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Look at the August issue of Road and Track, just hitting the newsstands!!! Their cover story is the new corvette, with exclusive drawings. IT IS IDENTICAL TO THE RX-8 IN ALMOST EVERY WAY. THIS COULD BE HORRIBLE. Many know that the current corvette ripped off the 3rd gen RX-7 in styling, especially on the side panels. This is even MORE of a rip off. The car basically looks like an RX-8 with Chevy badging. The rear is slightly different, but not much. I hope that since the RX-8 is cheaper, people will buy it over the vette, but if they are similar in pricing, the RX is screwed, as Americans are VERY loyal to the vette. Go to your newsstand if you don't believe me, the vette even has those black openings behind the front wheels like the RX has. And this vette and the last generation were both designed by the same guy, who must have a love affair (copy affair) with Mazda. He must be killed!
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one thing though, i don't think that becuase GM is uninspired (well, unoriginal) that it will hurt the RX-8... maybe the 'Vette could rub off on some people looking to buy a sedan...
and besides, there will always be an ENOURMOUS difference between the two: the RX-8 is a (super cool) four dour, four seater and the corvette a (clumsily executed) excuse for an american supercar (only two seats, no truck space, and handling similar to a dairy cow)...
okay okay... it's not that bad (the handling), but it's still nothing like a real sports car (elan, rx-7, nsx, etc.) with that horrific balance and whale-like mass...
anyhoo, because their markets are so different, and those ignorant to the technological supremecy that is the rotary engine will probably pass over Mazda unless that "Zoom Zoom Kid" gets his *** in gear and starts screaming, the corvette doesn't pose any threat to the RX-8's market... which leads me to a post i'm gonna make in a second here... the REAL competitors for the RX-8 (maybe not who you expect...)
First the C5 Corvette is a very nice car. Shame on the flamming. That's not nice. I do agree that the styling cues are very similar to the 3rd gen RX-7. That is probably why the C5 is the only Corvette I have ever thought looked good.
Second, (this is the fun part!) GM acually had two prototype Corvettes that where rotary powered! The first was a 2.2-liter 2 rotor.
The second was a 4.4-liter 4 rotor! (They just put 2 2.2 liter 2 rotors together.)
Of course this is GM we are talking about so they never went any further then the concept, but its funny that you slam the Corvette when it could have been a rotary too.
the corvette IS fast, it should, considering the displacement it's got...
but it's still just a kinda sporty muscle car, like the viper... they're not going to win any slalom tests against real sports cars...
are they cool?? hell ya!! are they fast?? sure!! but they're not sports cars... that's all i'm saying... on top of that, the corvette ("being the upper-middle-class-man's super car") isn't really well built, and the technology in the engine (IMHO) is substandard for the price tag attached... same (but more so) with Dodge's v10... but that's just not their style...
cool info on GM's rotary program!! i knew that they were trying to get something happening and quit when 'lil old Mazda beat the world to the punch with the Cosmo... but the corvette?? that'd probably have american muscle car fans moaning and groaning about somthing with such a small displacement!! :D
what year are those pics from?? or better, when was GM R&Ding these things?? they don't look like the same spec car... was the second the evolution?? (similar to the stingray...) how close were they to production... and many other questions... how much to you know about GM's rotary program??
Thanks a lot for that. Jeep sued GM recently for making their Hummer H2 with a too similar grill to their Jeep trucks. That case was thrown out. But this has got to go. I think Mazda really has a case here for patent infringement. If they made the patent...
hm.. maybe I'm in the minority here, but I don't think that particularly looks like the RX-8. mostly it just looks ugly... a leaner looking vette would be kinda nice, but that design's just weak. makes the choice even easier I guess
oh, that is truely an ugly beast...
but, to me it does look more like a 350Z than the RX-8... the rooflines sure, but the side glass, no, and the rear glass just isn't Mazda (i mean on the corvette)...
but THOSE HEADLIGHTS!! OH GOD NO!! they (from my hazy memory) seem to look FRICKIN' IDENTICAL to the gawd-ugly lenses on the new NSX... the only thing on that car that is remotely corvette (or american for that matter) are the tail lights... but, that's a given, right??
wow, it's upsetting to see how clueless and uninformed most of you here are.
The C5 Vette (especially the Z06) is one of the BEST handling cars out! The C4 and older vette's were not great handlers, no... But the C5 is a WHOLE new beast. It pulls over 1.00g on the skidpad, and it's slalom is up there with any BMW M series and NSX's and RX-7's
Some of you guys really need to actually look things up before you go off bashing things, because it really makes you look like clueless 18 year-olds (unless that's what you are)
I read about another car that pontiac is creating to compete against the Nissan 350Z.
Though both cars seem similar, I think they attract totally different markets. Just by comparing the amount of gas each car uses is enough to seperate the buyers. If Mazda was really concerned, I'd bet they would raise some issues; especially since Ford has partial ownership.
I read an article in my local paper that the GTO, GMC's replacement for the camaro (from what i understand, the camaro has been discontinued), is suppose to compete against the Nissan 350Z, WRX and I think it was the Audi S4 and some other cars. But I dont see it happening.... I couldn't find the exact article where i got the above info, but i found this in the LA times.
The C6 corvette does look a lot like the RX-8, but even if they were almost identical, don't they have completely different audiences that don't really crossover? I'm planning to purchase a sports car spring 2003 and no matter what the Vette looks like, it's not the image I want (which is a big part of spending cash on a car with ltd utility). I think the majority of RX-8 purchasers are like me and the majority of Vette purchasers would never consider a Mazda, even it were the clearly superior car. Just my thoughts on this not being a problem for Mazda.
It looks more like a 350Z because it's built for a 2-seater. Anyway, the pic is not the finalized version obviously... there aren't any turn signal lights (front and rear) and there's no reverse light.
I agree with JGard18. The C5 Corvette is truly a great car. My neighbor has a Z06 which is an incredible machine.
That said, I would never own one. Mazdas are more my style and quite honestly if Chevy wants to design their $40+ marquee car after a Mazda that is fine with me.
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1991 Mazda MX-5--Sold
Really Hoping for an RX-8
So what if the Vette looks like the RX8....Mazda should be flatter...besides the Japaneze have be coping and improving America products and designs for ages...ever heard something called Karma...hows taste of their own medicine eh.
Granted the RX8 is the sexier beast....but the Vette although wacky looking sorta makes the RX8 look a little tame.
Mazda should not be flattered, it should be horrified. Mazda has very little brand recognition outside of people who know about cars. The Miata is no longer the only little roadster being made, now we have the Toyota MR2, and even the S2000. The Tribute is the same as the Escape, no one drives a Millenia, or a 626. Basically if people see the vette and the RX-8, they're going to be convinced Mazda copied them. Everyone knows the Japanese tend to copy ideas, and rarely come up with an idea on their own, but when they do implement something, they do it perfectly. I'm not saying people should think this, I'm saying the car buying public will think this, and wrongly. Mazda should nip this in the bud and sue them. They have a good case considering if they patented the design of their vehicle.
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