Ford Big Wig Owns Tuned RX-8
03-22-2004, 03:50 PM
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Ford Big Wig Owns Tuned RX-8
The March 15th edition of Automotive News said that Phil Marten, Fords cheif of north america product development, owns a "custom-tuned" RX-8.
Anyone know whats done to his car? He was on the design team for the car. I wonder if he has special engine/intake/exhaust/ecu work done from the factory that may be part of a future RX-8 (i.e. US spec Mazdaspeed edition).
Anyone know whats done to his car? He was on the design team for the car. I wonder if he has special engine/intake/exhaust/ecu work done from the factory that may be part of a future RX-8 (i.e. US spec Mazdaspeed edition).
03-24-2004, 11:44 AM
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Probe? Oh Jesus. This is why RX8 drivers get stereotyped as flaming homoerotic fairies.No other cars have sparked your interest since the Probe? How about the 2003 Cobra, Contour SVT, ZX2 S/R, or Focus SVT?
Last edited by bubble; 03-24-2004 at 11:51 AM.
03-24-2004, 01:36 PM
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i crossed the focus svt off my list after a 5 minute test drive the last time i bought a car (before the rx8 : i ended up with a spec v sentra)
the svt mustang has always suffered from a "goes real fast real quick in a straight line" problem.
But the rest of the things you mentioned are definitely worth noticing, especially when you add in the things they've done in the truck market. Ford's not a company that I'm anywhere near ready to dismiss.
As opposed to, say, GM-North America, where the C6 is the only bright spot in a sea of crap
the svt mustang has always suffered from a "goes real fast real quick in a straight line" problem.
But the rest of the things you mentioned are definitely worth noticing, especially when you add in the things they've done in the truck market. Ford's not a company that I'm anywhere near ready to dismiss.
As opposed to, say, GM-North America, where the C6 is the only bright spot in a sea of crap
03-24-2004, 04:51 PM
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If you are rich like Phil Martin there is no reason to drive a ford. No matter how fast they are in a straight line the styling, interior, ergonomics, etc are absolutely horrible. I had entertained the idea of picking up a mach 1 mustang in a couple of years since they will drop hard once the new body style comes out. After sitting in one at a car show I know I couldn't live with how shamefully bad the interior is. I haven't seen a C6 in person yet but I could not belive how atrocious the interior was on the C5. Flimsy plastic door handles of lower quility than an dodge neon on a $50,000+ sports car? ugh.
03-24-2004, 05:10 PM
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Ford does not "own" 100% of Mazda. They own 36% of Mazda which in my mind does not make them "owned" by Ford. Seems Mazda is still doing it's own thing with the Miata and now with the RX-8, and the upcoming RX-7....
03-24-2004, 05:28 PM
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Originally posted by my10ae
and the upcoming RX-7....
and the upcoming RX-7....
j/k I really wish that mazda would put out the 7 or even a 9. Heck, I don't care what number... just maybe a 2-seater!
03-24-2004, 06:17 PM
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33.4% is what Ford claims on their site. Ford also lists Madza, Lincoln, Mercery, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, and Aston Martin as "one of our brands."
http://www.ford.com/en/default.htm
Fortunately, Ford's X and A plans apply to all the above companies! :D
http://www.ford.com/en/default.htm
Fortunately, Ford's X and A plans apply to all the above companies! :D
03-24-2004, 08:33 PM
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Phil Martens of Ford
Phil Martens is the Group VP for Product Creation for Ford. He was snagged away from a long career at Mazda back in 2002, thus it is no great surprise that he is driving an RX8.
Ford has had a big problem with introducing new vehicles, especially when you look at the amount of money that it spends on R&D compared to the other automobile manufacturers. Ford has been introducing only about 4 new models per year even though its competitors have been introducing well over a dozen per year.
It's up to Phil Martens to "speed-up" the process at Ford. Hopefully Phil loves the MazdaSpeed version of the RX8 that was introduced last December in Japan, and he will expedite this car into North America sometime soon!
Ford has had a big problem with introducing new vehicles, especially when you look at the amount of money that it spends on R&D compared to the other automobile manufacturers. Ford has been introducing only about 4 new models per year even though its competitors have been introducing well over a dozen per year.
It's up to Phil Martens to "speed-up" the process at Ford. Hopefully Phil loves the MazdaSpeed version of the RX8 that was introduced last December in Japan, and he will expedite this car into North America sometime soon!
03-25-2004, 04:24 AM
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One of the things he did with the new Mustang:
Hell yeah!
Edit:
Also unless they REALLY screw it up Ford is going to have HUGE sales numbers on the new mustang. Bet on it.
Phil Martens has put his fingerprints all over the new Mustang. At the helm of Mazda until March 2002, when he became Ford’s group vice-president for product creation, Martens helped engineer the 2005 Mustang’s move from Ford’s assembly plant in Dearborn, Michigan, to the Ford/Mazda plant in nearby Flat Rock. There, the Mustang takes advantage of Mazda technology for better body assembly and quality control.
----Car and Driver
----Car and Driver
Hell yeah!
Edit:
Also unless they REALLY screw it up Ford is going to have HUGE sales numbers on the new mustang. Bet on it.
Last edited by KrustyKlown; 03-25-2004 at 04:26 AM.
03-25-2004, 04:47 AM
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Ford does not "own" 100% of Mazda. They own 36% of Mazda which in my mind does not make them "owned" by Ford. Seems Mazda is still doing it's own thing with the Miata and now with the RX-8, and the upcoming RX-7....
And I am sure that is a wonderful mind. But...the rules of business out here dictate controlling intrest of a company does not need to be 100%, 51% or even 50% ownership. I most cases only a plurality is needed. In this case Ford is the single largest stock holder so they have a plurality and therefore controlling interest in Mazda. Funny... one of the reasons Mazda got in this situation with Ford is the same reason we are all here today. The rotorary engine. Mazda believed so much in it that it almost killed the company and it became a nice little target for Ford acquisition. (I know this is not news to most of you old school rotor heads and I know it has been discussed before somewhere on this board).
03-25-2004, 10:53 AM
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But...the rules of business out here dictate controlling intrest of a company does not need to be 100%, 51% or even 50% ownership. In most cases only a plurality is needed.
03-25-2004, 04:16 PM
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Originally posted by KC_Prelude
If you are rich like Phil Martin there is no reason to drive a ford. No matter how fast they are in a straight line the styling, interior, ergonomics, etc are absolutely horrible.
If you are rich like Phil Martin there is no reason to drive a ford. No matter how fast they are in a straight line the styling, interior, ergonomics, etc are absolutely horrible.
03-25-2004, 05:13 PM
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Originally posted by KrustyKlown
Funny... one of the reasons Mazda got in this situation with Ford is the same reason we are all here today. The rotorary engine. Mazda believed so much in it that it almost killed the company and it became a nice little target for Ford acquisition.
Funny... one of the reasons Mazda got in this situation with Ford is the same reason we are all here today. The rotorary engine. Mazda believed so much in it that it almost killed the company and it became a nice little target for Ford acquisition.
In comparason, warranty claim losses on the FD RX-7 were of no consequence. The FD program eventually turned a profit before Ford showed up anyway.
It's all a shame really. At the time, Mazda was one of the most innovative companies on the planet.
03-26-2004, 02:58 AM
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I don't know where you got that from, but you're wrong. Mazda got hammered when the Japanese economy collapsed, just like Nissan. At the time Mazda had tried to split it's brand image (into 8 or 9 seperate brands) and that excercise collapsed and failed horribly, costing the company massively.
In comparason, warranty claim losses on the FD RX-7 were of no consequence. The FD program eventually turned a profit before Ford showed up anyway.
In comparason, warranty claim losses on the FD RX-7 were of no consequence. The FD program eventually turned a profit before Ford showed up anyway.
NOTE: If you're not a big history buff, skip this post. Otherwise, sit back while I provide a quick rundown of the happy marriage between Ford and Mazda that resulted in the MX-6 and other popular vehicles.
Ford and Mazda first hooked up back in the 1970s, when Ford was looking to get a stake in the compact pickup market. See, GM had borrowed Isuzu's small truck in 1971. They slapped a Chevy badge on it, called it the LUV, and managed to seriously challenge Toyota's and Nissan's dominance in the field.
Ford, likewise, wanted a piece of the action, so they "pulled a LUV" on the Mazda B-series pickup in 1972, putting on Ford nameplates and calling it the Courier (a classic Ford truck name from the 1950s, but that's another story). It sold quite well throughout the 1970s, getting a redesign along with its Mazda counterpart for 1977.
But the Ford/Mazda connection grew stronger after 1975, thanks mainly to Mazda's over-reliance on (then) gas-guzzling rotary powerplants in the American market. When the gas crisis hit in 1974, Mazda saw its sales take a massive nosedive, and Ford saw an opportunity to get its very own Asian manufacturing partner. Thus, they bought a minority stake in Mazda while the price was good. Mazda, of course, would rebound during the 1980s with cars like the RX-7 and new front-drive 626 and GLC/323 models.
Full story: Here
Ford and Mazda first hooked up back in the 1970s, when Ford was looking to get a stake in the compact pickup market. See, GM had borrowed Isuzu's small truck in 1971. They slapped a Chevy badge on it, called it the LUV, and managed to seriously challenge Toyota's and Nissan's dominance in the field.
Ford, likewise, wanted a piece of the action, so they "pulled a LUV" on the Mazda B-series pickup in 1972, putting on Ford nameplates and calling it the Courier (a classic Ford truck name from the 1950s, but that's another story). It sold quite well throughout the 1970s, getting a redesign along with its Mazda counterpart for 1977.
But the Ford/Mazda connection grew stronger after 1975, thanks mainly to Mazda's over-reliance on (then) gas-guzzling rotary powerplants in the American market. When the gas crisis hit in 1974, Mazda saw its sales take a massive nosedive, and Ford saw an opportunity to get its very own Asian manufacturing partner. Thus, they bought a minority stake in Mazda while the price was good. Mazda, of course, would rebound during the 1980s with cars like the RX-7 and new front-drive 626 and GLC/323 models.
Full story: Here
Last edited by KrustyKlown; 03-26-2004 at 03:20 AM.
04-01-2004, 12:29 PM
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I have seen the interior of the G.T. I worked for the Ford division of Lear Corp. for a couple years and I was exposed to this vehicle, and I worked on the new mustang among other new Ford products coming out. The interior of the new G.T. is very "race car" directed. When I sat in the car I didn't even think it was a Ford product, I thought it was some kind of European race car or something. ????? The interior of the new mustang is pretty sweet. The guages and instrument panel are all chrome trimmed and it has the "retro" feel to it.
04-01-2004, 01:04 PM
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I have to say I do not agree you Krusty or the guy who posted that bit on the MX-6 board. The poor sales of the RX-7 did not and could not have possibly cause the huge lost of sales of Mazda in the last decade. In general, all of the big Car Manufacturers' major strength in terms of sales and market share relies on their low model, high volumn cars, also known as the common cars. Doesn't matter how good your top model sports car or luxury sedan are, almost EVERYTHING depends on their sales of those Camrys, Corolla, Civic and Proteges. Common cars are where a huge portion of their revenue is coming from. The Top of the Line Sport Cars are more for Marketing (image building) and Promotion (drawing customers to the showroom) purposes.
Mazda failed before because they totally missed the boat with 323 and 626 and got cleanup by the Civic, Corrolla and the Accord and Camrys. Without a strong sale in those line, Mazda lost a huge market shares in the most profitable segement. It is because they were short of cash that results in their cars had poor quality materials (attempt to cost cutting) and that's why the last RX-7 in NA was put together with a shoe-string budget and wasn't really reliable. You see, the last RX-7 was more a result of their miserable sales and NOT the cause of the problem.
The good thing is, Mazda finally learned their lessons. As you can in the Mazda6 and Mazda3, they put lots of effort into making the cars look exciting as well as packing lots of features. These are the models which determines the future success of Mazda NOT the RX-8. Believe me, in terms of Marketing yea the 8 is the big brother, but inside Mazda, I bet you 100 to 1 that the Mazda3 team got a lot more say and resources than anyone else in the company. After all they are responsible for pulling in more than 60% of the revenue.
Mazda failed before because they totally missed the boat with 323 and 626 and got cleanup by the Civic, Corrolla and the Accord and Camrys. Without a strong sale in those line, Mazda lost a huge market shares in the most profitable segement. It is because they were short of cash that results in their cars had poor quality materials (attempt to cost cutting) and that's why the last RX-7 in NA was put together with a shoe-string budget and wasn't really reliable. You see, the last RX-7 was more a result of their miserable sales and NOT the cause of the problem.
The good thing is, Mazda finally learned their lessons. As you can in the Mazda6 and Mazda3, they put lots of effort into making the cars look exciting as well as packing lots of features. These are the models which determines the future success of Mazda NOT the RX-8. Believe me, in terms of Marketing yea the 8 is the big brother, but inside Mazda, I bet you 100 to 1 that the Mazda3 team got a lot more say and resources than anyone else in the company. After all they are responsible for pulling in more than 60% of the revenue.
Last edited by Smoker; 04-01-2004 at 01:07 PM.
04-01-2004, 08:33 PM
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Nissan was in even worse shape than Mazda in the mid 90's and the 300zx outsold all other competitors cars, even the Vette I believe. That just proves that companies don't survive off of their niche cars.
04-03-2004, 04:47 PM
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Originally posted by PaulieWalnuts
Phil Martens was Mazda's product development chief. He is a major reason the 8 exists.
Phil Martens was Mazda's product development chief. He is a major reason the 8 exists.
His comments on the 8 and his participation in that program are quite interesting... anyone who is an 8 enthusiast who does not have this book should get it!
04-06-2004, 12:54 AM
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The poor sales of the RX-7 did not and could not have possibly cause the huge lost of sales of Mazda in the last decade.
During late 1969, Mazda Project engineer Akio Uchiyama started working on a two seat sports car project X020A the so called RS-X. Unfortunately the 1973 oil crisis killed off this project but Akio found himself along with many other mazda employees of all ranks helping to clear the backlog of unsold cars at Mazda dealers in 1975.
Please review your Mazda history. The RX-7 was not even CLOSE to being the first rotary car from mazda. Cosmo anyone??? I am NOT blaming the RX-7 I am blaming the rotary concept during the gas crisis of the 70's.
Rotary Line-up
The poor sales of the RX-7 did not and could not have possibly cause the huge lost of sales of Mazda in the last decade.
Mazda failed before because they totally missed the boat with 323 and 626 and got cleanup by the Civic, Corrolla and the Accord and Camrys. Without a strong sale in those line, Mazda lost a huge market shares in the most profitable segement. It is because they were short of cash that results in their cars had poor quality materials (attempt to cost cutting) and that's why the last RX-7 in NA was put together with a shoe-string budget and wasn't really reliable. You see, the last RX-7 was more a result of their miserable sales and NOT the cause of the problem.
Mazda failed before because they totally missed the boat with 323 and 626 and got cleanup by the Civic, Corrolla and the Accord and Camrys. Without a strong sale in those line, Mazda lost a huge market shares in the most profitable segement. It is because they were short of cash that results in their cars had poor quality materials (attempt to cost cutting) and that's why the last RX-7 in NA was put together with a shoe-string budget and wasn't really reliable. You see, the last RX-7 was more a result of their miserable sales and NOT the cause of the problem.
Last edited by KrustyKlown; 04-06-2004 at 12:58 AM.