Mazda wants enthusiast brand loyalty – are they getting it?
Few months after our high school graduation my friend Dan unexpectedly bought an ’83 RX-7. I am not sure if it was the loud 12A or the rusty chassis he fell in love with, but since then he has owned a Mazda of some kind. Pictured are his current rides, an NA Miata and a JDM-ed RX-7. Both are great cars, the Miata has only chassis modifications whereas the RX-7 dishes out over 400whp from the 13B, and while temperamental it has been surprisingly good about not crapping out.
When it came to his daily-driver however, Dan recently replaced his reliable-as-the-sun-sometimes-used-as-a-tow-truck-for-the-RX-7-300,000-mile Accord with a CPO BMW 335i. The 335i, while not without its issues, it is a superb enthusiast daily driver: comfortable, fun, functional, RWD, and fast. While Mazda advertises its zoom-zoom-ness, does it really offer a fun daily driver other than the “wrong-wheel-drive” Mazdaspeed3?
In the world of Hooniverse there are at least two 2011 Mazda5s in the private fleet, and both are equipped with manual transmissions. While these days it is downright honorable to offer a manual transmission, and simply astonishing in a minivan, is that enough? Sport cars aside, what vehicles would Mazda need to make in order to attract more enthusiast buyers?
Furthermore, those of us unafraid of picking up a wrench don’t buy new cars. We scour the Craigslists and eBays of the internet world for that [insert obscure iconic car of choice] which no one else has seen yet, at an equally attractive price. What car would Mazda, or anyone else, need to make in order to earn our money? I am talking a new, reliable, affordable, efficient vehicle which we would drive every day.
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I bet they are but probably not in a way that helps. A lot of enthusiasts – especially enthusiasts on a budget buy used. I've had four Mazdas and loved them. I'd buy another no problem but not looking at any new car.
I feel like Mazda is beginning to abandon its enthusiasts, as evidenced by discontinuing the RX-8 and not hosting Seven Stock this year. Whatever happened to the Furai concept? If they had sold that, even as a supercar, it would have had a halo effect on the brand.
I think Mazda has brand loyalty from enthusiasts for their "toy" purchases, but too many people are stuck on the RWD=Fun/FWD=Dull thing. Personally, in a DD — where you're not going to be carving corners at 11/10ths — a FWD would be perfectly acceptable. In fact, I considered the Speed3 and Speed6 when looking for a used car to replace the Mustang due to the cities around here having a competition to see who could plow the least in the winter. I've driven a Mazda5 and, even with the slushbox, found it to be a fun little family hauler.
Is Mazda maintaining brand loyalty? Yes, for toys. They should for DDs.
FWDis fun and perfectly acceptable or even preferable in certain situations. However, the question is what should Mazda do to woo enthusiasts. The short answer is a rear wheel drive coupe or sedan. The Speed3 is fun but torque steer is an issue that detracts from the overall package.
The thing is kind of where would you put it? The Mazda 2 and 3 both need FWD, that size class needs packaging efficiency, same deal with the 5. The Mazda 6 could go RWD possibly, but that's limiting your market. Above the 6, Mazda hasn't really had that much success overall, though a RWD sedan would be interesting would people buy it? Outside of the Miata and any eventual RX successors, where would it make sense to position an RWD model?
Either an RX8 based sedan that has an AWD option or a rear bias AWD 6. An AWD speed3 would be awesome too.
These always kinda intrigued me… The last of the RWD sedans, the 929. I think it was popular enough, but I seriously doubt more than 5% of their buyers even know it was RWD, much less know wtf that means.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/8MzTG.jpg">
Isn't that where the steering wheel is on the opposite side?
I am the 5%
The last year we got the RWD 929 in the states was '95. After that, all we had was the FWD Millenia.
The 929 had the reputation of being a nice, luxurious boat. Kind of like an Azera avant la lettre. But I guess with the RWD we could hope for something more like a Japanese panther. They looked kind of good, though.
That is the problem. Personally, I'd want it as small as reasonably possible to accomodate four passengers, so about the size of the 3.
PJ has the right idea with the AWD option, especially if it had a rearward bias.
I don't know. I think the torque steer really isn't that bad for an enthusiast's daily car. It rarely catches me unawares, even then, it usually only does so when I drive it in anger and I find an expansion gap in the road. Otherwise it is a perfectly tractable grocery getter when it needs to be and a proper hooligan when I want it to be. It would be better if it were RWD, or at least AWD biased to rear, but whatever. It's pretty well set up as it.
Then again, my last car was a torque monster TDI. I think I like torque…
It's definitely a matter of personal preference. I've had a few front drivers, particularly early ones, that suffered from torque steer but for me it was just part of their character.
To my Hoon buddy who autocrosses Miatas and Bimmers, it was annoying enough to pass the Mazda on to his wife.
I've been lucky enough in regards to torque steer, but then again, I was either driving a Chrysler Intrepid (which had a longitudinally mounted engine and equal length driveshafts), or cars that just didn't have torque. On the other hand, I feel like i'd be willing to put up with a fault like that which falls into the character category, especially if said car had excellent throttle-off oversteer.
For the record, I definitely want a $1000 Saab at some point, even if that's one of the more expensive $1000 cars you can buy.
I don't know if you could say my 1980 Rabbit's throttle-off oversteer was "excellent" but it was a great source of fun and pride when I finally mastered it. I'll never forget the first time I went through a cloverleaf slideways, surprising the hell out of my best friend, a guy who'd been riding with me in that car for several years and who was a much more skilled Hoon than me.
The trouble with throttle-off oversteer is that in a front-heavy, short-wheelbase car (as with most enthusiast-oriented FWD cars) is that it very quickly turns into a throttle-off pirouette.
Torque Steer, thy name is SAAB Viggen.
For me the point of Mazda's driver-car mentality from the late 80s to about the mid-2000s wasn't the top-end offerings, it was that their standard offerings at ordinary price points were more fun than the competition. I had an '89 323 when I was a kid that was no faster than everybody else's Civics, Corollas, Shadows and Cavaliers, and not as nice inside as the first two, but it easily steered and handled better than any of them. The 323/mazda3 continued to win small car comparisons in the magazines for almost 20 years and is only now in any danger at all on that level. The six was mostly the same way for a long time. The Miata is routinely measured against cars much faster and more expensive. That's what I want from Mazda.
My 89 323 hatch remains my favorite car, 6 cars later.
The 2 compared to the Fiesta definitely captures that (so I hear), but the 6 lost that script with the latest revision.
On the other hand, what's a better driving mid-sized sedan than the 6? I mean, the Altima's decent, and maybe the 6-derived Fusion. Of course, it's unfortunate that the entire class is getting blander and blander, and the 6 would probably benefit from the extra differentiation of going back in the direction of the first gen 6.
I'll be honest, as much as people tell me that FWD is perfectly acceptable for a DD and preferential in some situations, (snow, I guess? We don't get that shit here… I'd buy something AWD first anyway.) I just have no interest in it. So yeah, as much as I really like Mazda, and their ethos, I just can't see myself buying one. I don't fit in the NC Miata, and the RX-8 never grew on me enough to convince me it was a good purchase. I am their target buyer though. I'm not sure what they could do to push me to the new car owner status…
That BRZ from Subaru, though…. Hmmm….
I'm with you on that. The BRZ is currently on the top of my list of new cars I "plan" to buy. Of course, by the time it is on the lots, I'll have some reason that I don't want to buy it. Like Hyundai or Mazda is coming out with an even better car in two years and I'm going to wait for that, or it's too expensive ("I'd pay $22,000 for it, but $24,000 is ridiculous! I could get a used Elise for that kind of money!"). Even though I haven't quite admitted it to myself, until I have more money than I know what to do with (which will never happen), I will probably never again purchase a new car or a used car that costs more than $10,000.
It's the one car on the horizon that I would actually consider selling my GTO for. Even then, it would have to be something pretty special. There is the whole factor of owning a new car for the first time in my life, but that fact alone would not make me give up a car I already know I love.
Given that we are both commenting on this site, it is already obvious that your line of reasoning is exactly what I would be thinking as well…
I had my first new car experience around 7 years to this day, when I bought a new Saab 9-3 Linear at an end-of-the year sales event. I was making enough money at my job, and there was a good chance I would have a child in the foreseeable future, so I wanted to upgrade my 1994 Civic to something safer. With all of the SUVs on the road with bumpers at my head level, I wanted side curtain airbags along with all of the other stuff. At that time they were really only available used on relatively new luxury cars that I wasn't interested in, or in new Camrys, Accords, etc., that I also wasn't interested in. The Saab, with the manual transmission and turbo 4 seemed like a good compromise – good fuel efficiency, good safety ratings, somewhat fun to drive, and not too expensive. All in all, with the purchase price, registration, sales tax, etc., it ended up costing me around $24K. But now that I'm making about 60% less that I was making in 2004 (don't feel sorry for me – I'm also working about 60% fewer hours/week), and I have other more important expenses to worry about, $24K seems like crazy money for a car. It was fun to have a new car, no question. But probably not special enough to do it again.
But I can still comb craigslist and car forums and pretend I'm going to buy the new BRZ until the time comes to pull the trigger.
I don't know, a GTI is still reasonably fun to drive, as far as the FWD DD realm goes. But yes sad that Mazda doesn't have a competitor for the BRZ/FT-86. Though I do wish they were called the XT and the Celica– at least then we'd know they each had their hearts in the right place for their respective demographics.
I agree with the GTI, and I did seriously consider it when looking for a newer car. FWD is what ultimately killed it for me though. I always keep a very open mind, but I also have no desire to own a FWD car, and barely a passing interest in 4WD in anything but a truck. That's just my personal preference, and part of the reason the BRZ appeals to me.
I loved my GTI. Except that it lost traction under acceleration. And it was expensive to maintain. And it burned oil. And that stupid DSG… what was I thinking? I got bored with it and didn't want to sink any more money into it so now my DD is a Miata. But the BRZ looks VERY tempting. I'll probably just keep the Miata as long as I can stand the noise and the rough ride or until I can afford to have two cars.
Really need to do a successor to the RX-8, but with pistons, specifically a DISI turbo MZR or a 3.7v6 variant. Call it whatever you need to, but MX-8 comes to mind.
I have to fully agree with you there. I'd seriously consider an RX-8 if the gas mileage was reasonable. 22 mpg maximum just doesn't cut it for a daily driver. As an engineer, I love Wankel engines for many reasons. Though the rotary engine is the car's defining characteristic, it is also its weakest link. I don't know if a traditional engine would fiit in the chassis, but with a ~200 hp >30 mpg 4 cylinder, that car would have sold much better. It would have been very competitive with the RSX, Civic Si and 3-series.
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/MAZDA787B.jpg" width=550>
It is one thing to have a halo car that very few can afford. It is another thing to actually race. I know Mazda isn't in the position to field race cars, but if they want to get enthusiasm for the brand, racing is the way to do it.
Or maybe that is all bullshit now. Win on Sunday, sell on Monday is so 50 years ago.
I think that kinda went out along with race cars that had anything at all shared with their street counterparts…
Mazda should make a race van for Le Mans.
Yes.
Yes they should.
Guys who dig on Mazda racing are the guys who eat, live, breath Wankel.
The 787B had the 4 rotor unit- the Holy Grail of Mazdaness.
I think an ALMS team fielded a Mazda inline 4 within the last year or so. ZZZzzzz. The rotary would have made it worth watching.
They can't field the rotary anymore, ALMS banned it the season after the 787B. The current Mazda ALMS with the MZR won its class.
Enthusiasts don't buy brand new cars.
Well I buy new because otherwise I'm spending several months and god knows how much gas trying to find a single bloody car with a proper transmission. At least this way even if I have to special order – and I do – I'm getting the correct number of pedals.
Though it is interesting how every salesman has a dumbstruck "uh… we don't usually stock manuals." comment.
Not quite on topic, but we have a lcal Honda Dealer that takes great pride in stocking manual transmissions. When I was shopping for a car ith my folks (who have since stopped driving) the dealer stated that usually stock 10% standards for Civics and Fits, about 5% for Accords, and even stock a couple manual shift CR-V and Elements when they were available.
Again off topic, I have given up on ever owning another manual, after driving my Dad's Honda Accord the other day. It is a current generation model, with the 4-Cyl, in SE trim. After a 15 mile traffic jam on Interstate 84 through Hartford, I said never again….
Our Hyundai guys are getting better about it – their Veloster stock is largely properly equipped, and the Accent and Elantra stock has a healthy mix – but for the most part it's like a needle in a haystack.
I seriously hate driving most autos, though I didn't mind the dual clutch in Fords that everyone complains about. Even in heavy traffic I prefer a stick.
My last two (used) purchases have both been manuals. It's been pretty easy to find VW and Subaru so equipped. Very difficult to find anything else.
Frankly, I've been shocked at how many 5MT VWs are on Craigslist in central Indiana!
Part of the problem is East central Sask is home to the world's worst used car market. There's nothing here, and what is here is overpriced to such a degree that there's no sense buying it. A friend of mine got a used (automatic, of course, given the market) Mazda 3 this summer, and had to travel a fairly long distance to pick it up, plus it took him several months to actually find the thing. And he wasn't even that demanding, he just wanted a reliable, sensible car that wasn't unreasonably priced.
This is why we bought a new Mazda5: for the 6MT.
I had a saved search for manual trans examples under 40k miles, any year…but almost nothing ever showed up. The people who bought stickshifts are not the kind of people to buy new and sell at 2 years and 30k miles. They sell at 80-150k.
Though, oddly enough, the dealer we bought ours from had about 50% of their Mazda5s as sticks, as weirdos like me (us) know the 5 can be had with a stick and actively seek it over other options.
Because RaceVan?
I had been following the 5 since before its introduction to the US. I was curious because it seemed like the right size and I loved the fact that it could be had with a stick. When it finally came time to get a new vehicle, we found ourselves actually looking for an auto (oldest daughter just could NOT master the stick on all the vehicles of the fleet). I had to sell my beloved '89 Corolla All Trac Farm Truc Rolling Toolshed Rally Beater with a zillion miles and almost as many mice to make room – but I digress.
By now the 5 was on the new smiley-face design. That, and the fact that now that oldest daughter is off at college and youngest daughter will soon be driving herself so we didn't really need the extra room, I couldn't get myself excited about it. We ended up getting another Golf (MK6). Which is awesome BTW.
Still, I hope to do a Miata based Locost Se7en one of these days so I watch them on CL. An engineer friend of mine works for Mazda and I can confirm that they definitely have a lot of enthusiasts there.
Hence the last paragraph.
I'm with you for most of the last paragraph, but the putative relationship between the independent and dependent clauses in that last sentence is utterly baffling.
I believe you are simply overwhelmed by the idea that any vehicle could be driven everyday.
I saw your comment on the "last comments" stream on the main page, and I would have bet my life savings that you were responding to something mdharrell said.
In fairness, it could have been Pete instead, right? Right…?
He's a bit more Boy Scout though, carrying a spare engine where the passenger seat used to be.
Oh, yes, right! It could have been Pete, if that will help you sleep at night.
Anyone buying a new car who has no kids and whose work doesn't take up all their time probably isn't an enthusiast even if they claim they are. I can make allowances for people with both, though, especially if they keep a classic weekend car or three in the garage. However, I guess a true enthusiast would quit that overbearing job and shove the kids in the back of the Greenbrier. Personally, I have 2.5 cars with a combined 91 years of age, zero kids so far, and walk to work.
That's a kind of narrow definition of enthusiast, isn't it? I mean, it excludes all of us whose attempts at tinkering have lead to things being significantly more broken than they were several hours ago.
I just meant it as a complication of ssurfer's line that enthusiasts don't buy new cars. There are probably other ways to complicate it, but it's clear that enthusiasts tend to buy used or classic cars either because the wrenches are part of what they are enthusiastic about, or because it helps their car dollars go toward outrageousness that has depreciated steeply. For instance, my brother reminds me today that I can get an Audi A8 in good condition for under $2500, i.e. a tiny fraction of what they cost new. Oh, what a nightmare, but yes I am tempted. The classic case of that genre is of course the 928.
Just speaking on behalf of those of us that are completely inept with a wrench. I did do a DIY project in my house recently though and I was very proud of myself. Sure, an afternoon job took two days, but I totally pulled it off.
Don't forget, enthusiasts can have non-enthusiast spouses. As much as my fiancee loves Jaaags, I doubt she'd want to live with one past the first time it randomly stranded her. On the other hand, I could conceivably swing her towards a 3 or 6, just so I enjoy it when I drive.
i did!
My just-bought stickshift 5 suggests they aren't failing, but my previous WRX suggests the 3 isn't quite the winner it could be.
Fwd is ok for something like the 2, but the Speed3 really oughtta be AWD at that price/performance level.
The RX-8 never did it for me. IMO it needed the 2.3 turbo at 275++ hp and the Miata should go rotary. I'll forgive a car like the Miata for being down on power, but not the RX8.
The Miata should have the RX8 block and the RX9(TM) should have three spinning things and two turbos.
Why, you may ask, but the answer is simple. Why not?
I feel like there is a rather simple solution and it's something none of the car makers are doing. Make cars CHEAPER. I don't want MORE stuff in my cars. A new Civic is bigger than old Accords. My Suzuki SX4 sedan dwarfs the Lexus IS300. A true "sports" car can't be had for less than 20 grand these days. Keep the safety stuff. Take out most of the power-this and automatic-that nonsense. And cut 5 grand off the price. Your cars become a lot better after that.
Funny thing about that… adding power windows, cruise control, and all the other things you talked about really doesn't add anywhere near 5 grand in the manufacturing costs. You have a basic cost structure for the car, and assorted components. Because the power accessories are bought in such large quantities, their cost is close to negligible. But the car companies charge a premium on those options that are in demand, like sunroofs, navigation, leather seating (which I really don't understand at all), and fancy alloy wheels.
I just rented a base Nissan Versa Sedan a few days ago. Of course it had the Automatic (and not the CVT!), an AM FM CD, Crank Windows, and manually adjustable seats. The one option I really wanted was Cruise Control, so I could just set the speed I wanted, and cruise down all 400 miles of the New York Thruway…. but nooooo. My right foot was cramped and I had to stop a couple of times just to walk it off.
Stripper Cars are not for everybody, and I want a car with at least A/C, A decent sound system, Windows and Keyless, an adjustable wheel, and Cruise Control. I could do without the leather, and the Sunroof, and the Alloys.
I don't necessarily mean the cars shouldn't have anything but I think there should at least be options to do so. My real concern is why do the cars have to grow in size so much? A larger car means more materials used which would also inflate the price.
But it's actually more expensive to engineer multiple options (and more options lead to more production defects). Why spend the money designing crank windows when less than 5% of customers would want them?
As for the size, the North American market generally wants the biggest car possible – couple that with the marketing think of making a car bigger for each generation to be able to show quantifiable improvement means that my 2010 Civic is about the same size as an '86 Accord. Couple that with bigger crumple zones, pedestrian impact safety, and more spacious small cars, and every drooling moron assuming tiny cars are automatically the most unsafe thing imaginable (look at every conversation of the Smart Fortwo), and this isn't a friendly market for tiny cars.
You got me there.
To add a couple of examples to Jim's point, look at the pricing on all of the base, cheap cars: they're basically 15k (even the Smart, which is like 3/4 of a car). Tata's had trouble making a case for bringing over the Nano, as by the time it hits Your Local Dealer, they can't get the price low enough to justify its crappiness.
That reflects how much it costs to design, build and certify a soap box derby car in today's world.
The problem with making new cars cheaper to try to get enthusiasts to buy them, is that to our eyes, they always compete with a lightly used version of a better car.
For 17-20k, I can get a lightly used WRX or Mustang, so why would I want a new Genesis Coupe?
Whenever people want more strippers I consider the case of the '08 Rio at my town's former Kia store. It was cheap, it had no equipment, it sat on the lot for at least two years – possibly longer, last time I drove by that lot it was still there, parked between the RVs that have become that lot's primary business. The majority of consumers like stuff, the majority of consumers who are willing to buy a cheaper, stripped out model will go and buy a decent used model if they can find it.
It is interesting to hear that most of us would like to see an AWD Speed3. I know at that price point, I would. Has Mazda ever done any AWD vehicles?
Speed6 and the CX-s.
There is a 2006 Speed6 for sale at a lot near my work. I think it has 70k or so miles and they want $12k. They also have a grip of WRX's, all with more miles and higher prices.
That's interesting. When I bought the '05 Lego GT, the same dealer had a Speed6 on the lot. The Subaru was a creampuff with about 24K and was 2 grand less than they were asking for the Mazda with over 60K miles and an accident history.
I couldn't go for a WRX – too small. Now I'm gonna have to compare resale values to the a larger Subie.
I think that, around here at least, the WRX name has a $2k cache to it. I am tempted to go check out the Mazda, though.
That may be true. If so, all the better for me. The Legacy has the same powerplant and enough room for the kids and the dog. Plus, it's a bit more effective at the Q-ship thing.
<img src="http://files.conceptcarz.com/img/Mazda/89_Mazda_323_GTX_KJM_05_STPR_024.jpg" width=500 /img>
<img src="http://image.automobilemag.com/f/6955338+w750+st0/0707_z+1988_mazda_323_gtx+rally_car.jpg" /img>
Rally ALL the 323 GTXs!
That was the answer I was looking for!
The guy my dad bought his FD RX7 from had one of those in his front yard, along with 2 other R1 FDs and a rotary pickup.
He also had a rotor hanging on the front of his house, right where someone else would have a flower pot or the like.
Ivan the crazy mechanic. Great dude.
Hooniverse needs to do an exposé on this man.
The story of our interactions with this man is a good one, but it's from the unfortunate pre-digital-camera age, meaning we've got like 10 pictures of the car that was purchased ('93 RX7 touring) and not much else.
Somebody not two miles from my house was selling one of these when I was looking for my current car. I would have jumped on it in a heartbeat if not for the heartbreaking thought of having it's built-from-cheese transmission explode and never, ever finding replacement parts.
They kept the AWD Speed3's for themselves in Japan, if that helps any. Selfish buggers…
Mazdaspeed2
YES
That was easy.
My family has owned one Mazda or another since 1978. At first we bought Mazdas because they offered more standard amenities than the competition (Honda and Toyota). After that, it was all about the drive. No matter what Mazda makes (with the exception of the MPV or maybe the rebranded Ford trucks/SUVs), the engineers strive to make the vehicle FUN to drive. Right now we own a Mazda5 and a Protege5. We got the Mazda5 because it's fun to drive. I got the Protege5 because it's kick ass. It looks fantastic, growls like a real sports car, and corners like a salamander. Yeah, it's pretty slow. But it FEELS fast, which is more important.
Having said all that, my next purchase will be a supercharged MINI Cooper S. Mazda simply doesn't make anything that matches the madness of a Cooper S. The supercharger whine, the ability to out-corner almost anything (the fear that it could all blow up in an instant). A Mazdaspeed2 could change my mind, but I doubt we'll see one soon and I guarantee they'll put some stupid hood scoop on it to ruin its sleeper style. Remember the first Mazdaspeed3? No scoop. "Hey, nice little wago… woah what the hell it just left me in the dust!"
It's been years since I drove a RWD Mazda. Dad had an early 626 coupe and I've logged a ton of seat time in first-gen RX-7s. I always got a kick out of the loose rear ends. They were very easy to control in a drift. Unfortunately, I'm waaay to responsible to drive like that anymore.
Oh, and AWD? Eh. Recently drove a late-model WRX. It felt wallow-y and I couldn't break traction at all. It was boring. I like sliding around a little bit. With control, of course. FWD offers some slip and it's very controllable with proper tires. RWD is the holy grail, of course, but you've really got to know what you're doing to not wrap yourself around a tree when it snows. But that's okay.
Everyone cheers for AWD, but I think it's the most boring of all drive configurations.
I agree, especially if it's got a front bias.
Actually, when the snow gets really deep I like a big ol' 4 wheel drive pickup or Jeep. It's like driving a brick.
I'll take the Mazda 6 Sport Break 2.2 CiTD GT-M with 180 horsepowers! 400Nm/295lbf torque…. I love torque! I know it's wrong wheel drive, but this would make a good daily driver with plenty of space for road trips. 51 mpg highway fuel economy is a nice bonus. They make it already, too bad I can't get it here…..
Now if they were to make a car the size of the Mazda 6 with rear wheel drive and a potent turboed four banger or a high revving 6 with a proper amount of doors (at least 4) id would make a good enthusiast car that could do double duty as a DD.
As someone who likes his mazdaspeed6 and likes to talk up the brand, they have been in a slump lately. The current 6 is OK but I still like the last gen better. They need to bring back the turbo in the 6 and maybe one up that engine for a revived speed6. I have yet to meet someone with a speed6 that does not love the car. The speed3 is decent but to get it up to par with the other current offerings, you have to hoon it some. Which is fun, don't get me wrong, but one would expect a little bit more in a second generation. It also needs to get away from the FWD and be more like the 323 GTX, but probably will never happen. Just like the speed2. They may spice one up but with their current money woes due to the Yen, don't count on it anytime soon.
I am hoping that Mazda's new design strategy will work out well. The new concept that was released would make a great replacement for the 6 and leaves hope for something greater than just a standard 4 or 6 banger. I have also read plenty a rumor the rotary is far from dead. With newer regulations, it has to be retooled. I have heard that it will be paired with SKYACTIV and a turbo. The RX8 was decent but it was not the RX7.
I have a feeling Mazda will have a few things for us in the next round of new models. Well, at least I am keeping my fingers crossed. But I will probably still buy a RX3 to fix up and have fun with. If and when the kids quit sapping large quantities of my monies.
Skyactiv and kodo seem like a pretty good plan for the future. It's just a matter of wrapping the right cars around them.
Mazda is probably the most enthusiast-friendly brand out there, because, as others have mentioned, their entire model range is fun to drive, not just the top-spec, high-performance models. I would find it hard to pick a Mazdaspeed3 over a WRX, though, and the RX-8 was a relatively poor successor to the FD RX-7. A high-performance version of the 2 would be intriguing, and the new SkyActiv gas and diesels look interesting.
However, what the hell happened to the Mazda6 and, for that matter, the Subaru Legacy? Have any other cars gone from class style leaders to such ugly ducklings in one model generation?