The trophy is Mazda"s...
The trophy is Mazda"s first win on home soil for 23 years - the manufacturer last took the important prize in 1983 with the Capella saloon. At a ceremony in Tokyo last week, the MX-5 roadster was crowned the best car of 2005 by select local journalists, including Auto Express"s Japanese editor, Peter Lyon. The newcomer beat its rivals after being awarded 447 points out of a maximum of 600.
Performance fans will...
Performance fans will love the sleek Firepower concept. Based on a Dodge Viper, the luxurious grand tourer is powered by a 6.1-litre V8, but a UK-based spokesman told us: "The Firepower is more Aston Martin than Viper."
Meanwhile, the Jeep Gladiator FUT, or Flexible Utility Truck, has an expanding loadbed and a side-mounted spare wheel. Some of the car"s styling will appear on the next Wrangler. "The Wrangler has been a big success, so making the Gladiator can only be a good thing," said the spokesman. The pick-up has the same 2.8-litre turbodiesel as the new Cherokee, which is due here in January.