Miata Mailing List: June 1996, Message #80
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   From: csl@snt.bellsouth.com (Paul Lu)
Subject: How Mazda screw up - a very sad story
   Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 13:31:11 -0400

Rx-7 was a winner, affordable, sexy and you saw them everywhere. They
were so unigue. Mazda changed it to be more like Porche, to compete against
Cellica etc. It was still doing fine.

Actually, one of my neighbour used to be two 7 house - he had a convertable
while she drive the red Turbo II. Now they sold the convertable, drive
Grand National and look for another one. Her red cars will be sold
to someone they know when this guy saved enough for it. Why? the 3rd
gen IS way too expensive.

Mazda screwed themself by copy Toyota's idea of Supra - they call it
competition. Those exec's were going for Ferrari market. They got what
they wanted - Super car and the super car volume to go with it. Don't
know why they want to learn from Supra - something that never made
anything close to the original Rx-7 volume and/or profit.

However, 7 had four digit volume like Supra for the first time. Mazda
still kept its head above water because miata took the original Rx-7
slot with a new addition - roadster.

Now they screw up enough to be sold to Ford even deeper, they want to fix
it by screw up miata like what they did to the 7 - combine the two.

They must gradually put enough shit into their brain. I had a Rx-7 GSL-SE
and miata, actually, they shared the same car slot in my garage for five
monthes. Having owned both, I know they are not equal. My opinion is: miata 
is fun roadster(that's why my wife picked it over the 7) while 7 is
true sports car. Don't argue with me, miata guys and gales. I followed an NSX
with miata in three digit speed(just because I want to see more of that car
until the driver fricked out - 55mph is gone but you still get in trouble
going fast on Sunday), but miata is nowhere close to 7 as sports car.

Mazda's solution - combine 7 and miata. Well, just wait until all those
who can afford miata and enjoyed the fun car insurance suddenly findout
that they have to pay more for insurance then car payment or even got
dropped by their insurance companies - happened to me for my 12 years
old sports car with four years clean record and premium only relationship.
Not to mention sports car fans like my neighbour thinking miata is toy.

Well, looks like I have to go back to drive Honda. I logged quater million
miles with two Accord and a Civic. I like Honda. I would have Beat instead
of miata(thanks again, uncle Sam). But I hate those fish mouth air intake
of the new Honda's.

They just don't learn, hum! Nissan is shuting down 300; however, 240 is
still strong. And people like sports cars like us have to put up with
their mistake: put up with boring ugly cars.

Still couldn't get over with the image of my wife driving that Accord based
SUV. Once again, when I store my miata in the garage and find a 92 Civic EX,
I have to tell people: this is my compromise for miata and Rx-7.

Anybody know a decent GSL-SE for sale, please let me know. Thanks.

One day, I will tell my children: here are the fun cars we used to drive,
this is called Rx-7 and that is called miata. Oh, no, they are not the
fish like Taurus you see. They have lights alike; however, they are
different cars - real cars, really fun cars.

Paul