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Video: Rage Comet R is a supercar for the road, dirt and sky

Filed under: Performance, Videos, UK, Specialty, Off-Road, Racing

The Rage Comet R can be driven on the road or off-road.

In a perfect world, every vehicle would do everything well. In reality, the Ford SVT Raptor will tear up desert landscapes like no other production truck, but it will also struggle to grip the tarmac at a racetrack. In the same vein, it would be foolish to take a Porsche 911 GT3 dune jumping. The folks at Rage beg to differ and made a vehicle that they claim is as good on a racetrack as it is off-road: the Comet R (R200RT).

XCAR recently drove the Comet R to see if it really is the dual-nature beast Rage claims it is, and it didn’t disappoint. First off, it’s fast. The Comet R has the 200-horsepower, four-cylinder motor from the Kawasaki ZZR1400 motorcycle; it accelerates from 0-60 miles per hour in about 3.5 seconds, according to XCAR. Looking more like an off-road buggy than anything else, the Comet R isn’t an exercise in design, but purely in function. That is, it functions amazingly well sideways at a racetrack, and perhaps even better in an off-road environment. Just slip on some off-road wheels and tires and make some suspension adjustments, and it’ll tackle unforgiving terrain and take jumps with the ferocity of a Trophy Truck. In the UK, at least, it is also road legal, so it can be driven to and from track days without having to be towed.

See for yourself how the Comet R handles all types of terrain in the video we included below.

Continue reading Rage Comet R is a supercar for the road, dirt and sky

Rage Comet R is a supercar for the road, dirt and sky originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Aug 2013 18:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: Mazda’s refreshed 2012 Mazda3 looks to the sky

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Sedan, Hatchback, Mazda

2012 Mazda3 with SkyActiv

2012 Mazda3 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Mazda is betting big on its SkyActiv engine technology, and the first North American vehicle to carry the new motor is the 2012 Mazda3. Makes sense, since one out of every three Mazda vehicles sold around the globe wears a “3” on the back. Launching with the 2012 Mazda3 this fall, SkyActiv engines and transmissions will then wind-up in the upcoming CX-5 by next spring, and a year later we’ll get a diesel variant of the efficient engine.

mazda skyactiv-g engine First up, however, is the SkyActiv-G gasoline-burner, which is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The directly injected unit is rated at 40 miles per gallon on the highway in the Mazda3, and produces 155 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 148 pound-feet of torque at 4,100 rpm. That’s a horsepower increase of five percent and torque bump of 10 percent, all in a package that’s 4.4 pounds lighter than the currently available standard 2.0-liter.

The SkyActiv-equipped 2012 Mazda3 is offered with a choice between two transmissions: a six-speed manual or automatic, both of which are also part of the SkyActiv family. SkyActiv-Drive is the automatic of the group, and helps the Mazda3 achieve a range of 540 miles. While the auto is the transmission of choice for 40 mpg drives, the SkyActiv-MT also allows for efficient motoring. When equipped with the manual, the fuel economy rating dips to 39 mpg on the highway.

SkyActiv-G engines will be offered under the hood of both the sedan and hatchback versions of the Mazda3. Both have also received a minor exterior refresh, which comes in the form of a revised front fascia. SkyActiv-equipped models can also be distinguished by some subtle blue headlamp trim and SkyActiv badging.

See the updates for yourself in the galleries below, and be sure to head past the jump to learn more about the 2012 Mazda3 and its SkyActiv technology.

Gallery: 2012 Mazda3: New York 2011

2012 Mazda3: New York 2011

Gallery: 2012 Mazda3

Continue reading New York 2011: Mazda’s refreshed 2012 Mazda3 looks to the sky

New York 2011: Mazda’s refreshed 2012 Mazda3 looks to the sky originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK to get ‘Magic Sky Control’?

Filed under: Convertible, Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

The roof of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK has been teased, giving us a glimpse of the Magic Sky Control that could be contained within. As with the panorama roof on the big daddy SL roadster, there’s quite a bit of ‘bezel’ around the central open area, probably containing the electrical components necessary to work that ‘magic’.

The roof will be opaque normally, and there will be no electrical action going on. At the press of a button, however, a charge will be run through the top panel which will arrange particles contained in the glass to allow light to pass through. Voila, magic. Or physics, take your pick. The next SLK will show itself in person at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz, Auto Express]

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK to get ‘Magic Sky Control’? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Next Mazda RX-8 to use Sky G rotary

Filed under: Japan, Technology, Mazda

Mazda Rotary Engine

Mazda has big plans for the future of its rotary engine. According to GoAuto, the company is currently hard at work on improving the powerplant’s fuel economy by a full 50 percent. If it can pull it off, the new mill will proudly wear the same “Sky” designation as its traditional four-cylinder counterparts. The site quotes Seita Kanai, Mazda’s director of R&D and program management, as saying that upping the rotary’s fuel economy is essential for the engine’s survival.

From the sound of things, Mazda is wholly committed to keeping a rotary in its stable. In the report, Kanai says the company is investigating every possible aspect of the engine’s design to look for ways to increase efficiency, down to the very principles behind the design. Even so, he stopped short of saying whether or not the company is toying with an electric turbocharger as part of development.

Even with word that the Japanese automaker is stoking the rotary flames, GoAuto reports the company currently has no plans for a legitimate RX-7 successor. While designers and engineers within the company may be itching to jump onto a new sports car, the company’s decision makers are currently more occupied with slimming its corporate average fuel economy.

[Source: GoAuto]

Report: Next Mazda RX-8 to use Sky G rotary originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prototype Mazda3 with 2.0L Sky-G engine gets 30/40 mpg

Filed under: Budget, Technology, Mazda

2010 Mazda3

2010 Mazda3 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Mazda gave us a glimpse of its next-generation Sky-G (gas) and Sky-D (diesel) powertrains at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, as well as its new Sky-Drive six-speed automatic transmission. These engines are currently running the testing gauntlet, as the first applications are expected to show up as early as next year in the refreshed Mazda6 sedan.

Car and Driver was able to snag an early test of a 2.0-liter Sky-G engine, which will reportedly achieve 30 miles per gallon in the city and 39 to 40 mpg on the highway when used in a Mazda3. This puts it in the same territory as the Volkswagen Golf and Jetta TDIs, not to mention besting smaller offerings like the Ford Fiesta and Honda Fit.

C/D also got the skinny on Mazda’s 2.2-liter Sky-D diesel powertrain, which the automaker has confirmed for application in its “next-generation mid-size sedan” (*cough* Mazda6 *cough*) which will achieve up to 43 mpg on the highway. Take that, Fusion Hybrid. Head over to Car and Driver‘s full deep-dive for a raft of details about both of the new engines.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Mazda3

2010mazda3_review000 2010mazda3_review001 2010mazda3_review002 2010mazda3_review003 2010mazda3_review004

[Source: Car and Driver]

Prototype Mazda3 with 2.0L Sky-G engine gets 30/40 mpg originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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