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Undeniably the craziest lap I've ever seen. Somehow Porsche manages to continue its' evolution of motorsports.
As far as I know Mazda doesn't hold a single legitimate record on the ring. Only thing I found were 'fannies' online who stroke themselves while SIM driving a 787B
Yes Mazda is struggling - however when Nissan pulls off the 400Z - they'll need to think again about not having a sports car (unless a turbo Miata "JM Works" is in the works).
Imo, German engineering has and will most likely always remain the envy of the technical world and kudos to them for proper funding. Although it shouldn't come as a total surprise when you're the winningest Lemans team ever boasting a 7 year consecutive streak.
Maybe the 400z will create some JDM buzz but it's definitely not to my taste. I used to work for a Datsun specialty shop and personally I'm not seeing it. It's nice to give respect but she's ugly imo and nobody listens to disco anymore ether.
But seriously, where does anyone see Mazda fitting into a sports car retail space? Somehow their marketing will magically become good / effective (for a change) and convey their message of 'spirited driving?' Hard to see that ever happening and even more unlikely that a consumer who's potentially in the market for a jdm sports car would pass up on the cheap Surpa. The new 'noriyaro' tube video from yesterday speaks volumes about current rotary culture imo. Another glorified display of pageantry captured on a phone. I swear an entire generation of people have stunted their growth. Possibly the fumes.
I for one think Mazda has clearly missed their aims by focusing on the wrong types of automotive qualities and subsequently developed their brand around it and two, hired people to direct their company into oblivion... err the future. I've seen way too many awful interviews from their own engineers / employees and all I ever hear or see is grasping. Releasing another MSM will not appease me.
The issue with Mazda hanging on to the Miata is that - as a car - many of us don't fit in either due to leg or upper body length. I found the 911, RX-8, Corvette, Camaro, Mustang, all fine. Miata - I look like Wilt in a Rabbit
The issue with Mazda hanging on to the Miata is that - as a car - many of us don't fit in either due to leg or upper body length. I found the 911, RX-8, Corvette, Camaro, Mustang, all fine. Miata - I look like Wilt in a Rabbit
That, and 90% of the pickup truck drivers I encountered can't drive for crap(or drive like they are trying to compensate for something with their massive truck; your guess is as good as mine) and I just don't feel safe in a Miata when they merge lane into me/decide to cross the highway when I am too close, both of which almost happened to me.
Now if I am outside of North America where pickup trucks aren't a problem, yeah maybe a Miata would be fine, but even then, the lack of storage space can be an issue for some. All the other cars you mentioned have okay cargo storage space and/or back seats.
I'm too tall and have never felt safe in a Miata either. But I've never been in a ND, so maybe it's a different story these days. Seriously though, other than parts chugging along per usual I personally think the Miata is the one singular thread keeping Mazda afloat. Where does any revenue come from? What cars in their line-up has you throwing your money away? ... New car sales are low and have ultimately been surpassed by Korean cars somehow. Sad to say, but today I know I'd be much more inclined to purchase a KIA or Hyundai before any Mazda.
It's like they modeled their business after a parasite. 'Establish yourself where there's a constant source of X to sustain from.' And from what I've seen they feed off the many, many retirees doing the spec thing as well as the ocean of boy racers.
My graduate professor once shared an anecdote regarding Schubert and impartial writing. He dubbed it the 'Boyfriend Effect,' because we all hold biases.
I'm too tall and have never felt safe in a Miata either. But I've never been in a ND, so maybe it's a different story these days. Seriously though, other than parts chugging along per usual I personally think the Miata is the one singular thread keeping Mazda afloat. Where does any revenue come from? What cars in their line-up has you throwing your money away? ... New car sales are low and have ultimately been surpassed by Korean cars somehow. Sad to say, but today I know I'd be much more inclined to purchase a KIA or Hyundai before any Mazda.
It's like they modeled their business after a parasite. 'Establish yourself where there's a constant source of X to sustain from.' And from what I've seen they feed off the many, many retirees doing the spec thing as well as the ocean of boy racers.
My graduate professor once shared an anecdote regarding Schubert and impartial writing. He dubbed it the 'Boyfriend Effect,' because we all hold biases.
Like any car company, the revenue comes from the SUVs. At least in North America, even the might Porsche has the Cayenne for a reason. SUV is the cash cow nowadays.
Miata, just like any afforable sports car, makes no money.
IMO Mazda still has the looks going for them compared to the Korean cars but yeah, the Koreans are catching up pretty good. I got to know someone with a Veloster N and I have to say, I like that car a lot, and Mazda doesn't have anything currently to compete with it.
It's actually a good thing if Mazda knows who their target audience is. The issue now is they don't.
Totally agree that Mazda has turned into soccer mom brand and that suv's in North America are very much still in fashion but disagree that Miata is a sports car and very doubtful that riding some lukewarm suv's sales is capable of longterm sustainability. Let's see what Q4 posts.
I say Mazda has no target audience, enthusiasts true to the brand have been left in the dust years ago.
Totally agree that Mazda has turned into soccer mom brand and that suv's in North America are very much still in fashion but disagree that Miata is a sports car and very doubtful that riding some lukewarm suv's sales is capable of longterm sustainability. Let's see what Q4 posts.
I say Mazda has no target audience, enthusiasts true to the brand have been left in the dust years ago.
Still counts as one IMO. Small and nimble still has its natural edges, but I will say that competitors are doing well even with the weight penalty.
Unfortunately I just don't see much performance innovation from Mazda. I don't see anything like magnetic ride/DSSV or electronic LSD from Mazda, while GM is benefitting off those tech pretty greatly. Skyactiv-X is cool and all but ultimately it's not meant for performance.
Again, they are probably too broke for that kind of stuff.
I think the spirit behind the concept of what the original Miata was intended to represent was to instill the 'feeling of sports driving' rather than actually perform as a true sports car (I can recall many a Mazda commercial that states just that). That's where the Rx7 comes in to receive performance + tech and serve as the halo vehicle we all love. If you compare NA Miata and even the FC Rx7 the distinction is blatantly clear. I don't even have to bring the FD into this. Sure you can fast forward 30 years and the ND is a good car no doubt but still a stretch to call a sports car imo.
Basic sports car features: manual trans, rwd, adequate brakes (multi piston front, vented 4 wheel disk, etc), hard-top / non-convertible, 'special' performance (turbo, larger engine, etc), exotic / fine materials, production methods, attention to detail, generally a p/w ratio of 10/1 or better, etc.
And I'm totally with you that the sky-activeX stuff is very cool. Efficiency is always equal to performance in my book
I think the spirit behind the concept of what the original Miata was intended to represent was to instill the 'feeling of sports driving' rather than actually perform as a true sports car (I can recall many a Mazda commercial that states just that). That's where the Rx7 comes in to receive performance + tech and serve as the halo vehicle we all love. If you compare NA Miata and even the FC Rx7 the distinction is blatantly clear. I don't even have to bring the FD into this. Sure you can fast forward 30 years and the ND is a good car no doubt but still a stretch to call a sports car imo.
Basic sports car features: manual trans, rwd, adequate brakes (multi piston front, vented 4 wheel disk, etc), hard-top / non-convertible, 'special' performance (turbo, larger engine, etc), exotic / fine materials, production methods, attention to detail, generally a p/w ratio of 10/1 or better, etc.
And I'm totally with you that the sky-activeX stuff is very cool. Efficiency is always equal to performance in my book
With the way things are going, you probably have to kick "manual trans" off the list. It's dying as we speak, and it's a shame.
And that kind of reflects a problem with some modern sports cars, which I another member and I had before: cars focus a bit too much on numbers now. A DCT/10AT is faster than a 6-speed, we all know that, but does it bring the same level of enjoyment to some drivers? No, but nevertheless, the manual is being killed because it's slower. Not that ICE autos would have long to live once EVs fully mature.
That's not to say that I don't enjoy a car that can put down some good numbers, but sometimes it's good to step back and see if you are really having fun. IMO that should be the primary goal of a sports car, to bring as many smiles per gallon as possible to its owner. The power figures and technology should assist that goal, not replace it.
And honestly, to tick all the boxes you mentioned, the only things that ever match will be some expensive German cars that most can't afford, and some of the characteristics you mentioned like fine interior and attention to detail are more for Grand Tourers, not a sports car. FD RX-7 had potato interiors, just as Corvettes up until C7. Still sports cars.
Also, not a lot of companies make engines specifically for a car anymore. It's all about the economy of the scale nowadays. Affordable sports cars with a unique engine are doomed to fail nowadays, as the Mazda RX family has shown. That's why Corvettes use pickup truck engines and why those engines are so popular - truck sales ensure that the Small Block R&D department gets all the budget they would ever need. Heck, even Lotus uses Toyota engines. Not unique, but I would definitely trust a Toyota engine way more than whatever the British can rig up themselves.
Skyactiv-X isn't that impressive performance-wise. The 2.0 X puts out about the same figure as the current 2.5 G, so it's not exactly a performance engine. The 2.5T was also made to be an economical engine so that's not it, either. There isn't anything that's specifically made for performance at Mazda currently.
Last edited by UnknownJinX; 10-30-2020 at 01:16 PM.
What else needs to be defined I suppose is the outrageous potential of modern mass produced cars because standards today are far from what was considered 'sports' even 5 years ago.
AT is superior by far imo. I actually have been praising AT performance improvements for years now but the unfortunate trade-off is that the experience becomes less analog. Fine for those who are always at the track but at the cost of losing / sacrificing driver skill and our connection to the experience. I hope this infatuation with shaving tenths off shifts and lap times will fade.
And I'm the guy who said Prius' were cool, so the smiles per gallon thing doesn't apply to me. Cars only serve as transportation between point A and B. I like to either be somewhere or headed there. I do not enjoy idle time and is a special occasion when I do. Cars are an object and I treat it as such. I'll be the first to push my 8 into the trash compactor if humans ever get their act together.
10-27-2020, 12:30 PM
