Mazda Xedos 6

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Mazda Xedos 6
Curb weight
1,140–1,296 kg (2,513–2,857 lb)[5]

The Mazda Xedos 6 and Eunos 500 are compact executive cars that were produced between 1992 and 1999, with the Xedos 6 being sold in Europe by Mazda, and the Eunos 500 being sold in Japan and Australia by Eunos. The cars were not sold in North America, with the larger Xedos 9/Millenia model offered there instead. In total, 72,101 Xedos 6 and Eunos 500 automobiles were produced.[6]

History

The rear of a Eunos 500.
1992-1996 Eunos 500 (Australia)

The Eunos 500 was initially presented at the 1991

Left-hand drive versions of the Xedos 6, destined for mainland Europe, were first produced in 1993.[6] The car's exterior styling was often praised by reviewers,[7][8] with Honest John stating that it "could have been the prototype for a new small Jaguar - with Mazda reliability,"[9] however, the interior was also criticized for being too dull.[10] There were also plans to market the car under the Amati 300 name, but they did not come to fruition.[11]

The Xedos 6 was available with two different engines: a 1.6-litre

Euro 2 standards.[6] The 1.6-litre versions, as well as the 2.0 Sport model, were withdrawn from production in 1998, a year before the remaining versions were withdrawn.[7]

The Eunos 500 used different engines to the European models. The 1.6-litre engine was not offered in Japan, with the base model instead being a 1.8-litre K8-ZE V6,[16] producing 140 PS (103 kW; 138 hp) and having a top speed of 195 km/h (121 mph).[17] The 2-litre V6 was offered in Japan, but in a higher state of tune; Japanese models produced 160 PS (118 kW; 158 hp) from their KF-ZE engines,[16] and had a top speed of 205 km/h (127 mph).[18] For 1994, a 1.8-litre straight-four was introduced as the new base model, with a power output of 115 PS (85 kW; 113 hp),[19] whilst the 1.8-litre V6 was discontinued.[20] In 1996, following Mazda's decision to axe the Eunos brand,[21] the Eunos 500 was rebranded as the Mazda Eunos 500, and remained in production under that name until 1999.[22]

Motorsport

The Xedos 6 was used in the

Snetterton,[25] and three fourth-place finishes.[26][27][28] He finished 15th in the championship, two points behind former champion Tim Harvey in the works Renault 19.[23] Mazda were classified eighth, and last, in the manufacturer's championship.[23]
For 1994, Roger Dowson Engineering and Team Dynamics ran the works Mazdas, with David Leslie and Matt Neal being entered in a two-car team,[29] but the season would prove to be less successful. Neal was forced to withdraw from the series after suffering injuries from a big crash in the sixth round at Silverstone,[30] whilst Leslie withdrew halfway through the season due to budgetary problems.[31] Leslie's best finishes were a pair of eighth positions at the first two rounds,[32][33] whilst Neal's was a tenth at Snetterton.[34] Neal finished 23rd in the championship, level with privateers James Thompson and Nigel Smith, whilst Leslie finished 20th.[35] Mazda were classified tenth, and last, in the manufacturer's championship.[35] The Xedos 6's running gear was later used in a 323F built for the 1994 FIA Touring Car World Cup and driven by Neal.[36]

References

  1. ^ "Automobile".
  2. ^ a b "Mazda Xedos 6 (92-00) 2.0i V6 Sport 4d - MPG, Dimensions & Performance". Parkers. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  3. ^ "Mazda Xedos 6 (92-00) 2.0i V6 SE 4d Auto - MPG, Dimensions & Performance". Parkers. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Mazda Xedos 6 (92-00) Dimensions - Facts and Figures". Parkers. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Xedos 6". Xedos community. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Хронология модели Mazda Xedos 6 | Mazda Xedos 6 FAQ : Mazda Xedos Клуб". Xedos6.su. 2011-05-26. Archived from the original on 2014-03-11. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  7. ^ a b c "Car Reviews - Mazda Xedos 6 (1992-1999)". RAC. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  8. ^ Ruppert, James (10 January 2013). "Mazda Xedos 6 - Top 10 used Mazdas". MSN Cars UK. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  9. ^ a b "Mazda Xedos 6 1992 - Car Review - What's Good". Honest John. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  10. ^ Crouch, Jonathan (10 October 2005). "Mazda Xedos 6 (1992 - 1999): Mazda's Image-Maker". Yahoo! Cars. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  11. ^ Hughes, Chris (30 August 2010). "Mazda Cars - Find Out The Car Maker's Origins and More". Daily News Dig. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  12. ^ "Mazda Xedos 6: Model Identification". Mazda Electronic Parts Catalogue. Mazda Motor Corporation. AECA01.
  13. ^ "Mazda Xedos 6 1992 - Car Review - What's Bad". Honest John. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  14. ^ "Mazda Xedos 6 (92-00) Performance - Facts and Figures". Parkers. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  15. ^ "Mazda Xedos 6 (92-00) Running Costs - Facts and Figures". Parkers. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  16. ^ a b Knowling, Michael. "The Mazda V6 Guide". AutoSpeed. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  17. ^ "Eunos-500 1.8 i V6 24V 140 HP. Car Technical Data". Automobilio.INFO. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  18. ^ "Eunos-500 2.0 i V6 24V 160 HP. Car Technical Data". Automobilio.INFO. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  19. ^ "MAZDA EUNOS 500 1.8 18J (03.1994 - 12.1995)". CARS-DIRECTORY.NET. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  20. ^ "Mazda Eunos 500: Information about model, images gallery and complete modifications list". Cars-Database.com. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  21. ^ "History" (PDF). Mazda Cars Ltd. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  22. ^ "1996-1999 Mazda Eunos 500 VIN Car History - Check your VIN number history". VIN Car History. Archived from the original on 30 March 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  23. ^ a b c "Results - BTCC - 1993 - Final Championship Standings". TouringCars.net. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  24. ^ Watkins, Gary (8 February 2012). "Long-time BTCC team owner Roger Dowson dies aged 67 - BTCC news". AUTOSPORT.com. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  25. ^ "Snetterton: out with the old". British Touring Car Championship. 3 August 2011. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  26. ^ "Results - BTCC - 1993 - Donington Park GP Round 4 Results". TouringCars.net. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  27. ^ "Results - BTCC - 1993 - Knockhill Round 10 Results". TouringCars.net. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  28. ^ "Results - BTCC - 1993 - Knockhill Round 11 Results". TouringCars.net. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  29. ^ Blackmore, Andy (23 January 2009). "RETROSPECTIVE>> MAZDA AND EUROPEAN TIN-TOPS". Speedhunters. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  30. ^ "BTCC Drivers - Matt Neal". British Touring Car Championship. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  31. ^ "BTCC: Team Petronas signs David Leslie for 2002 campaign". Motorsport.com. 13 December 2001. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  32. ^ "Results - BTCC - 1994 - Thruxton Round 1 Results". TouringCars.net. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  33. ^ "Results - BTCC - 1994 - Brands Hatch Indy Round 2 Results". TouringCars.net. Archived from the original on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  34. ^ "Results - BTCC - 1994 - Snetterton Round 4 Results". TouringCars.net. Archived from the original on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  35. ^ a b "Results - BTCC - 1994 - Final Championship Standings". TouringCars.net. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  36. ^ Blackmore, Andy (23 January 2009). "Retrospective - Mazda and European Tin-Tops". Speedhunters. Retrieved 19 June 2013.