Maxxd.com – Modified and Performance Car News

  • Mazda’s next-generation vehicle platform to be used with gas, diesel, EVs, and front- and rear-wheel drive

    Mazda last week announced an ambitious electrification strategy, including a dedicated EV platform scheduled for introduction by 2025, as well as new hybrids and plug-in hybrids.

    A new Skyactiv Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture platform will underpin a host of new models launching between 2022 and 2025, including five hybrids, five plug-in hybrids, and three all-electric cars, a Mazda press release said. The company said the platform will accommodate transverse power units in small vehicles and longitudinal power units in larger vehicles. A transverse layout is usually associated with front-wheel-drive cars, and a longitudinal layout works most often with rear-wheel drive.

    Mazda also released the pictures shown here, which show its near-term powertrains, including a rotary engine range extender, large gasoline and diesel engines with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, and a large gas engine plug-in hybrid. The rotary should be a transverse setup, while the large powertrains will be longitudinal.

    Due between 2025 and 2030 will be additional all-electric models based on the EV-specific Skyactiv Scalable EV Architecture, Mazda said.

    With this launch cadence, Mazda expects 100% of its lineup to save some degree of electrification by 2030, with EVs representing 25% of that total.

    Mazda gasoline mild-hybrid powertrain

    Mazda gasoline mild-hybrid powertrain

    Mazda said the new models will target major markets like the U.S., China, Europe, and Japan, but didn’t go into further detail.

    We do know the MX-30 crossover is scheduled to reach the U.S. later this year in all-electric form as a 2022 model, with a rotary range extender coming in calendar-year 2022 for the 2023 model year. It will use the CX-30’s platform. Mazda’s ongoing partnership with Toyota could lead to technology sharing as well.

    The Skyactiv Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture appears to be the much-discussed rear-wheel-drive platform set to underpin the next-generation Mazda 6. Mazda is expected to use inline-6 engines, with displacements ranging from 3.0 liters to 3.3 liters, in vehicles based on this platform, and they could include SUVs. The vehicles will also likely use the 48-volt mild-hybrid system. A report earlier this year said the new engines and platform will arrive in SUVs initially, before the redesigned Mazda 6 sedan.

    Past reports have also indicated Mazda may be working on a new sports car, possibly called RX-9, but if that happens, don’t expect it to be a Wankel-powered successor to the RX-7 and RX-8. Mazda has said its new rotary engines will be used as EV range extenders only.

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  • KEYLESS CAR ENTRY: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

    Fitted for modern convenience, the keyless car entry systems on many vehicles are open to abuse from would-be thieves. We take a look at Ford’s keyless car entry system to find out why, and how to protect against it…

    When manufacturers introduced keyless car entry for convenience when entering and exiting a vehicle, they probably didn’t realise that car thieves would quickly adapt to the new technology as well. Sure enough, modern day thieves have become more sophisticated and are able to target particularly vulnerable cars and as a result. And Ford’s reputation of high-powered-but-easily-stolen vehicles continues well into the 21st century, having suffered plenty of negative publicity surrounding keyless car entry theft. But the truth is there are plenty of car manufacturers in the same boat, and it’s one of the main the reasons that vehicle theft has risen by nearly 50% in the last five years alone.

    Keyless car entry

    Keyless entry is susceptible to theft, but there are a few simple steps you can take to better protect your Ford

    However, if you’re worried about becoming a victim there are things you can do to ensure your car is kept secure, and these range from being more cautious and adding extra deterrents to disabling a thief’s ability to access your car entirely. To better understand how and why these can work, first it’s important to understand how criminals are targeting and stealing cars this way. The method is known as ‘relay theft’ and the process is sadly very simple with the right tools to hand; a relay amplifier and relay transmitter. As the names suggest, these gadgets allow thieves to identify a car with the keyless entry feature parked outside of a house, usually on a driveway for instance. By simply manoeuvring the portable relay amplifier around the outside vicinity of the house, it can detect the car key inside if it’s nearby and boost the key’s signal to reach further. A second thief standing by the car with the relay transmitter in hand will then pick up this boosted signal and the car is then tricked into thinking the original keys are nearby and so the car is unlocked and the ignition can be activated, and the car driven away.

    Keyless car entry

    Using sophisticated signal relays, thieves can use the keyless entry technology to gain access to your car

    How to keep your keyless car secure

    The process is quick and quiet, which is why it occurs frequently. Car manufacturers are already looking at ways to tackle the problem, and Ford’s answer is refreshingly simple. The latest keyless entry fobs on new Fiestas and Focuses no longer permanently transmit a signal, but instead have an in-built motion sensor which puts the fob into ‘sleep mode’ if it hasn’t been moved for 40 seconds. This means that while it’s hanging in your key box it’s not transmitting a signal for any thieves to relay, but when you pick them up and walk to your car full functionality is restored.

    However, this tech is only available on the latest cars (some previous models can be updated at Ford), so what that means for most of us is being smarter about where you keep the car keys –  at the very least storing them away from the front of the house so that it will be harder for a relay amplifier to detect. Better still is to place the keys in something that will block the wireless signal from being transmitted at all, and whilst some owners report a simple metal container (with lid) can suffice, a more practical option is a Faraday pouch. There are a number of these on offer, but it’s important to know that not all of them are tested and guaranteed to work, so it’s best to test it on your own car, which is easy to do  by simply placing the keys in the pouch and trying to unlock the car. If the car recognises the key, the pouch doesn’t work.

    Keyless car entry

    Jamie protected his own Focus RS with the Autowatch Ghost, and he rates it very highly

    Another option is to add a secondary aftermarket immobiliser that works independently of the original keys. Traditionally these were activated with a simple additional key fob, but modern technology means clever systems like Autowatch’s Ghost can be hard-wired to work with the car’s original CAN-bus wiring. These systems don’t require any additional switches or fobs, so the interior of the car remains untouched, but the existing buttons (on the steering wheel, door switches, or similar) can be used to de-activate the immobiliser. A specific PIN can be set up using a unique sequence of buttons, and the ignition simply will not activate without this code – even with the actual key present, not just a boosted signal relay. Furthermore, these systems can work with Apps on your smartphone, and will only de-activate the immobiliser when the phone is in the car. However, this does mean that if someone steals your phone, or hi-jacks the car with your phone in it, the immobiliser security is compromised – many professionals suggest sticking with the manually-entered PIN code. These systems have proven to be very popular with high-value modern sports and luxury cars, and have proven very successful on cars like the Mk3 Focus RS.

    Of course, then there’s always the good old-fashion physical deterrent too. While physical barriers such as steering wheel locks, wheel clamps and security posts, are by no means a guarantee against theft, the extra effort required to bypass them is often enough of a deterrent to ensure a thief chooses to target another car. Finally, a tracking device can be fitted but that will only improve the chances of finding the car and having it returned after it is stolen, which isn’t ideal for many.

    The final fail-safe is to turn off the keyless entry system all together (which can be done at a dealer), but then you lose all the added benefits of the system in the first place.

    Security issues are nothing new with a fast Ford, and as the technology of the cars progresses so too does that of the thieves. And while you’ll never make your car 100% ‘safe’ from theft, all you really need to do is make yours more difficult to steal than the next guy’s, and most thieves will target the easier option.

    From Fast Ford magazine. Words: Simon Holmes

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  • BAGGED VW BEETLE: A BUG’S LIFE

    Midge is so deep inside the modding life, he builds feature cars by accident. See this bagged VW Beetle? This was only ever meant to be a daily runabout…

    From Fast Car magazine. Words: Dan Bevis. Photos: Daniel Pullen

    The new-wave Volkswagen Beetle has always been a bit of an outsider on the modding scene. Its cute retro looks ensured that it was a decent seller when the covers first came off back in 1998, and there was a decent range of specs and options available – but there’s no escaping the fact that quite a lot of the Bugs we see today are slightly battered yellow snotters with puny power and flower stickers gummed all over them. To those in the know, however, there was a very cool option in the form of the Turbo Beetle; that’s right, VW saw fit to drop a 1.8T in there and, while this wasn’t the most popular variant in the showrooms, it had huge potential by virtue of the fact that the Beetle is basically a Mk4 Golf underneath.

    The fact that this car is an outsider fits in pretty neatly with the modding adventures of our Midge. He’s always been a bit of an outsider himself, you see. That may sound like a weird thing to say given that he’s been sat right at the core of the UK modifying scene for the last couple of decades or so, and has been a central part of Fast Car for the last seventeen years, but there’s something important you need to know about Midge: he really does not give one single solitary f*ck what anybody thinks.

    Bagged VW Beetle

    That’s not to say he’s uncaring, of course. He’s one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. It’s just that his modifying mantra has always been that you build your project car for yourself. There’s no point creating something to please other people; sure, it’s nice if folk like what you’ve done, that’s always a good feeling – but the whole point of modding a car is to do it the way you want it. He’s in it for the artistry, always has been. It’s not just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.

    “If it’s right, it’s right,” he says. “I’m not trying to push any boundaries with new ideas, everything just needs to be right for the car.”

    Bagged VW Beetle

    Bagged VW Beetle: Getting The Bug

    This is very much a standpoint that he’s earned, as Midge has been building awesome cars since he was in short trousers. Well, he still does wear short trousers (y’know, because he’s short), but you know what we mean. Every car he’s built has been on his own terms – his own personal concept of what’s cool. And, as with so many feature car owners that have appeared in these pages over the decades, there’s one overriding notion that binds the community together: getting a bit carried away.

    “The Beetle was never meant to be a show car or a feature car,” he ponders, casting an eye over his creation with the slightly dazed expression of a man who’s only just realised what he’s done. “I originally bought this car as a daily driver about four or five years ago; it was a decent low-mileage example, and you don’t find a lot of Turbo Beetles about – to begin with I was kinda thinking I’d make it match the TT, make them a set of twins.”

    Bagged VW Beetle

    You’ll find the Audi TT in a few weeks time on the site, but the first thing you’ll notice is that it’s beige. Which the Beetle, er, isn’t. In fact, for a while this Bug was wearing some very cool rusty paint, the sort that you slap on and rough up to give the car a bit of rat-look without actually having any rust – all very tongue-in-cheek, particularly when you make your plastic bumpers all rusty. But as time went on and the list of mods got longer and stuffed with higher-quality equipment, Midge reached an epiphanic turning point. Quite simply, he felt that the car deserved better.

    “I wanted to pay the bagged VW Beetle a bit of respect,” he reasons, and you can’t really argue with that. As a low-mileage example of a rare car, with all sorts of love and attention being paid to the specs, it was too good to be a jokey ratter. It was time to level-up. So Midge decided to pay a visit to Kwok, renowned paintsmith at Kode, to elevate things to the next level.

    Bagged VW Beetle

    Before we talk about the paint, however, it’s important to acknowledge just how far the car had come. Having started as a cheapish daily, it was never the plan to, for example, fit a pair of Cobra Misano recliners and trim the whole interior in teal vinyl – and yet that, somehow, is where we find ourselves. And being the all-in sort of guy he is, there had to be a quality audio install too, because bangin’ installs is where it all started for Midge. High-end sounds have always been a key part of the equation. The magic wasn’t just happening inside either: under the bonnet, he was keen to get stuck in and make some improvements, because the 1.8T comes in a relatively mild state of tune in the Bug, and we all know how much potential they have. So now we’re looking at a RamAir intake, Forge diverter valve, custom EMP 3-inch turbo-back exhaust, Phantom Tuning ECU map and a few other tweaks and tricks to get it all singing from the Fast Car hymn sheet. Trust us, this little Dub sounds badass, and it ain’t exactly shy about lifting up its skirts and haring for the horizon.

    Life on air

    Lifting is something it does rather well actually, as the little dude’s done right by the Mk4 platform and shoved a full Air Lift Performance setup in there, airing out over a set of Rota D154s which are just dripping in motorsport chic. You see, all the pieces are in place for a full-on build – this daily runabout morphed into a show-quality ride without Midge even realising. That’s just how good he is. So the rust paint, as wicked as it looked, suddenly didn’t seem all that appropriate.

    “I’ve known Kwok for years, and we’d always talked about him painting one of my cars,” he explains. “When I dropped the bagged VW Beetle off to him, it was really only meant to be for a quick blow-over – but by the time I got home he was already sending me pictures of the car with the wings removed and stuff. Those guys work fast! So it turned into a full repaint, and the colour is a VW shade – Pure Grey. I was thinking about going Nardo, but then Glenn suggested this colour and I knew right away it was the right one. Something a bit more sympathetic, more respectful to the car. I always wanted to give it a retro look, pay tribute to the history of the old air-cooled Volkswagens and bring it up to date, and this colour’s done that perfectly. In fact, I might even paint the TT to match!”

    That’s just how quickly and easily these projects can change direction. Midge never sets out with an over-arching plan, he doesn’t buy a car and immediately draw up a mental list of what he wants to achieve with it and what the end-point should be. Because there is no end-point. He’s not a man who ever likes selling cars, unless he has to, they just keep on morphing and evolving as time goes on, because he simply can’t stop buggering about with them. A tweak here, a change there, and suddenly loads of stuff has happened without him really thinking about it. That’s just how elbows-deep in the scene our favourite little garage-hobbit is. He only meant for this car to be a daily runabout, and he’s built it into the UK’s coolest bagged VW Beetle Turbo totally by accident. It’s just how Midge rolls.

    Bagged VW Beetle

    Tech Spec: Bagged VW Beetle

    Styling:

    Full repaint in VW Pure Grey with gloss black roof, flush bonnet, side repeaters deleted, Autobra bonnet bra, Team Heko wind deflectors, Tauro Designs 3D plate, tinted headlights and indicators, grille and wing mirrors

    Tuning:

    1.8T, RamAir intake, SAI delete, Forge diverter valve, Samco Sport TIP, boost and auxiliary hoses, custom EMP 3-inch turbo-back exhaust, Phantom Tuning ECU map, colour-coded engine cover, custom trimmed slam, black caps

    Chassis:

    8.5×18-inch Rota D154 (ET15) – painted gloss black, 215/40 Toyo Proxes Sport tyres, black tuner bolts, EBC USR discs with YellowStuff pads, Air Lift Performance 3P air-ride kit

    Interior:

    Cobra Misano recliners in custom teal vinyl, rear seats, doorcards, parcel shelf and armrest retrimmed to match, Kode steering wheel, Mishimoto shift knob, plastics painted black with colour-coded doorcards

    Audio:

    Kenwood headunit, JL Audio front components and rear co-axials, Kicker 5-channel amplifier, Kicker CompC subwoofer and passive radiator in ported enclosure, Dynamat sound deadening

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