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An interesting refinement of the transmission, which helps to avoid the sluggishness of many automatics is that it changes down from fourth to third on deceleration at about 30 m.p.h., and goes to lower gears as required ready for snappy acceleration. The top speed is 114 m.p.h. for the

haveиbecome leading innovators. Mazda's new small car, the 121, reflects the philosophical change. Although the main concept of a small car with transverse engine and front-wheel drive is conventional enough in modern terms, a detailed look reveals fresh slants on old problems. Unusual is the combination of electric action with a sliding framed-canvas type of sunroof, which is offered as an extra at £700. This provides a huge opening almost Citroen 2CV style, yet by using modern aerodynamics it has been possible to provide a car that can be driven fully open without wind buffeting.

GermanбАmaterial is used for the folding roof, which is laminated with a p.v.c. layer for elasticity, andДhas a triple sealing joint between the frame and the sun-top material. The sliding action stops at any point when the operating switch is released.

If the sun top is ordered, the radio/cassette unit fitted as standard will automatically be of lift-out type so that it can be stored away from the car and not be an inducement for thieves to slash the roof open.

To reduce internal friction, the engine hasИthinner piston rings, slim valve stems, small rocker shafts, a lightened flywheel, and a trochoidalgeared oil pump driven directly off the crankshaft.

The power unit is the Mazda B-Series four-cylinder with single overhead camshaft and small combustion chambers that are said to give better thermal efficiency. Tournament-type intake manifold tracts achieve a more

even mixture distribution.

Many designers fit a warning light to remind the driver that the choke has been left open after a cold start. Mazda goes one better than this, and fits a magnetic choke, which cancels automatically as soon as it is no longer needed.

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To make the rear suspension compact, Mazda has used a torsionbeam axle with trailing arms – a cheap means of providing lateral rigidity and combining anti-roll properties (an arrangement first made popular by Volkswagen).

To afford more flexibility in interior accommodation, the backseat is

Сmounted on runners like the front ones. If only children are being carried in

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the back, a lever is raised to allow the seat to slide forward about four inches, making extra space available for luggage.

In addition, there is the usual provision for the backrest to drop on theиsquab for extra load space. It is divided centrally, although the cushion is in one piece. When the rear compartment is unoccupied, the seat can be folded together scissors fashion, and tipped forward to the vertical giving huge extra luggage space.

ManyбАcars can match that, but few have the Mazda's clever facility for both front and rear backrests to fold flat, with headrests removed, making a passable emergency bed.

Poor features of the new small Mazda are the rather thin upholstery used for the seats, tending to become uncomfortable on quite short journeys, and the rather obscure instrument marking, in orange on black, which does not show up as well as might be expected.

With this original new baby car, Mazda hopes to capture many new, younger customers, whom they will try to retain as they graduate to bigger and more expensive cars. It will costД£6.149 in the form as tried, with 1.3- litre engine, or £5.499 as a 1.1.

Also, although it may seem extravagant use of valuable Japanese import quota to introduce a small car, Mazda has its eye on a not too distant time when the 121 will be firmly established on the market and will then become sourced from South Korea, when it willИby-pass the quota restrictions – well, as constituted at present, anyhow.

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TEST YOURSELF

Task 1. Supply the missing word parts in paragraph (5). Task 2. Make up one question to each paragraph.

Task 3. Answer the question (in writing):Is the car a problem or passion for you?

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CARS: PASSION OR PROBLEM?

(1) For some people, the car is a convenient form of transportation.

But for others, the car is an exciting hobby. Some people spend their lives collectingиvaluable cars. Others drive them in races. For many people, cars are more than transportation: they are a source of passion and pleasure. Yet cars can also be a source of many problems.

(2) In 1903, Henry Ford began selling the Model T car for $825. His company, FordбАMotors, was the first to produce cars in large numbers. This made the car available to large numbers of people and helped them to travel long distances quickly and easily. The car has brought people much closer to places of work, study, and entertainment. Many people also work in car-related industries: fixing cars, washing cars, advertising cars, and selling car products such as stereos and cellular phones.

(3) Most Americans buy a new car every five or six years. This means that one American may own a dozen cars in a lifetime. In fact, there are more cars than people in the United States. In New York City, 2.5 million cars move in and out of the city each day. In this traffic, the average speed is sometimes 8.1 miles per hour. This speed could easily be reached by riding a horse instead of driving a car. But New Yorkers continue to drive, just as people do in California, where freeways are often very

(5) The electric c__ __1) is not a n__ __2) idea. It h__ __3) success with Amer__ __ __ __4) women in t__ __5) early 1900s. Women li__ __ __6) electric cars bec__ __ __ __7) they were qu__ __ __8) and did n__ __9) pollute the a__ __10). Electric cars we__ __11) also easier t__12) start than gasoline__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __13) ones. But gaso-

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line__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __14) cars were fas__ __ __15), and in t__ __16)

(6) Today there is a new interest in the electric car, which is partly related to a passion for speed and new technology. In 1977, engineer Paul MacCready designed a human-powered airplane that successfully completed a three-mileбАflight. A similar airplane crossed the English Channel in 1979, followed by a solar-powered airplane. In 1987, the Sunraycer, a so- lar-powered car, won a 2,000-mile race in Australia. As a result of this success, the General Motors Company began new work on the development of the electric car. Many engineers believe that the electric car will lead to other forms of technology being used for transportation.

(7) Cars may change, but their importance will not. Cars are important to nearly everyone, including engineers, businesspeople, environmentalists, and even poets. Poet Curt Brown believes that cars are part of our passion for new places and newДexperiences. According to Brown, this “very, very comfortable flying chair” will continue to bring us travel and adventure, no matter how it changes in the future.

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VOCABULARY

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