New Brake Technology to Reduce Crashes

Let’s face it, driving eventually becomes like riding a bike. It is something we all do absent mindedly, at one point or another, without fully paying attention to road in front of us. For that reason, research is being done on a new kind of brake technology that may provide a cure for the rear-end collision in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

The new technology is called City Safety and it’s the first system to address more common crashes at speeds under 20 miles an hour. Crash avoidance systems like this can help ensure that a momentary lapse of attention during a congested commute doesn’t result in a crash.

City Safety uses an infrared laser sensor built into the windshield to monitor the area in front of a vehicle when traveling at speeds of about 2 mph to 19 mph. It doesn’t involve a warning to the driver; rather the system will automatically break to avoid a front-to-rear crash. It detects and reacts to other cars within 18 feet of the front bumper. If the speed difference between the vehicles is less than 9 mph, the system may enable the driver to avoid some crashes altogether. If the difference is between 9 mph and 19 mph, the system may not prevent the crash but will reduce the severity of the damage and injury.

City Safety can operate during the day or at night; however it does have some limitations. Fog, heavy rain or snow may limit the ability of the system’s infrared laser to detect other vehicles. If the sensor becomes blocked by dirt, ice or snow, the driver will be advised.

The system is automatically activated when the vehicle ignition is turned on. It can be manually deactivated by the driver. David Strickland, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said the agency is deeply interested in the potential for crash avoidance technology to significantly improve driving safety. The City Safety technology is currently only being used by one particular vehicle make and model, but will hopefully spread to other car manufacturers in the near future.

The Meaning of "Miata"

    Ever wonder why they call it a "Miata"? There are many theories about the origin of the term and how this vehicle actually got its name. Rod Bymaster, Mazda's head of product planning and marketing for the Miata project back in the early days, claims his "biggest contribution to the project was to have found the word 'Miata' in Webster's Dictionary, which is defined as 'reward in Old High German'."
    Another explanation is that the word "Miata" was computer generated. Many product branding strategies include using a computer program to come up with a list of names. So what if Mazda did the same thing and their computer belched out the word "Miata"? The next logical step would most certainly be to run a check on the selection in every possible language to make sure it didn't have a crude meaning. So naturally, the check process stumbled across the Old High German root which was then passed on to Mr. Bymaster for evaluation.     
   Still others believe the Italian "Siata Roadster" somewhat inspired the "Miata Roadster". It seems possible that the name "Miata" is a direct derivative of the old Italian Siata roadsters. Due to the roadster tradition in Italy's automotive history, the Miata name may have been derived from the Italian dialect "Calabresse". If so, "Miata" should be the feminine past tense of the phrase "On Her Way" or "Ready To Go", which is true in every sense of the car! 
    Or, if you look up the word "meed" in the Oxford English Dictionary and the Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language you will find that "miata" is another word for this term and they both can mean "reward". "Meed" is an obsolete German word. So this is verification of the meaning but not verification that this is what Mazda intended the name to mean. Maybe they simply liked the sound of it. You decide.

What's in a Name?

     Ever wonder how Mazda got its name? The company profile states "Mazda" comes from one of the earliest civilizations in western Asia, where they worship a Zoroastrian deity called Ahura Mazda. Ahura Mazda is known as the god of wisdom, intelligence and harmony. Mazda has interpreted this as a symbol of the origin of both Eastern and Western civilizations, and also as a symbol of automotive culture. It incorporates a desire to achieve world peace and the development of the automobile manufacturing industry. The name also derives from the company's founder, Jujiro Matsuda. In Japanese, the company is referred to either by its anglicised name (MAZDA Motors) or as (Matsuda), after its founder. The company formally adopted the Mazda name in 1984, though every automobile sold from the beginning bore that name.

Mazda: The Early Years

From the very beginning, Mazda has been creating and producing some of the best vehicles out there!

Mazda-Go, 1931

 Mazda's very first vehicle was the "Mazda-Go" in 1931. It was a three-wheeled truck, resembling a motorcycle with an open wagon or truck bed. It was steered with handlebars and powered with an air-cooled 1-cylinder engine/transmission combination unit.

In 1960 Mazda came out with the company's first real car --a two-door, four-seat coupe, the Mazda R360. It featured a short 69 inch wheelbase and weighed just 838 lb. It was powered by a rear-mounted air-cooled 356 cc V-twin engine putting out about 16 hp and 16 ft·lbf of torque. The car was capable of about 52 mph. It had a 4-speed manual or two-speed automatic transmission.

Then in 1967, it was the Mazda Cosmo Sport 110 that made its debut. There have been four generations of Mazda automobiles which went by the name of Cosmo, although they are not all particularly related. All were Grand tourers, with the first proving a successful launch for the Mazda Wankel engine (the first 2-rotor rotary engine) and acting as a "halo" vehicle for the new Mazda brand. The car was also featured in the show "Return of Ultraman".

That last of the early vehicles is the Mazda R100. Production began on this vehicle in 1968. It was a 2 door 2+2 coupé with a rotary 0820 engine. The R100 was one of the first cars imported into the United States for the new Mazda Motors of America, sold in model years 1971 and 1972. It was a surprising hit with the American public, though sales were initially limited to some Northwestern states.

Mazda's SKYACTIV Technology: Powertrain Engines

           It's the latest in engine technology, all thanks to several top engineers and designers at Mazda. The new Skyactiv-G engine is the first of its kind. SKYACTIV is the official name for the powertrain packages that will improve fuel economy and emissions without having to resort to hybridization or related battery-based technologies. Not only will these new engines create increased fuel efficiency, they will also harness more power than ever before. Currently, around 70 percent of the energy contained in fuel is lost within a vehicle's powertrain and fails to be transferred as motive power to its wheels. SKYACTIV is Mazda’s attempt to produce more miles per gallon than conventional gasoline and diesel engines, without resorting to costly hybrid technology. The Skyactiv engines have a world-beating compression ratio of 14.0:1, the highest ever achieved in a petrol engine. According to Mazda, the new SKYACTIV gasonline engine is more efficient, with a 15% increase in torque and 15% reduction in fuel consumption compared to the current 2.0-liter gas engine. The SKYACTIV strategy will also lead to lighter-weight vehicles and engines that produce less friction. Both of these changes will also help the automaker build a new crossover that’s sporty but sips fuel.

           The 2012 Mazda3 will receive the first application of Mazda's SKYACTIV technology. This 2.0-liter four-cylinder direct-injection engine makes 155 horsepower and mates to either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. Available on both the sedan and hatchback models, the engine could produce up to 28 mpg city/40 mpg highway when paired with the automatic, according to Mazda.

           Mazda continues to win awards for developing fuel-saving, environmentally-friendly technologies for its cars. Two Mazda engineers were presented with the Outstanding Technical Paper award at the 61st annual Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan (JSAE) presentation. Mazda took home three awards for research that will be used in Mazda's next-generation Skyactiv vehicles Mazda's unique start-stop system, i-stop, and its single-nano technology catalyst and for groundbreaking research into the properties of sound insulation material. Mazda also won the Innovation Award at this year's Fleet World Honours in London. 

           Together, Mazda promises that SKYACTIV will not only improve the efficiency of gasoline and diesel engines, but it will also uphold the performance and driving dynamics expected in Mazda models.

The all new 2012 Mazda 5

Come on in and see what all the buzz is about. A car that has has no true competition, all by itself a true wonder. The all new 2012 Mazda 5. Here are just a few highlights. A new power plant with the 2.5 Liter from the Mazda 3 and 6, new sculpted front, side and rear body. This car is truly unique in that there is nothing like it in current production here in the States. Come  into Kings Mazda to see  one for yourself.


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Article written by Mark Knox at Kings Mazda