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Mazda is updating car software to fix problems with real, living bugs
Just like Toyota, Mazda's also recalling cars due to a nasty bug -- the difference is, Mazda's problem involves real, live multi-legged creatures. Apparently, the company's recalling roughly 42,000 Mazda 6 sedans in the US, because of a certain yellow sac spider with a penchant for the smell of gasoline. If this spider makes the engine its home, the webs it'll inevitably weave could block fuel flow and increase internal pressure. This, in turn, could lead to cracks and fuel leaks that increase the risk of fire, though the automaker claims it has yet to receive complaints about spontaneously combusting sedans.
Mazda Atenza launches with i-ELOOP regenerative braking
Nearly a year after Mazda announced its i-ELOOP regenerative braking technology, the company has finally launched a car that implements it: the 2013 Mazda Atenza. Known as the 2014 Mazda 6 in the US, both sedan and wagon models are on sale today throughout Japan. The aforementioned i-ELOOP technology uses capacitors instead of batteries to power the car's electronic components, and will supposedly increase fuel efficiency by up to ten percent. Other technologies incorporated in the vehicle include i-stop, Mazda's idling stop system and i-ActiveSense, a collection of safety technologies utilizing cameras and millimeter-wave radars. Customers can opt for either diesel or gasoline SkyActiv engines in either manual or automatic transmission. Suggested retail price ranges from 2,500,000 yen ($30,797) to 3,400,000 ($41,884) including tax. US customers won't be able take a test drive until the sedan model shows up in US dealerships next year, though it's unclear if either diesel or wagon options will make it stateside.
