Motoring News Headlines from Automobile Mag

Mazda showed a freshened RX-8 alongside their race-inspired Furai concept at the 2008 Detroit show. The 2009 model features several evolutionary tweaks as well as a new sporty option package.

On the outside, all RX-8s will get revised front fascias, bumpers, headlights and taillights. The exhaust tips are also larger, now measuring 90 mm. The front fender side gills have been replaced with smaller openings that now house turn indicators.

A redesigned center stack joins a new steering wheel on the interior. The tachometer also gets an update and will now vary the red zone depending on engine temperature. Redesigned seating in all four spots aims to increase rear leg room.

Driving dynamics weren't ignored in the update. A trapezoidal strut tower brace adds rigidity up front, while rear suspension geometry has been revised for better handling.

A new R3 option package - an homage to the R1 and R2 packages offered on the RX-7 - adds some attitude to the RX-8. A sport suspension with Bilstein shocks is paired with foam-filled front suspension crossmembers for a smoother ride and more control. Exterior bits include a rear spoiler, side sills, fog lights and a sportier front bumper. Nineteen-inch forged alloy wheels are wrapped in performance rubber. The interior gets Recaro front seats, a 300-watt Bose sound system, and convenience options like Bluetooth and Mazda's keyless entry and start system.

The 2009 RX-8 will continue as the only mass-produced rotary-engined car on the market today.

Click the link below for high-resolution RX-8 images.

Mazda showed a freshened RX-8 alongside their race-inspired Furai concept at the 2008 Detroit show. The 2009 model features several evolutionary tweaks as well as a new sporty option package.

On the outside, all RX-8s will get revised front fascias, bumpers, headlights and taillights. The exhaust tips are also larger, now measuring 90 mm. The front fender side gills have been replaced with smaller openings that now house turn indicators.

A redesigned center stack joins a new steering wheel on the interior. The tachometer also gets an update and will now vary the red zone depending on engine temperature. Redesigned seating in all four spots aims to increase rear leg room.

Driving dynamics weren't ignored in the update. A trapezoidal strut tower brace adds rigidity up front, while rear suspension geometry has been revised for better handling.

A new R3 option package - an homage to the R1 and R2 packages offered on the RX-7 - adds some attitude to the RX-8. A sport suspension with Bilstein shocks is paired with foam-filled front suspension crossmembers for a smoother ride and more control. Exterior bits include a rear spoiler, side sills, fog lights and a sportier front bumper. Nineteen-inch forged alloy wheels are wrapped in performance rubber. The interior gets Recaro front seats, a 300-watt Bose sound system, and convenience options like Bluetooth and Mazda's keyless entry and start system.

The 2009 RX-8 will continue as the only mass-produced rotary-engined car on the market today.

Click the link below for high-resolution RX-8 images.

Mazda showed a freshened RX-8 alongside their race-inspired Furai concept at the 2008 Detroit show. The 2009 model features several evolutionary tweaks as well as a new sporty option package.

On the outside, all RX-8s will get revised front fascias, bumpers, headlights and taillights. The exhaust tips are also larger, now measuring 90 mm. The front fender side gills have been replaced with smaller openings that now house turn indicators.

A redesigned center stack joins a new steering wheel on the interior. The tachometer also gets an update and will now vary the red zone depending on engine temperature. Redesigned seating in all four spots aims to increase rear leg room.

Driving dynamics weren't ignored in the update. A trapezoidal strut tower brace adds rigidity up front, while rear suspension geometry has been revised for better handling.

A new R3 option package - an homage to the R1 and R2 packages offered on the RX-7 - adds some attitude to the RX-8. A sport suspension with Bilstein shocks is paired with foam-filled front suspension crossmembers for a smoother ride and more control. Exterior bits include a rear spoiler, side sills, fog lights and a sportier front bumper. Nineteen-inch forged alloy wheels are wrapped in performance rubber. The interior gets Recaro front seats, a 300-watt Bose sound system, and convenience options like Bluetooth and Mazda's keyless entry and start system.

The 2009 RX-8 will continue as the only mass-produced rotary-engined car on the market today.

Click the link below for high-resolution RX-8 images.

We're still a few months away from October's Paris motor show, but we're already expecting to have an official look at GM's first new global subcompact, the 2009 Chevrolet Cruze.

Don't let the name fool you; the car is all-new. Although Chevy's planning on ditching the Cobalt name in favor of Cruze, the new compact, slated to ride on the next-generation Delta platform, has nothing to do with the 2000 Cruze, a badge-engineered Suzuki Ignis kei-car sold in Japan.

GM's let few details slip about the new car, but did let it be known the car would measure "around 4.3 meters" in overall length. That transmits into approximately 169 inches, or almost a foot shorter than the existing Cobalt sedan.

In spite of the new car losing a foot in length, GM claims the Cruze will still comfortably carry five passengers and their cargo. We do expect the new turbocharged 1.4-liter I-4, capable of 120 to 140 hp, to appear underhood.

GM says the car uses a new global design language for Chevrolet, although it still will make use of the same split-grille as seen on the 2008 Malibu. The Cruze is slated to hit European showrooms in early 2009, with other markets (including North America) following soon afterward.