pmr2000

Anybody have any links or info on Mazda's logic on developing the RX-7 convertible and the Miata around the same time? Was always curious about this

Was the Miata just supposed to be a cheaper convertible line? Or did they already decide 3rd gen RX-7 would be coupe only?

arghx

iTrader: (3)

the Miata effectively replaced the N/A rx-7 in the model lineup. Why do you think the FD was only twin turbo? They had most of that part of the market covered with the Miata, so they decided to make a TT sports car like the other japanese manufacturers.

You could get a fully loaded miata with most of the options of the s5 vert, but cheaper. Given the currency exchange rates at the time, rx-7s were just too expensive.

kiyoshi

I believe RX7 and Miata were for different market. I mean Miata was not for replacing FC convertible or NA FC. Mazda wanted to produce more entry level lightweight sport car (something like MGB) which can be accepted by majorities (RX7s weren't).

bacek

miata was originally supposed to be a more refined car/company for mazda...

something like honda/acura or toyota/lexus

miata came out in japan as eunos(sp?) roadster

eunos was supposed to be a more refined company for mazda, aimed for older markets thats why the miata was basically based off the lotus elan and had less aggressive styling compared to other cars designed in the eighties (more curvy lines compared to the boxy lines of a fc)..

well the eunos line was dropped in japan and the roadster went to mazda

mazda just sold roadsters or miatas in every other market except for japan under the mazda company name...

thanks for playing

nickn505

The first gen RX7 was a cheap sportscar, but in the mid 80's expensive sportscars were selling very well so Mazda decided to take advantage of the market. Therefore they made the second gen RX7 much more refined and expensive. When it came out, it was the most expensive car Mazda had ever made. Almost nothing was left out, there was even a thread here a while ago asking what options didn't make it into the FC, besides digital gauges and 3 rotor engines on later versions, no one can think of anything and the thread turned into a joke about how the only thing left out was torque.
When Mazda started making the rx7 into a Porsche, they left a gap in the market of cheap sportscars they once had. The miata was designed to fill in this gap. As for why two convertables... the answer is that if Mazda wants to make a no comprimise 2nd gen RX7 range, then of course you they need to have a convertible. And when you decide to make a cheap sportscar to appeal to the masses, why not make it a vert? Like Kiyoshi said, the Miata is on a different market level. When Mazda created the two, they weren't bothered by the idea of having two verts at the same time. They were just satisfying two market ranges.
The best modern day example of this is Porsche. They have the no comprimise upmarket sportscar, the 911 built as a coupe and vert. Their cheaper, mass market (relatively) car, the Boxster is a vert. Only now is it being built as a coupe, maybe mazda will take note?

buttsjim

What kiyoshi said. The Miata was a sort of "retro" sports car marketed to appeal to mid - 40ish male buyers who had owned MGs, Triumphs in their younger days. It was supposed to offer the same fun-to-drive character as those low cost sports cars, but in a more reliable fashion. It turned out to have a much broader appeal than its planners anticipated, but it wasn't intended to compete with, or replace, the RX7. At least, that's the way I remember it.

Edit: Dang. While I was typing this, nickn505 beat me to the draw. Oh well, what he said too.

nickn505

Actually, no. The miata was not meant to be a "more refined" sportscar than what mazda had to offer (the RX7). Mazda didn't want to market the Miata like that because it would compete with the upmarket RX7. That's why the Miata costed less and had less features than the RX7. The relationship is more Toyota/scion than Toyota/Lexus.

Icemark

That is completely wrong. The only car to make it to america the was originally prt of the upmarket line, was the Melinina. The Cosmo was going to be the coupe and a larger supercharged verison of the 929 was going to be the top model. The Miata was and always was supposed to be part of the Mazda line in the USA.

Icemark

Since you already have some speculations posted here, this is the back ground and truth.

The FC was orignially slated to be both a convertible and coupe, but the convertible got back burnered in development when the FC came in so heavy. After the weight cuts to get it down to a more realistic level, and initial sales were out of the ball park, the convertible project got greenlighted again.

But the RX-7 kept moving up market due to price. Away from the roots. The Miata was originally slated to have a 12A in it (and there were several press and show cars built with the 12A). But to keep the costs down (the target was to bring the car under the cost of the RX-7, returning Mazda too its roots of the affordable sports cars) the inline 4 from the 323/Familia was put in. See the competition for the Miata was going to be Ford's Ghia (which later became the Mercury Capri convertible) and Honda's Del Sol (both of which were in development at the same time as the Miata).

So the Miata always was slated to be the cheaper little brother to the RX-7 line. And if not for the sales of the S4 FC and the development of the vert (which was available in 87 in other parts of the world than north america) two years before the Miata was released, and the design that the FC3C brought forth, the Miata/MX-5 would have never happened.

nickn505

^ forgot to mention that in my post too. Oh well, his holyness has spoken.

My5ABaby

iTrader: (7)

Is there anything you DON'T know?

MARTIN

Exactly.. Just by looking @ the interior of a miata and comparing that to the interior of the fc vert, the priciest one is clearly visible.. Not onlly does the fc have more room, but it has a plethora of features... Sit inside the miata and look up, the skeleton of the top is exposed and no electric top.. Power windows, locks, top and premium sound were standard on the vert... Along with better brakes and a/c (which you could get a miata w/o). The s5 vert had even more standard features, so comparing the miata to the rx7 vert, is like comparing the sunfire vert with the transam vert...

bacek

i said that the eunos roadster was only sold in japan... but the mazda miata was sold in every other market

cool_as_crap

its the same car, just different badging

nickn505

Shhhhh... The Icemark seaketh

Icemark

no. you said:
That statement is completly wrong.

And your Eunos statement was wrong too... Eunos was the entry level Japanese domestic dealer line for Mazda in Japan.

Now yes, the MX-5 was sold at the Eunos dealer name as the Roadster, until all the subnames got merged together.

But don't confuse the Eunos name with a dealer level name, like in the States...here in the states there would be a Mazda dealer and a Eunos dealer.

But in Japan, think of it more as a product line name. The nearest analogy that I can think of is the clear tape brand called Scotch brand (hence the generic name of "Scotch Tape", but it is made by 3M. 3M makes a bunch of different tapes under the Scotch name. Eunos was like that in Japan. Mazda sold the Melinnia (900), 626 and the MX-5 under the Eunos name. The local Mazda dealer might sell Eunos and AutoFlot (Imported Mazdas like the Ford Probe or Kia models) all at the same retail office.

Icemark

Well, I was an adult back then, so it was pretty common knowledge in the car circles.

I actually went to a couple design clinics back for the Ford Ghia...But being a car enthuisist I think I just threw their poll questions out the door.

Like I remember this girl from Ford design asking at the design clinic, what would be my biggest concern about the Ghia, and I answered that I was concerned that the body would be flimsy and flex. The girl looked at me like I had sprung a leak.

Apparently I must have been one of the few that said that, because when the car came out as the Mercury Capri Convertible, its body flex was one of the worst out there.

My5ABaby

iTrader: (7)

I just meant in general.

rarson

When comparing the more upscale features of the RX7 vert to the Miata, don't forget the biggie: glass windows. I don't quite remember when they made glass standard on the Miata, but I'm fairly sure it was '94 or later. A few years after the FC was gone.