Quote:
Originally Posted by Raksj04
wasn't the whole point of the mx-5 to be a cheap sports car? now you can get a mustang that has twice as much power for the same price. People have also said they liked the miata without powersteering. I am not a big guy on styling, I really am sure my next new car will be a mazda. I like the way the insides are done. But why does mazda offer a moonroof on the MS3?
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The MX-5/miata IS a cheap sports car, when you define sports car as a 2 seat, light & agile vehicle in a coupe/roadster body. The Mustang isn't a sports car in that sense - it's heavier, and has 2+2 seating. Ditto for the Camaro and all the other pony cars & sport coupes out there. They put moonroofs on MS3's and other cars because enough buyers want them and will spend the extra $ to get them.
Back to the OP's point, I think there will be some lean years for the rotary, but I think it will come back eventually. In the near term, I would expect them to prioritize the Skyactive engines and roll them out to the rest of the lineup, which should help the bottom line. Basically market the bread & butter vehicles (2/3/5/6's) as the choice for those who want performance but don't want to sacrifice fuel economy. Unless someone buys a majority stake in Mazda, I think they will keep a minimal rotary R&D capacity alive, and eventually will bring back the rotary as it is part of Mazda's corporate identity.