1) Dropping weight of future vehicles: http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/12/report-...pounds-in-2011/

2) Fields factory backed cars in several race series.

3) Excellent race team support system (Mazdaspeed)

4) Involved several pro series: ALMS, Grand Am, Koni Challenge, Speed World Challenge, etc

5) Created and involved in many feeder series: Spec Miata, MX5-Cup, Skip Barber, Formula Mazda, Star Mazda, etc

6) Racer contingency programs (they pay you for winning), sometimes as much as $100,000...

7) Racer discounts on new Mazda vehicles (Mazdaspeed)

8) Full line of sporty vehicles including an affordable roadster (MX-5), a 4 door sports car (RX-8), a class leading front drive hot hatch (MS3), etc.

9) Did I mention they actually sell a 2 seat convertible sports car? It even comes with a retractable hardtop option!

It really pains me to write this list because I love my S2000 and the car company Honda used to be, what the hell happened?!

Thoughts?

 

+ 1

I know, it hurts, it hurts ....

 

Honda shafts the US....

 

It's called going back to basics, the Global economy is forcing most companies to go back to basics, the Honda Civic was a pretty good car back in "82 and made Honda a lot of money. I guess they are finally learning from Toyota, there's no money in the sports car market unless you're a big boy like Porsche, Lamborghini or Ferrari....The Bugatti, Rossion and others are just gadget plays like the Wildcat.....

 

Why isn't Mazda having to abandon their culture then? They're on the same planet and are subject to the same economic downturn as Honda...

 

But Mazda has ALWAYS been like this - and arguably a much more racer friendly company then Honda ever was.


1) The Mazdaspeed program dates back to the 80s with 323 GTXs and Mazda RX-7s...

2) Mazda threw down the gauntlet in the 2door roadster market in 1989 with the Miata and continued to revise it every 5 years or so. Honda finally stepped up 10 years in, and hasn't had a follow up generation in the past decade.

3) Mazda has always had a true sports car in the stable (RX-7/RX-8)... Honda had the NSX - but that's just too far out of reach for most buyers.

4) Mazda had dedicated themselves to 'outside the box' projects such as the Rotary in general and more recently Hydrogen power.


I don't think Mazda is the new Honda... I think Mazda has just been doing what they do so well for so long.

-M

 

Gotta call Bullshit. How much money do you think these guys are really making with such low productions numbers? Even if Mazda is making 1/8 of what Bugatti or Porsche makes per unit on the RX-8, the sales numbers on the RX-8 simply tanks whatever Bugatti or Porsche (who are, for the record both owned by VW) makes.

There *is* a sports car market... and like you said just look at Toyota, LF-A is a go for that uber-high end market and the FT86 for the rest of us. Sure, Toyota decided to pull out of the sports market for some time, but that was because they saw the writing on the wall with GM going under and needed to secure a base with their other products instead of with sports cars.

 

I suppose you're right.

 

Going to basics?

--
You know what I SAW 2 weeks ago? around my house i saw a brand new SHINNY ACCORD 4 doors, driven by an old cute couple, it was PEARL WHITE and guess what, it was a "PRESIDENTIAL EDITION" You know, the one wit those weird canvas thing i TAN color? with the President seal? i was on my NSX and I could NOT BELIEVE MY EYES, I swear I never thought I was going to see a Honda like that .... that is a sign
----

Nissan has the Z's the G's the GTR's
Toyota has the F's LFA's and probably a new "supra" coming
Mazda has Mx5's Rx8's the 3

Even the KOREANS, F***G Hyundai has the Genesis (both look great and kick ass)

Domestics ... i don't even start on the domestics, yes, they do struggle but they all have @ least one sportscar or "sporty" car offering

Germans = I am too lazy but you know who they are and their cars

....

Honda "The power of Oldsmobile"

==

LOL

 

-M has the answer, hopefully not for Mazda as much as Ichiro lied to you, Honda nor Toyota were build in a sports car tradition, their two best sellers, the Civic and Corolla are proof of that....

We can call it what you want but the fact is you can find 500 people around the World to buy the LF-A but not more than that, and more than half of them in a few months when they get sober must likely regret spending so much money on a Toyota, I'm a huge Toyota fan boy but I'm not that crazy!!

I agree with you there's a sports car market and I'm a big part of it but right now that market is moving on both extremes, very low or very high, so you know where Mazda stands!! The fast and Furious mentality has come and gone for Honda and they're finally beginning to realize it...BTW don't believe VW's numbers, they are misleading, the reality is different, Toyota had to haul production so that VW could have its 5 minutes of fame, not to mention that you're taking about multiple companies combined, BMW makes the best net money per model of any manufacturer out there. I would like to see Honda and Toyota combined to be call GMC, no, not general Motor Company but rather Godzilla Motor Corporation.. Bugatti makes money because they cater to a very unique audience with the cash to back it up...plus the only have 300 employees to deal with, that's including the owner's wife and kids, Toyota and Honda have to deal with Millions of employees around the World so they must make adjustment at halftime, that's how you beat the Wildcat... I'm sorry but I've never been impressed with these Wildcat companies that make only one car!! I'm going to write to Ferrari to have them haul production and build just one car to prove my point, they're going to make the Veyron look like a Miata (pun intended) both in raw power and looks, I don't think the Veyron is all that hot!! contrary to popular believe, there's no sports car company like Ferrari, period. They are hand made, with cutting edge technology and they dictate what's up, which also caters to that same high end crowd...try to sell a Honda for $300K, I hope they've learned from the S2K, the NXS or even now, Toyota!!