As a car company, Mazda has been through some tough challenges in the past few decades. Born out of Hiroshima, the company put a lot of pressure on itself to prove the world that they could be competitive on a world stage- and over the years they have produced many notable models and achieved some rather unique goals. Hit hard by the recession in the mid 90s, they were forced to abandon most of their pursuits and consolidate, focusing on their mass market models.
This year’s Goodwood sees Mazda putting a few of their models on display for the festival, as the organizer feel that Mazda’s spirit is in line with the festival’s theme for the year: ‘Flat-out and Fearless: Racing on the Edge’. Naturally one would expect Mazda to put the legendary 787B rotary racecar on display, being one of their crowning achievements in the field of motorsport. The screaming 4-rotor engine is about as “on the edge” as one could get with a road car powerplant.
In addition to their iconic racecar, Mazda will be showcasing their new crossover competitor. A bit of an oddball, the CX-3 is poised to enter a market that is quickly becoming highly competitive. The advantage of delaying release before competitors is that Mazda can see what the market seeks, their likes and dislikes, in this nascent market segment. The CX-3 will definitely be interesting to see.
Also on show is the fourth generation MX-5, which has been garnering a lot of attention in the last few weeks. With a namesake that is so recognizable and iconic, the MX-5 is one of Mazda’s defining cars- and while current engine choices seem a little low on the power scale, one can be assured that they will be as entertaining to drive as ever.
Rounding out Mazda’s display for this year’s festival is the super compact Mazda 2. Already available locally, this compact model is known for it’s premium interior and amenities, packaged in a compact and easily accessibly model. It is Mazda’s effort to bring luxury and prestige to the everyman’s market segment that makes the Mazda 2 such a solid contender.
