i posted this yesterdat elsewhere, i thought it might be to buried (or silly) to get a response but here goes:
i wonder if the rx8 will be competition for the mustang? longish snout, short front and rear over hangs, room for four (although the rx8 should be easier to get in the back of). rwd.performance oriented.both the only ones in their class now that the mustang doesn't have a firebird or camaro to go against. both look good in yellow.;) what would ford do if the rx8 started eating into their mustang sales. now i'm not talking cobras or saleens here just base model 6 cylinders and maybe gt's.

Doubtful. The cars are just too different to be compared in the same class. Your average Mustang buyer is looking for a car that has a lot of torque and is more focused on straight line acceleration. They're also willing to put up the overall rawness of the car, since that's part of the muscle car mystique.

From a pricepoint, I suppose the cars are closely matched, but that's about all. GT's are actually quite a bargain for what you get. You can get them for close to invoice.

I don't think it's that unreasonable a comparison, but I also don't think many will make it. I agree that the typical 8 buyer will not consider the Mustang, and vice versa. However, I think the similarities are really there.

Not that I'd ever consider a Mustang! :rolleyes:

Don't be to quick to judge what is and whats not competition:

The Taurus SHO stole mustang sales.. and the taurus is a family sedan.

aside -No matter what kinda car Mazda comes out with - they will take sales away from their other models - its a proven commerce theory of capital budgeting called erosion.

However - I want Mazda to come out with a model that can compete:
1) so they dont come out with crap - because of the RX8 being in a class of its own - Mazda may get lazy!
2) when im driving my mazda RX 8 i dont want to see every other car being a rx8

-personally, I dont care what the price is (Maxim magazine qouted it at 25 grand) - if im gonna pay the extra amount for a well built, nice looking car - that lets me have fun ---I'm willing to pay the extra 4 or 5 grand.

Remember boys and girls:
COMPETITION IS HEALTHY

Originally posted by Immi
aside -No matter what kinda car Mazda comes out with - they will take sales away from their other models - its a proven commerce theory of capital budgeting called erosion.


Perhaps, except when you add in the "halo" effect. The theory is that people will be drawn into showrooms to look at cars that are too expensive/impractical/whatever, and end up walking out with a different model. Vipers draw people to Dodge showrooms, but how many people by Vipers? They end up leaving with a Stratus or Intrepid, but the Viper helped to get them in the door. The RX-7 did the same thing for Mazda. How many people here have a special place in their heart for Mazda, just because they owned/drove/rode in an RX-7 once? Or maybe just lusted after one? I've been a Mazda fan since my brother had a 2nd gen RX-7, and it probably played a small role in my getting a 626 nearly a decade later. Ok, the fact that it was the only way to get a V6 with a stick for under 20k played a bigger role, but the RX-7 memories sure didn't hurt.

Personally, I'm not cross-shopping the Mustang, although it some respects it might be a logical alternative.
-both RWD
-both accelerate quickly
-both corner well (although I bet the RX-8 will corner better)
-both have rear seats

But there are a few major reasons I don't consider the Mustang:
-WEIGHT: Mustangs have become quite heavy!! 3600+ lbs.! There was one on a recent R&T, and it was over 3700 lbs with some options. Thats wayyyy to much for me
-Fit and finish
-antiquated design
-engine is not a "revver"


Just my two cents!

HAHA... if the mustang is over 3600 lbs.. the CL type s will offer better competition


why did mazda stop making the RX7 if rich suggests that people starting buying mazda's because they saw the RX7 in the showroom?

Mazda never stopped making the RX-7, they just stopped exporting them to the US. There is a 2002 RX-7 sold in Japan. From what I read all the turbo issues have been solved and it is quite a different beast then the 7 we know and love.

If you can read japanese here is the RX-7 info page on mazda's web site. (http://www.rx-7.mazda.co.jp/?official_icon)
Lots of good pictures!

Production of the RX-7 will end in September of this year and they are in development for the next oneIf you can read japanese here is the RX-7 info page on mazda's web site.

they didn't stop making them just stopped selling them in the states. there are two opinions i've heard as to why.

1) they were not selling enough of them outside of japan to make the profit they needed/wanted too
or
2) new emission standards were coming out in the statesthat mazda new they couldn't meet without redesigning the engine and the result is the new renesis engine

look at that styjan and i posted at the same time:cool:

Originally posted by Styjan
Mazda never stopped making the RX-7, they just stopped exporting them to the US. There is a 2002 RX-7 sold in Japan.
There is a 2002 RX-7 ???!!!
What's the price?

Don't matter. The RX-7 Spirit-R is available but cost/smog-prohibitive to import. But if you're in Greece.....

is that RX7 in Japan a 3rd gen - same design?

also - is it 5 speed or 6 speed?

I think I found the price 34.223$

Originally posted by Toadman
Don't matter. The RX-7 Spirit-R is available but cost/smog-prohibitive to import. But if you're in Greece.....

Too late now, I am a proud owner of a 2002 miata! (and it would be way out of my budget anyway). Still I might give Mazda a call. Maybe I can persuade one of my friends to import one!

HAHA.. me and driver posted at the same time too :cool:

The 2002 is still the FD 3rd gen body style.

Last summer,
I got to see a blue 2001 being assembled when i was visited Mazda's home in Hiroshima......
The tour guide lady got a little irritated with me after i stood there for over twenty minutes in the section where you usually are finished in about five. (Cat-walk over the assembly line)
Mazda is the shit.....They told us about their work ethic and i would definitley love to work for them.

That would rule to have a 2002 RX-7. I still don't know what keeps me from moving to Japan or the UK. Or Hell even Germany.

You have to also remember that attitude is a big factor here. The same people that would buy a Lincoln Continental wouldn't buy a BMW 7-Series. Mustang buyers tend to be fervent (sometimes strident) American car buyers. They've had Fords/GMs/Chryslers forever, and they don't want to change soon. Apparently they haven't gotten over WW2 yet.

But that's their problem. The other factor is luxury as well. The RX-8 is looking like it will feature many luxury items as well as performance. You can pick up a Mustang in the low 20s.. RX-8s will start in the low-mid 30s I beleive.

If you really wanted to you can import a rx-7 from japan..you would have to be willing to pay the big bucks..you would need to change glass and exhust..it might also take a long time because you need to find a certified person to meet the us specs.but .if i had a lot of money...i would love to drive a right hand drive, new mazda rx-7..type rz..(like the picture):D

I'm up to racing anything, but Mustangs are case-dependent. I wouldn't mind going up against a 2003+ Cobra on the circuit. I hear they are quite neutral.

guys... new mustang gt... is crazy.... 24k with 300hp.... and great handleing(i guess)...
...hum.... it's looks like a horse... so cool... but i like the look of my 8 better..

this thread has a two-year gap in it about 4 posts up..

shellys man you arent by any chance into necrophilia are you?

I'll bite! My buddy got a new Mustang 6cyl. and wanted to trade rides for an hour. He had been pestering me for a few weeks, my car was still only one month or so old. I was behind him the whole time and he never got out of hand but he finished with what he wanted after about 30 minutes, threw me the keys, and said "It's too much car and too fast for me." He got in his Stang and went home, never asking to drive again.

I'd get a Cobra to feed my straight line needs because you can make them deadly for just a few hundred bucks, but the 8 is better overall than all but the Cobra, at least in the Mustang lineup.

Personally, I am looking forward to taking the new gt for a spin. If the handling is there, I might be able to look past the negatives.

holy thread resurrection!!! shelly you stalking my dead threads?

This looked like a good thread for me to jump in. After all, I had been planning on getting one of the new '05 mustangs, probably GT. But after setting eyes on an RX-8, I changed my mind. Keep in mind that performance wasn't as much an issue for me (I was upgrading from a '97 Saturn SL1 with only about 100HP :eek: , so either choice would feel great performance-wise!). A large part of what I was after was eye appeal; both cars have it, and if I had decided to stay with a Mustang, I probably would have been happy with it. However, I did buy the 8 and am glad I did! :D :D

Kern

oh btw shelley's i wasnt talking competition as in racing i meant in sales. re-read my first post. i think it's still a relavent topic especially more so since we have seen several mags put them against each other in performance tests and the 8 was picked as the winner.

people have tested the new mustang's?

I just bought a yellow RX8 ~ 4 weeks ago. We also looked at a Mustang Cobra convertible. The main problem wiht the 'stang was that the rear seating was horrible, only two doors and the interior was just crap and cheap looking. The seats on the RX8 are much better quality and., I doubt the mustang would come with a nav system.

I mean it looked like it was from a pickup truck in the mid 80's. The knob to turn on the head lights was the same "pull out" knob on our ~1986 F250 Pickup truck we had when I was growing up. Sure the Cobra had gut wrenching power, but the stereo, entire dashboard was complete crap and old technology.

I have two kids so it is easy for everybody to get in and out of the RX8, and my wife likes to sit in the back seat with the baby on long trips.

RX8 hands down, plus the Mustang will lose it's value quickly with the new model design coming out shortly.

I've seen the new Mustang at the autoshow and looked good. The design has (finally) more pluses than minuses. The interior looks nice (retro, for those that like it - some people don't like it) and most materials seem of higher quality. The body is all new and assembled using the "narrow gap panel fitting" technology from Mazda - as it was advertised in the media - so it is as good as the RX-8 in terms of quality. I don't know anybody who drove it but it is due out any day now and it will be a good car for the money.
But RX-8 had scored high on my list, so I did not wait for the new 'Stang. They might have a new Cobra next year, and a Saleen in 2007. Future will tell how good the car will be - but everybody agrees that it is a big step up from the current Mustang, so people comparing the RX-8 to nowdays 'stangs might be in for a big surprise soon :)

people have tested the new mustang's?
No one (in the media) has tested a production 2005 Mustang yet, as far as I know. Job 1 wasn't until Sept 7, and none have been shipped to dealers yet. That should start happening within the next week or so. Some magazines have had access to prototype Mustangs, but I can't recall if they did any performance testing.

I see '05 Mustangs parked right beside RX-8s on a daily basis. From a styling standpoint, the cars look almost nothing alike. You'll really be able to see this for yourself once there are a lot of '05 Mustangs on the road. I can attest to the fact that the '05 Mustangs are a huge improvement over the current ones. Powertrain performance, handling, NVH levels, shifter feel, and interior quality have all been drastically improved.