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Mazda Awards and Records

During the last 90 years, if it meant a clear benefit for its customers, Mazda was willing to take a risk. This led to a corporate culture based on innovative engineering, which is a feature that both the media and customers have rewarded generously over the years. Mazda has won a over 1,100 awards since 1955 with well over half of these coming in just the last eight years – or since the introduction of today’s Zoom-Zoom line-up in 2002. Even more amazing is that, since 2002, well over a third of these awards have been first or second place trophies in Car of the Year contests around the world. 

Awards rain down on Mazda’s Rotary Engine

The long story of Mazda awards starts after it launched the rotary-engine RX-2 in 1971, which won Car of the Year in both Japan and the United States in 1972. This rotary engine would also win several prestigious engineering and technology awards, including The Mainichi Industrial Technology Development Award for its carbon-based apex seal. This success would continue with the RX-7, which won the Car of the Year ’78 Grand Prix award, was named Best Sports Car in the USA in 1979, and won Car of the Decade in Japan in 1980.Three successful generations of RX-7 sports cars would follow with non-stop improvement and development of the concept. In 2003 Mazda launched a new-generation rotary engine called RENESIS in the sport coupe RX-8. Mazda had pushed the envelope even further and produced a rotary engine that used far less fuel and was Euro Stage IV compliant. This achievement was recognised by Australia’s Wheels magazine who named the RX-8 2003’s Car of the Year. That same year, the RX-8 RENESIS aggregate won International Engine of the Year trophies in 3 categories: Best New Engine, Best Engine in the 2.5 - 3.0 litre Category, despite its actual displacement of only 1.3 litres (2 x 654 cm³) and the ultimate prize of Engine of the Year. In fact, RENESIS so impressed that it won its category in 2004 as well. 

Mazda’s Triumphant Compacts – the 323 and Mazda3

Mazda has always been a pioneer when it comes to making small cars – the current Mazda2 won the first-ever World Car of the Year Award in 2008. But most of its awards have come in the compact class. In 1980Mazda’s first modern compact, the front-wheel drive 323, won first place in the European Car of the Year award, and Car of the Year trophies in Japan, Australia and New Zealand in 1981. It went on to win Import Car of the Year in the USA in 1983 and a total of 74 awards altogether. But this was just the beginning. Its successor, the first-generation Mazda3, would do even better and win a total of 99 awards in just seven years (2003 – 2010). Several of these came the year it was launched, 2003, including runner-up in the European Car of the Year contest; and Car of the Year in Denmark, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Japan (RJC Best 6). In 2004, it won Car of the Year in nine countries and it would continue to win trophies – including a host of Best Small Car Awards in Australia – all the way to 2009. The second-generation Mazda3 has been very successful in its first two years on the market as well, winning 23 global awards to date. Along with the mid-sized Mazda6, the Mazda2 and Mazda3 were category winners in the 2009 Carsales Network People’s Choice Awards.

MX-5 – Mazda’s award-winning roadster

The world’s love affair began with the MX-5 when it made its debut at the Chicago Auto Show in February 1989. Since then, the MX-5 has won over 180 international awards including being a two-time winner of Wheels Car of the Year in Australia in 1989 (first generation MX-5) and 2005 (second generation MX-5) plus the 2006 Wheels Automotive Design Award.

Mazda Environmental Awards

Mazda has also won a host of important environmental awards. In the USA, the current Mazda MX-5 roadster was awarded Most Efficient Two-Seater by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Mazda Tribute Hybrid was among five finalists in the Green Car of the Year contest, both awards coming in 2008. A year later, the first-generation Mazda6 (facelift version) was named the Environmental Transport Association’s Best Large Family Car in the UK. Not to be outdone, the second-generation Mazda6 won Greenest Petrol Car on the Royal Dutch Touring Club’s ECOTEST in 2008 in the Netherlands. But the most successful Mazda environmental technology of all is its fuel-saving start/stop system, i-stop,  which has already won six awards since being launched overseas in 2009. Mazda was also awarded a JSAE award in 2010 for research that led to the manufacture of its revolutionary single-nanotechnology catalyst currently used in petrol variants of Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX-7. These innovations are part of Mazda’s Sustainable Zoom-Zoom strategy, which will see the launch of new efficient SKY-Technology engines and transmissions in Australia starting next year.

Mazda Records

The MX-5 roadster and Mazda’s rotary-engine cars currently hold perhaps the most high-profile company records. Mazda MX-5, which last year celebrated its 20th anniversary in Australia, is entered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the best selling open-top, two-seat sports car in history. Judging by the popularity of the current model, it will probably continue to hold this record for years to come. In 1991, Mazda entered the record books as the first (and only manufacturer to date) to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a rotary-engine car, the Mazda 787B, and it also became the first and only Japanese carmaker ever to win this gruelling event so far. The Mazda RX-7 holds the distinction of be being the best-selling rotary-engine sports car in history, with well over 1.8 million units sold. And in 2004, Mazda RX-8 set 40 international FIA speed and endurance records at proving grounds in Papenburg, Germany – continuing a long Mazda tradition of proving the sportiness and durability of its rotary engine concept on the track.