Mazda Eyes Record U.S. Sales (11/15/13)


maybe this is SNL...i dunno....

 

Matt, you shouldn't let facts get in the way of a good opinion!

 

 

Numbers suggest otherwise:

Year / Net profit or loss (in billions of Yen)

FY1998 38.7
FY1999 26.1
FY2000 -155.2
FY2001 8.8
FY2002 24.1
FY2003 33.9
FY2004 45.8
FY2005 66.7
FY2006 73.7
FY2007 91.8
FY2008 -71.5
FY2009 -6.5
FY2010 -60.0
FY2011 -107.7
FY2012 34.3
FY2013 (100.0) (forecast)

They gave us the Rx-8 after that giant tumble in 2000 and with much lower income in the following years. Give them at least until mid 2015 (FY2014), then let's see what's the situation like, shall we?

Andrea.

 

wtf happened in 2000? Fast and furious came out?

 

Dot com bubble maybe?

Andrea

 

People seem to keep forgetting that the problem over the last few years has had nothing to do with sales volume. It's been currency conversion issues with a strong JPY. That's why Mazda is opening a plant in Mexico. The JPY has stabilized recently and it's pushed them back into profits on top of record sales volume.

 

That and the tsunami. People do usually forget about the financial factors that have no real relation to the quality of cars, marketing, research costs, or sales volume.

 

Forgot about the tsunami too...

 

the tsunami didn't affect Mazda much as they are located in hiroshima, TOYOTA was hit badly cuz their plant was around the Fukushima Daiichi(#1) Power plant

well it did effect Mazda a bit cuz lots of supply chain's warehouse went under water, 2008 was when the financial crisis hit.

 

Yeah, it wasn't their assembly lines that were affected by the tsunami, it was the ability to get the cars out of Japan to sell them.

 

I just really hope this new CEO's slash-and-burn policy doesn't effect what makes mazda great - it's ability to set up a chassis (which I will admit is a bit of a leap given what is written here - no fear mongering intended, just thinking out loud). If he see's only dollars and cents...or, well, yen... it could mean cost-saving cuts in the areas that mean a lot to the automotive enthusiast, but not the general population (e.g. weight, steering feel, chassis, etc).

Moreover, does this mean that mazda could become lancia? As it is, Mazda has a reputation for rust...


I'll still hold out hope - for the rotary and Mazda as a whole. I've owned several forgettable cars; the ones that have left a lasting impression on me have been mazda's.

 

By the time the next rotary comes out, cars will be autonomous and no one will have any more fun anyway. It'll just be our luck that rotaries will be perfect as range extenders in autonomous hybrid cars. Everyone would have a rotary then.

 

Mazda's LA Auto Show design challenge car is designed to switch from fully autonomous to fully not when you want to have fun

Mazda Auto Adapt: LA Design Challenge 2013 Photo Gallery - Autoblog

 

F1's Hybrid turbos are awesome and you want one in your car. Now


And people say hybrid tech is lame and uncool.

 

I have no idea how that would help fuel economy, just seems like it would make boost quicker.

 

For F1, correct, faster boost.

Current street car turbochargers are only having a minor impact in reducing pumping losses when out of boost, largely the energy that is flowing through their turbines is still being wasted. If this turbo tech was used on a street car for efficiency improvements, the key point in that F1 tech is how the turbine is still capturing waste heat when in a cruise condition, storing energy in whatever energy storage device the car has (batteries, capacitors, or mechanical flywheel). That energy could be used for...anything. Powering electrical devices to reduce alternator load like Mazda's e-loop, providing electrical power to the wheels under X mph like the Prius, providing a boost in power at WOT, etc...


I see "hybrid" tech as anything that captures wasted energy for use later. Prius-like heavy battery systems are within that classification, but they are the unwanted redheaded stepchild of hybrid tech. Plenty of hybrid tech options and development are a direct improvement on sports cars without significant weight additions, and are where the future is going to be.

 

This could work for the rotary! Capacitors or mech flywheel would be a better fit IMO.

 

I've had a supercharged car and now have a turbocharged car. I much preferred the response of the supercharged car over my current turbocharged car. The supercharger was instant. I can't stand the lag/spooling of the turbo. In some ways it's like the RX8 where you have to make sure you're in a certain rpm to get to the power. Hopefully this Trifecta tune will help

 

Agreed. Batteries are the worst possible choice for energy storage, even if you ignore the environmental impact of lithium batteries.

A mechanical flywheel is my favorite method. A 31lb flywheel spinning at 36,000rpm delivers 200hp for up to 8 seconds in the 911 GTr3 Hybrid. Want more energy storage? spin it faster or make it heavier. Sitting in a complete vacuum, it can hold that energy level for a significant amount of time. There are safety challenges of course around accident damage, but they are easier to solve than high voltage storage systems. You can't dump the energy from a high voltage battery pack quickly very safely. You can dump the energy from a mechanical wheel far more safely, especially if it is considered a 1-time use dumping mechanism in a crash, like air bags.

 

It's cool and I could see the use on a hybrid vehicle, but If you're trying to make power then it is going to increase back pressure and cause another set of problems.

 

Your turbo is too big ......

 

It's a stock Buick Regal GS.

 

no idea what that is but it sounds horrible ... LOL

My old turbo setup 57trim (similar to yours ) was pretty much lag free . Latest setup 60-1 wheel does have a lot of lag .

 

I'm sorry, did you just compare the power output of a supercharged Series II 3800 V-6 to the turbocharged 2L I-4 engine? That's like comparing the RX-8 engine with a GE turbine engine on a Boeing 747.

Go test drive a Maserati Ghibli if you want an idea of how a turbocharged V-6 will feel when done right.

BC.