Moe Greene

iTrader: (2)

The RX-Vision had 285/35/R20 in the back. '20x11'

Moe Greene

iTrader: (2)

I can't seem to find a date for the article, do you know when this was posted? Im hoping it was recent.

Moe Greene

iTrader: (2)

Not a new article, its actually recycled from June 30th 2016 (Zoom-Zoom, USA, Spring)

Hate to say it, but I don't think we will get a new RX car.

Moe Greene

iTrader: (2)

Don't take this the wrong way man, but non of the links you provided are from a credible source. Seriously Im not trying to be *** or attack you directly but the websites have zero credibility.

Unless I hear the CEO of Mazda say that they will show the new rotary engine at the 2017 Tokyo auto show and that they will make another RX car I would take all this "news" with a grain of salt.

BLUE TII

iTrader: (9)

I will provide some quotes from the new Mazda CEO for you.

Our next-generation product plan will lift our brand above our current mass-market competitors.

As part of our overall focus on brand value management, we’re no longer looking at sales volume as the ultimate indicator of our business success.

MNAO President, CEO Sets Focus on Long-Term Goals - Inside Mazda

This 2016 Japanese article announcing the next RX is approved for production notes that Mazda will be going up-scale as well with the new RX being priced at $70,000.

The newest rumors are the new Atenza will be rwd as well which fits this new direction for Mazda.

??????????????RX-9????????????????? - LAWRENCE - Motorcycle x Cars + ? = Your Life.

And yes, if you read the interview with Mazda CEO another primary goal is improving the dealerships. They know that is the primary problem with the rotary engine in the US.

BMW can be oil consuming hogs that are constantly being serviced and tinkered with at the dealerships and the entire rear body falls off and yet the consumers come away with a feeling of quality and exclusivity.

Clearly, Mazda needs to get the dealerships into the Mazda family and singing the praises of the rotary engine instead of blaming every problem they can't correctly diagnose and fix on "that damn rotary engine."

And charging more for the car will help people feel they have a quality product even if it does have quirks.

fmzambon

As for the dealership servicing rotary poerred cars, expecting every dealership to be able to service a car that they may see once or twice a year is not realistic IMHO. Even if Mazda could somehow train every dealership to properly service rotary cars, they would not have a chance to accumulate a meaningful level of experience working on them, as there would be so few of them around.
There were problems with the Rx-8, so a 70k$ car would be even worse in that regard.

I think that the best approach for Mazda to ensure that any new low volume rotary powered car is properly serviced is to reduce the number of dealers that are allowed to work on them.

While it can be an inconvenience for owners, it would allow Mazda to better train a smaller number of techs, ensuring a higher service level. Not only that, but the fact that rotary cars would be forced to concentrate to a smaller number of dealerships would make sure that these dealerships accumulate much more experience working on them.

And the "owners inconvenience" problem can be remedied by organizing a car pick up service at the owner's home when the car needs servicing.
For a smallish volume car it seems to me like it is the best possible solution.

By the way, Nissan is already doing this for the GT-R in some countries, like Italy.

BLUE TII

iTrader: (9)

Mazda just needs to train a few mechanics that are already interested in rotaries and have them travel to various dealers in their area as required.

kensin

iTrader: (22)

THIS IS THE US OF A!! ain't no body got time for that I WILL TAKE MY ROTARY CAR TO JIFFY LUBE FOR SERVICE W9W×&#^$^=>>÷ jk lol


good point. but I don't see any mazda dealership going through the trouble for such a small margin car . even with it potentially priced above average sports car . unless it's a rotary super car with a tag 90k and up ? and that's a big maybe

BLUE TII

iTrader: (9)

Been thinking about the long hood of RX-Vision and that they say it will use a transaxle.

I don't see the need for a transaxle; transmission has always been narrow enough for room on either side of it for driver and passenger. RX-8 has lots of room for fatties like me and fit the old wide automatic transmission.

Mass in middle of car from transmission is better than mass in the rear from transaxle for low polar moment of inertia (which Mazda has been very keen on).

What is the reason for transaxle?
1) Efficiency is definitely one. Less drive train loss. Skyactiv.
2) Room for more gears, dual clutch transmission tech or such.

Or maybe-
3) Rear transaxle, empty trans tunnel and long hood so they can send power forward ahead of the engine to front differential (or alternative power distributor).

RWD handling dynamics with AWD acceleration. They have said they want sport bike like acceleration.

BLUE TII

iTrader: (9)

Interesting. I hadn't realized Mazda was already working on bringing their image/line-up upscale.

The new Mazda2 won't be sold in the USA as a Mazda.
It will be sold by Toyota dealerships as a Toyota (planned as Scion, but Scion went under).

Mazda has certified the Mazda2 for sale in Puerto Rico (so, to USA standards). Which means they can always change their mind and sell it in USA if the new upscale Mazda plan fails (if they can change their terms with Toyota).

neit_jnf

iTrader: (17)

I'm in PR, we get both versions of the Mazda2, a Mazda2 hatch and a Yaris sedan. The Mazda2 hatch looks tons better but is a little more expensive. I see lots of the Yarises around, not many Mazda2's. Maybe being sold as a Toyota is good for sales...

BLUE TII

iTrader: (9)

The Mazda2 hatch looks tons better but is a little more expensive.

That is why you see less Mazda2s there.

Low cost and high sales defines the budget subcompact segment- that is why Mazda said it was getting out of it in the USA. Why would a buyer pay more for the same car just because it says Mazda?

Mazda wants to get in on the value added money.

I have mixed emotions on that.
When I bought my Mazda3 I bought the base base version for low cost and less to break. It is a commuter to get gas mileage, I get my Zoom Zoom from my RX-7 & RX-8.

But if you have to raise the image of your company I think Mazda has the right idea.

However, I hope on its performance versions Mazda takes up the idea of charging more for less.
No stereo, no nav, no etc etc and little bit of work/$ refining the handling (re-valved shocks etc) to justify charging more for this "race" model.

That is a win win in my book.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

Mazda's current strategy doesn't make much sense to me.

they make as many 3's as they can (in two plants!), yet they grumble because they barely make any money on it. they are in a little bit of a bind, its a competitive segment, and its the volume car, but i don't see why they can't mark it up $100-200, nobody would notice that....

Mazda usa refuses to sell the 2 because they don't make money on the 3. yet toyota can sell the 2 and make money on it. why can't Mazda?

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

after having worked in dealerships for a decade or so, i find there is a HUGE double standard when the car is a Mazda, and particularly the Rotary.

BMW is a great example, BMW is always a great example, every time someone asks if they can do some hack job repair to their Rx7, everyone says no do it right, but BMW has usually done the hack job from the factory.

a better example is this, when the Rx8's were under warranty Mazda has a really lengthy procedure for diagnosing an engine, and you had to do it and call and they would think about it and either tell you to replace some stuff, and or send an engine.

by contrast if we had a Mazda 6 come in with a misfire, step 1 was to change the engine. we changed 1-2 Mazda 6 engines a month, and only 1 Rx8 engine in 3 years, but somehow the Rx8 is "unreliable"

and oh ok, the Rx8 coils go bad, but while we had enough Rx8 coils to do a car or two, we had enough coils to fix 2-3 tributes, 2-3 MPV's, 25 Mazda 3's, etc etc. in other words the failure rate on the Rx8 coils isn't really any worse than any other car, but somehow the Rx8 is worse.

for all the new Mazda's there are lots of bulletins and service tips and stuff, if you can read it makes working on them really really easy. however most dealerships have cut the pay of the service and parts guys, and anyone smart enough to read a bulletin to fix a car can make more money anywhere else, so they do.

they do, he's called Paul. he's been to Sevenstock.

fmzambon

Maybe the long hood is because the engine will be longer than usual?
And in this case, a transaxle may be useful to offset the additional engine weight.

Or Maybe Mazda decided that a slightly rearward weight distribution bias may be benficial?

fmzambon

The last thing that I read about possible pricing was here, and the original japanese article mentioned there (link).

If I understand correctly through Google translate, the speculated price would be between 8 and 10 million Yen.

In US dollars that'd be 70k to 87k. So it wouldn't be that far off the 90k figure you mentioned.

But obviously the accuracy of those figures in the article is questionable at best.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

$70k in 2016 dollars is approximately $39,875 in 1992 dollars. adjusted for inflation that is more money than the FD, but not by a lot.

fendamonky

iTrader: (6)

You know... I wonder if the new RX will *actually* be affordable now that Trump has the reins.. Traditionally, haven't all RX models been produced at the Japanese factories, then shipped over? With Trump threatening "huge tariffs" on foreign products being imported....

Somehow I doubt they'll give Mazda a free pass on that one, an I don't know how involved it would be (or cost effective) for Mazda to change gears and have their US plants produce the vehicle for the US market.

BLUE TII

iTrader: (9)

Yeah, most Mazdas are still built in Japan. They have the capability to expand their production in Mexico though. Which obviously still isn't the US (where they don't have a factory).

I love Japanese products!
It sucks that the prices will be going up, I remember the '90s when Japanese products became expensive and it helped kill off all the cool sports cars.

Here we go again.

And "American" (*cough* now multi-national) cars had just started to improve.
With protectionism US car companies will be free to lapse back into selling garbage in the US market again like 70s-90s (when the middle of the country wouldn't touch an import).

fmzambon

I doubt that Mazda would be willing to produce its most iconic car in a factory other than its Hiroshima plant.

Then, again, the NSX is made in the US and the new Supra will likely be manufactured in Austria (if I'm not mistaken), so

Mazda doesn't have any plant in the US, so it'd first need to get one. Then they would would need to evaluate which models would be best to build there, as most likely such a plant would not be able to manufacture everything that is sold in the US. I doubt that a new Rx would fit in this list.
So my bet is on a Japan-made Rx.

Personally, I'm eagerly waiting for the EU / Japan free trade agreement, as it would waive the 10% import duty on japanese cars here

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

every Rx7 and Rx8 was made in Hiroshima.

Mazda was part of Auto Alliance International, and they made the 94-2010 B trucks, and Tribute/Escapes there, but since Ford went under https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_Forward and sold their stake in Mazda, Mazda no longer is involved.

Mazda just built a new plant in Mexico, for the US market they only make the 2 (toyota credenza) and the base model 3's there.

WANKfactor

iTrader: (1)

^So... new RX will pay for wall?

pjr

iTrader: (8)

Trump.

rotorhead18

Just got this this morning in my Mazda newsletter. http://insidemazda.mazdausa.com/who-is-mazda/rx-vision-rotary-concept/?intcmp=CRM22049&providertag=MazdaCRM&servicetag=C RM22049&t=1&CRMCID=0015001895&secmp=1-7CN5NB&setid=1-91563136&secid=0015001895&sesc=1-450103182

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

wouldn't be cost effective to pay to train a mechanic, as well as pay travel and hotel expenses to rebuild an engine over the course of a week. it's still cheaper for them to put one in a box and ship it half way around the world.

i would probably do it, but won't ever happen. thinking outside the box doesn't really work here anyways, i haven't heard of mazda approaching anyone from this community for any sort of feedback before.