a... a what? The Japanese people who have accompanied it, who claim to be from Mazda, also claim that it's a concept car. Frankly, it could also be a submarine, or it might eat people -- or it could be an elaborate ruse for hauling drugs or bombs. So the officials at Beijing airport let the dogs out to sniff for, well, probably everything. Finding nothing, the Taiki was allowed to roll on to the Beijing Auto Show. Nothing in there but coffee grounds, sir, just coffee...

[ Via: The Tycho ]
[ Tag: concept, drug, drugs, mazda, mazda taiki concept, MazdaTaikiConcept, taiki ]