New Mazda Concept Teams/Department
02-03-2005 | 11:41 AM
#1
New Mazda Concept Teams/Department
Mazda forms splinter groups to help develop future concepts, niche products
MARK RECHTIN | Automotive News
Posted Date: 2/3/05
LOS ANGELES -- Mazda Motor Corp. has formed splinter departments at its three r&d centers to develop concept ideas and niche variations of production vehicles.
Mazda has established the Annual Advancement Activity programs, or AAA, at its r&d centers in Hiroshima, Japan; Irvine, Calif.; and Frankfurt. The first production vehicle from the program will arrive in the fall of 2006. (could this be the MS RX-8 or the revival of the RX-7?)
Each of the AAA groups has about a dozen representatives from design, engineering, marketing and finance.
"They are there to create innovative products that are not in our base cycle plan," says Steve Odell, Mazda Motor director in charge of global sales, marketing and customer service.
"It could be an all-new addition or a refinement of an existing vehicle. We could pick elements from a design study and use them for a mid-cycle change on a mainstream vehicle," Odell says. "These are not flights of fancy. These are deliverables."
Joe Bakaj, Mazda Motor senior managing executive officer for r&d, says, "At other companies, it's either design or engineering or product planning individually coming up with new ideas. With AAA, it's all those groups working together."
Every year the three studios brainstorm about 20 vehicle ideas and 12 production-possible concepts. Upper management pares that selection to the top three ideas. Each studio then rotates some of its staff to help complete the other studios' projects.
Vehicles such as the Verisa and MX-Crossport concept -- while not done by the AAA groups -- are examples of what Mazda executives see as possible. It also frees most of the r&d department to work harder on Mazda's core models, Bakaj says.
Mazda design boss Moray Callum says the AAA teams are finding a balance between futurism and reality.
"There's no point in doing a new concept if it doesn't look like a new concept," Callum says. "We were looking too far out at first. Now we're looking one generation beyond the current."
Source: Autoweek
Interesting way to do things. Does anyone know if any other car maker does something like this?
MARK RECHTIN | Automotive News
Posted Date: 2/3/05
LOS ANGELES -- Mazda Motor Corp. has formed splinter departments at its three r&d centers to develop concept ideas and niche variations of production vehicles.
Mazda has established the Annual Advancement Activity programs, or AAA, at its r&d centers in Hiroshima, Japan; Irvine, Calif.; and Frankfurt. The first production vehicle from the program will arrive in the fall of 2006. (could this be the MS RX-8 or the revival of the RX-7?)
Each of the AAA groups has about a dozen representatives from design, engineering, marketing and finance.
"They are there to create innovative products that are not in our base cycle plan," says Steve Odell, Mazda Motor director in charge of global sales, marketing and customer service.
"It could be an all-new addition or a refinement of an existing vehicle. We could pick elements from a design study and use them for a mid-cycle change on a mainstream vehicle," Odell says. "These are not flights of fancy. These are deliverables."
Joe Bakaj, Mazda Motor senior managing executive officer for r&d, says, "At other companies, it's either design or engineering or product planning individually coming up with new ideas. With AAA, it's all those groups working together."
Every year the three studios brainstorm about 20 vehicle ideas and 12 production-possible concepts. Upper management pares that selection to the top three ideas. Each studio then rotates some of its staff to help complete the other studios' projects.
Vehicles such as the Verisa and MX-Crossport concept -- while not done by the AAA groups -- are examples of what Mazda executives see as possible. It also frees most of the r&d department to work harder on Mazda's core models, Bakaj says.
Mazda design boss Moray Callum says the AAA teams are finding a balance between futurism and reality.
"There's no point in doing a new concept if it doesn't look like a new concept," Callum says. "We were looking too far out at first. Now we're looking one generation beyond the current."
Source: Autoweek
Interesting way to do things. Does anyone know if any other car maker does something like this?
Well done.
02-12-2005 | 08:33 PM
#4
Sold on Rotaries!
Joined: Sep 2004
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From: Michigan
I am not aware of any similar philosophies at the other car manufacturers, but that is not to say that it is not happening. Although I must say that many of the larger auto manufacturers (which shall remain nameless) are so messed up in their executive structure to possibly ever have all the different internal organizations come together and focus so specifically on something like that.
02-13-2005 | 12:14 AM
#5
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,266
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From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Originally Posted by Cam
Mazda forms splinter groups to help develop future concepts, niche products
MARK RECHTIN | Automotive News
Posted Date: 2/3/05
LOS ANGELES -- Mazda Motor Corp. has formed splinter departments at its three r&d centers to develop concept ideas and niche variations of production vehicles.
Mazda has established the Annual Advancement Activity programs, or AAA, at its r&d centers in Hiroshima, Japan; Irvine, Calif.; and Frankfurt. The first production vehicle from the program will arrive in the fall of 2006. (could this be the MS RX-8 or the revival of the RX-7?)
MARK RECHTIN | Automotive News
Posted Date: 2/3/05
LOS ANGELES -- Mazda Motor Corp. has formed splinter departments at its three r&d centers to develop concept ideas and niche variations of production vehicles.
Mazda has established the Annual Advancement Activity programs, or AAA, at its r&d centers in Hiroshima, Japan; Irvine, Calif.; and Frankfurt. The first production vehicle from the program will arrive in the fall of 2006. (could this be the MS RX-8 or the revival of the RX-7?)
02-16-2005 | 10:37 PM
#12
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 603
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From: in the moment
IMHO - this says to me --- Corporate PR speak about their internal innovation process. And frankly, having 'top management' choose only three early in the process seems a sure way to kill innovation... Anyway, It doesn't say crap about what products may come out of it.
02-17-2005 | 09:54 AM
#14
They won't put a rotary in the Miata. It would be faster and handle better than the 8 and a convertible also. Some people don't need the backseats of the 8 and they would essentially compete with one another.
^ I'm not sure if they'd change it permanently to Mazda MX-5 as their coming out with a Mazda 5 already and its that minivan/car thing.
Originally Posted by LoPo
Expect the miata to be all new in ~Q4 '05(2006 model). Derived and modified from the 8 platform.
Perminant name change to "MX-5"
Perminant name change to "MX-5"
02-17-2005 | 02:49 PM
#15
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 352
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, Ontario
yeah, no rotary in the miata, its not needed to sell that car. I would love to see an RX-7 though....after having both an 8 and a 95 RX-7 i cant wait to see what they do with it, if they ever do anything at all......i mean, give me a prototype, or something to wet my appetite!!!
03-06-2005 | 02:01 PM
#22
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally Posted by larazaunida
^ Fine with me, just let me buy it first 
Ok I suggest you go out and buy/read MotorTrend for April 2005. Then weep as you send me the pink slip to your RX8. I'll PM you with my address and no worries I will pick up the shipping charges. No need for salt on an open wound.
The article starts like this....
"Kiss the Miata goodbye, come 2006- the Miata name that is. Mazda will drop the car's North American moniker on the 2005 version in favor of the alphanumeric MX-5 designationuser elsewhere in the world."
03-06-2005 | 11:32 PM
#23
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 72
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From: Texas
Originally Posted by LoPo
Ok I suggest you go out and buy/read MotorTrend for April 2005. Then weep as you send me the pink slip to your RX8. I'll PM you with my address and no worries I will pick up the shipping charges. No need for salt on an open wound.
The article starts like this....
"Kiss the Miata goodbye, come 2006- the Miata name that is. Mazda will drop the car's North American moniker on the 2005 version in favor of the alphanumeric MX-5 designationuser elsewhere in the world."
The article starts like this....
"Kiss the Miata goodbye, come 2006- the Miata name that is. Mazda will drop the car's North American moniker on the 2005 version in favor of the alphanumeric MX-5 designationuser elsewhere in the world."
You owe me now! Better start driving my 8 over to my house.
Last edited by larazaunida; 03-07-2005 at 05:24 PM.
03-07-2005 | 02:55 AM
#24
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,266
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From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Originally Posted by LoPo
"Kiss the Miata goodbye, come 2006- the Miata name that is. Mazda will drop the car's North American moniker on the 2005 version in favor of the alphanumeric MX-5 designationuser elsewhere in the world."
The current Mazdaspeed MX-5 no longer has a "Miata" emblem on the car itself, but they still call it the Mazdaspeed MX-5 Miata. So despite MotorTrend's claim, who knows for sure. Mazda NAO might decide to do a 180 and keep the Miata name for obvious marketing reasons. (But I'm not betting my car
)
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