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2007
                                                                                                                           ine - fall
                                                                                                     on - maz   da maGaz
                                                                                          on of moti
                                                                              the emoti
the emotion of motion - mazda maGazine - fall 2007




                                                      iao bella
                                                                                                                    miata
                                                     c      s licinG thRo
                                                                          uGh it
                                                                                              ead-tu
                                                                                          finG / u
                                                                                                     RninG mx-5
                                                                                aly in the h tah canyoneeRs e
                                                                              dooR suRs, great gear and holidays
                                                                                                                 in spac
mazdausa.com




                                                                     Gend / in oncept car
                                                       aR aceway le     Plus c
Jim O’Sullivan
                  President and CEO
                  Mazda North American
                  Operations




                                                                                                          aps you’re


             azda owners
                                                                                          n’t we? Perh
                                                             are a little different, are                   ports fan, or
                                                                                                                          a big
                                                                                          u’re a motors
            M                ur first Mazd
                                            a, or are a lo
                                                            ngtime own
                                                                           er. Maybe yo
                                                                      any farther
                                                                                    than to work
                                                                                                     and back. W
                                                                                                                     hatever the

             enjoying yo                               your Mazda
                             ybe you    rarely drive                                                                eling of
             traveler. Ma                                   m spirit.                               n. It’s that fe
                                            e Zoom-Zoo                            an d imaginatio                          r people
                              f us lives th                        exhilaration                              agazine is fo
              case, in all o                       for a love of                       of m  otion. This m                      car
                                   is shorthand                          er emotion                              hts up every
                   Zoom-Zoom                 n tapping    into the she                           spirit that lig
                              e enjoy whe                                          the unique
               liberation w                                        t Mazda, and                ustomer. We
                                                                                                               lcome to
                                         tion of w  ho we are a                 our valued c
                                celebra                            on of you,
                like us. It’s a                    it’s a reflecti                             to go.
                                    importantly,                                re you want
                 we b uild. More                 e hope it ta  kes you whe
                                  magazine. W
                 Zoom-Zoom

Global Editor Nik Berg Global Art Director Geraldine Lynch Editor Graham Verdon Art Director Sandra Latini Deputy Editor Alice Lawlor Senior Designer Mya McNulty
Project Coordinator Sarah O’Connor Production Manager Mira Kosovac Publisher Tom Hrubes Project Manager Lori Branov Reproduction Clarity Printing St. Joseph Print Group
For Mazda North American Operations David Klan, William Gordon, Mary J. Maerzke. For Mazda Corporation Global Brand Development Manager Silvina Penovi.
Address changes or inquiries: 7755 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, CA. 92618. Tel: 1-800-222-5500 mazdausa.com
Zoom-Zoom is published on behalf of Mazda North American Operations by Redwood Custom Communications, 37 Front Street East, Toronto, Ontario M5E 1B3. Tel: 416-360-7339.
All product specifications were correct at press time. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without prior written permission from the publisher. Printed in Canada.
C ON                                                                   Fall
                                                                       2007
                                                                                                                                        20


TEN TS
                     Features                                                         44 ro����ry ���� 40
                     14 rock ’n’ roll
                     Two rock junkies climb through canyon country.
                                                                                      Mazda’s rotary engine hits the big 4-0. Jay Leno
                                                                                      and other big Mazda fans celebrate with us


                                                                                      50 �P��c�� �n������r�
            it.
rabbit, rabb that    A newbie takes notes and tries to keep up
            t
��he �i�i pe Pc.
talks to your s in

                     20 l�� �olc�� ����
 more gadget                                                                          After years of hearing about our starry, starry
 Play ��ime
                                                                                      future, science fiction is commercial reality
                     Take a journey along Italy’s most rewarding
                     driving roads in Mazda’s MX-5 roadster coupe
                                                                                      54 b��ck ��o ��h�� �����r��
                     28 ��r�’� �n
                     Let’s go surfin’ now, everybody’s learnin’ how. And
                                                                                      Laurens van den Acker is unveiling Mazda’s
                                                                                      future with concept cars from LA to Tokyo

                     in Japan, you don’t even have to go outdoors


                     34 ������ �or���r�
                                                                                      regulars
                     Celebrating a half-century of racing at Mazda
                     Raceway Laguna Seca with a look back
                                                                                      06 ��mo���on o� mo���on
                                                                                      Mazda owners from around the world show off
                                                                                      photos of how they like to Zoom-Zoom

                     40 h��ng�ng by �� mom��n��
                     Three wild ways to satiate your primal urge                      10 Pl��y ���m��
                     for big excitement and high-octane thrills, if                   Desktop robots, personal submarines, sushi-
                     only for a few precious seconds at a time                        shaped memory sticks and gadgets galore




                                con tributors                 »OwEN                                                          »mark




10
                                                                           S                                                               y
                                                              Edward                                                         bramlE
                                                                              t burning                                                     ntributor
                                                              �hen he’s no his                                               �� regular co
                                                                           k on                                                              r mags,
                                                               up the trac                                                    to glossy ca
                                                                             ��dwards                                                        ed
                                                               motorcycle,                                                    london-bas
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                                                                                  r                                                         ot the
                                                               is a                 th                                         bramley sh          ly
                                                                Smith sonian and                                               mX- 5 in sunny �ta
                                                                                      s.
                                                                author  of five book                                           for th is issue.
a little
                                                                                  Italy
                                                                                     Take a journ
                                                                                                    ey along
                                                                                                                ads
                                                                                                 te driving ro
                                                                                 Italy ’s ultima           vorite
                                                                                                     ’s fa
                                                                                      in the world
                                                                                                           e
                                                                                            sports coup




60 ������ ��r��ck
Mazda racers as TV stars, great accessories
and Google Maps’ views from the street
                                                                      14
64 my m��Z���
Get acquainted with the Mazda3 and CX-9


66 my gr����������� ��hr�ll
Actor Jeff Bridges, who recently voiced a surfing
penguin, discusses his love for catching a wave




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The best Zoo
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                                                                   » u K Geoff
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                                                                       ba    skiing,                               res
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                                                                                     m-zoom, we
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                                                                          agazin                e.com
                                                                zoom-zoomm                                        ls and all ter
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10 Zoom-Zoom
Dloire thetuhdies…woorlndal
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                                           Exp
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                                           with the C-Q e Dutch-made
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                                            experience is
                                                       com
                                             uboatworx.




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                                                        the batteries.                    Zoom-Zoom 11
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12 Zoom-Zoom
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                                               your iPod sh r running, working out
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                                                or a good ol’
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                                                                             Zoom-Zoom 13
INDOOR BEACH




                                        uplE Of utAH ROCk juNkIEs
  NOtEs fROM tH        E EDgE wItH A CO

                   kEy
   Story MARCus sA        D
   Photog raPhy ROB HOwAR




 Zoom-Zoom
My legs are trembling.
This is partly the result of hiking up a 1,400-foot ridge. But it has
more to do with the fact that I’m about to step off it.
  Backwards.

Utah is one of those states most often seen from the window of an
airplane. At cruising altitude, mesas splay like shattered knuckles
across dusty brown earth, cut by the occasional lonely highway.
   But what seems desolate at 30,000 feet is all breadth and majesty
on the ground. A land of sheer rock faces, winding canyons and
towering ridges, Utah is home to a special breed of outdoor
adventurer. And I’m spending a couple of days in their world.

Eric Draper has a better job than you.
   A rock climber, he knew what he wanted at 18, when he
exchanged the Mormon community he was raised in for his new
religion here in the canyons. He’s structured his entire life around
his passion, dividing his time between guiding visitors into the
wild and working as an extreme photographer.
   “I don’t really need much stuff,” he says, tan face flashing a smile.
“I’d rather climb for two weeks than buy a couch.”
   My other guide, Jeremy Draper (no relation), feels the same way.
“I tried the domestic thing. I had a house, a 9-to-5, almost a wife.
Wasn’t for me. This is where I belong.”
   “This” is Springdale, a liberal little town perched on the edge
of Zion National Park. The place is just three hours down the
highway from Vegas, but a world apart.                               
                                                              Zoom-Zoom
INDOOR BEACH




               Eric (blue shirt)
               and Jeremy Draper
               of Zion Rock and
               Mountain Guides,
               in Springdale, Utah,
               moving through
               the rock-scapes of
               Zion National Park




 Zoom-Zoom
''I’D much
RAThER
cLImB FOR
TwO wEEKs
ThAN BuY
A cOuch''
Everyone knows each other here. The cute girl behind the coffee-
shop counter calls Eric by name, asks what he’s taking me out for.
  The answer is canyoneering, an increasingly popular sport that
combines hiking, rappelling and a dash of climbing. Basically,
the idea is to work our way from the top of a ridge to the bottom
of the canyon, and out again. Along the way, we’ll drop down the
face of flash-flood channels, squeeze through two-foot stone slots,
and swim pools of icy water.

Which is how I ended up hanging off a cliff.
   Properly done, rappelling isn’t dangerous. My harness can take      Sandstone
up to five thousand pounds. My equipment has been checked by           cliffs and
                                                                       smooth canyon
an experienced guide with eagle eyes.                                  walls that look
   But that’s hard to remember when an eight-millimeter rope is        as if they’ve
                                                                       been painted
all that’s between me and a plunge to the rocks below.                 are just part of
   What I’m doing is only a small taste of the thrills Zion offers.    Zion’s stunning
At the other end of the spectrum is the Streaked Wall. Picture         landscape

scaling the wrong side of a windshield taller than the Sears Tower.
   Eric has climbed it. Twice. And as far as he knows, he’s the only
person in the world to have photographed an ascent, a feat that
required him to, amidst other stunts, spend hours dangling at the
end of a 300-foot rope … 1,500 breathless feet above the ground.
   “Was it worth it?”
   He smiles.

Most everybody in Springdale climbs. Or mountain bikes, or
canyoneers. There aren’t many other reasons to live here. This is
a whole town of people who chose the path less traveled.
   Which makes for an interesting atmosphere. Everyone I meet
is friendly, smart and centered. They have that inner ease that
comes from doing what they love.
   But don’t start thinking they’re lazy. Maintaining this lifestyle
takes fanatical devotion. Eric lived in his truck for six years
(“Dirtbag living,” he calls it, with a grin) to keep expenses low
enough to climb 300 days a year. He and Jeremy spent long days
making burritos in order to finance evening climbs. Jeremy’s truck
has no reverse, and neither of their trucks has air conditioning in
a state where the temperature breaks a hundred for four months
straight. You gotta want it.                                                             Zoom-Zoom
I AchE
IN PLAcEs
I DIDN’T
KNOw
I hAD
muscLEs
  Zoom-Zoom
CANyONEERINg

When your guide tells you that you’re headed for Prophecy Wall,            reflected light against ancient stone hypnotized me completely. In
it’s hard not to feel a shiver.                                            such moments, you inhabit a quiet, a stillness, rarely found in life.
    But as it turns out, Prophecy is brilliant: a near-vertical cliff of     It was during such a pause I asked the million-dollar question.
iron-rich sandstone, isolated enough that in six hours, the only             Is this a pit stop on the way to real life? Can you do it forever?
evidence of humanity is a single car’s dust cloud on the horizon.            Jeremy didn’t hesitate. “As long as my body holds out. Figure at
The face is pocked with deep handholds and offers routes of all            least 20 years or so.”
difficulty levels. We’re halfway up a 5.10b, climber-speak for not-          “Then what?”
bad-but-you-aren’t-wowing-anybody, when Jeremy says, “You                    “I’ll probably teach.”
hear that bird laughing at you? That’s a canyon wren.”                       “Teach what?”
    The cry really is a lot like laughter—specifically, the laughter of      He cocked his head like the answer was painfully obvious. “This.”
the bully on The Simpsons, haA-HAAa! Only a mildly interesting               And Eric?
observation, until I realize that the bird is flying below me.               He laughed. “Well, I’d like to start shooting skiing, too.”

There are moments, in the midst of a canyon or perched on a                After a couple of days walking the path less traveled, I’m feeling it.
ledge, when you stop to catch your breath and marvel at the beauty         Every step of the hike back to our trailhead sets off aches in places
of the world. Pausing in the shade of a towering ponderosa, I              I didn’t know I had muscles. I’m starving. My arms are sunburned
watched a bighorn sheep gracefully ascend the opposite canyon              and my thighs are just burned.
face. Later, waist deep in heart-stopping water, the soft play of             I can’t remember when I was last this happy. n




                      Eric and Jeremy
                      doing whatever
                        it takes to get
                          from the top
                    of the rock to the
                        bottom. That’s
                         canyoneering




                                                                                                                                     Zoom-Zoom
low
                                                   son Bar        ley
                                           Story Ja Phy mark Bram
                                           Photo gra
                                                                   n
                                                        takes it o
                                           e mX-5 rC to let it off the
                                 ge and th             ce
               G ive it a challen n. what better plapercar country?
                           esitatio          aly ’s su
               without h in the heart of It
                           n
               leash tha




           Not oNly does Italy have some of the world’s most
           demanding roads, it also has the attitude to match. Italian drivers
           don’t make rude gestures at you if you dare to overtake, they
           make rude gestures at you if you don’t.
              A whole section of Italian society seems to go everywhere and
           do everything at 100 mph. At times the Autostrada feels like a
           latter-day amphitheater. The truck drivers treat the whole business
           of driving like some kind of gladiatorial contest. There’s testosterone
           in the exhaust fumes. You have no choice but to get in the zone.
              Or you could just leave the machismo of the highway behind.
           Where the flat, industrial plains of the Emilia-Romagna district
           blend into Tuscany, a funny thing happens. The great tunnels
           and viaducts that connect modern Italy with the engineering
           genius of the Romans give way to scenery so perfect it’s almost
           sculpture. Even if you’ve never visited Tuscany, it seems familiar,
           its rolling green hills and vistas having supplied the visual fuel
           for some of history’s greatest art.
              Today we’re using a different sort of fuel. Modena, home to
           supercar legends like Ferrari, Maserati and, most recently, Pagani,
           is only 100 miles away, but the Mazda MX-5 is proof that you
           don’t need 500 bhp or $400,000 to channel the driving spirit that     
20 Zoom-Zoom
mX-5 In ITaly
YOU CAN
IMMEDIATELY
SENSE ThE MX-5
IS A CAr wITh
A MISSION




  haunts these hills. This isn’t just a great sports car; on these           So the purity of the MX-5 has taken on a whole new relevance.
  roads, it’s a sublime one. Steer, shift gear, brake, accelerate: this   But sitting on a mountain pass on a hot, cloudless day, how can
  little Mazda has the harmonic balance of a string quartet.              you not love the idea of driving for driving’s sake? It’s impossible
      In many ways the MX-5—the best-selling roadster of all              in this country. Italy’s love affair with the car goes right back to the
  time—provides the perfect template for a successful driving             start, and this is a place where the police will happily pull you over
  machine. It’s small, light and efficient. Most modern cars are          just to get a better look at your bella machina. Kids on scooters,
  overweight, bulked out on a diet of airbags, air conditioning           old folk sipping coffee and sucking cigarettes, farmers on tractors:
  and other 21st century accoutrements. But you need more                 the MX-5 wins universal approval.
  power to go quickly in a heavy car, which is fine and fun, but             It always has. The 1989 original, which drew inspiration from
  it can’t disguise mass when you get to an obstacle, like a corner.      a lost generation of affordable British and Italian roadsters, was a
  Raw power can only bully physics, it can’t defeat it.                   delicate, feminine little two-seater. The latest version looks meaner.
      Small, lightweight cars don’t have that problem. They move          It has a tougher stance, its wheels fill fatter and its wheel-arches
  with a natural grace and precision. Driving isn’t just about            are flared more aggressively. The gorgeous 2003 Ibuki concept car
  blasting as quickly as possible from one corner to the next.            previewed the MX-5’s renewed sense of purpose. Mazda’s then
  It’s about maintaining momentum and getting the maximum                 design boss, Moray Callum, compared it to the latest generation
  result from the minimum effort. It’s cleaner and more                   of cell phones. “It’s about tactility,” he told me.
  environmentally friendly that way, too.                                    It sure is. The MX-5 feels absolutely no bigger than it needs to

 22 Zoom-Zoom
INDOORIn ITaly
                                                                                                                              mX-5 BEACH




             Cutting through the Italian
         countryside, breathing in fresh
          air and history along the way




be. It’s a tribute to the people who created it that it delivers     legendary 1,000-mile road race, run between 1927 and 1957.
everything we expect in terms of equipment and safety, and           Stirling Moss averaged 98 mph across the race distance when
nothing superfluous.                                                 he won it in 1955. This remains one of the most mind-boggling
   So when you get into it, climbing over its solid sills, you       motor-racing statistics of all time.
immediately sense that this is a car with a mission, one that          Especially when you drive it yourself (more slowly). With the
has nothing to do with getting from A to B. The controls and         roof stowed away—it takes just the touch of a button and 12
dials are all clear and easy to see and use. The view ahead across   seconds with the ingenious folding hardtop—and the sun cutting
the hood is evocative but not intimidating. And your hands           through the trees in vivid celestial beams, time really isn’t of the
move from the steering wheel to the gearshift then back again        essence. Drive too fast, and you’ll miss the detail in the landscape.
in a short, easy motion. The basics are immaculate. It’s amazing       But you just can’t help it. The roads up to the Raticosa are
how many cars get them wrong.                                        fantastic. Smoothly surfaced and largely empty, they arc this
   So this is about driving. Though context always helps. The        way and that, ebbing and flowing and undulating through lush
road signs are full of amazing-sounding places: Milan, Florence,     forest. Most of these bends are dispatched in third and fourth
Vian Piala, Imola, Mugello. The last two point to nearby race        gear, though you’ll need second for the tight, uphill hairpins
circuits, familiar to anyone who loves fast cars or bikes.           that seem to pop out of nowhere.
   We pick up the Passo della Futa, then the Passo della Raticosa.
These are famous, too. They’re part of the Mille Miglia, Italy’s
                                                                       Slicing through the gears, the MX-5’s six-speed shifter is a
                                                                     reminder that nothing is more satisfying for an enthusiastic    
                                                                                                                             Zoom-Zoom 23
mX-5 In ITaly




YOUr INpUTS
ArE MOSTLY
IMpErCEpTIbLE.
IT’S ALMOST
TELEpAThY
INDOOR BEACH




Zoom-Zoom 25
TAkINg THE gRAN TuRIsmO
how to get there the                          BologNa
raticosa and futa passes                                 e45
are between the cities of
Bologna and florence.
the fastest way is to head                                Imola
out of either town on the
                                     e35




e35 and come off at the
                                             ratICosa
san giacomo junction.
Visit viamichelin.com for                  fUta
driving directions.

what to see If you’re a
gearhead, this area of Italy
is supercar heaven. ferrari                 floreNCe
fans can visit the galleria
ferrari and the fiorano test       you’ll even catch a glimpse
track near maranello, while        of felipe massa or Kimi
lamborghini lovers should          räikkönen—but not on
make tracks for the museum         sundays, when the
at sant’agata. Bikers can get      Cavallino is closed. Visit
their kicks at two-wheeled         ristorante-cavallino.it for
legend ducati. Visit galleria.     further information.
ferrari.com, lamborghini.com
and ducati.com to find out more.   where to stay the hotel
                                   terme salvarola in modena
where to eat find out              offers a restful alternative
what pasta fit for heroes          to all the high-octane
tastes like at the ristorante      excitement. If you’ve had
Cavallino. with any luck,          your fill of supercars you
                                   can always relax in the
                                   hotel’s luxury spa instead.
                                   Visit hoteltermesalvarola.it.
mX-5 In ITaly




driver than a really good manual gearbox. Its precise, short action     MX-5’s chassis is beautifully balanced, and there’s more grip
adds to the pure mechanical joy of the experience.                      than you could possibly need. It’s rigid, too.
   There are no mountains to climb round here. Instead, the road           Up into third, letting the revs rise to nearly 7,000 rpm. Another
loops gently back and forth, punctuated by a series of tiny villages,   corner. The interplay between steering, brakes and gear change
until you arrive almost unexpectedly at the top of the pass. The        is exceptional. Lean on the car too hard and the tires will start
Chalet Raticosa sits at the highest point; when we get there, I count   chirping, but it’s actually more effective to ease off on the heroics
26 motorcyclists on assorted Ducatis and MV Agustas resting up          just before you reach that point. This little Mazda encourages
in the parking lot, metal ticking as it cools. More proof that this     you to stay within your limits.
is one of the world’s great driving roads.                                 Into fourth now for the straight that’s opening up ahead. It’s
   But the best is just coming now, spearing off the Raticosa, and      fashionable to have more than 200 bhp these days, but right
plunging back downhill like a big asphalt ribbon of pasta. The          now the MX-5’s 158 bhp feels optimum. Could you really go
MX-5 is happy to amble along, but that’s just not an option on this     any faster than this? No need. Great drivers’ cars move with a
section. Into second for the first corner, a long, long right-hander.   minimum of effort. So even on this twisty Italian road, your
It has a negative camber, and you can feel the car digging in before    inputs are mostly imperceptible. It’s almost a form of telepathy.
it settles. Rear-wheel drive in the grand sporting tradition, the          Driving for driving’s sake. When did you last do it? n




                                                                                       learn more about this
                                                                                       great driver’s car at   / mazdausa.com
                                                                                                                                  Zoom-Zoom 27
INDOOR BEACH




                                                     e. You need
                                        l about styl
                            Surfing’s al e shorts, the shades
                             the board, th d, of course, the car
                                         an




  Pure white sand, tropical temperatures and
  waves on demand. Japan’s Seagaia Ocean
  Dome is the perfect location for the first ever
  Zoom-Zoom indoor surfing championships
  STORY NIK BERG PhOTOgRaPhY KATSUO HANZAWA
K
             icking up trails of sand from their heels as they
             charge into the ocean, boards at the ready, the
             five surfers paddle out toward the blue horizon
             to meet the first wave of the day.
                But something’s not quite right with this
picture. The sand isn’t actually sand, it’s 600 tons of white-
marble granules imported from China. And the ocean is in
fact a huge freshwater pool with waves machine-manufactured
on demand. Even the horizon is actually a painted mural
and the tropical temperature comes, not from the sun,
but from industrial heaters.
  Welcome to the Seagaia Ocean Dome, the world’s biggest
artificial beach and currently the only place on the planet         Zoom-Zoom 29
INDOOR BEACH




“Mash” makes a splash
as he dives into the
artificial ocean for the
first time. The real beach
is just 1,600 feet away




                                                                SuRf SpEAk
                                         Rip: to execute drastic and radical moves on the wave
                                 Flip: a 360º flip, landing on the back of the wave as it breaks
                                                Lip: the top edge of the wave that curls forward
                             Tube: the cylindrical vortex created between the wave and the lip
                                                    Hollow: an extremely concave, curling wave
                                               Wahine: an affectionate term for a female surfer
                                                                      Shred: to surf aggressively
                                                                   Find more at riptionary.com

30 Zoom-Zoom
INDOOR BEACH


        where it’s possible to
                               rip, flip and hit the lip
        Situated in Miyazaki,                            under one roof.
                                on the Japanese islan
       Seagaia is an astonish                           d of Kyushu,
                               ing feat of engineering
       staggering $2 billion                              . It cost a
                              to build and is recogniz
       Guinness book of wo                                 ed by the
                              rld records as the large
       park in the world. Th                             st indoor water
                              e three-story-high, 2,8
      Teflon and steel roof                             00-ton titanium,
                              can retract in four sec
      indoor ocean to the ele                          tions to open the
                                ments. The Seagaia sea
      the size of an Olympic                                 is six times
                                swimming pool and
     tons of fresh water, wh                           holds 13,500
                               ich is continuously filt
     heated to a balmy 82º                               ered and
                             F.
        Seagaia’s waves are ge
                                nerated by 10 powerfu
     pumps linked to 40 ind                                l vacuum
                               ividual water chambe
    capable of sending wa                               rs that are
                             ves up to 12 feet high
    toward the 140 meter                              crashing
                            -long beach. Unfortun
    cost and complexity                               ately, all this
                           may have proved too
   Dome’s owners, as we                             much for the
                             would be saying sayon
   at the conclusion of thi                            ara to Seagaia
                             s visit—it was due to
   end of September.                                  close at the

   But it’s open now, an
                             d that’s just as well. Toda
    ever Zoom-Zoom Indo                                       y is the first
                             or Surfing Champions
    is Takashi Kato, a prom                              hip. Our judge
                              inent member of the
   Association. He’s been                                Nippon Surfing
                             surfing breaks in Japan
   the world for many ye                                   and all over
                           ars, but it’s his first vis
   surf paradise and he’s                              it to this plastic
                           quickly into his board
  the competitors for a                                 shorts to join
                          warm-up.
      Following Takashi int
                             o the artificial ocean
  shaper (and the firm                                  are local board
                         favorite) Tomokazu Uj
 surfer Sachiko Tamu                                 ihara, wahine
                        ra and—in the spirit                                    From top: plastic pal
 competition—Matthew                              of international                                    ms
                                                                               painted horizons und and
                            “Mash” McCollough,                                                        er a
 and Sean Carey, all fro                             Aarron Edwards            covered sky; Aarron
                                                                                                      and Sean
                           m across the water in                               go head-to-head; Sac
     A horn sounds and so                            New Zealand.              and Sean sprint to
                                                                                                      hiko
                             me 1,800 tons of water                                                the sea
to form the first wave                                    are released


                                                                       
                         . This wall of water cra
concrete bottom of the                               shes to the
                          ocean floor, then rises
                                                     again to form




     a horn
sounds and
 1,800 tons
of water is
  released
                                                                                                                  Zoom-Zoom 31
INDOOR BEACH




                                 the first
                                 surfers t
                                 are caugh
                                 off guard d
                                 and dunke
                                                                                      rning and no
                                                            that brief audible wa
                                  the wave. With only                                     rs are caught
                                                               forming, the first surfe
                                  chance to see the wave                                    ming surface.
                                                               dunked beneath the foa
                                  off guard and violently                                  explains: “The
                                                                t easy, as a soggy Sean
                                      Surfing Seagaia is no                               as seawater so
                                                              ve the same buoyancy
                                   fresh water doesn’t ha                           rface. And, even
                                                              y on top of the su
                                   it’s much harder to sta                                  waves still
                                                                   y warning sound, the
                                   tho   ugh there’s that freak
                                                              en.”
                                    come on all of a sudd                          absolutely critical to
                                        Correct posit   ioning in the water is
                                                                                        every wave, and
                                                               ere’s a sweet spot for
                                    ride Seagaia’s surf. Th                               ment the wave
                                                              on it at the precise mo
                                     the riders have to be                                  s before our
From top: contender
                     s ready;                                     several more dunking
                     t ride of       is conjured up. It takes                           d in sets of three
Aarron takes his firs                                         ove. Waves are create
the day; Tomokazu
                    gets the
                                     surfers get in the gro                              tween them as
shredding and smilin
                      g prize                                   te breathing space be
                                      with just a two-minu                         ed and primed.
                                                                water are pump
                                      thousands of tons of                             judges would be
                                          In a standard su  rfing competition the
                                                                                              m contest,
                                                                    but this is a Zoom-Zoo
                                      looking for technique,                                 riders’ grins as
                                                                  re lenient, judging the
                                       so Takashi’s being mo                                 llows, rips and
                                                                  Two hours of tubes, ho
                                       much as their ability.                              ough, it’s the local
                                                                 r winner and, sure en
                                       flips later we have ou                              actually surfed
                                                                 . Although he’s never
                                        favourite, Tomokazu                           made waves better
                                                                     stered the man-
                                        Seagaia before, he’s ma                             wowed the judge,
                                             n the rest. But no  t only have his shreds
                                         tha                                                 n the whole time.
                                                                   ’s had an ear-to-ear gri
                                         so have his smiles. He                               phy in the air.
                                                                      s as he thrusts his tro
                                            “Fantastic!” he beam
                                                                   oom moment. n
                                          Now that’s a Zoom-Z
                                                                              eered with
                                                         e MaZda cX-7: Engin
                                        on Board with th          the “soul  of a sports car”,
                                                                                         has a
                                                                  this crossover SUV
                                                                                           gine,
                                                                  2.3-litre DISI turbo en
                                                                   with 244 bhp, a six  -speed
                                                                                           d
                                                                   auto transmission an
                                                                   seating for fiv e. The perfect
                                                                                          rt our
                                                                   machine to transpo
                                                                   surfers aro  und.
INDOOR BEACH
                                            WORlD WIDE
Tomokazu hangs ten
one of Seagaia’s wid
                     e
                       on                   WAVES
range of waves, all of                      JApAn The Seagaia Ocean Dome
                        d up
which can be conjure                        in Miyazaki, Japan, opened in 1993
                      ton
 at the press of a but
                                            and cost US$2 billion to build. With
                                            enough capacity to allow up to
                                            10,000 people to relax on the beach
                                            and swim or surf in the “ocean” at
                                            any one time, it’s unfortunate the
                                            Dome is set to close in September.




                                            EUROpE The first European indoor
                                            surf centre is due to open in the
                                            UK in 2008. It will offer 365 days
                                            of surfing on an artificial reef.




                                               find out more at surfdome.com

                                            USA The Ron Jon Surfpark in Orlando,
                                            Florida, opened in 2007 with a choice
                                            of wave pools. And another surfpark
                                            is opening in new York City in 2010.




                                               for a preview, visit surfparks.com




                               Get More inforMation
                               on the Mazda cx-7      / mazdausa.com
                                                                  Zoom-Zoom 33
INDOOR BEACH




                                                                         lAguNA sECA
                          lEgENDARy RACIN     g, MAzDA RACEwAy
       AftER 50 yEARs Of                           PhotoGraPhy MIsH
                                                                    A gRAvENOR
                      E futu RE Story OwEN EDwARDs
 Is gEARINg up fOR tH




                            G
                                            etting to know a road course is a lot like making a match with
                                            a dance partner. With their particular combinations of turns,
                                            chicanes, elevation changes and straightaways, road courses are
                                            the real asphalt individualists of motorsports. Those who drive
                                            them, especially amateurs driving for love, not money, inevitably
                             feel special affection for a particular course. The pros, of course, have the
                             same feelings, without the luxury to indulge them.
                                It’s safe to say that among motorsports enthusiasts, from the West Coast
                             all the way back to east of the Hudson, one of those universally loved tracks
                             is Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California. Nestled in the hills just outside
                             the coastal resort towns of Monterey and Carmel, the renowned road course
                             is celebrating its 50th birthday this year.
                                Some tracks are jittery and tricky, with moves that seem counterintuitive,
                             calculated to bring out the two left feet in their driving “partners.” Other
                             tracks have a real grace, with a rhythm that never makes you feel clumsy
                             despite dramatic changes in speed. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is the latter
                             and, over the years, it has become a special place for drivers. Paula Baker,
                             a Miata Solo racer from Magna, Utah, works with her crew-chief husband,        
34 Zoom-Zoom
Drivers learn the fastest
way around the track in
their Formula Skip Barber
racecars, the best rolling
classroom there is




                             Zoom-Zoom 35
lEgENDARy RACEwAy
 INDOOR BEACH




''there’s a fluidity a seca''
and fl ow at lagun
Ron, on a Miata racing team. “Like Road Atlanta or Mid-Ohio,”
  she says, “Laguna is really beautiful to look at, and that is reflected
                                                                                  Legends of
  in the track.” During practice sessions, performance-measuring
  stats collected by Baker’s team reflect the personality of the track.
                                                                                  Laguna
                                                                                  Walking through 50 YearS
  “There’s a fluidity and flow to the data,” she says. “It’s different from       oF racing hiStorY
  other tracks, where the numbers reveal a kind of choppiness.”
     In 1957, when Phil Hill, Dan Gurney and Walt Hansgen were
  beginning to flex American racing muscle, the racetrack was built
  on scrubland at Fort Ord, a sprawling army base. (The land is now
  owned by the county, and the track is managed by SCRAMP, the
  Sports Car Racing Association of Monterey Peninsula.) Before
  that, from 1950 until 1956, racing took place on a course that ran
  through the Del Monte Forest in Pebble Beach. Neighbors along
  its municipal streets would mix a batch of martinis, set up their
  lawn chairs, and watch Jaguars, Porsches and Ferraris flash past.
     But such pastoral pleasures couldn’t last. As cars got faster and
  drivers more competitive, the old course through the trees became
  too dangerous. Racing promoters then headed for the hills east of
  town and audaciously built a circuit that incorporated a not-quite-             Superstars of racing have been


                                                                              
  dry lake (the laguna seca) and what may be the steepest hillside of             getting their due as part of the
  any racetrack on the planet. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s original               raceway’s diamond-anniversary
                                                                                  celebrations. the first group,
                                                                                  including Pete lovely (above),
                                                                                  Dan gurney (below), Wayne
                                                                                  rainey and eddie lawson, was
                                                                                  honored during major race
                                                                                  weekends this past summer.
                                                                                  each will get a star on the
                                                                                  legends of laguna Seca walk
                                                                                  of fame located at the track’s
                                                                                  famous corkscrew turn.




                                                                                  You can make your own mark
                                                                                  on the same walk of fame by
                                                                                  purchasing a brick engraved
                                                                                  with a message or logo of your
                                                                                  choice. all of the proceeds will
                                                                                  go directly to the laguna Seca
                                                                                  raceway Fund. for more details,
                                                                                  visit laguna-seca-fund.com.



Drivers master the
famous corkscrew in
                       s
1958, while spectator
at turns eight and nine
(opposite) keep an eye
                         n
 on the action. More tha
 50 years later (above),
 the climb before the
 corkscrew is still one
 of the track’s hot spots                                                                                        Zoom-Zoom 37
INDOOR BEACH



 In the hot seat
 Your turn to race at MazDa
 raceWaY laguna Seca
 Feeling the thrill of racing on a
 pro track is easier than you think,
 thanks to Skip Barber race Schools.
 their instructors will help you hone
 your skills behind the wheel of a
 Mazda rX-8, MX-5, Mazda3 or the
 open-wheel Formula Skip Barber
 racecar—all in one amazing day or
 as part of a more advanced program.
 on average, a third of the drivers                     ce
                                         Skip Barber ra d
                                                         ee
 in the indy 500 and nextel cup          Schools give sp
                                                          ut the
                                         freaks througho shine
 are Skip Barber grads, so you’ll be     u.S. a chance to
 learning what the pros know in a
 curriculum that’s been developed
 over 30 years. You can also test your
 mettle against racers of your skill
 level in the Skip Barber race Series
 Powered By Mazda. everything from
 car maintenance to the suits and
 helmets are provided. find out how
 to get involved at mazdausa.com.




38 Zoom-Zoom
lEgENDARy RACEwAy



design was a 1.9-mile more-or-less circular track with a couple of       Four and Five are challenging to get just right, since they each
tight turns and dramatic elevation changes.                              change character the faster you go.”
   The winner of the first race a half a century ago was Pete Lovely.       All tracks have a signature turn; great tracks have signatures
While a who’s who of West Coast motorsports looked on, Lovely            that push the envelope. At Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the
“turned on a couple of really hot laps” to snatch the lead from          most memorable moments are supplied by Turn Eight, a.k.a.
Johnny Von Neumann. “That day was very exciting for us,” says            the Corkscrew, an amazing downhill chicane that can leave your
Lovely, adding that he liked the track “because it took a lot of skill   stomach somewhere aft of the rest of you. You come into the turn
to hold your foot down through the old Turn Two. You had to be           at a good pace at the end of the Rahal straight, at the highest point
really on your toes or you would miss that corner.”                      on the track, and make a sharp left without being able to see what’s
   Over the years, alterations to the track have brought it to its       next: a hard right. Then comes an increasingly fast downhill left,
current configuration: 2.2 miles, 11 turns, two (and maybe three)        ending at Turn 10—a nicely banked fast right. What makes this
blind entrances and elevation changes that are nothing less than         section of the track such a rush, literally, is the fact that between
alpine. Enhancements to the track continue today, thanks in              the entrance to Eight and the return to earth at 10 you’ve lost more
no small part to Mazda. Since 2001, the course has become                than 300 feet in altitude and picked up, courtesy of gravity, gobs
ingrained in Mazda’s culture, where it’s not just the cars that          of extra horsepower whether you want it or not.
have the soul of a sports car. Employees get behind the wheels              Anyone who’s experienced a race at Mazda Raceway Laguna
and race at special events throughout the year. “Mazda has               Seca knows that the long uphill trek to sit under the oaks next
motorsports coursing through its veins,” says Gill Campbell,             to the Corkscrew always pays off. There may be nowhere on any
CEO/General Manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “We                    American track where skill and daring are so nakedly displayed.
simply go together like gasoline and motor racing.”                      And most would agree that no matter how much time they’ve
   Like many drivers who appreciate a challenge, Barry Winfield,         spent on the track, they’re always raring to get back there for more.
an editor at Car and Driver magazine, is a fan of the track. “It’s a     It may be 50, but today’s Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is, without
really cool track, particularly in a car,” he says. “Turns Two, Three,   doubt, sharper, flashier and faster than ever. n




                skill and daring
          are nakedly displayed                                                                                                   Zoom-Zoom
INDOOR BEACH




RusH HOuR tRAffIC. sIDEwAlk CROwDs. CAlls ANswER
                                                        ED IN pRIORIty
sEquENCE. It's tImE tO fIgHt BACk. It's tImE tO fEED tHE
                                                         NEED tO lIvE
IN tHE mOmENt, If ONly fOR A fEw glORIOus sECONDs
                                                       At A tImE




        shoulders
        of giants
        In this corner, weighing in at 1,300 pounds,
        equipped with haunches that will buck and spin
        you at the speed of a rocket—Express Lane,
        the bucking bronco. Sitting atop the mighty
        beast, holding on to nothing but a rope—you.
        Or maybe Bad Dreams the bull is more your
        speed. He clocks in at just under two tons and
        is possessed of the raw power to rock your
        world with three Gs of force and a disposition
        that compels him to use it. Admit it, you’ve
        always assumed that if push came to shove,
        you could stay on board a wild animal for eight
        seconds like the pros. Good luck with that.

        What: Riding bulls or horses rodeo-style
        Where: Sankey Rodeo Schools have locations
        across the U.S. (sankeyrodeo.com)
        hoW much: $390 (three-day session),
        $415 (four-day session)




   Zoom-Zoom
INDOOR BEACH
Wild WeeKend




  Zoom-Zoom
INDOOR BEACH



                           lt
               lightning jo             sounds big.
                                                         Towering
               Kingda    Ka. It even                     onster
                                      e sky, this m
               45 sto   ries into th                  -like name
                                     s King Kong
               coas   ter earns it                 records that
                                  l the world
                by  breaking al                    u from 0 to
                                                                   128
                                  blasting yo
                m  atter. After                 rough th    e spine-
                               seconds, th                 ree turn,
                 mph in 3.5               of a 90-deg
                 crushing    G-forces                        e sky,
                                            ht up into th
                 then 45    6 feet straig                 gree spiral,
                                         nd a 270-de
                  you’ll  snake arou                    er a massive
                                                                       ,
                                      drop and ov
                  swo   op down a                  ump. Wh     at the
                                  ing camel h                   e sure,
                   gut-wrench                     You won’t b
                                     pened?
                   he  ck just hap                  again.
                                   ant to do it
                   but you’ll w
                                                                 roller
                                                llest, fastest
                    What: R    iding the ta
                                      e world
                     coaster in th            Great Adve
                                                              nture,
                     Wher    e: Six Flags                    s.com/
                                           rsey (sixflag
                      Jack  son, New Je                    big coasters
                                           ). For other
                      gre  atadventure                    e, visit
                                         oser to hom
                       th at may be cl                 t/roller.htm
                                                                     l
                                      stonline.ne
                       americasbe                      nera  l
                                       : $59.99 ge
                        hoW much
                                       plus   ride fees
                        admission,




                                                                           PhtotograPhy: jason dailey (previous page), michael tureK (this page)




4 Zoom-Zoom
 Zoom-Zoom
wIlD wEEkEND




      g
soarinhot
slings        g blades of
                               a Bell 205             ll
The whirrin                           u in a free fa
                      00 feet. Yo
Helic  opter at 1,3                , strapp  ed to the
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                                                                 Zoom-Zoom 4
Jay Leno
 Host of The Tonight Show
 and passionate car collector


 “I remember when I was a kid, reading about the Tokyo auto            Mazdatrix and decided to swap out a 12A motor, put a custom
 show in a car magazine, and the Mazda Cosmo had just come out.        Weber carburetor on it and now it’s about 220 horsepower, up
 It had everything. It was a five-speed, it had air conditioning and   from 110 hp. It revs at 9,000 rpm and is a fantastic car to drive.
 what were considered cool accessories of the day—like the map         It makes a sort of motorboat sound at idle, and you actually sense
 light on the dashboard that you could move around. The styling        the firing impulses going in a circle rather than up and down.
 was uniquely Japanese. But most importantly the Mazda was a              It’s a real sports car—so far ahead of MGs and TR4s and all
 rotary. It was the only new engine in the 20th century, really.       those types of cars from that time. It’s unbelievable. It’s a real
    Anyway, a while ago I went to see a guy about another car.         piece of Japanese heritage.
 He had a bunch of cars in his garage ,and I saw this thing in the        I have a Miata and an RX-8, too, and with the RX-8, the engine
 corner and I asked, ‘What’s that?’ and he said it was a Cosmo.        is basically the same. The Cosmo’s a little more unrefined, but in a
 He’d had it for 20 years. The engine was pretty much ruined, but      good way. It’s a little bit louder and the suspension’s a little tighter,
 the car was otherwise OK. So we took it back to my garage and,        and with the skinny little tires on it you can slide around, but
 not having a lot of experience with rotary motors, we sent it to      you can tell that they’re related.”

44 Zoom-Zoom
ROTARY AT 40




       Mazda first wowed the world with
       the Cosmo and its rotary engine
       four decades ago. Today Mazda is
       still the only car company with the
       passion and ingenuity to evolve this
       unique technology. To celebrate
       rotary’s 40th birthday, we speak
       to fans of its past, present and
       environmentally friendly future




40 years of the


club                               Zoom-Zoom 45
ROTARY AT 40




       DIck Johnson
       Australian racing legend
       and hardcore RX-7 ace


       “During my 40 years racing in australia, I guess I have mainly driven big V8-engined
       saloons [sedans], but I’ve also had a close association with Mazda rotaries for one reason
       or another, and I must admit to having a soft spot for them. In the early days I had a
       garage, and we did a lot of rotary rebuilds for road cars. I couldn’t believe how much
       power they delivered from such a small package, and how they seemed to rev to infinity.
       It was really impressive. I really admire Mazda’s commitment to developing the rotary
       engine, and they won an awful lot of races in Australia.
          I only raced a rotary once, but what a race it was. My old mate John Bowe and I won the
       1995 Eastern Creek 12-Hour Production Car race driving a twin-turbo RX-7 SP in a real
       grudge match with the Porsche team that has gone into Australian motor-racing folklore.
          The Porsche 911s were actually faster, so we played tortoise and hare, with us in the role
       of the tortoise. We wound the rotary’s turbo boost back from 1.2 bar to about 0.8 bar to
       improve fuel economy and relied on the RX-7’s superior brake wear to further reduce the
       time that we spent in the pits. It worked like a charm.
          JB and I drove the wheels off that car for the full 12 hours, as if it was a 10-lap sprint
       race, and the RX-7 never missed a beat during the whole time. We only made seven pit
       stops. But it was still a close-run thing. Jim Richards’ Porsche was closing in at the finish,
       and we were delighted to see the chequered flag waved for us. There was a big celebration
       in old Sydney town that night, let me tell you.”




       A bRief HistoRy of RotARy


»1957                        »1967                              »1968                                   »1969               »1970
Engineer Dr. Felix           The Cosmo hits                     The Familia                             The R130 Luce       With a 130 bhp
Wankel builds a              showrooms—                         Coupe (R100)                            Coupe takes the     rotary engine,
prototype of the             hand-built at a                    is an instant hit                       style capitals of   the RX-2 hits the
rotary engine                rate of one a day                  in the U.S.                             Europe by storm     spot in America
koIchI IWaTa
one of Mazda’s takumi, who
hand-build every rotary engine
                                                  engineering. After completing my courses,         I’m trying to save money so that I can buy
                                                  I decided that I didn’t want to leave my          an RX-8 someday.
“When I started my career here I have to          hometown, and so Mazda seemed the right              My co-workers and I all feel like
say I felt privileged. My first impression was    company for me to approach. By working            craftsmen. I’ve never felt like an operator.
what a special place I was working in. We’re      for such a great firm, I feel like I’m giving     I’ll never forget the first time I put a rotary
the only plant in the world making the world’s    something back to my community.                   together. The feeling at my fingertips as I
only commercial rotary engine. I couldn’t            I love the rotary engine. It’s small and       assembled it was really something. Obviously,
help but feel proud about my new company.         powerful—really amazing. The first time           putting any engine together is dexterous work,
   I’m a Hiroshima boy. As a kid I’d pass         I put my foot on the accelerator of an            but with the rotary you’re working closely
Mazda on the way to school every day. So          RX-8 … well, I can’t describe the feeling         with your fingertips and hands. You can,
I was always aware of the company and what        in words. I just don’t think you can. It was      literally, feel that it’s very high-precision work.
it stands for. Later, I studied automotive        so smooth and powerful—very exciting.             And only my co-workers and I can do it.”




       »1971                               »1972                                »1975                                  »1978
       Winning the Fuji                    The chromed                          With its U.S.-                         The iconic
       500, the RX-3                       RX-4 adds its bit                    style looks, The                       RX-7 comes in
       puts Mazda on                       of bling to the                      Cosmo AP (RX-5)                        a revolutionary,
       the racing map                      showy 1970s                          is a hit in Japan                      clean shape
ROTARY AT 40




  Dan anD Marco DI Leo
  Canadian sibling rivals in the
  star Mazda Championship

  Dan Di Leo (left). “This is my return season in the Star Mazda series. My first was in 2004.
  This series is the first to use Mazda’s rotary engine in an open-wheel racing formula and
  the engine’s strengths make it a key element. I love the engine because it’s consistent and
  utterly reliable. And the feel is amazing—it’s really responsive. The power is always there
  for you. In Virginia I started 27th on the grid because of gearbox problems but managed
  to work my way up to finish in sixth place. Because everyone has the same engine and the
  same power, it’s really down to driver skill and how you set up the car. We drive for Ross
  Smith Racing, which is a great team and I hope that success in Star Mazda will get me



                                                                                                                   stories: TIM BRITTEn, GAvIn GREEn, JEREMY
  into Champ Cars through Mazda’s driver-development program.”



                                                                                                                   PhotograPhy: AnnE-MARIE BROOKS,
                                                                                                                   HART, KATE KLIPPEnSTEEn, COLIn RYAn
  Marco Di Leo (far right). “This engine is fun to drive, the revs really build up quickly,

                                                                                                                   YASUO KOnISHI, JOHn LAMM, LAT
  redlining at 8,200 rpm. It comes from an RX-8, but it makes the race car feel almost like
  a Formula One car. When you hear one out on the track, you can definitely tell what it is
  by the way it revs and where the gearshifts happen. This is my first season with Star Mazda,
  and when you just get into motorsport, reliability is always an issue. But we’ve had no
  engine problems whatsoever. Because of the power, the car has a really good top speed
  compared to other similar series. I hit 160 mph on Sebring’s main straight. I only got into
  the car two days before the Sebring race and I won that, which was an amazing feeling.”




   »1985                              »1990                                »1993                 »2003
   More aggressive                    The Eunos Cosmo                      A new playmate.       With its four
   than ever, the                     boasts three rotors,                 The MkIII RX-7        doors, the RX-8
   new RX-7 comes                     a twin turbo and                     is voted Playboy      is unique among
   Zoom-Zoom
48 with a twin turbo                  300 bhp                              Car of the Year       sports cars
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  • 1. 2007 ine - fall on - maz da maGaz on of moti the emoti the emotion of motion - mazda maGazine - fall 2007 iao bella miata c s licinG thRo uGh it ead-tu finG / u RninG mx-5 aly in the h tah canyoneeRs e dooR suRs, great gear and holidays in spac mazdausa.com Gend / in oncept car aR aceway le Plus c
  • 2.
  • 3. Jim O’Sullivan President and CEO Mazda North American Operations aps you’re azda owners n’t we? Perh are a little different, are ports fan, or a big u’re a motors M ur first Mazd a, or are a lo ngtime own er. Maybe yo any farther than to work and back. W hatever the enjoying yo your Mazda ybe you rarely drive eling of traveler. Ma m spirit. n. It’s that fe e Zoom-Zoo an d imaginatio r people f us lives th exhilaration agazine is fo case, in all o for a love of of m otion. This m car is shorthand er emotion hts up every Zoom-Zoom n tapping into the she spirit that lig e enjoy whe the unique liberation w t Mazda, and ustomer. We lcome to tion of w ho we are a our valued c celebra on of you, like us. It’s a it’s a reflecti to go. importantly, re you want we b uild. More e hope it ta kes you whe magazine. W Zoom-Zoom Global Editor Nik Berg Global Art Director Geraldine Lynch Editor Graham Verdon Art Director Sandra Latini Deputy Editor Alice Lawlor Senior Designer Mya McNulty Project Coordinator Sarah O’Connor Production Manager Mira Kosovac Publisher Tom Hrubes Project Manager Lori Branov Reproduction Clarity Printing St. Joseph Print Group For Mazda North American Operations David Klan, William Gordon, Mary J. Maerzke. For Mazda Corporation Global Brand Development Manager Silvina Penovi. Address changes or inquiries: 7755 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, CA. 92618. Tel: 1-800-222-5500 mazdausa.com Zoom-Zoom is published on behalf of Mazda North American Operations by Redwood Custom Communications, 37 Front Street East, Toronto, Ontario M5E 1B3. Tel: 416-360-7339. All product specifications were correct at press time. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without prior written permission from the publisher. Printed in Canada.
  • 4. C ON Fall 2007 20 TEN TS Features 44 ro����ry ���� 40 14 rock ’n’ roll Two rock junkies climb through canyon country. Mazda’s rotary engine hits the big 4-0. Jay Leno and other big Mazda fans celebrate with us 50 �P��c�� �n������r� it. rabbit, rabb that A newbie takes notes and tries to keep up t ��he �i�i pe Pc. talks to your s in 20 l�� �olc�� ���� more gadget After years of hearing about our starry, starry Play ��ime future, science fiction is commercial reality Take a journey along Italy’s most rewarding driving roads in Mazda’s MX-5 roadster coupe 54 b��ck ��o ��h�� �����r�� 28 ��r�’� �n Let’s go surfin’ now, everybody’s learnin’ how. And Laurens van den Acker is unveiling Mazda’s future with concept cars from LA to Tokyo in Japan, you don’t even have to go outdoors 34 ������ �or���r� regulars Celebrating a half-century of racing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with a look back 06 ��mo���on o� mo���on Mazda owners from around the world show off photos of how they like to Zoom-Zoom 40 h��ng�ng by �� mom��n�� Three wild ways to satiate your primal urge 10 Pl��y ���m�� for big excitement and high-octane thrills, if Desktop robots, personal submarines, sushi- only for a few precious seconds at a time shaped memory sticks and gadgets galore con tributors »OwEN »mark 10 S y Edward bramlE t burning ntributor �hen he’s no his �� regular co k on r mags, up the trac to glossy ca ��dwards ed motorcycle, london-bas columnist fo e r ot the is a th bramley sh ly Smith sonian and mX- 5 in sunny �ta s. author of five book for th is issue.
  • 5. a little Italy Take a journ ey along ads te driving ro Italy ’s ultima vorite ’s fa in the world e sports coup 60 ������ ��r��ck Mazda racers as TV stars, great accessories and Google Maps’ views from the street 14 64 my m��Z��� Get acquainted with the Mazda3 and CX-9 66 my gr����������� ��hr�ll Actor Jeff Bridges, who recently voiced a surfing penguin, discusses his love for catching a wave »rOb »jaSON hOward barlOw ots have a better howard’s sh nobody does nde the ap peared in Co jo b of putting and iving Na st Traveler read er in the dr l. not than barlow , Men’s Journa ho seat �k bad fo r a guy w editor- at-large of camera Top Gear. got his first car mag n shop. from a paw
  • 6. Emotion of n motio The best Zoo m-Zoom moments fro m around th e world >> off a whether it’s jumping rock being a big b ig rock or azda star for the night, m -zoom w to zoom P IT owners show us ho JUM Zoom-Zoom
  • 7. »Russia Jury tsoy t as e imitates ar Lif ckham a budding be . he goes for goal ores! shoots! he sc wild! es the crowd go Dagge r » u K Geoff sky through the …like soaring e. Or maybe in a stunt plan a downhill on you’ve sped dived r coaster, monster rolle to off an enor mous rock in or simply lIfe’s f a lake the middle of an flown a kite higher th flown one before. you’ve ever fUll o on film, we If you’ ve caught it u about it. All yo want to know ur upload yo zoom- have to do is photos to Zoom-Zoom com zoom-zoo mmagazine. zoom Ts… MoMen se holas » u . s . nic fun of Govia all the thrill the fair as fo ekers are fir into ur the sky befo ed re d hurt ling earthwar to be reunited with hs their stomac » J a pa n da akiko Yasu eck. ? ch skateboard check. baseball cap? k. big air? chec you’re ions, congratulat hero… price now a skate » u K David Zoom-Zoom
  • 8. Emotion of n motio l anD t. Brown »nEw ZEa » u K Joanna » u K alex Deverill Deski ns » u s todd fogel n Y walter elle Church »GERma » u K Gabri y Broem eling » u . s . mar Ron an C a Jessica »s.afRi » R u s s i a nko he fford alex Kuras » u.s. annette sta ard Koster » u . s . Edw Hope »Russia ariu Ciprian l owen » u K strug » u K Chery Zoom-Zoom
  • 9. Reynolds » u K John Campb ell » u K neil n an tovmasya » u . s . tigr allan » u K Debs Cur tis » u K louise Cable » u K ivan r iam sawye » u . s . will Hamilt on » u K max RlanD » s w i t Z E sch mar co Bruet ur send us yo moments zoom-zooamlloon ride or a game of Bar top » u K Cathy ba skiing, res whether it’s u think captu you’ve got a photo yo it. basketball, if want to see m-zoom, we the essence of zoo our website ad your digital photos to simply uplo agazin e.com zoom-zoomm ls and all ter ms and cond itions. for additional detai om magazine.com Visit zoom-zo
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  • 11. Dloire thetuhdies…woorlndal ve n rsea zoom zoom Exp uester pers with the C-Q e Dutch-made h submarine. T ersible can electric subm et and has its dive to 160 fe , so no scuba ly own air supp necessary. experience is com uboatworx. Byutsei mhisk… tty g it This s t h ay loo p re t the only thin tempting, bu ur PC. These will feed is yo are actually full realistic bites of memory. B of bytes—1G ndmade just a And they’re h Plug them into like real sushi. re your data a US B port to sto rent way. ly diffe in a delicious e.com solidallianc Rithinethis…e way of thdee the d g gets in th No ar. You can ri a mazing Scarp tracked board over ar- wild caterpill d absolutely anything n sand, snow a anks to its 80cc in betwee n, th r even plans fo engin e. There are championship. racing a Scarpar-X scarpar.com a r th i a … Wembrethesrcade classic” sPoounngd, wffhcitts? it s e e e Rem lip raphics and “b n single-pixel g naged a rally of more tha cool a If you ever m as a miracle. But with this as four shots, it w lasts as long hirt, the game animated T-s thinkgeek.com the batteries. Zoom-Zoom 11
  • 12. Callthtiysur snapshots and e screen king a Loo o on ph eos on a tiny t. watching vid come a thing of the pas could soo n be a is working on Texas Instruments ilt-in projector. So as a bu phone that h beam your photos and now you can the nearest wall instead. movies onto ti.com Roucekathsips… guitar herothnd o ’r n a irin g a r, e If y ele rnational trav t frequent inte terfold could be just wha DeVillain Cen s folding r. Its ingeniou you ’re looking fo es it perfect for mak mechanism kers. Before you know it, s… Lbiank/ttahisia WiFi rabebit overhead loc ing all over the world… g you’ll be rock Na ztag nd hard to liv devillain.com you’ll soon fi s, it dances, it lk without. It ta lights up. Like en listens, it ev onal silicon rs your own pe ks to your PC secretary , it lin d our email an to read you y ges to friends a sends mess ztag.com and family . naba Sspllyathshnthsiest-… Po sib e o ly in c , treme sport influenced ex involves sitting river bugging “armchair” that le in an inflatab ybug, then lad looks like a lf into rapids. e hurling yours ourse, in New It started, of c ow sweeping Zea land and is n com the globe. na elimits. 12 Zoom-Zoom
  • 13. CcrauiskeFthisithe… ink s zoom zoom Ele tr ’s Pin er. levard cruis ultimate bou ding position, ri Its laid-back g and bright- hot-rod stylin e it the most gre en rims mak e street. on th striking bike com electrabike. Hearthxicss…not to exerce. e re’s no e u e ic is The innovative de v thanks to this rts headband transmits o The Vonia sp the tiny bones in your gh tunes throu the help of traditional ears without The headband absorbs . headphones e built-in pocket holds sweat and th ffle, eliminating tangled u your iPod sh r running, working out at fo wires. Gre breakdancing headspin. or a good ol’ dowumi.com lways Ju st what you a u if yo wanted, even ith .W never knew it a this slot-car in en op case, you just ime, yt and play—an anywhere. m proidee.co Zoom-Zoom 13
  • 14. INDOOR BEACH uplE Of utAH ROCk juNkIEs NOtEs fROM tH E EDgE wItH A CO kEy Story MARCus sA D Photog raPhy ROB HOwAR Zoom-Zoom
  • 15. My legs are trembling. This is partly the result of hiking up a 1,400-foot ridge. But it has more to do with the fact that I’m about to step off it. Backwards. Utah is one of those states most often seen from the window of an airplane. At cruising altitude, mesas splay like shattered knuckles across dusty brown earth, cut by the occasional lonely highway. But what seems desolate at 30,000 feet is all breadth and majesty on the ground. A land of sheer rock faces, winding canyons and towering ridges, Utah is home to a special breed of outdoor adventurer. And I’m spending a couple of days in their world. Eric Draper has a better job than you. A rock climber, he knew what he wanted at 18, when he exchanged the Mormon community he was raised in for his new religion here in the canyons. He’s structured his entire life around his passion, dividing his time between guiding visitors into the wild and working as an extreme photographer. “I don’t really need much stuff,” he says, tan face flashing a smile. “I’d rather climb for two weeks than buy a couch.” My other guide, Jeremy Draper (no relation), feels the same way. “I tried the domestic thing. I had a house, a 9-to-5, almost a wife. Wasn’t for me. This is where I belong.” “This” is Springdale, a liberal little town perched on the edge of Zion National Park. The place is just three hours down the highway from Vegas, but a world apart. Zoom-Zoom
  • 16. INDOOR BEACH Eric (blue shirt) and Jeremy Draper of Zion Rock and Mountain Guides, in Springdale, Utah, moving through the rock-scapes of Zion National Park Zoom-Zoom
  • 17. ''I’D much RAThER cLImB FOR TwO wEEKs ThAN BuY A cOuch'' Everyone knows each other here. The cute girl behind the coffee- shop counter calls Eric by name, asks what he’s taking me out for. The answer is canyoneering, an increasingly popular sport that combines hiking, rappelling and a dash of climbing. Basically, the idea is to work our way from the top of a ridge to the bottom of the canyon, and out again. Along the way, we’ll drop down the face of flash-flood channels, squeeze through two-foot stone slots, and swim pools of icy water. Which is how I ended up hanging off a cliff. Properly done, rappelling isn’t dangerous. My harness can take Sandstone up to five thousand pounds. My equipment has been checked by cliffs and smooth canyon an experienced guide with eagle eyes. walls that look But that’s hard to remember when an eight-millimeter rope is as if they’ve been painted all that’s between me and a plunge to the rocks below. are just part of What I’m doing is only a small taste of the thrills Zion offers. Zion’s stunning At the other end of the spectrum is the Streaked Wall. Picture landscape scaling the wrong side of a windshield taller than the Sears Tower. Eric has climbed it. Twice. And as far as he knows, he’s the only person in the world to have photographed an ascent, a feat that required him to, amidst other stunts, spend hours dangling at the end of a 300-foot rope … 1,500 breathless feet above the ground. “Was it worth it?” He smiles. Most everybody in Springdale climbs. Or mountain bikes, or canyoneers. There aren’t many other reasons to live here. This is a whole town of people who chose the path less traveled. Which makes for an interesting atmosphere. Everyone I meet is friendly, smart and centered. They have that inner ease that comes from doing what they love. But don’t start thinking they’re lazy. Maintaining this lifestyle takes fanatical devotion. Eric lived in his truck for six years (“Dirtbag living,” he calls it, with a grin) to keep expenses low enough to climb 300 days a year. He and Jeremy spent long days making burritos in order to finance evening climbs. Jeremy’s truck has no reverse, and neither of their trucks has air conditioning in a state where the temperature breaks a hundred for four months straight. You gotta want it. Zoom-Zoom
  • 18. I AchE IN PLAcEs I DIDN’T KNOw I hAD muscLEs Zoom-Zoom
  • 19. CANyONEERINg When your guide tells you that you’re headed for Prophecy Wall, reflected light against ancient stone hypnotized me completely. In it’s hard not to feel a shiver. such moments, you inhabit a quiet, a stillness, rarely found in life. But as it turns out, Prophecy is brilliant: a near-vertical cliff of It was during such a pause I asked the million-dollar question. iron-rich sandstone, isolated enough that in six hours, the only Is this a pit stop on the way to real life? Can you do it forever? evidence of humanity is a single car’s dust cloud on the horizon. Jeremy didn’t hesitate. “As long as my body holds out. Figure at The face is pocked with deep handholds and offers routes of all least 20 years or so.” difficulty levels. We’re halfway up a 5.10b, climber-speak for not- “Then what?” bad-but-you-aren’t-wowing-anybody, when Jeremy says, “You “I’ll probably teach.” hear that bird laughing at you? That’s a canyon wren.” “Teach what?” The cry really is a lot like laughter—specifically, the laughter of He cocked his head like the answer was painfully obvious. “This.” the bully on The Simpsons, haA-HAAa! Only a mildly interesting And Eric? observation, until I realize that the bird is flying below me. He laughed. “Well, I’d like to start shooting skiing, too.” There are moments, in the midst of a canyon or perched on a After a couple of days walking the path less traveled, I’m feeling it. ledge, when you stop to catch your breath and marvel at the beauty Every step of the hike back to our trailhead sets off aches in places of the world. Pausing in the shade of a towering ponderosa, I I didn’t know I had muscles. I’m starving. My arms are sunburned watched a bighorn sheep gracefully ascend the opposite canyon and my thighs are just burned. face. Later, waist deep in heart-stopping water, the soft play of I can’t remember when I was last this happy. n Eric and Jeremy doing whatever it takes to get from the top of the rock to the bottom. That’s canyoneering Zoom-Zoom
  • 20. low son Bar ley Story Ja Phy mark Bram Photo gra n takes it o e mX-5 rC to let it off the ge and th ce G ive it a challen n. what better plapercar country? esitatio aly ’s su without h in the heart of It n leash tha Not oNly does Italy have some of the world’s most demanding roads, it also has the attitude to match. Italian drivers don’t make rude gestures at you if you dare to overtake, they make rude gestures at you if you don’t. A whole section of Italian society seems to go everywhere and do everything at 100 mph. At times the Autostrada feels like a latter-day amphitheater. The truck drivers treat the whole business of driving like some kind of gladiatorial contest. There’s testosterone in the exhaust fumes. You have no choice but to get in the zone. Or you could just leave the machismo of the highway behind. Where the flat, industrial plains of the Emilia-Romagna district blend into Tuscany, a funny thing happens. The great tunnels and viaducts that connect modern Italy with the engineering genius of the Romans give way to scenery so perfect it’s almost sculpture. Even if you’ve never visited Tuscany, it seems familiar, its rolling green hills and vistas having supplied the visual fuel for some of history’s greatest art. Today we’re using a different sort of fuel. Modena, home to supercar legends like Ferrari, Maserati and, most recently, Pagani, is only 100 miles away, but the Mazda MX-5 is proof that you don’t need 500 bhp or $400,000 to channel the driving spirit that 20 Zoom-Zoom
  • 22. YOU CAN IMMEDIATELY SENSE ThE MX-5 IS A CAr wITh A MISSION haunts these hills. This isn’t just a great sports car; on these So the purity of the MX-5 has taken on a whole new relevance. roads, it’s a sublime one. Steer, shift gear, brake, accelerate: this But sitting on a mountain pass on a hot, cloudless day, how can little Mazda has the harmonic balance of a string quartet. you not love the idea of driving for driving’s sake? It’s impossible In many ways the MX-5—the best-selling roadster of all in this country. Italy’s love affair with the car goes right back to the time—provides the perfect template for a successful driving start, and this is a place where the police will happily pull you over machine. It’s small, light and efficient. Most modern cars are just to get a better look at your bella machina. Kids on scooters, overweight, bulked out on a diet of airbags, air conditioning old folk sipping coffee and sucking cigarettes, farmers on tractors: and other 21st century accoutrements. But you need more the MX-5 wins universal approval. power to go quickly in a heavy car, which is fine and fun, but It always has. The 1989 original, which drew inspiration from it can’t disguise mass when you get to an obstacle, like a corner. a lost generation of affordable British and Italian roadsters, was a Raw power can only bully physics, it can’t defeat it. delicate, feminine little two-seater. The latest version looks meaner. Small, lightweight cars don’t have that problem. They move It has a tougher stance, its wheels fill fatter and its wheel-arches with a natural grace and precision. Driving isn’t just about are flared more aggressively. The gorgeous 2003 Ibuki concept car blasting as quickly as possible from one corner to the next. previewed the MX-5’s renewed sense of purpose. Mazda’s then It’s about maintaining momentum and getting the maximum design boss, Moray Callum, compared it to the latest generation result from the minimum effort. It’s cleaner and more of cell phones. “It’s about tactility,” he told me. environmentally friendly that way, too. It sure is. The MX-5 feels absolutely no bigger than it needs to 22 Zoom-Zoom
  • 23. INDOORIn ITaly mX-5 BEACH Cutting through the Italian countryside, breathing in fresh air and history along the way be. It’s a tribute to the people who created it that it delivers legendary 1,000-mile road race, run between 1927 and 1957. everything we expect in terms of equipment and safety, and Stirling Moss averaged 98 mph across the race distance when nothing superfluous. he won it in 1955. This remains one of the most mind-boggling So when you get into it, climbing over its solid sills, you motor-racing statistics of all time. immediately sense that this is a car with a mission, one that Especially when you drive it yourself (more slowly). With the has nothing to do with getting from A to B. The controls and roof stowed away—it takes just the touch of a button and 12 dials are all clear and easy to see and use. The view ahead across seconds with the ingenious folding hardtop—and the sun cutting the hood is evocative but not intimidating. And your hands through the trees in vivid celestial beams, time really isn’t of the move from the steering wheel to the gearshift then back again essence. Drive too fast, and you’ll miss the detail in the landscape. in a short, easy motion. The basics are immaculate. It’s amazing But you just can’t help it. The roads up to the Raticosa are how many cars get them wrong. fantastic. Smoothly surfaced and largely empty, they arc this So this is about driving. Though context always helps. The way and that, ebbing and flowing and undulating through lush road signs are full of amazing-sounding places: Milan, Florence, forest. Most of these bends are dispatched in third and fourth Vian Piala, Imola, Mugello. The last two point to nearby race gear, though you’ll need second for the tight, uphill hairpins circuits, familiar to anyone who loves fast cars or bikes. that seem to pop out of nowhere. We pick up the Passo della Futa, then the Passo della Raticosa. These are famous, too. They’re part of the Mille Miglia, Italy’s Slicing through the gears, the MX-5’s six-speed shifter is a reminder that nothing is more satisfying for an enthusiastic Zoom-Zoom 23
  • 24. mX-5 In ITaly YOUr INpUTS ArE MOSTLY IMpErCEpTIbLE. IT’S ALMOST TELEpAThY
  • 26. TAkINg THE gRAN TuRIsmO how to get there the BologNa raticosa and futa passes e45 are between the cities of Bologna and florence. the fastest way is to head Imola out of either town on the e35 e35 and come off at the ratICosa san giacomo junction. Visit viamichelin.com for fUta driving directions. what to see If you’re a gearhead, this area of Italy is supercar heaven. ferrari floreNCe fans can visit the galleria ferrari and the fiorano test you’ll even catch a glimpse track near maranello, while of felipe massa or Kimi lamborghini lovers should räikkönen—but not on make tracks for the museum sundays, when the at sant’agata. Bikers can get Cavallino is closed. Visit their kicks at two-wheeled ristorante-cavallino.it for legend ducati. Visit galleria. further information. ferrari.com, lamborghini.com and ducati.com to find out more. where to stay the hotel terme salvarola in modena where to eat find out offers a restful alternative what pasta fit for heroes to all the high-octane tastes like at the ristorante excitement. If you’ve had Cavallino. with any luck, your fill of supercars you can always relax in the hotel’s luxury spa instead. Visit hoteltermesalvarola.it.
  • 27. mX-5 In ITaly driver than a really good manual gearbox. Its precise, short action MX-5’s chassis is beautifully balanced, and there’s more grip adds to the pure mechanical joy of the experience. than you could possibly need. It’s rigid, too. There are no mountains to climb round here. Instead, the road Up into third, letting the revs rise to nearly 7,000 rpm. Another loops gently back and forth, punctuated by a series of tiny villages, corner. The interplay between steering, brakes and gear change until you arrive almost unexpectedly at the top of the pass. The is exceptional. Lean on the car too hard and the tires will start Chalet Raticosa sits at the highest point; when we get there, I count chirping, but it’s actually more effective to ease off on the heroics 26 motorcyclists on assorted Ducatis and MV Agustas resting up just before you reach that point. This little Mazda encourages in the parking lot, metal ticking as it cools. More proof that this you to stay within your limits. is one of the world’s great driving roads. Into fourth now for the straight that’s opening up ahead. It’s But the best is just coming now, spearing off the Raticosa, and fashionable to have more than 200 bhp these days, but right plunging back downhill like a big asphalt ribbon of pasta. The now the MX-5’s 158 bhp feels optimum. Could you really go MX-5 is happy to amble along, but that’s just not an option on this any faster than this? No need. Great drivers’ cars move with a section. Into second for the first corner, a long, long right-hander. minimum of effort. So even on this twisty Italian road, your It has a negative camber, and you can feel the car digging in before inputs are mostly imperceptible. It’s almost a form of telepathy. it settles. Rear-wheel drive in the grand sporting tradition, the Driving for driving’s sake. When did you last do it? n learn more about this great driver’s car at / mazdausa.com Zoom-Zoom 27
  • 28. INDOOR BEACH e. You need l about styl Surfing’s al e shorts, the shades the board, th d, of course, the car an Pure white sand, tropical temperatures and waves on demand. Japan’s Seagaia Ocean Dome is the perfect location for the first ever Zoom-Zoom indoor surfing championships STORY NIK BERG PhOTOgRaPhY KATSUO HANZAWA
  • 29. K icking up trails of sand from their heels as they charge into the ocean, boards at the ready, the five surfers paddle out toward the blue horizon to meet the first wave of the day. But something’s not quite right with this picture. The sand isn’t actually sand, it’s 600 tons of white- marble granules imported from China. And the ocean is in fact a huge freshwater pool with waves machine-manufactured on demand. Even the horizon is actually a painted mural and the tropical temperature comes, not from the sun, but from industrial heaters. Welcome to the Seagaia Ocean Dome, the world’s biggest artificial beach and currently the only place on the planet Zoom-Zoom 29
  • 30. INDOOR BEACH “Mash” makes a splash as he dives into the artificial ocean for the first time. The real beach is just 1,600 feet away SuRf SpEAk Rip: to execute drastic and radical moves on the wave Flip: a 360º flip, landing on the back of the wave as it breaks Lip: the top edge of the wave that curls forward Tube: the cylindrical vortex created between the wave and the lip Hollow: an extremely concave, curling wave Wahine: an affectionate term for a female surfer Shred: to surf aggressively Find more at riptionary.com 30 Zoom-Zoom
  • 31. INDOOR BEACH where it’s possible to rip, flip and hit the lip Situated in Miyazaki, under one roof. on the Japanese islan Seagaia is an astonish d of Kyushu, ing feat of engineering staggering $2 billion . It cost a to build and is recogniz Guinness book of wo ed by the rld records as the large park in the world. Th st indoor water e three-story-high, 2,8 Teflon and steel roof 00-ton titanium, can retract in four sec indoor ocean to the ele tions to open the ments. The Seagaia sea the size of an Olympic is six times swimming pool and tons of fresh water, wh holds 13,500 ich is continuously filt heated to a balmy 82º ered and F. Seagaia’s waves are ge nerated by 10 powerfu pumps linked to 40 ind l vacuum ividual water chambe capable of sending wa rs that are ves up to 12 feet high toward the 140 meter crashing -long beach. Unfortun cost and complexity ately, all this may have proved too Dome’s owners, as we much for the would be saying sayon at the conclusion of thi ara to Seagaia s visit—it was due to end of September. close at the But it’s open now, an d that’s just as well. Toda ever Zoom-Zoom Indo y is the first or Surfing Champions is Takashi Kato, a prom hip. Our judge inent member of the Association. He’s been Nippon Surfing surfing breaks in Japan the world for many ye and all over ars, but it’s his first vis surf paradise and he’s it to this plastic quickly into his board the competitors for a shorts to join warm-up. Following Takashi int o the artificial ocean shaper (and the firm are local board favorite) Tomokazu Uj surfer Sachiko Tamu ihara, wahine ra and—in the spirit From top: plastic pal competition—Matthew of international ms painted horizons und and “Mash” McCollough, er a and Sean Carey, all fro Aarron Edwards covered sky; Aarron and Sean m across the water in go head-to-head; Sac A horn sounds and so New Zealand. and Sean sprint to hiko me 1,800 tons of water the sea to form the first wave are released . This wall of water cra concrete bottom of the shes to the ocean floor, then rises again to form a horn sounds and 1,800 tons of water is released Zoom-Zoom 31
  • 32. INDOOR BEACH the first surfers t are caugh off guard d and dunke rning and no that brief audible wa the wave. With only rs are caught forming, the first surfe chance to see the wave ming surface. dunked beneath the foa off guard and violently explains: “The t easy, as a soggy Sean Surfing Seagaia is no as seawater so ve the same buoyancy fresh water doesn’t ha rface. And, even y on top of the su it’s much harder to sta waves still y warning sound, the tho ugh there’s that freak en.” come on all of a sudd absolutely critical to Correct posit ioning in the water is every wave, and ere’s a sweet spot for ride Seagaia’s surf. Th ment the wave on it at the precise mo the riders have to be s before our From top: contender s ready; several more dunking t ride of is conjured up. It takes d in sets of three Aarron takes his firs ove. Waves are create the day; Tomokazu gets the surfers get in the gro tween them as shredding and smilin g prize te breathing space be with just a two-minu ed and primed. water are pump thousands of tons of judges would be In a standard su rfing competition the m contest, but this is a Zoom-Zoo looking for technique, riders’ grins as re lenient, judging the so Takashi’s being mo llows, rips and Two hours of tubes, ho much as their ability. ough, it’s the local r winner and, sure en flips later we have ou actually surfed . Although he’s never favourite, Tomokazu made waves better stered the man- Seagaia before, he’s ma wowed the judge, n the rest. But no t only have his shreds tha n the whole time. ’s had an ear-to-ear gri so have his smiles. He phy in the air. s as he thrusts his tro “Fantastic!” he beam oom moment. n Now that’s a Zoom-Z eered with e MaZda cX-7: Engin on Board with th the “soul of a sports car”, has a this crossover SUV gine, 2.3-litre DISI turbo en with 244 bhp, a six -speed d auto transmission an seating for fiv e. The perfect rt our machine to transpo surfers aro und.
  • 33. INDOOR BEACH WORlD WIDE Tomokazu hangs ten one of Seagaia’s wid e on WAVES range of waves, all of JApAn The Seagaia Ocean Dome d up which can be conjure in Miyazaki, Japan, opened in 1993 ton at the press of a but and cost US$2 billion to build. With enough capacity to allow up to 10,000 people to relax on the beach and swim or surf in the “ocean” at any one time, it’s unfortunate the Dome is set to close in September. EUROpE The first European indoor surf centre is due to open in the UK in 2008. It will offer 365 days of surfing on an artificial reef. find out more at surfdome.com USA The Ron Jon Surfpark in Orlando, Florida, opened in 2007 with a choice of wave pools. And another surfpark is opening in new York City in 2010. for a preview, visit surfparks.com Get More inforMation on the Mazda cx-7 / mazdausa.com Zoom-Zoom 33
  • 34. INDOOR BEACH lAguNA sECA lEgENDARy RACIN g, MAzDA RACEwAy AftER 50 yEARs Of PhotoGraPhy MIsH A gRAvENOR E futu RE Story OwEN EDwARDs Is gEARINg up fOR tH G etting to know a road course is a lot like making a match with a dance partner. With their particular combinations of turns, chicanes, elevation changes and straightaways, road courses are the real asphalt individualists of motorsports. Those who drive them, especially amateurs driving for love, not money, inevitably feel special affection for a particular course. The pros, of course, have the same feelings, without the luxury to indulge them. It’s safe to say that among motorsports enthusiasts, from the West Coast all the way back to east of the Hudson, one of those universally loved tracks is Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California. Nestled in the hills just outside the coastal resort towns of Monterey and Carmel, the renowned road course is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. Some tracks are jittery and tricky, with moves that seem counterintuitive, calculated to bring out the two left feet in their driving “partners.” Other tracks have a real grace, with a rhythm that never makes you feel clumsy despite dramatic changes in speed. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is the latter and, over the years, it has become a special place for drivers. Paula Baker, a Miata Solo racer from Magna, Utah, works with her crew-chief husband, 34 Zoom-Zoom
  • 35. Drivers learn the fastest way around the track in their Formula Skip Barber racecars, the best rolling classroom there is Zoom-Zoom 35
  • 36. lEgENDARy RACEwAy INDOOR BEACH ''there’s a fluidity a seca'' and fl ow at lagun
  • 37. Ron, on a Miata racing team. “Like Road Atlanta or Mid-Ohio,” she says, “Laguna is really beautiful to look at, and that is reflected Legends of in the track.” During practice sessions, performance-measuring stats collected by Baker’s team reflect the personality of the track. Laguna Walking through 50 YearS “There’s a fluidity and flow to the data,” she says. “It’s different from oF racing hiStorY other tracks, where the numbers reveal a kind of choppiness.” In 1957, when Phil Hill, Dan Gurney and Walt Hansgen were beginning to flex American racing muscle, the racetrack was built on scrubland at Fort Ord, a sprawling army base. (The land is now owned by the county, and the track is managed by SCRAMP, the Sports Car Racing Association of Monterey Peninsula.) Before that, from 1950 until 1956, racing took place on a course that ran through the Del Monte Forest in Pebble Beach. Neighbors along its municipal streets would mix a batch of martinis, set up their lawn chairs, and watch Jaguars, Porsches and Ferraris flash past. But such pastoral pleasures couldn’t last. As cars got faster and drivers more competitive, the old course through the trees became too dangerous. Racing promoters then headed for the hills east of town and audaciously built a circuit that incorporated a not-quite- Superstars of racing have been dry lake (the laguna seca) and what may be the steepest hillside of getting their due as part of the any racetrack on the planet. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s original raceway’s diamond-anniversary celebrations. the first group, including Pete lovely (above), Dan gurney (below), Wayne rainey and eddie lawson, was honored during major race weekends this past summer. each will get a star on the legends of laguna Seca walk of fame located at the track’s famous corkscrew turn. You can make your own mark on the same walk of fame by purchasing a brick engraved with a message or logo of your choice. all of the proceeds will go directly to the laguna Seca raceway Fund. for more details, visit laguna-seca-fund.com. Drivers master the famous corkscrew in s 1958, while spectator at turns eight and nine (opposite) keep an eye n on the action. More tha 50 years later (above), the climb before the corkscrew is still one of the track’s hot spots Zoom-Zoom 37
  • 38. INDOOR BEACH In the hot seat Your turn to race at MazDa raceWaY laguna Seca Feeling the thrill of racing on a pro track is easier than you think, thanks to Skip Barber race Schools. their instructors will help you hone your skills behind the wheel of a Mazda rX-8, MX-5, Mazda3 or the open-wheel Formula Skip Barber racecar—all in one amazing day or as part of a more advanced program. on average, a third of the drivers ce Skip Barber ra d ee in the indy 500 and nextel cup Schools give sp ut the freaks througho shine are Skip Barber grads, so you’ll be u.S. a chance to learning what the pros know in a curriculum that’s been developed over 30 years. You can also test your mettle against racers of your skill level in the Skip Barber race Series Powered By Mazda. everything from car maintenance to the suits and helmets are provided. find out how to get involved at mazdausa.com. 38 Zoom-Zoom
  • 39. lEgENDARy RACEwAy design was a 1.9-mile more-or-less circular track with a couple of Four and Five are challenging to get just right, since they each tight turns and dramatic elevation changes. change character the faster you go.” The winner of the first race a half a century ago was Pete Lovely. All tracks have a signature turn; great tracks have signatures While a who’s who of West Coast motorsports looked on, Lovely that push the envelope. At Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the “turned on a couple of really hot laps” to snatch the lead from most memorable moments are supplied by Turn Eight, a.k.a. Johnny Von Neumann. “That day was very exciting for us,” says the Corkscrew, an amazing downhill chicane that can leave your Lovely, adding that he liked the track “because it took a lot of skill stomach somewhere aft of the rest of you. You come into the turn to hold your foot down through the old Turn Two. You had to be at a good pace at the end of the Rahal straight, at the highest point really on your toes or you would miss that corner.” on the track, and make a sharp left without being able to see what’s Over the years, alterations to the track have brought it to its next: a hard right. Then comes an increasingly fast downhill left, current configuration: 2.2 miles, 11 turns, two (and maybe three) ending at Turn 10—a nicely banked fast right. What makes this blind entrances and elevation changes that are nothing less than section of the track such a rush, literally, is the fact that between alpine. Enhancements to the track continue today, thanks in the entrance to Eight and the return to earth at 10 you’ve lost more no small part to Mazda. Since 2001, the course has become than 300 feet in altitude and picked up, courtesy of gravity, gobs ingrained in Mazda’s culture, where it’s not just the cars that of extra horsepower whether you want it or not. have the soul of a sports car. Employees get behind the wheels Anyone who’s experienced a race at Mazda Raceway Laguna and race at special events throughout the year. “Mazda has Seca knows that the long uphill trek to sit under the oaks next motorsports coursing through its veins,” says Gill Campbell, to the Corkscrew always pays off. There may be nowhere on any CEO/General Manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “We American track where skill and daring are so nakedly displayed. simply go together like gasoline and motor racing.” And most would agree that no matter how much time they’ve Like many drivers who appreciate a challenge, Barry Winfield, spent on the track, they’re always raring to get back there for more. an editor at Car and Driver magazine, is a fan of the track. “It’s a It may be 50, but today’s Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is, without really cool track, particularly in a car,” he says. “Turns Two, Three, doubt, sharper, flashier and faster than ever. n skill and daring are nakedly displayed Zoom-Zoom
  • 40. INDOOR BEACH RusH HOuR tRAffIC. sIDEwAlk CROwDs. CAlls ANswER ED IN pRIORIty sEquENCE. It's tImE tO fIgHt BACk. It's tImE tO fEED tHE NEED tO lIvE IN tHE mOmENt, If ONly fOR A fEw glORIOus sECONDs At A tImE shoulders of giants In this corner, weighing in at 1,300 pounds, equipped with haunches that will buck and spin you at the speed of a rocket—Express Lane, the bucking bronco. Sitting atop the mighty beast, holding on to nothing but a rope—you. Or maybe Bad Dreams the bull is more your speed. He clocks in at just under two tons and is possessed of the raw power to rock your world with three Gs of force and a disposition that compels him to use it. Admit it, you’ve always assumed that if push came to shove, you could stay on board a wild animal for eight seconds like the pros. Good luck with that. What: Riding bulls or horses rodeo-style Where: Sankey Rodeo Schools have locations across the U.S. (sankeyrodeo.com) hoW much: $390 (three-day session), $415 (four-day session) Zoom-Zoom
  • 42. INDOOR BEACH lt lightning jo sounds big. Towering Kingda Ka. It even onster e sky, this m 45 sto ries into th -like name s King Kong coas ter earns it records that l the world by breaking al u from 0 to 128 blasting yo m atter. After rough th e spine- seconds, th ree turn, mph in 3.5 of a 90-deg crushing G-forces e sky, ht up into th then 45 6 feet straig gree spiral, nd a 270-de you’ll snake arou er a massive , drop and ov swo op down a ump. Wh at the ing camel h e sure, gut-wrench You won’t b pened? he ck just hap again. ant to do it but you’ll w roller llest, fastest What: R iding the ta e world coaster in th Great Adve nture, Wher e: Six Flags s.com/ rsey (sixflag Jack son, New Je big coasters ). For other gre atadventure e, visit oser to hom th at may be cl t/roller.htm l stonline.ne americasbe nera l : $59.99 ge hoW much plus ride fees admission, PhtotograPhy: jason dailey (previous page), michael tureK (this page) 4 Zoom-Zoom Zoom-Zoom
  • 43. wIlD wEEkEND g soarinhot slings g blades of a Bell 205 ll The whirrin u in a free fa 00 feet. Yo Helic opter at 1,3 , strapp ed to the inal velocity retching nearing term gee cord st of a bun bu siness end of Cost a Rica’s . The mouth ward you to the limit o rushing to most acti ve volcan coil and unishing re at 100 m ph. A limb-p on’t see this air. If you d slingsh ot into the you just nario, then as a fa ntastic sce -based Ove r ew at Idaho don’ t get the cr some of the most urveyors of the U.S. the Edge, p e jumping in ed bunge turbocharg are all abou t . These guys and beyond ee in novation to e next bung ho've alway s bringing th -challeng ed people w gravity d. ar like a bir wanted to so mouth toward the Wh at: Jumping licopter o from a he osta Rica; of a volcan e 2007 in C Where: H eli-Bunge t the U.S. s throughou other jump m) gebungee.co (overtheed eli-bungee much: $1, 000 for a h hoW ps r bridge jum jump; less fo Zoom-Zoom 4
  • 44. Jay Leno Host of The Tonight Show and passionate car collector “I remember when I was a kid, reading about the Tokyo auto Mazdatrix and decided to swap out a 12A motor, put a custom show in a car magazine, and the Mazda Cosmo had just come out. Weber carburetor on it and now it’s about 220 horsepower, up It had everything. It was a five-speed, it had air conditioning and from 110 hp. It revs at 9,000 rpm and is a fantastic car to drive. what were considered cool accessories of the day—like the map It makes a sort of motorboat sound at idle, and you actually sense light on the dashboard that you could move around. The styling the firing impulses going in a circle rather than up and down. was uniquely Japanese. But most importantly the Mazda was a It’s a real sports car—so far ahead of MGs and TR4s and all rotary. It was the only new engine in the 20th century, really. those types of cars from that time. It’s unbelievable. It’s a real Anyway, a while ago I went to see a guy about another car. piece of Japanese heritage. He had a bunch of cars in his garage ,and I saw this thing in the I have a Miata and an RX-8, too, and with the RX-8, the engine corner and I asked, ‘What’s that?’ and he said it was a Cosmo. is basically the same. The Cosmo’s a little more unrefined, but in a He’d had it for 20 years. The engine was pretty much ruined, but good way. It’s a little bit louder and the suspension’s a little tighter, the car was otherwise OK. So we took it back to my garage and, and with the skinny little tires on it you can slide around, but not having a lot of experience with rotary motors, we sent it to you can tell that they’re related.” 44 Zoom-Zoom
  • 45. ROTARY AT 40 Mazda first wowed the world with the Cosmo and its rotary engine four decades ago. Today Mazda is still the only car company with the passion and ingenuity to evolve this unique technology. To celebrate rotary’s 40th birthday, we speak to fans of its past, present and environmentally friendly future 40 years of the club Zoom-Zoom 45
  • 46. ROTARY AT 40 DIck Johnson Australian racing legend and hardcore RX-7 ace “During my 40 years racing in australia, I guess I have mainly driven big V8-engined saloons [sedans], but I’ve also had a close association with Mazda rotaries for one reason or another, and I must admit to having a soft spot for them. In the early days I had a garage, and we did a lot of rotary rebuilds for road cars. I couldn’t believe how much power they delivered from such a small package, and how they seemed to rev to infinity. It was really impressive. I really admire Mazda’s commitment to developing the rotary engine, and they won an awful lot of races in Australia. I only raced a rotary once, but what a race it was. My old mate John Bowe and I won the 1995 Eastern Creek 12-Hour Production Car race driving a twin-turbo RX-7 SP in a real grudge match with the Porsche team that has gone into Australian motor-racing folklore. The Porsche 911s were actually faster, so we played tortoise and hare, with us in the role of the tortoise. We wound the rotary’s turbo boost back from 1.2 bar to about 0.8 bar to improve fuel economy and relied on the RX-7’s superior brake wear to further reduce the time that we spent in the pits. It worked like a charm. JB and I drove the wheels off that car for the full 12 hours, as if it was a 10-lap sprint race, and the RX-7 never missed a beat during the whole time. We only made seven pit stops. But it was still a close-run thing. Jim Richards’ Porsche was closing in at the finish, and we were delighted to see the chequered flag waved for us. There was a big celebration in old Sydney town that night, let me tell you.” A bRief HistoRy of RotARy »1957 »1967 »1968 »1969 »1970 Engineer Dr. Felix The Cosmo hits The Familia The R130 Luce With a 130 bhp Wankel builds a showrooms— Coupe (R100) Coupe takes the rotary engine, prototype of the hand-built at a is an instant hit style capitals of the RX-2 hits the rotary engine rate of one a day in the U.S. Europe by storm spot in America
  • 47. koIchI IWaTa one of Mazda’s takumi, who hand-build every rotary engine engineering. After completing my courses, I’m trying to save money so that I can buy I decided that I didn’t want to leave my an RX-8 someday. “When I started my career here I have to hometown, and so Mazda seemed the right My co-workers and I all feel like say I felt privileged. My first impression was company for me to approach. By working craftsmen. I’ve never felt like an operator. what a special place I was working in. We’re for such a great firm, I feel like I’m giving I’ll never forget the first time I put a rotary the only plant in the world making the world’s something back to my community. together. The feeling at my fingertips as I only commercial rotary engine. I couldn’t I love the rotary engine. It’s small and assembled it was really something. Obviously, help but feel proud about my new company. powerful—really amazing. The first time putting any engine together is dexterous work, I’m a Hiroshima boy. As a kid I’d pass I put my foot on the accelerator of an but with the rotary you’re working closely Mazda on the way to school every day. So RX-8 … well, I can’t describe the feeling with your fingertips and hands. You can, I was always aware of the company and what in words. I just don’t think you can. It was literally, feel that it’s very high-precision work. it stands for. Later, I studied automotive so smooth and powerful—very exciting. And only my co-workers and I can do it.” »1971 »1972 »1975 »1978 Winning the Fuji The chromed With its U.S.- The iconic 500, the RX-3 RX-4 adds its bit style looks, The RX-7 comes in puts Mazda on of bling to the Cosmo AP (RX-5) a revolutionary, the racing map showy 1970s is a hit in Japan clean shape
  • 48. ROTARY AT 40 Dan anD Marco DI Leo Canadian sibling rivals in the star Mazda Championship Dan Di Leo (left). “This is my return season in the Star Mazda series. My first was in 2004. This series is the first to use Mazda’s rotary engine in an open-wheel racing formula and the engine’s strengths make it a key element. I love the engine because it’s consistent and utterly reliable. And the feel is amazing—it’s really responsive. The power is always there for you. In Virginia I started 27th on the grid because of gearbox problems but managed to work my way up to finish in sixth place. Because everyone has the same engine and the same power, it’s really down to driver skill and how you set up the car. We drive for Ross Smith Racing, which is a great team and I hope that success in Star Mazda will get me stories: TIM BRITTEn, GAvIn GREEn, JEREMY into Champ Cars through Mazda’s driver-development program.” PhotograPhy: AnnE-MARIE BROOKS, HART, KATE KLIPPEnSTEEn, COLIn RYAn Marco Di Leo (far right). “This engine is fun to drive, the revs really build up quickly, YASUO KOnISHI, JOHn LAMM, LAT redlining at 8,200 rpm. It comes from an RX-8, but it makes the race car feel almost like a Formula One car. When you hear one out on the track, you can definitely tell what it is by the way it revs and where the gearshifts happen. This is my first season with Star Mazda, and when you just get into motorsport, reliability is always an issue. But we’ve had no engine problems whatsoever. Because of the power, the car has a really good top speed compared to other similar series. I hit 160 mph on Sebring’s main straight. I only got into the car two days before the Sebring race and I won that, which was an amazing feeling.” »1985 »1990 »1993 »2003 More aggressive The Eunos Cosmo A new playmate. With its four than ever, the boasts three rotors, The MkIII RX-7 doors, the RX-8 new RX-7 comes a twin turbo and is voted Playboy is unique among Zoom-Zoom 48 with a twin turbo 300 bhp Car of the Year sports cars