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Noteworthy Trivia


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Trivia

  • Mazda is the only remaining manufacturer of Wankel rotary engine automobiles, and is the only manufacturer to produce 3-rotor Wankel engines for production.
  • Mazda is the only manufacturer to produce a rotary pickup truck (B-series based), bus (1974 Mazda Parkway) and stationwagon (Mazda RX3 wagon).
  • Mazda is the only Asian/American automaker to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, which the company accomplished in 1991 with their rotary-powered 787B. It is the only car not powered by a piston engine to win at Le Mans.
  • Mazda had the distinction of having the first foreign CEO to head a Japanese/American car company: former Ford Motor Company CFO, Scottish-born Henry Wallace in 1996. Many Japanese media outlets at the time reacted in shock and horror, and wondered if Ford would cut jobs. He was followed by Ford President James Miller in 1997, and Mark Fields in 1999 until 2001, when he was tapped to lead Ford's Premier Automotive Group and handed the reins to Lewis Booth. Lewis Booth went back to Ford in 2003 and Mazda Director Hisakazu Imaki is now CEO.
  • The Zoom Zoom Zoom song by Serapis Bey (used in current commercials in Europe and Japan) was recorded long before it became the official song for Mazda. It was recorded for the movie Only The Strong which was released in 1993.
  • While television ads for Mazda automobiles in the United States use a pronunciation where the initial vowel sound is similar to the word "mod", Canadian Mazda advertisements pronounce the company's name with the initial "a" sound of the word "can". However, both initial vowel sounds in the company's name were derived from its original Persian pronunciation of the name's first and second A.
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JWL

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Many may have noticed a marking on wheels with a visible logo "JWL". Japanese wheels must have a "JWL" logo on the wheel and "JWL" (Japan Light Wheel Alloy) is a compilation of standards defined by the Japanese Government to ensure the vehicle's safety for aluminum road wheels. Every wheel put to market must be tested to meet JWL standards before a wheel can be put out to market in Japan. These standards are generally accepted worldwide as acceptable for most road conditions. That is why you will see these marks on European and other Asian country wheels.

 

JWL TESTS:

 

  1. Cornering Fatigue Test (Drum Endurance Test)

    The purpose of this test is for checking wheel rim strength and durability. Place a wheel assembly with tire on test equipment. Radial stress is then added to simulate vehicle weight.

     

    Test run 500,000 cycles

    After 500,000 cycles inspect for cracks, deformation and any nut loosening.

  2. Radial Load Fatigue Test (Rotary Bending Test)

    JWL pass criteria: 100,000 cycles

    The purpose of this test is for checking durability of the wheel disc. The spokes and the hub are the first point of weight distribution from the vehicle and spoke strength is gauged by this test.

     

    Place a wheel on testing equipment and by adding bending stress to center of disc –

     

    Test run 100,000 cycles

    After 100,000 cycles, inspect for cracks, deformation and any nut loosening.

  3. 13 Degree Impact Test

    JWL pass criteria: 594 kg

     

    The main purpose of test is for checking strength between rim and disc cross section. The "joint" or the area where the spoke and the rim meet is an important structural area that is subject to great stress. The horizontal weight of the rim and the vertical stress of the spokes meet at this joint and proper structural stability is crucial for a proper wheel.

     

    The wheel assembly is placed with tire tilted 13 degrees from horizontal plane on testing equipment.

     

    A preset weight is dropped on the outer sidewall of tire, thus giving impact to the wheel/tire. Then inspect for cracks, deformation and air leak.

     

    This test is very important for the recent trend of a larger/wider wheel with lower profile tire combination, because there is less air volume than OE wheel/tire and more stress to inner rim section. This test simulates actual usage condition such as hitting corner curb or objects from side.

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R26B

 

The most prominent 4-rotor engine from Mazda was used exclusively for various Mazda-built GT cars (including the 767 and 787B) in replacement of the older 13J. In 1991 this engine in a 787B became the first from outside the U.S. or Western Europe and the first (and so far only) car with a rotary engine to win outright the 24 hours of Le Mans race. It displaced 2622 cc and built 700 hp (522 kW) at 9000RPM. The engine design originates as a single 13B with an additional rotor and housing added at each end and with continually variable geometry intakes. The R26B's engine block can be purchased at retail from Mazdaspeed, but no internal parts are available to the general public.

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