US auto giant Ford Motor Co. has asked Denso Corp., a core autoparts manufacturer within Toyota Motor Corp., to buy part of its stake in Mazda Motor Corp., a report said Thursday.

Denso, which wants to expand the current business ties with Mazda to which it sells auto parts, is likely to consider purchasing some of the shares, the business daily Nikkei reported, without citing sources.

Mazda, Japan’s fifth largest automaker, is believed to have already approached Denso about buying some of the Mazda stock that Ford holds, it said.

Reports last week said Ford, Mazda’s biggest shareholder with a 33.4-percent equity, plans to sell most of its shares in Mazda to raise badly needed cash amid the current global financial crisis.

The stake in Mazda that Denso would acquire is likely to total less than one percent of Mazda’s total outstanding stock, the Nikkei said.

Officials at Mazda and Denso were not immediately available for comment.

The Nikkei reported that Ford had approached between 20 and 30 prospective buyers for its shares in Mazda. Trading houses Sumitomo Corp and Itochu Corp have expressed interest, the newspaper said.

Mazda may also buy back some of its own shares, it said.

Mazda’s shares were down 4.6 percent at 272 yen, outperforming a 9.8 percent fall in the benchmark Nikkei average .N225. Denso shares were 8.9 percent lower at 1,818 yen.

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Mazda Motor Corporation today introduced the Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE (Rotary Engine) vehicle to Norway’s public roads in collaboration with the Norwegian national hydrogen project, HyNor. Initially, the RX-8 Hydrogen RE’s driving performance on Norwegian roads will be validated with a single vehicle, which will also be shown at various events. This marks the first time that a Mazda hydrogen rotary vehicle has been put into regular use on public roads outside Japan.

Mazda signed a memorandum of understanding with HyNor (Hydrogen Road of Norway) to participate in the project in November 2007. HyNor is a national project in the Kingdom of Norway that aims to establish a clean energy transport system based on hydrogen fuel. Beginning in fiscal year 2009, Mazda will provide approximately 30 RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicles for the HyNor project under commercial lease contracts.

The RX-8 Hydrogen RE validation vehicle is being delivered in advance so that Mazda and HyNor can jointly assess its driving performance in Norway. It will also be exhibited at environmental and other events for potential customers who are interested in leasing a hydrogen vehicle.

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Mazda Motor Corp. said Wednesday it isn’t planning to boost production or build a new car plant in North America amid declining vehicle demand.
The comment by the Japanese auto maker affiliated with Ford Motor Co. followed a Nikkei report Wednesday that the company had suspended a plan to build a new factory in North America with Ford’s help.
Mazda said in a statement it hasn’t made any change to its medium-term business plan through the fiscal year ending March 2011.

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As the financial crisis deepens, the number of consolidations in the financial sector increased. Now it is the auto sector’s turn as it faces billions of dollars of cash shortage to shore up its financial statement.

After reports said the cash strapped General Motors is in talks with Chrysler to merge, Detroit’s third biggest motor company, Ford Motor Co. , is drawing attention.

The company is planning to sell its controlling interests in Japan’s Mazda Motor Co. to raise the necessary capital to avert bankruptcy risk as global financial crisis deepens.

Japanese trading companies Itochu Corp and Sumitomo Corp are considering to buy shares in Mazda Motor Co from Ford Motor Co , the Nikkei business daily reported on Sunday.

Ford is mulling a sale of its stake in Mazda, a source familiar with the matter said on Saturday, as debt-laden U.S. automakers struggle with weakening auto sales and the global credit crunch.

Ford had approached Japanese trading companies, financial institutions and auto parts makers over the sale of its shares, Nikkei said. Mazda is also likely to buy back some of its shares, it added.

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credit : spiegel.de

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Evolution focused on pure Jinba Ittai Enjoyment

The facelift MX-5 embodies the purest form of Zoom-Zoom. With evolved sensory qualities, it continues to deliver the unchanging value of “Jinba-Ittai” (oneness between driver and car) despite the changing world. Marking its 20th anniversary next year, the new MX-5 offers a “lots of fun” driving experience underpinned by the untiring passion of Mazda’s engineers since 1989.

Updates at a Glance

Newly evolved look that’s functional and instantly recognizable, as Mazda, and as MX-5
• Exterior styling with greater dynamism & athleticism, which contributes to superior aerodynamics
• Strongly emphasized a premium identity in the look and feel of the Roadster Coupe

Enhanced engineering to enable the driver to enjoy the full potential of the engine performance
• 500 rpm higher rev limit and the raised engine speed at max power
• Introduced a forged crankshaft, fully floating pistons and newly designed valve springs

Sportier engine sound that responds more crisply to accelerator inputs
• Surge tank rigidity optimization, new forged crankshaft and ISE , Induction Sound Enhancer (for 6MT)
Smoother shifting feel with brisk and high-quality steering feel
• With 6MT, the meshing surfaces of the 1st–4th triple-cone synchronizers are now carbon coated, and the 3rd–4th synchronizer diameter has been increased.
• Linear & sporty 6AT that’s newly available for Europe incorporates two new control technologies, Direct Activematic (DAM) and Active Adaptive Shift (AAS).
• A lower front roll centre and retuned suspension make the car’s response to steering inputs more linear and enable the driver to precisely trace desired lines. The yaw and roll also feel more natural, producing a higher-quality ride
Improved quietness
• Roadster Coupe cockpit road noise with the roof closed is 2.1dB lower than before. Improvements include urethane filling in the front suspension member and damping material in the front roof section.
• Quietness is further promoted in the Roadster Coupe and soft-top version by stiffer door modules and by newly added reinforcements on the No. 2 crossmember.
Environmental, safety and conformability
• More convenient features, ie., improved Bose®sound system, 5 step adjustable seat heater, etc.
• Average fuel consumption display and outside air temperature is equipped
• More models featuring DSC as standard equipment

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- Outstanding functionality and space efficiency with enhanced quality and comfort throughout -

HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation has fully redesigned its AZ-Wagon micro-mini range in Japan. Sales commence today at all Mazda Autozam, Mazda and Mazda Anfini dealerships nationwide.

The AZ-Wagon micro-mini enjoys a wide-ranging customer base in Japan thanks to its outstanding use of space and functionality. Fully redesigned for the first time in five years, the new model further evolves these characteristics and offers substantially enhanced quality inside and out, as well as a more comfortable cabin.

The exterior design has been fully updated to improve the styling and reflect the interior comfort. The interior features a silver center panel, and charcoal grey seats and door trim which create a higher quality appearance. The XT and XS model grades have a convenient engine start/stop button, and all grades come with an anti-theft immobilizer as standard equipment for improved security. Performance is enhanced in some grades with the addition of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that delivers more powerful acceleration and better fuel economy. With low fuel consumption and exhaust emissions certified as either 50 or 75 percent cleaner than Japan’s 2005 standards, all model grades offer excellent environmental and economic performance.

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The slumping U.S. auto market reduced vehicle production in August at most major Japanese automakers, according to data released Thursday.

Toyota Motor Corp., the nation’s top automaker, saw worldwide production dive 15.5 percent last month from a year earlier at 626,745 vehicles.

Toyota marked its on-year overseas production decrease in more than six years amid a slowdown in Europe and North America, while production in sluggish Japan also dropped on year, it said.

Honda Motor Co. reported its best vehicle production ever in China for August but saw production in troubled U.S. plunge 10.2 percent from the previous year. Japan’s second biggest automaker produced 295,541 vehicles worldwide in August, down 4.8 percent on year.

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Mazda Thailand will show concept car under conceptual ‘nakare desing’ for 25th Motor Expo 2008 Thailand firstly for thai poppuation,diplays for a next zoom-zoom tagline

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Mazda Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said they will raise the prices of some of their vehicles in Japan, despite sluggish domestic sales.

Mazda, the Japanese affiliate of Ford Motor Co., said it will raise the prices on four commercial models by 2.8% to 3% beginning Oct. 1, citing costs of raw materials. Mitsubishi will increase prices by 2.9%, on average, for three commercial vehicles that Mazda produces for the company.

Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. have also raised prices. Honda Motor Co. is the only one that has resisted.

Japanese car makers raised prices in some overseas markets this year as higher prices of steel and other raw materials needed to build cars are squeezing their profitability. However, they had been cautious that Japanese customers wouldn’t easily accept price increases as Japanese companies usually raises domestic prices only when they redesign existing models.

They are also concerned that price increases could further reduce consumer appetite in the domestic market, where auto sales will likely fall to the lowest level in decades this year.

However, Mazda’s price increases will likely do little to help its bottom line, as annual sales of those models account for just 2% of its global auto sales. Mitsubishi didn’t provide annual sales figures for the three models affected.

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