http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040803/latu094_1.html

According to this link to a Mazda press release, the RX-8 is outselling the Miata by more than two to one in 2004.

 

Not so hard to believe. Four seats, rotary, fun factor . . . .

 

The market for two seat convertibles like the Z4 and Miata are pretty flat. Of course the miata is a very very mature product, which needs an update to revitalize that product. The MS Miata is a stop gap measure until the update arrives.

 

Everyone already has a Miata.

 

I don't .

 

The current gen. Miata is old and everyone knows it's up for a redesign very soon.

 

I just traded a Miata for my RX8

 

It's more like 3 to 1 for the month of July.

It will be hard to top the current Miata. They did a nice job of using the FD RX-7's styling to update the 1st gen Miata to the current 2nd gen. It will be quite interesting to see what the next gen. Miata ends up looking like, as it's suppose to use the RX-8's chassis.

 

Does anyone here know when the next MX-5 is due? Is it to be an 05 or 06 model? Because the present one is more than due for a replacement.
Also if only Mazda would drop the price of this gem they'd sell a boat load of them.
But then again, maybe gems should not be discounted.

 

damn those mazda 3 are really moving

 

Wow that looks good best sales month for the rx-8 yet.

 

It's not going to be a 2005 model because Mazda has already released info about the 2005 Miatas.

It probably won't be a 2006 model either, because if it was, we'd probably have a preorder starting up soon, or at least have seen the car by now.

Most likely, it will go on sale in summer 2006 as a 2007 model, and there will be no 2006 model year Miatas.

 

I have a feeling that 2005 WILL be the begining of the 3rd gen Miata.

Mazda didn't show any 'concept' of the 3 until Sept/Oct '03, and it went on sale by December '03, so it's very likely that the 3rd gen Miata (NC?) will follow the same introduction time frame.

If Mazda wants to keep something under cover until the last minute, they will

 

The NC MX-5 (next generation Miata) will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March, 2005, and will go on sale in the summer of 2005 as a 2006 model. It's going to be based on the RX-8 platform (narrower and shorter), and will be powered by the 1.6 and 2.0 versions of the Mazda MZR 4 cylinder engine (which currently power the Mazda3 and Mazda6). The 2.3 won't be offered because the balance shafts mean the engine isn't sporty enough in its characteristics. The styling will have some elements of the Ibuki show car, and will be recognizably MX-5, not RX-8 derived. Target weight is ~2200 lbs, target HP for the 2.0 is around 175 bhp.

All that is generally known (see www.miata.net and the forums there for more discussions). What isn't generally well known is that the NC Miata will offer, along with the 5 spd and 6 spd manual transmissions currently available, new 5 speed automatic trans and 6 speed SMG semi-manual transmissions. These last two will be shared with the RX-8, which is why I have been saying for over a year that the 2006 RX-8 is the one to get if you absolutely must have an automatic trans. The 5 speed auto will be able to handle the full 9K redline and higher power of the high power RX-8 engine, so I expect the low power engine to disappear from the North American RX-8 after the 2005 model year.

Oh yeah, back to the Miata - the NC will NOT be called "Miata" anymore, just MX-5. The Miata name was only used in North America, everywhere else in the world it was just called MX-5 all along (except Japan, where it was the Eunos Roadster or Mazda Roadster).

Regards,
Gordon

 

Can't blame them, Mazda 3 are nice vehicles.

 

The Protege/323 had always been the breat-and-butter car for Mazda, the 3 just continues that tradition

 

I agree that it is not surprising that the 8 is well outpacing the Miata in sales. The is much more practical with four seats, its faster, and a bit more fun to drive with its great handling (which the Miata has too obviously) combined with the 9000 rpm redline (which the Miata does NOT have).

The 8 isn't that much more than the Miata either, so these figures make sense.

 

2500 for the RX-8 is right on target for Mazda's goal. I'm seeing 3's and 6's all over the place.