zoom44

Recently Pontiac has been runnign ads that ask people to "google pontiac"

So mazda is running paid search ads that show up when you do the google search





it takes you to an ad like this one http://www.mx5nocomparison.com/?sour...=%5Bpontiac%5D

hehehehe Mazda also grabbed ads at/on yahoo

articles here http://suvs.autoblog.com/2006/01/30/...c-err-sort-of/

and here
http://www.traffick.com/blog/archive...29_archive.asp

s13lover

Gotta love Mazda's marketing!

Skythe

That's so dirty, yet so cool. ****'em

Ike

Good strategy but the Sky and Solstice are still going to destroy the MX-5 in sales, in fact they already have if reports of presales are correct.

zoom44

they also will build more in a couple months than mazda will build all year. who wins the awards tho?

shaolin

Even more evidence that a growing number of people don't buy sports cars for their feel anymore. They buy them for image alone. The MX-5 is a superior car to the Solstice/Sky, but the Solstice/Sky have a much more adventurous body style.

Captain Amazing

Too bad the GXP/Redline versions of the GM cars will destroy the MX-5/MSP 6.....and the RX-8. Pwnt.

shaolin

That's all speculation and conjecture. We have not seen the performance versions of these cars at all yet.

mysql101

A FI version of the sky will no doubt be much faster than the miata, but we all know what market mazda is in - they never aim for highest hp in the class.

Ike

I'd twist that around and say that the average car buyers focuses on looks more than they do the drive. I don't think anyone is buying the Solstice or Sky to boost their image. I have to admit, the Solstice and Sky are stunning in person. I was taken back by the pre-production Solstice I saw last year, and that doesn't happen often. It's almost TVR like sexy, I'm sure my view on that will change once they're all over the roads. My view will change even further once some tool pulls up next to me in his Solstice and revs.

Ike

Well they need to start aiming higher... If I hear "Brilliant Chassis but a bit underpowered" in another mag review for a Mazda I'm going to scream. Wake the **** up Mazda, there's a horsepower war going on! Funny thing is when the introduced the MS Miata mags were complaining that the suspension was too soft...

mysql101

To be fair, hp isn't everything, but I agree - I'd like to see mazda putting out some higher powered cars.


The solstice does look REALLY nice in person. I got to beat up on them at the Epcot test track a few months back (No Sky available). Flooring it around a track, making it squeel whenever possible.


The car looks great from outside, but once you're inside, it lacks in ergonomics's. Everything is plastic and I doubt it will age well. The clutch/shifter was no where close to the miatas (felt clunky) and it didn't feel like it had 170 hp (my boss was riding shotgun, so maybe he was slowing me down). On the other hand, I'm no fan of the miata, so maybe this size of car doesn't do it for me.

Rhawb

Er, that's like saying the Mazdaspeed 3 will totally own a Civic EX. Makes no sense plus there's no information on those versions yet, afaik. As far as being "pwnt," they'll probably have a bunch of power over the Mazdas, but as about everyone here knows, that ain't everything. I have my doubts that they'll actually top the fun factor of the 8 or MX5.

I'm not saying they won't be great cars, but I think it's going to take them a while to catch up. After all, the fun to drive factor has been Mazda's bread and butter for at least the past decade or so. Sure, they could use a bit more power, but I think I'd be perfectly happy with whatever they decide to do in a Mazdaspeed MX5.

Ike

No, horsepower isn't everything, but a brilliant chassis with good power power is a hell of a lot better than a brilliant chassis with an underpowered engine.


Newsflash, everything in your RX-8 interior is plastic as well, even those fake aluminum looking bits. I'm not saying the RX-8 and Miata interior isn't better built and nicer than the Solstice and Sky, but they're both plastic. Plus, people aren't going to expect much from a 20k ish US made roadster, I think most will be pleasantly surprised by the car as a whole. I rather like the Miata, it's a great drive, but not for me. Even though I and most other enthusiasts will think the Miata/MX-5 is the better car, the Solstice and Sky are still going to crush it in sales.

therm8

It's not as though the Solstice is a slouch in the handling dept. When 2 vehicles a close in performance/feel, and one looks fantastic while the other looks like a bar of soap, which one will most people want?

Spin9k

For a reality splash in the face - go read the latest Grassroots Motorsports comparison of a Solstice vs. 2006 MX-5 vs. 1999 Miata.

Brutal - MX5 is too soft to be a great autocross car - guess what car won - guess which came in 2nd?

Ike

I cheated, pretty damn impressive for the Solstice. Put aftermarket shocks and sways on the Solstice and I bet that .2 advantage is long gone. Good stuff Spin. I bet more than a few guys traded in their Miatas on a Solstice from that article, if they were able to get one...


"Did a head-to-head Autocross run-off between a new Miata, a Solstice and a '99 Miata that competes on the national level in SCCA C-Stock class (equipped with aftermarket shocks and swaybars). The new Miata and Solstice were bone stock except for competition alignments, and all three cars ran on new Hoosier R-compounds.

One would have expected that with the same HP and 350 extra lbs, the Solstice would have had its butt handed to it. One would have been wrong. On a sub-40 second course, the Solstice averaged only 0.2 seconds behind the well-prepared '99 Miata, and almost 0.8 seconds ahead of the new Miata, which is a lifetime on a course like that. The test drivers all remarked about how easy it was to get into the Pontiac and be *very* fast the first time out, in contrast to the new Miata, which they thought needed a graduate course in body control.

None of them liked the Ecotech, though."

terrypk1

love you mazda. that's so DIRTY AND FOXY. lol.

snizzle

This is hilarious. Reminds me of the little jabs between Microsoft/Apple.

The Sky/Solstice is basically the American interpretation of what a roadster should be. It's a little bigger/heavier, less nimble, and has more grunt down low. Purists will always kick and scream.

Spin9k

Unfortunately NOT less nimble (see GRM test).

Truth be told, I went & did a test drive (alone) with a MX5 top of the line version about a month ago. To boot, I even got paid some money by Mazda to do that. And although at the time I didn't say much about it, ("Nice car, fancy key, thanks!) ) I had the feeling of experiencing the "Emporer's new clothes".

IOW "where's the meat"? or "is that all there is?" was what I came away with. Yea it had nice turn in, but the shifter was rubbery & vague (compared to my RP short shifter), the view from the seat bas bathtub-like (compared to my stock 8 seat), the suspension/tire feel was bouncy rubber band soft and floaty, "Yes bouncy-floaty" and not just a little (compared to my 8 with WL Sways and RT-615s).

I got back in my 8 and left the dealership feeling like I truly had the 'real sports car from Mazda'. My slightly modded 8 may not be perfect, but compared to the stock MX5 - give me a break - not in 1,000,000 years would I swap.

The GRMS said that aftermarket suspension guys would be making a killing on the 'new Miata' and they are spot on.

snizzle

Hmmm, well I haven't driven either but i'm just going by what i've read in the roundups. I'm not saying they are light years apart but most of the comparos have mentioned that the Solstice just feels less nimble than the new MX5 (i'm assuming b/c of the weight).

Spin9k

Not really trying to bash the MX5, but I know what I experienced.

I guess it's just another case of marketing & words on a magazine page vs. side-by-side butt based reality. Go take your 8 down to your dealer and try an MX-5 yourself. You'll find plenty I imagine, no shortage up here anyway. Then come back and tell what you felt. I was frankly very surprised. Anyway it should make you feel good when you drive away.

Chrisbert

Unless that average car buyer is driving an Evo or STi!

I hope the Solstice can become the new Gay Man's car so a self-respecting straight guy can drive a Miata / MX5 now.

eclps0

i plan on buying a mx5 in 4 years or later, I have talked to brian Goodwin about the mx5 he told me the mx5 with coilovers is amazing in handling. That on road course he was destroying his old 99 times on that track ( that was set up for track with slicks). The mx5 had street tires.

I think mazda should have made the sport package a real sport package with stiffer springs and dropped. But they did not. Just like any car maker there soul purpose is to make money even though they had to ruin the reputation of a car to saty with masses.

The thing i liked about the miata is the tq it feels like u have more tq than an rx8 becuase of its weight of course.

s13lover

Was the MX-5 in that article equiped with the suspension package? I'm surprised by those results since the Solstice is heavier, has a longer wheelbase, and everyother magazine I've read said that the Miata felt nimbler.