Quick Time Rm-6077 Quicktime Bellhousing - Big Block Mopar on 2040-parts.com

World’s best-selling roadster returns

MAZDA has released details on the brand-new fourth generation MX-5, already the best selling roadster of all time. Launched simultaneously at events in Barcelona, Japan and the USA, the fourth-generation MX-5 is the first to benefit from Mazda’s SkyActiv efficient technology. That means a frugal but powerful petrol engine and a substantial weight saving of 100kg over the previous generation.

Old is new again: Will a floor-hinged throttle pedal be in your future?

If you think that every little nut, bolt, switch, gear or widget in your new car wasn't scrutinized by a team of highly educated, overworked car geeks (read: engineers), think again. A couple of recent conversations with automotive engineers confirmed that virtually nothing that goes into a car today is taken for granted. During the recent Pebble Beach weekend, I had the pleasure of spending time with an engineer for Jaguar, and the subject turned to materials used for various switches in the cabin.

Concept Car of the Week: Ford Mustang RSX Concept (1979)

In the late ‘70s, Ford commissioned carrozzeria Ghia to build a concept car based on the Fox platform to help promote its third generation Mustang. Probably inspired by the Escort RS's success at the World Rally Championship, the concept was dubbed RSX – standing for Rally Sport Experimental – and the Fox platform-based Mustang was modified as a rally car. To improve the handling, the wheelbase from the Fox was shortened by 142mm, the track was widened by around 25mm at the rear while the ride height was increased for off-tarmac stages of European rallies.