What Happened to Mazda's Secret Luxury Brand?

[@dakotarodgers9988]

Donuts best show. This is the show that just doesn’t run out of topics. It’s gold. Nolan, you and the team rule.

[@Donut]

Thank you Dakota! Our editors work really hard, couldn't do it without everyone behind the scenes.

[@TerribleUsernameAmirite]

I generally agree. Ironically this episode covers the same topic as they did on their podcast some time ago. Exception to the rule this one.

[@coleworldcole9438]

And that’s everything you need to know… to get you up to on wait

[@poppachoppa8956]

@@TerribleUsernameAmirite well for KZbin viewers this is a first, and it is their largest audience lol

[@euro_odyssey]

its rose gold, not "gold" gold. theres a difference

[@icecold8974]

I thought you would mention the Mazda 929 and Mazda Millenia. Those were considered more luxurious! I’ve own about 6 Mazda’s. Two 626’s ES-V6 with manuals, 3 Mazda6’s and one 3s. They were all pretty fun and reliable, despite some early transmission issues that automatics faced!

[@ToyotaRescueFarm]

They touch on it in their podcast on the subject

[@mklphoto]

The Cosmo as well.

[@nostraanus]

Or the Eunos brand. And Xedos.

[@ozamatazbuckshank.]

I own two Mazdas, and it's safe to say I'm a fan. Their current move upmarket comes as no surprise to me given their history and plans for Amati. Mazda's a tiny, boutique brand, and I'm always rooting for them.

[@dylanhughes5944]

Mazda cheaped out on parts for my US Mazda 2 (scion ia), the brakes squeak every 5-10k miles and I have to get it lubed for 90-120 bucks each time, or do it myself in an apartment complex... just to have quiet brakes. The backing plate gets bone dry and turns into a violin. The brake shoes would still have 90% of its life left

[@zachsmcl]

@@dylanhughes5944 so Toyota. Because it's a scion

[@Cottontail_GTI]

@@zachsmcl it’s more like a Mazda than like a Toyota.

[@ldmtag]

I might not understand the true DNA of Mazda but I want them to make a cool rotary hybrid offroady SUV. Kinda like the new Land Rover Defender but a rotary range extender PHEV and more reliable

[@tchum9190]

@@ldmtag rotary hybrid? that would be very expensive, hard, and just not efficient to sell or produce. Even though I love rotary's, sadly no car manufacture is going to produce them anymore due to their unreliability.

[@jameswillard1]

There is one major piece of this puzzle missing that I can’t honestly believe was left out.....the Mazda Millenia was a still born Amati product. The lineup was going to be a 12 Cylinder flagship and an ES300/J30 mid size sedan fighter. The flagship never made it to prototype form but what was to be the Amati mid size sedan had reached so far into development that it was finished and produced/sold by Mazda as the Millenia debuting in 1994 as a 1995 model. Infact for a short time it was sold alongside the Mazda 929 in Mazda showrooms, which was similar in price and size. It’s Miller Cycle supercharged 6-cylinder won a ton of awards and the car was very well received.

[@lesliereissner4711]

I had a 2000 Mazda Millenia Millenium Edition, which I bought pretty cheaply in 2002. They had among the worst depreciation of any car sold so I had a very good deal. It was a well-built, good-looking car, fully equipped and with that Miller Cycle engine. It was a massive sales flop as Mazda had the car but no Amati dealerships so trying to sell it for US$45,000 at Mazda dealerships where customers were not in the market for fancy luxury cars didn't work out. The company made no effort whatever to promote the car. Reputed to have major transmission issues but I never experienced that during my ownership.

[@87isbmw]

And it's the only car in scrap yards that has a twin screw.

[@jameswillard1]

@@87isbmw well most 25 year old mass produced cars do end up in junk yards by this point in their life...... with the exception of a 87 BMW 325is’s 😂

[@87isbmw]

@@jameswillard1 lol there are maybe two within 250mi of here in scrap yards and the bay area used to have 3 or more per yard, wild how times change.

[@randypozdnikoff4099]

want to buy a 2001 Millenia S ?? I know where one is ! it's black with tan interior with low kms.

[@jaybeemhardscrote7466]

6:46 actually the VW-Audi "W" 12 engine design was a bit different from the one in the Amati project. It had two cylinder heads instead of three. The Amati engine was a true W layout while the VW one is a double VR layout.

[@ivangamer8022]

Why do rice people always call their cars with italian names?

[@grievuspwn4g3]

@@absolootdisaster1060 as a former European boy, we are sorry America has such a problem sticking to maintenance requirements.

[@j.d.saccociates3313]

I'm not even sure I consider the VR to be really much different than an inline layout

[@pajen6849]

@@absolootdisaster1060 Depends on what kind of Euro, to put french reliability and swedish reliability in the same group is almost a crime

[@muhammadwahyuhidayat21498]

@@absolootdisaster1060 maybe, just like Audi engine a8 2004 brought the sedan sales foward in marketing brand ever.

[@Parc--Ferme]

Honourable mention though, the Eunos Cosmo that Mazda Launched in the early 90's, which featured a 3 ROTOR and a sequential twin turbo! This thing was epic, and was their one stab at the luxo market that actually made it to production. At the time it was the most powerful car produced in Japan too.

[@evelynkinson5524]

They also made the mx5 na with the eunos badge and it was also sold in eunos dealerships under the model name "roadster"

[@AnthroGearhead]

The Eunos Cosmo is also more reliable than the RX7s combine as well

[@PachezZ]

@@evelynkinson5524 Xedos 6 and Xedos 9 was also sold as eunos, not in the us tho...

[@rowanhilliard368]

Eunos Cosmo is the best one Mazda made I think

[@AnthroGearhead]

@@rowanhilliard368 theres a bunch of them driving around in their birth place in factory condition

[@EntyFu]

Just to make it clear, > means greater and < means lesser. It's opposite on 3:17 and 3:47

[@Revengeance_]

Doesn't matter the direction, whichever one is on the same side as the open is the greater one and whichever one the closed end is facing is the smaller one

[@EntyFu]

@@Revengeance_ the direction DOES matter. If the direction doesn't matter, math is fucked.

[@msudawg1997]

Glad to see that I wasn't the only one to notice this error in the graphic.

[@timwedemeyer]

I get it that this episode is about Amati, which relates to US, but I’m surprised you didn’t mention Eunos and the Cosmo which was sold in Japan.

[@somedude6598]

Or mention Efini, which was Mazda's luxury brand that did survive until the late 90s

[@AlfredvanKuik]

The Eunoses were also marketed as Xedos in Europe.

[@gripautotimepieces]

Eunos was introduced as separate luxury brand to mazda in Australia (basically amati) with the flagship 800 model to compete with infiniti and lexus. So yes it did succeed (made it to the public) in other countries in other forms

[@timwedemeyer]

Known that Eunos were outside Japan. I’m Australian, so definitely seen plenty of Eunos in 90s. I was saying the Cosmo was sold in Japan, being that the episode was about luxury cars. The Eunos 30X or Eunos 500 that were sold in Australia isn’t at that luxury car level of Lexus.

[@timwedemeyer]

Agree with Lieutenant Swampert that Efini should have got a mention too.

[@SiddharthJaggavarapu]

I feel that Mazda not having a separate luxury division allowed them to make the regular Mazdas feel more upscale than Toyotas and Hondas.

[@reneeharewood5053]

They didnt have a choice , is best to find your own space sometimes an if it works out stick to it, tryin to compete isnt always neccessary ...

[@narnatzu]

@Jason King yep

[@jay.fromthebay]

This is exactly why Mazda is moving upmarket now.

[@reneeharewood5053]

@@jay.fromthebay good for them

[@jmunayer]

Idk if it allowed them to or if they felt like that would be their competitive advantage. Basically they are positioning themselves as the Japanese Volvo.

[@jbb3675]

The Amati was clearly the inspiration behind both the 929 and the Millenia. Kind of disappointed that neither of those were mentioned...

[@hgoodman9]

Yeh that seems like an oversight!

[@memyself879]

929 was made way before Amati to be inspired by it

[@Djgioalv]

@@memyself879 probably meant the last generation which is very similar to the Millenia

[@joshdobson2737]

The Mazda Millenia and the 929 always impressed me, even the MPV awd!.......oddballs but cool!

[@graemeottey]

In Australia they were called Eunos and we had the 30X, 500, 800 and 800M. All were very powerful and well featured for the time.

[@headers12]

I literally never knew they existed. Love learning new car trivia.

[@youra6748]

I'd love to be your pretty pink beautiful dep Aishite.Tokyo/Tatsuhisha?Love-Me ''Amazed'' Lips: ''Sensual'' Smile: ''Sweeter'' Body: ''Colder'' Жизнь, как красивая мелодия, только песни перепутались.​ Köz karaş: ''Taŋ kaldım'' Erinder: ''Sezimdüü'' Jılmayuu: ''Tattuuraak'' Dene: ''Muzdak'' Jizn, kak krasivaya melodiya, tolko pesni pereputalis.​ Aç köz arstan Bul ukmuştuuday ısık kün bolçu, jana arstan abdan açka bolgon. Uyunan çıgıp, tigi jer-jerdi izdedi. Al kiçinekey koyondu gana taba algan. Al bir az oylonboy koyondu karmadı. ''Bul koyon menin kursagımdı toyguza albayt'' dep oylodu arstan. Arstan koyondu öltüröyün dep jatkanda, bir kiyik tigi tarapka çurkadı. Arstan aç köz bolup kaldı. Kiçine koyondu emes, çoŋ kiyikti jegen jakşı dep oylodu.00 THREE IN ONE L...❤❤❤... KZbin: THIS IS FINE. THREE IN ONE SOMEONE: SAYS ''HECK''. KZbin: BE GONE Life's story is a short journey so have fun before sleeping forever #Чо #эт #делает #на #2 #месте #в #тренде #однако #я #люблю #таких #рыбаков .#垃圾. Megan: ''Hotter'' Hopi: ''Sweeter'' Joonie: ''Cooler'' Yoongi: ''Butter'' Жизнь, как красивая мелодия, только песни перепутались. Megan: "Hotter" Hopi: "Sweeter" Joonie: "Cooler" Yoongi: "Butter" . ライブ配信の再編ありがとうです！この日のライブ配信は、かならりやばかったですね！１万人を超える人が見ていたもんね（笑）やっぱり人参最高！まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした！今後は気を付けないとね. . !💖🖤❤️#今後は気をライブ配信の再編ありがとうです！#この日のライブ配信は、#かならりやばかったですね！#１万人を超える人が見ていたもん（#笑）#やっぱり人参最高！#まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした #今後は気をライブ配信の再編ありがとうです！#この日のライブ配信は、#かならりやばかったですね！ #１万人を超える人が見ていたもん（#笑）#やっぱり人参最高！ #まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした #垃圾 今後は気をライブ配信の再編ありがとうです！この日のライブ配信は、かならりやばかったですね！１万人を超える人が見ていたもん（笑）やっぱり人参最高！まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした,. 💖🖤在整個人類歷史上，強者，富人和具有狡猾特質的人捕食部落，氏族，城鎮，城市和鄉村中的弱者，無`'守和貧窮成員。然而，人類的生存意願迫使那sfdsd些被拒絕，被剝奪或摧毀的基本需求的人們找到了一種生活方式，並繼續將其DNA融入不斷發展的人類社會。. 說到食物，不要以為那些被拒絕的人只吃垃圾。相反，他們學會了在被忽視的肉類和蔬菜中尋找營養。他們學會了清潔，切塊，調味和慢燉慢燉的野菜和肉類，在食品``

[@siggy6044]

Go listen to their Past Gas episode on this topic, goes into more detail in an audio format

[@blakehintz3207]

I know right! I was like WTF is a Mazda?!

[@headers12]

@@siggy6044 I’ll definitely give it a listen

[@headers12]

@@blakehintz3207 I know! It’s like WTF is grape juice!?

[@ShootingCars]

This is interesting, given the fact that Mazda DID have a luxury brand in the early 90s that did make cars! Eunos! The cosmo, Carol, and Roadster! They also had their budget brand Autozam. Seems like they were spread too thin....

[@pixel2plastic832]

Dude gotta love Donut!! Learning all the surrounding history is my favorite part of learning about the cars. CONTEXT IS KEY PEOPLE 🙌🙌🙌 Keep up the awesome work fellahs

[@STEF005R]

Well, still the Xedos 6 named Eunos 500 in Japan was the compact luxury car Mazda had to offer ! With a 2.0 V6 engine, manual gear box and 1165 kg, it was a dynamic little sedan probably out of a larger Amati's luxury fleet idea. The Xedos 9 (the car you saw when you clicked on the video), was bigger and also closer to a Lexus design and spirit, but the Xedos 6 was for sure the inspiration for future cars like the Mazdaspeed 6 and more recently all the Skyactiv Mazda 6. So, from a certain point of view, Amati is now a part of every new Mazda.... Always a pleasure to see cool videos like this, cheers from France !

[@PachezZ]

I had Xedos 6 with this 2.0 V6 and it was awesome, it was so fun to drive... much better than mazdas 2.5 V6, shame they're all rusted out now... And the rear part of xedos 6 is just perfect...

[@STEF005R]

@@PachezZ Let's hope it will become a youngtimer must have soon so they'll keep them alive for more years! It was so much better than the rest of the Mazda fleet at the time (talking about sedan not Mx or Rx here), plus the design was smooth, pure and that back.... Still looking better than some New cars even with just one exhaust on the right side. By the way, it was so silent! True luxury car at the time!

[@ichigokurisutoffa563]

Eunos was an australian brand. I own a 30x aka mx3

[@justanotheroglesby2847]

I’ve had a few rx7s but currently own a speed 6. The speed 6 is slept on and is a jack of all trades that can handle the twisties in any weather to get your family to the grocery store while faster 80% of cars on the road with bolt ons.

[@davidjackson2524]

I live in Ireland and I remember the Xedos 6 and 9. They were in the UK/Ireland for a little while.

[@200degrees]

I love Mazda's and all that they've tried aha I've owned a half dozen, am trying to find a nice 929 and would love a Cosmos. I've always been sad Amati didn't work!

[@mikebelcher5111]

I had one which I loved, so mad sold it, I loved it it just didn't seem special at the time,now. I so wish I could get it back because a nice one is hard to do

[@adamthompson4072]

The 929 was so good. My sister had one and that V6 was a rev happy little thing. Shame it lost a fight with an F250

[@ldmtag]

20B Cosmo is arguably cooler than even the RX7

[@purwantiallan5089]

@@adamthompson4072 what about 787B?

[@purwantiallan5089]

@@ldmtag nope. RX7 RS is cooler.

[@jlcii]

So awesome to see you guys doing the story about Amati!! I remember reading about the company years ago and just thinking how awesome it would have been for Mazda to have a luxury division. It's still fascinating to me how close they came to going into production with the brand.

[@summons8059]

My first car was a 1989 Mazda 929. It had tons of tech in it that I've never seen again like oscillating AC vents. It also had a full digital display. It seemed way ahead of its time.

[@PrydeWater901]

…also available in the 626.

[@jay.fromthebay]

I grew up with and ended up having my own 929 but the HD gen after yours, but I always paid attention to the HC gen like yours and it was amazing how well equipped they were and how cool the oscillating vents and Digi dash were on those. I even saw a few manual ones in the junkyards over the years, incredibly incredibly rare.

[@austinshatzer]

growing up my grams had a 929, always loved that car! Also, in HS a friend had a Millenia with the Miller motor, such a sleeper!

[@alamcho]

10:21 that clip of Senna ripping the nsx outsmoking everyone is just pure gold

[@AnthroGearhead]

Even better, it was the R variant

[@Ce0ammer]

@@AnthroGearhead Even better, the subtitle says Ericsson Senna! 🤣

[@reallyrandomrides1296]

I vaguely recall Mazda planning on introducing a luxury brand. I think the 929 and later, the Millenia were their flagship models that would have been sold under the Amati name. Today, when I think of Mazda, I think of the Mazda 3 and Miata.

[@jay.fromthebay]

Donut dropped the ball on this video. I have a 929 and had a millennia s, I've been researching this for decades. The Amati 1000 was essentially a stretched US HD chassis 929. The next gen (HE) 929 the US never got had most of the 1000's styling cues but it was still the same platform as the HD 929 that we got, the suspension, engine, and trans were all carry-overs. The test mule for the w12 was a stretched HD 929 and the w12 was spectacular, with titanium rods and an oil pan. It was a 4.0 with about 290hp and was said to sound amazing. Word is Ford actually had interest in using this engine for Aston Martin in the early 00's. The Millennia was an amazing car as well and was meant to serve as the Amati 500 as an entry level car. The 929 that we got was also such an incredibly advanced car, mine has a solar panel in the moonroof, 12 speaker Panasonic stereo, heated seats, active muffler, CD changer with an aux port for using a portable TV, etc. They were outstanding and the closest relative of the Amati 1000 we could've gotten.

[@jay.fromthebay]

@Flordah_man_life hell yeah, thanks man!

[@goosegarage78]

Amati was called Eunos (you nos) in Japan. the biggest car they launched was the 800. *BUT* the weirdest and most interesting was the 2.3 V6 supercharged miller cycle engine in the 500 model. as the miller cycle didnt use the supercharger for power, it used it for reducing fuel usage.

[@vipermoon_]

Wow thanks for sharing, sounds like sky-x today

[@DDDD-fn5dp]

Eunos 800 was planned to be a model for Amati, but after Mazda cancelled Amati, it became a Eunos, so Eunos ≠ Amati

[@francocagayat7272]

There's another one.... Efini

[@KRAMITDFROG]

That engine was used in the Mazda Millenia S.

[@CoffinRX2]

I had a 2000 Mazda Millenia / Eunos 800M with the Miller Cycle 2.3 S/C and was such a refined car compared to others in its class

[@RSpracticalshooting]

Ahh lucky, I had the 2001 Millenia with a V6

[@syxepop]

@@RSpracticalshooting - which V6? Cheaper one had a 2.5L and the topline the Miller Cycle 2.3L.

[@r0c_itfilms650]

Excellent Research! Excellent Video Nolan‼️✨✨

[@brandon.pratt050]

The Mazda Milenia with the supercharged V6 is all we got left of this legendary illusive project

[@ivangamer8022]

Why do rice people always call their cars with italian names?

[@joshuagibson2520]

@@ivangamer8022 gamers are silly.

[@rotorhead5826]

Don't forget the 929...

[@kellingtonlink956]

The 929 was always a favourite for that ‘sorta luxury’ level Japanese cars. Along with the Legend. Especially the 2-door Legends.

[@nong333]

Another mistake Mazda made was was trying to build a new car from the ground up. Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, was smart to use existing platforms as a base to work from in order to save some of the development costs.

[@dravidianking1298]

That’s also part of the modern day appeal of lexus, Acura and Infiniti vehicles. They’re basically the closest thing we can get to usdm versions of iconic jdm cars but they’re still special in their own ways.

[@ImmortanDan]

That’s not entirely true. Mazda was going to reuse some of the same cars they had already put into the Eunos brand. That said, developing both the A1000 and the car that would become the Millenia at the same time may not have been the smartest move.

[@mattmisanthropy.]

*Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the LS400 was a ground up project*

[@reneeharewood5053]

They learned that from toyota

[@reneeharewood5053]

Had to start somewhere an see how it goes to continue from there an it turned out great

[@kobewagemans5606]

Super nice video learned a lot. Only I noticed that the greater than symbol was the wrong way round. Thanks for the awesome vid and the info.

[@mattmayo3539]

I always felt the 929 was years ahead of the other products Mazda was putting out then.

[@billjoy111]

gotta check your bounds.... "over 2M" should read ">2M", not "

[@Dragonson575]

I'm glad someone else noticed this as well.

[@iBeast_M0de]

Finally the first person that saw it too

[@iampotates]

If that's all you took away from this video this might be the wrong genre of video for you. Most people come for useless car knowledge to help them disassociate from the fact their project cars are money pits they will inevitably sell unfinished. Not for impromptu grammar/math lessons.

[@christophersummers1939]

@@iampotates why do you read comments then, bike helmet?

[@grievuspwn4g3]

@@christophersummers1939 how else can he be cynical at multiple strangers' expense in a weak and lazy way?

[@skippster86]

You could argue that Mazda actually became a luxury brand itself. Their offerings feel high quality

[@geethsan1567]

Yep. Their new 3 straight up feels like an entry level luxury sedan.

[@erichughes3077]

Agreed.

[@Blanderr]

I went from an M2 to a my current ND Miata and have driven my buddy's 981 Cayman S a few times before and i think the mazda interior actually stacks up really well. The Porsche's is obviously much better but it also costs much more.

[@CapnFlappyJaw42]

imagine they release the Amati as a luxury car with their i6 to build a feisty 4 door, rwd sedan to battle the m series

[@Matys1975]

Exactly. I bought two Mazda’s in the past two years because I became so impressed with their design, quality and driving experience when compared to Toyota and Honda. I own a 2018 Honda Accord and 2021 Mazda 6 and 2020 Mazda CX-9 and the Mazdas just feels like it’s so much better made. The quality of everything on the Honda feels worse…….except the 2.0 turbo engine and the 10 speed transmission, man that engine I tell you is the bomb. Perfect daily driver: Mazda 6 with Honda 2.0 turbo engine and Honda 10 speed transmission 😂

[@dontelindsey5846]

I had a 1995 626 ES v6 with a manual when I was in high school. Loved the growl of the engine. My dream car was a Millenia.

[@jebremocampo9194]

Thank you for this. My first car that I drove was a Mazda. Nice to know more of their history. So...will you guys make an Up to Speed or B2B on Chrysler's turbine engine car?

[@TheChill001]

funny enough, amati was the "top level" luxury brand they tried, they also created Xedos, which DID have two models, the 6 and the 9....but those failed as well, despite actually being awesome cars. Sidenote, the US team actually proposed the mid engined and FF versions of the Mx-5/miata, the japanese were the ones promoting the FR lay out, since they had a lot of former MG engineers and stylists from the UK as consultants for said project;

[@RossHall-UK]

I had a Xedos 6 demonstrator in the UK. It was OK. Too big for me though. More of a hot hatch fan.

[@Baukevandijk]

I once had a Millenia/Xedos 9 with the 2.3 supercharged. The engine blew up at 223km/h on the autobahn with a massive cloud of smoke. This all thanks to an intake leak that clogged the supercharger to destruction. No one in the hole country knew how to work on it... So one guy completely fucked up all the wiring of the replacement engine, he fucked up so bad that i had to take it to another guy. The other guy was a specialist in 2.3 miller engines but even he didn't wire it up all correctly so it blew smoke, had numerous vacuum leaks, had the wrong bolts and held back a lot of power. Sold it for a massive loss but just had to bite the bullet at that point. That is when i learned a very important lesson: If you buy a car, make sure you know a company or a guy that can work on it (it will save time and a lot of stress) if you cannot do it yourself. (which i cant because i lack the knowhow and my best tool is a missing 10mm bolt with somewhere half a can of WD40). So that was the Mazda Xedos 9 2.3 Miller, really liked it back when it worked. It ran good and had a lovely comforting supercharger whine.

[@abdullahahmed1673]

kinda like my proplem ....i had a Nissan R34 6 cyl twin turbo engine and i was traveling from luxor to cairo and before i took off i checked the motor oil and the coolant and they were fine so i took off ....in the last half of my travel my engine started getting some smoke out so i had to stop but i couldn't because i was in a road called ( the ring road ) look it up if you want and it was so crowded ....if i stopped back then i think i wouldn't have lived this long ...but after 20 sec i stopped far from the road and then i saw my car engine blow up ( but not the car it self) then i got my fire extinguisher and i called a friend of mine from the fire department and he got his friend to come to my location and they helped me but my car was ruind when we finished .....and then same thing that happend to you happend to me ....no one in Egypt ( i searched a lot ...and i mean a looot) because i loved this car so so much and it was my first car so i was devastated back thing ...and iam still today .... but i didn't have the heart to sell it ...i still have it in my garage to this moment and iam not gonna sell it in the future too .....and i think that what caused this is that there was a leak in my coolant that got my engine to a pretty damn hot temperature especially that the temperature here in Egypt is so hot .........i know ur pain brother

[@DatDudeXavier]

Man, I had a 89 Mazda 929/Mazda Luce and I still wish I could find another one. It was a sedan but would be a really nice vip build since it was so nicely made

[@joealex65]

Mazda did manage to create two Luxury brands for Japan only, they were called Efini and Eunos, if you know, you know! 😁

[@nknasi]

Pepperidge farm remembers

[@StingerLewis]

Was literally waiting for someone to say that!

[@mattjacomos2795]

Eunos operated in Australia in the mid 1990's. I was employed as a sales consultant at the stand alone Eunos Dealership in South Australia. (We used to laugh at Lexus because they were based in a very downmarket industrial suburb. "Lexus of Dry Creek"... who's laughing now?) The brand was mildly successful but we didn't get the roadster, as that was a Mazda MX-5 in Aussie. We got the MX-3 V6 rebadged as a Eunos 30x and I used to have a red one as my drive car. It made quite an impression on me, because for some reason, I just purchased one for $1000 to use as a drive car. And they used to retail for $40K.... still solid cars too. I only sold one Eunos 800 Miller cycle Flagship personally and the dealership only sold one of the 800 non miller 2.5's in the whole time it existed. The Xedos 6 was marketed as the Eunos 500 and that was going to be the Amati 300 in the stillborn US venture. A fine car as well and If only I could find a reasonable manual trans car I would buy that too. Unfortunately Australia did not get the Eunos Cosmo either.... There's probably an episode in the Eunos 800 / Mazda Millenia Miller Cycle if you do some research. I believe it was a Lysholm compressor used in the forced industion. The Miller in the name refers to the Indianapolis Miller engine manufacturer. My manager used to sell Mazdas back in the 70's and he told me that when he ordered a 929 from the distributor, he was FORCED to order an RX-3 as well in order to get the 929!!!! Mazda couldn't sell the wankel powered vehicles to save themselves... If only they put them all in a shed and locked the door...

[@francocagayat7272]

Mazda even has a luxury marque in Japan too...... Efini

[@SeamCZ]

Have you ever heard of Mazda Xedos 9 model? Search it. That's basically Amati1000 but with V6. Known also as Eunos 800 in Japan or Mazda Milenia in US. Smaller version of Xedos 9 was also produced, called Xedos 6.

[@bruhnt5063]

Day 213 of asking Donut to bring old B2B back

[@aidaaliten8817]

1

[@Donut]

👀

[@fredzeppelin3969]

There was also the Mazda Millenia, not a brand, but a one-off model that was supposed to compete with Lexus/Acura/Infinity.

[@rotorhead5826]

Mazda still made some neat US market luxury sedans in the 90's. The 929 and the Millenia were both very luxurious. Sadly they never caught on. I think if we had received the Cosmo coupe and Luce sedan in the US in the late 80's/early 90's under a more luxurious sounding brand name, they might have been competitive. The JC Cosmo was one of the most luxurious, technologically advanced cars at the time.

[@AnthroGearhead]

Cosmo Eunos is more a performance car than a luxury copue

[@rotorhead5826]

@@AnthroGearhead It was the best of both worlds. They were a bit heavy to be considered "performance" cars.

[@bigguyrogers]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the Luce and the 929 the same I own a few 929s and I talked to a guy in Japan who told me this but please if I'm wrong I would love to be corrected

[@jay.fromthebay]

My dad had a 929 and Millennia S but we loved the 929 in particular, that car was SO beautiful and advanced for it's time with a solar panel roof and heated seats and the CD changer and all. I bought myself one and refuse to let it go. The w12 was tested in a stretched 929 mule.. the Amati 1000 was going to be 929 based. The w12 was a 4.0 with magnesium casting and high magnesium use thoughout with about 290hp due to the gentleman's agreement.

[@AnthroGearhead]

@@rotorhead5826 Eunos has identical weight to the Skyline GTR there

[@borjejohansson6805]

My Millenia since '94 made 509 tmls, and still runs like a clockwork. Oil and sparkplug changes are at 5 tmls, split period other fluid changes, every 300 mls full premium fuel tank fill up, and than 15 mls italian tune up. Leather also holds well.

[@chaserwilliams1]

It’s like I sometimes forget just how damn good the RX-7 looks. Then it randomly gets thrown in my face and I can’t help but smiling.

[@jdiluigi]

i remember the Mazda Millenia being pretty lux inside and seeing alot of them on the road in late 90s..

[@hatty_hattington.]

I'm sad that a cool car company that I didn't know existed minutes ago is already gone

[@fredwilliams7893]

I had a 2002 626 fully loaded and honestly at the time it was very nice but unfortunately that time was plaque with drivetrain issues for mazda.

[@Fitforacting]

Awesome to learn this. I vaguely recall that company name from YEARS AGO! 🦾

[@youra6748]

I'd love to be your pretty pink beautiful dep Aishite.Tokyo/Tatsuhisha?Love-Me ''Amazed'' Lips: ''Sensual'' Smile: ''Sweeter'' Body: ''Colder'' Жизнь, как красивая мелодия, только песни перепутались.​ Köz karaş: ''Taŋ kaldım'' Erinder: ''Sezimdüü'' Jılmayuu: ''Tattuuraak'' Dene: ''Muzdak'' Jizn, kak krasivaya melodiya, tolko pesni pereputalis.​ Aç köz arstan Bul ukmuştuuday ısık kün bolçu, jana arstan abdan açka bolgon. Uyunan çıgıp, tigi jer-jerdi izdedi. Al kiçinekey koyondu gana taba algan. Al bir az oylonboy koyondu karmadı. ''Bul koyon menin kursagımdı toyguza albayt'' dep oylodu arstan. Arstan koyondu öltüröyün dep jatkanda, bir kiyik tigi tarapka çurkadı. Arstan aç köz bolup kaldı. Kiçine koyondu emes, çoŋ kiyikti jegen jakşı dep oylodu.00 THREE IN ONE L...❤❤❤... KZbin: THIS IS FINE. THREE IN ONE SOMEONE: SAYS ''HECK''. KZbin: BE GONE Life's story is a short journey so have fun before sleeping forever #Чо #эт #делает #на #2 #месте #в #тренде #однако #я #люблю #таких #рыбаков .#垃圾. Megan: ''Hotter'' Hopi: ''Sweeter'' Joonie: ''Cooler'' Yoongi: ''Butter'' Жизнь, как красивая мелодия, только песни перепутались. Megan: "Hotter" Hopi: "Sweeter" Joonie: "Cooler" Yoongi: "Butter" . ライブ配信の再編ありがとうです！この日のライブ配信は、かならりやばかったですね！１万人を超える人が見ていたもんね（笑）やっぱり人参最高！まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした！今後は気を付けないとね. . !💖🖤❤️#今後は気をライブ配信の再編ありがとうです！#この日のライブ配信は、#かならりやばかったですね！#１万人を超える人が見ていたもん（#笑）#やっぱり人参最高！#まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした #今後は気をライブ配信の再編ありがとうです！#この日のライブ配信は、#かならりやばかったですね！ #１万人を超える人が見ていたもん（#笑）#やっぱり人参最高！ #まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした #垃圾 今後は気をライブ配信の再編ありがとうです！この日のライブ配信は、かならりやばかったですね！１万人を超える人が見ていたもん（笑）やっぱり人参最高！まさかのカメラ切り忘れでやら1かしたのもドキドキでした,. 💖🖤在整個人類歷史上，強者，富人和具有狡猾特質的人捕食部落，氏族，城鎮，城市和鄉村中的弱者，無`'守和貧窮成員。然而，人類的生存意願迫使那sfdsd些被拒絕，被剝奪或摧毀的基本需求的人們找到了一種生活方式，並繼續將其DNA融入不斷發展的人類社會。. 說到食物，不要以為那些被拒絕的人只吃垃圾。相反，他們學會了在被忽視的肉類和蔬菜中尋找營養。他們學會了清潔，切塊，調味和慢燉慢燉的野菜和肉類，在食品``

[@chetjohnston7687]

Nicely done! I very much lived through this era, yet did not even know a ton of the history you served up here. Props for an actual history lesson about the Plaza Accord served during a car show.

[@RandyAugustus]

Their aspirations to build a luxury brand really explains everything about the cx line and the desire to not make any more sports cars.

[@ag4allgood]

Except you are forgetting the MX-5 aka Miata ! That is Mazda's halo car. BTW its a sports car. THE MOST Raced car in the WORLD ! Why it gets overlooked is really jaw dropping. Compared to the Porsche 718 Boxster in many ways its better & more efficient. How do I know ? I own a 2016 MX-5 soft top Club & its a daily driver in Northern Illinois. The engineers really got the original DNA of the NA ( 1st generation Miata ) & put it into the new MX-5 ND / ND2. Not making sports cars ?

[@tren133]

Most of the true sports cars from Japanese brands died by the late 90s. As this video explains, it was only the money made during the bubble era which allowed the Japanese makers to all start making high performance relatively cheap sports cars, and that's why they are referred to as the Japanese "bubble cars". Supra, NSX, ZX300, 3000GT, and of course Mazda's own RX-7. But after Japan's recession, they were all withdrawn from the US market, since it was no longer financially feasible for Japanese makes to keep producing them. They either stopped altogether (Mazda, Mitsubishi), had to go downmarket (newer Nissan Zs, the Toyobaru coupes), or go way upmarket (new NSX), or do joint ventures (new Supra which is basically a BMW).

[@gunlover4life]

Thing just looked like the Mazda Millennia with a v12 in it that would have been awesome I had one with the Miller cycle v6 and I loved that car

[@eurosonly]

Seeing as how well the cx-9 suv thing is selling well, I think there's still room in the line up for the Amati badge just as long as it's a really high upper class trim level. But they'd still need to develop special technology features in order to sell it and compete with maybach and rolls royce. The suv market is still hot and timing is everything when it comes to success.

[@tren133]

Whether Mazda itself is big enough to survive the transition to electric cars remains an open question, so Mazda certainly won't be able to spare any money or resources to try to launch a new luxury brand. They'll have to hope their approach of selling more premium cars compared to their direct competitors (CX-5 versus RAV4 for example) will tide them over until they figure out how to launch EVs so they can survive in the next era of car manufacturing.

[@MarksterC]

honestly even their normal cars are pretty nice, i have a 2015 cx9 and its actually pretty nice, the newer gen is straight up luxury car

[@shane250]

They already did something else...They made all their cars at a mid-luxury level. From 2013 onwards, every Mazda is more luxurious than a Honda/Toyota, but less than Accura/Lexus. I think it was a better move. They spend less money on building 2 lineups and position themselves in a newly created category of "Mid-Luxury" or "Affordable Luxury". Mazda's are definitely underrated. They are more fun to drive than Toyotas and (Most) Hondas, cost less/similar, fuel-efficient, and very reliable (Ever since the Sky-Active era).

[@digitalkov]

At least they produced Luce / 929 which was pretty good.

[@NikkMrMinaj112]

Mazda did have a luxury car, the 929, which looked like a downplayed version of the Amati 1000, with its frame less windows, solar panel sunroof, aircraft inspired gauge cluster. It wasn't nearly as successful as any rival.

[@Pathfinding-earth]

they are doing pretty good now, I fell in love with the Mazda vision coupe, that looks like a 100k car with a lot of pressence

[@FlexTCWin]

Either Nolan is confused or the animator has no clue what the greater and less signs mean or how they are used. 3:17 Nolan says "more than 20%" but the animation shows less than 20% (

[@PrydeWater901]

This!!! ☝🏾

[@cuzanater2027]

The Amati reminds me of a Mazda Millenia just on how it looked not the engine. I had a Mazda Millenia and for a 2001 that thing had some nice luxury touches to it.

[@jamesmiles6484]

Hey guys, great video. How about a video on the often overlooked, even less well known middle Mazda sibling, the Mx6? When the first Midnight Club came out way back in 2000, I was already on the zoom zoom wagon, Rx7's were hugely popular, and seeing this strange FR Mazda that I'd never encountered before opened the door on a whole host of quirky Mazda info, like them using Mitsubishi turbo's in some of their (older) cars and the all wheel steering models in Australia etc. Maybe give it a look. Thanks.

[@luvadougla]

The mx6 is legendary here in the caribbean. Just a shame they only came in automatic, that v6 engine was everything!!

[@kiefercolburn1393]

I have owned 3 mx6. 91 turbo, other two the v6 93 and 94. These are great reliable easy to work on cars and its sad seeing them going for $800 online beat to sh$t.

[@eldonphillips6976]

@@luvadougla not true. They came 5spd.

[@luvadougla]

@@eldonphillips6976 not in the caribbean bro, all we got were automatics. Even to this day, you cant get one used with a manual

[@purwantiallan5089]

@@luvadougla what? Never heard MX6 before. Only MX5 that i heard. Where you got that MX6 anyway, Rolston?

[@johnnymason3265]

This is what the initial Amati lineup should have been: the 12-cylinder Amati 1000 sedan, the Amati 900 sedan(based on the Mazda 929), the Amati 600(what would eventually become the Mazda Millennia), and the Amati Cosmo (3-rotary engine luxury coupe). Amati would still be here today if they did this lineup.

[@nothinglessthannumbers]

Wow. I knew of Amati already, but it really explains Mazda's tough situation today. Imagine putting in all the R&D a decade too late, sitting on it still until it's used against you and then thirty years later trying to move up market again. I wish them luck, but that's a messy enough history without considering the blunders of the Mazda2 & the loss of Mazdaspeed.

[@Yoomaro]

But the difference is their sales as of these past few years have been their HIGHEST, and the upmarket strategy is working pretty well for them, their making PROFIT of selling higher priced products.. and with the continuation of introducing their SUV’s their sales will continue to rise, their not in a tough situation

[@nothinglessthannumbers]

@@Yoomaro I'm not saying they've been unsuccessful thus far, just that it has been and will continue to be a difficult path for them moving up. They've maneuvered they're way quite well so far and like I said I wish them luck, but it's clear it's been hard on them. Look at how quickly Audi and Volvo have moved up in the same time span.

[@hodgieman1969]

I thought, for sure, you were going to mention the 929. My first car. Got my hooked on Mazda and never looked back. (also, no mention of the Millenia?)

[@rotorhead5826]

@Hodgieman19 IKR!? No mention of their actual US market luxury cars... The 929 and Millenia were both awesome.

[@francoluna95]

Left the hub for this.. Definitely worth it, keep up the great content 👌👌

[@PaddyMcMe]

My father owned a 1991 Mazda 929. Gorgeous car, looked like a Japanese Jaguar or DB7. Seriously see one in person they're criminally underrated. Had some cool tech too, a Solar Panel Sun Roof, (Which we had to get replaced when it got cracked, we had full comp insurance thank god as the replacement cost for the Sunroof alone was $10k.) It 4 wheel steering that was toe-out below 35km so you could do tight u-turns, which it could, and above 35km was toe-in so it's steering at high speed was super straight and stable. For the time, that being 1991, the engine was decently powerful for a Luxury Barge with a NA 3.0L DOHC V6 making 150kw. Interior leather was gorgeous too. Great car. Even used the same platform as the Cosmo.

[@Thebreakdownshow1]

It is so secret even Masada forgot about it. I should make a film on that.

[@jiya6531]

DUDe the spellings

[@JL-uu4od]

I would LOVE an episode on the 787B! Wheelhouse is the best!

[@mrslcom]

The Mazda Millenia was a beautifully designed and engineered near-luxury car.

[@WarriorsPhoto]

Great documentary gentleman. I enjoyed watching this video. I love the history you all go into when telling these stories. What'll be next?

[@Bullwinkle056]

Ford had a lot to do with Mazda in those days (Including money invested) and had a big role in their decisions.

[@tweakjones]

man i loved my 1996 mazda 929! thing was badass

[@alexb449studio7]

Even if Mazda never launched amati, Mazda is trying to be a luxury automaker on their own today and it’s working pretty well in my opinion.

[@jace1113]

I think they want to be a premium brand, which is a level lower than luxury. That is, half a level above the mainstreams like Toyota but not quite a Mercedes or even Rolls Royce.

[@alexb449studio7]

@@jace1113 yes I agree with you they are a this exact point between normal car and luxury car

[@barbiesandlol3018]

This was very simplistic view , undercutting the whole company effort and accomplishments. Where are Millenia, 929, Xedos, and more

[@jmin8400]

This was a poorly done video, outside of accurately framing the socioeconomic environment that led to Japanese upmarket brands and planning of Amati. So many mistakes in terms of context and inaccurate media representations. Dick Colliver ruined Acura for the mid-late 90s, until he corrected course for post-2000/01 products. He had nothing to do with the NSX at all. I recall he joined Honda in 1993 and presided over renaming the cars. As for Amati, it entered planning before the public ever saw the final Miata MX-5. They announced Amati, some 2.5 years into development and when prototypes had finally been built internally.

[@dimas44444]

What about the Eunos? I thought that was their luxury mark? I mean, the 3 rotor Eunos Cosmo is still one of the best looking 90s sleeper!

[@ivangamer8022]

Why do rice people always call their cars with italian names?

[@handymani4502]

Shhh don't talk about that we need to keep the prices down

[@tbg808]

I had a ‘95 Mazda Millenia the designs for the Amati weren’t really that far off. Had a peppy v6.

[@micahvsthewrld]

Agreed

[@ratematrix]

I grew up in Tokyo 1985-1991. The amount of disposable income was insane. My neighbor had the largest Ferrari collection in the world. He had 300 Porsches. IBM paid us $50,000 just for summer travel. Crazy times indeed.

[@JBMcDaniel]

Good video. A tip about how to use less than < and more than > though. Remember these symbols read left to right so the closed side is “less” and the open end is “more”.

[@wileymonair]

I've always wanted a Lexus LS400, I had the option between a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis of a 90s LS400. The Lexus has 240k on the clock and the merc had 60k for $3,000. I obviously took the Grand Marquis. Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to own that LS400. I kick myself for not taking out on a test drive though.

[@dravidianking1298]

I wanted the same car but they’re just the vip stanced versions of 350zs, g35s and 240sxs nowadays. Increasingly hard to find and usually sold extremely beat up and abused by kids who overprice them. I wanted a ls400 as well but I settled for a 98 Infiniti q45 with 92,000 miles. Similar aesthetic that has an engine and technology way ahead of its time. I love it.

[@bowez9]

That Marquis will out last the rebadged Camary. Parts availability alone is better with the Marquis plus the Ford 4.6 I've seen tore apart at 300k miles show no wear. Toyota reliability is very much overstated.

[@Bozar069]

You made the right choice. I've owned an 03 Crown Vic for 5 years now and Its been pretty good.

[@dominic7114]

@@bowez9 the ls400 is nothing like a camry and 1UZs frequently hit 300k with no major problems

[@bowez9]

@@dominic7114 Hyperbole. I would assume that would be evident due to the criticism on parts availability.

[@brianknapp6212]

As a former owner of a millennia S I was stoked when I saw the thumbnail picture. To my disappointment that car wasn’t mentioned one time in the video. #sweetridefor95

[@Bdub1952]

The Milennia, spawn of Amati, was actually a pretty decent car.

[@rayrivera187]

I’m glad to see I wasn’t the only one who knew this. The Milennia was originally designed to be part of the Amati car lineup. When Amati folded, the Milennia’s design was almost fully developed, and Mazda decided to add it to their car lineup.

[@Bdub1952]

@@rayrivera187 my wife at the time bought one new in '96 or so. It was an excellent executive car for its time.

[@sergioespinoza1809]

You forgot that they did make the Mazda 929!!! One of the best mazda ever built.

[@johnharper5437]

Japans economy in the 1980s sure sounds a heck of a lot like the current dumpster fire of an economy in the US.

[@sciencerscientifico310]

This is because the government is meddling too much in the economy.

[@pssita]

I still want a Miata too. But I just bought an Acura TLX Type S.

[@hassmakki]

I owned a 99 Millennia in 2001... One of my favorite sedans I owned.

[@chazbennett8676]

I grew up driving a 1987 Mazda 626 turbo. It was our family car, miss it every day.

[@larryroyovitz7829]

I think Scotty puts Mazda in the #3 spot behind Toyota and Honda, and doesn't refer to them as "rolling piles of junk" like so many other brands. So...they're doing something right.

[@codysimonson6260]

Yeah but Scotty is a tool. Taking advice from that guy is like taking the advice from a charismatic cocaine addict. Might sound interesting at first but it'll be shit advice.

[@MJ-uk6lu]

Old Mazdas are super reliable. Where I live it's the only brand that still has cars from 80s looking great and being still in use, mostly 323 models. Not even Toyota has nothing on this or Audi 80, which also seemingly lasts forever.

[@larkt6693]

I always wondered what the Mazda Millenia would have looked like now. If it stayed in production…. Cuz that was one classy car for it’s time ❤..

[@f-bodygarage]

The moral of the story is it doesn’t matter what Mazda builds, we will still ask them for brappy bois

[@nomadAKAskinfish]

Imagine getting 4 likes and a bot steals your comment and gets almost 900😐 you know what, have my like

[@f-bodygarage]

@@nomadAKAskinfish you’re telling me dawg, literally posted as soon as the video got uploaded expecting this comment to blow up only to see not only the exact same comment but it posted by a fortnite streaming loser who stole it

[@orangesonicc]

I remember watching donuts years ago when they had sub 500k subs! Congrats for everyone at donuts for keeping the channel so cool for all these years!!

[@98MAzdaMilleniaS]

Millenia S was my first car. 210 hp from a supercharged 2.3 liter miller cycle v6. I did full exhaust and intake on mine and it wasn’t bad. I had full exhaust but no tip, just piping at the bumper 😂 so look like 4 cylinder exhaust I beat cocky football linebacker with a pillar gauge pods, full exhaust and bolt ons in his 2000s Silverado 5.3. He flipped me off because he lost with his girlfriend in the car 😂😂😂 Also beat another student brand new 2010 mustang v6 😂😂

[@dylpickle4758]

You guys are literally the best at sponsorships

[@JonathanWagener]

Greater than: > Lesser than: < Otherwise great video 🙂🙂🙂

[@MrAusterror]

Don't forget the Eunos brand. Certainly worth a mention, when talking about Mazda's luxury brands.

[@kemsat-n6h]

Mazda could be the Japanese Dodge; making cool sports cars, plus they could do it affordably. Instead they’ve been trying to compete with BMW, Acura, and Lexus; which is probably working for them, but no more zoom-zoom.

[@hatty_hattington.]

That would be such a great idea

[@hatty_hattington.]

@NickRichardson not every car in Japan is a kei car, there would still be a market

[@kemsat-n6h]

@NickRichardson do you know what a hellcat is?

[@kemsat-n6h]

@NickRichardson wait, we talking about efficiency?

[@kemsat-n6h]

@NickRichardson I do know what efficiency is, but it’s cool I was talking about and mentioned originally. Like Mazda could do an RX9, and it would still probably be more efficient than the hellcat. And there’d be this crazy cool jdm company doing the jdm version of what dodge does with all its crazy. Still probably more efficient than dodge, but I wasn’t even factoring that when it comes to cool cars.

[@claudiapawlak3971]

Came here for the Mazda Milennia in the thumbnail but disappointed that you didn't cover it at all. My dad had the exact same one, in gold, and with the Miller Cycle engine.

[@ediltonspencer6974]

And now they kind of merged both brands into one. Their cars are not luxury but truly upscale in contrast to their competitors. And they seem to be on the way up since parting ways with Ford especially with the new Toyota partnership. At this rate Mazda will be financially very stable in a decade or two.

[@bagelman8427]

Listened to the podcast about this, so happy you did a video.

[@Internetgamer420]

Hearing Nolan include the RX8 in one of Mazda’s best sports cars put a smile on my face. Such and underrated and over hated car

[@rotorhead5826]

The RX-8 was a world-class sports car. Nobody these days seems to understand how big of a feat 235hp and a 9,000rpm redline are for a naturally aspirated production rotary that idles at 750rpm with no lope. Let alone the fact that it met the emission standards at the time. It also has one of the best suspension designs mazda has ever put under a car and is perfectly balanced.

[@brianmiller1891]

You can get a little look at what Amati might have looked like by driving a Mazda Millenia (1995 - 2002). Much of the Amati touches planned for brand were in the car usually known only as the 929 replacement. The car was heavy in fee, extra insulation making it very quite and full of gadgets on par with late 90's offerings from Lexus and Acura. The S model with the 210hp Miller Cycle 2.3L V-6 was a dream t drive with plenty of low end torque. I sold Mazda;s in the lat 90's and when the sun was not shining, the Millenia was my favorite car to take home as a demo. This car may even be worthy of t's own episode f Everything You Need To Know | Up to Speed.

[@CreepinCreeper145]

This is probably why Mazda's separating themselves from Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi, and Subaru to establish themselves as a standalone luxury brand.

[@realbhopwood]

The 929 was a desired car when I was a child. It is an almost timeless design that still looks relatively modern today.