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Coupes & Convertibles Mazda Miata Mazda MX-5 Miata (2005 and earlier)
4340 messages, Last post on Aug 25, 2009 at 9:51 AM
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Replying to: audia8q (Sep 12, 2005 10:43 am) Aisin engineered the Solstice transmission for the 2.4 litre engine. The Colorado uses a completely different engine, and the gearing ratios on the Colorado is different from the Solstice. Aisin, by the way, makes the manuals for Honda and Mazda. The rest means nothing for the Solstice's right to claim to be a Roadster. If you look at the Miata, you will find that it too shares many components with other Mazdas and probably vehicles manufactured by other companies in the Ford family as well. Some of the list are so meaningless as to garner a big so what. For instance, is there something about air conditioning vents or controls that are Roadster specific? Or gauge clusters? Are brakes any less brakes because they are shared with another vehicle? So, the fog lamps and brake lights are shared. They sure look pretty sharp on the Solstice. They certainly do not look forced or out of place. The 2.4 litre is shared with other GM vehicles. The version in the Solstice has a different torque and hp curve. Many manufacturers share engines. The question should be is whether the engine is right for the car and transmission. The answer to both appear to be yes with the Solstice. What makes the Solstice a Roadster is its Kappa frame, which was built from the scratch to base a convertible automobile. Given that every review of the Solstice praises the solid ride and immediate steering responsiveness of the car, it sounds as though the Kappa is a Roadster, through and true. |
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ok...maybe the folks at the Pontiac Solstice forum are wrong, but I don't think so...but the real question is Why would somebody buy the unproven Solstice over the proven Miata? why take a gamble on an unproven car with GM's historical track record when something as proven and successful as the Miata is available??
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Replying to: audia8q (Sep 12, 2005 11:07 am) I sort of want a new roadster. The Solstice appears to address some of the things I did not like in the Miata. Now the NC Mia... I mean MX-5 is much changed from the NB Miata. But that suggests a lot of unprovens as well. In any event, of the three major components for the Solstice, the engine, the transmission, the platform, the first is already on the market and proven, the second is from a well regarded company that makes many sporty manuals, and the third borrows many of its engineering cues from the very proven Corvette. I do not really see the Solstice as being a problem, except that I might have to wait a while to get one. |
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That's the main answer, Solistice does look good, and let's face it, American consumers are extremely superficial. Besides that, there's always the home team advantage, often people will opt for the domestic vs. the import if they like both. Recycling parts is fine, it's not a bad idea actually to keep costs down. And it doesn't take away from the car at all. Though I wonder if that's partially to blame for the relatively high weight of the Solistice. -juice |
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Replying to: audia8q (Sep 12, 2005 11:07 am) 
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Was trying to point out in prior post that it makes no difference that Pontiac uses parts from other cars, as Miata has done so in the past. Just used the 1.8 engine as a single example of a part shared by other cars. As far as Ford engineering being bad, so a Mustang is a poor car, well bring on the evidence. The Mustang sales in convertibles, and Soltice sales will in fact put a big dent in Miata MX-5 sales. There are scores of other cars, from the smallest, like the Mini Cooper all the way up to the larger convertibles which siphon sales. Making a new Miata body style perhaps would not have made a better performing car, but it would go a long way to improve sales. I am afraid that sale could slide to the point that Ford/Mazda gives up on the little road warrior. Loren
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Replying to: m1miata (Sep 12, 2005 2:14 pm) Note how they use the Miata to advertise all the other cars in the lineup... If they dropped it they'd lose their identity. Sure, they have an RX-8, but most people don't know it exists. Everyone and their mother knows a Miata. -juice |
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Replying to: m1miata (Sep 12, 2005 2:14 pm) 
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A commuter car??? I would get a Civic HX, with its 44 MPG or more capability. Yeah, that's the ticket. Now back to MX-5.. I saw an ad which called it the Miata. The name lives!!! |
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| If you have seen the new Miata commercial.......did you like it? | |
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