Corvette beater for Corvette prices without Corvette reliability. Sounds like a winning formula, although the C7 Z06 does lower the bar on the last part...

While some are hoping for a new FD, many many more would actually buy a new FB/FC. All depends on what's actually viable in the market.

The FB/FC were Porsche 924/944 killers at half price, given Porsche's current entry level sports cars (Cayman/Boxster) are around $60k and can give the FD a run for it's money, a modern spiritual FB/FC would land around $30k (both in terms of the 1/2 Porsche and inflation adjusted) and very similar performance to the FD, maybe a little less power due to emissions. ~275 real crank hp, ~2,800 lbs, ~$30k, not quite as fast in a straight line as it's direct competition 370Z, STI, Mustang GT, Camaro SS but handling to rival the Cayman/Boxster and most of the power with a weight advantage. Actually fits quite nicely in the current landscape as you could always argue for a supercharged 86 against this hypothetical RX.

A hypothetical FD would be Corvette and 911 priced at $60k+ with the performance to boot, an awesome package but one I would have to wait a long time to own.

1979 Sports Car review:
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...omparison-test

http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...erformance.pdf

Top Gear 924/FC
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCLL54aB74U"]Top Gear RX-7 vs 924 - YouTube[/ame]



Can't find the 944/FC comparison :(

I don't think it's an unreasonable request like a 600hp 2000lb car for $15k dollars is.

The 370Z is in the price range, but has a more powerful engine and is heavier. What he wanted is probably a weaker engine which is cheaper combined with a lighter body which is more expensive. I completely agree with him; if there was a car in the ~35k range with ~280hp and ~250tq and is still considered light, I would get that over the twins.

So would freaking everyone else in the world. Everyone wants a sub 3000lb 300hp $30k car. And you think manafacturers have their head up their ass and just refuse to make such a car?!?!?!?!

I'm saying I don't really think its possible. A 250tq engine means a big v6 or a turbo i4 that is about the same weight, and heavy driveline components. Do you think that it is coincidence that all the 250tq cars are 32-3400 lbs? There are reliability, emissions, and crash standard issues.

Like why doesn't Mazda just drop in the Mazdaspeed 3 turbo i4 into the miata???? Or why doesnt Subaru drop in the fa20dit in the twins?!?!?!?!

It's because they can't. Or it will be prohibitively expensive or heavy.

Then we can all complain about the lousy interior plastics and road noise.

Isn't that the primary purpose of this website?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rd8Mw-kUW6...-Concept-1.jpg
http://www.shineautoproject.com/wp-c...mhg_02_800.jpg

FC vs 944 Turbo vs Starion vs 300ZX Turbo


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1BEBKkul1g"]MotorWeek | Retro Review: '86 944Turbo Vs Starion ESI-R, RX-7 Turbo, And 300ZX Turbo - YouTube[/ame]








FB vs 944


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVVhXcArgEw"]MotorWeek | Retro Review: '83 944 Vs. RX-7 - YouTube[/ame]

I didn't say I wanted it to be sub $30k or 300hp. You keep pushing the argument to the extremes just to prove your point that it's not possible. I say it's damn well possible. To have a 10k premium, making it almost 140% the price of the twins, for a car thats ~35k and has decent torque/hp in the 200s whilst weighing in the middle of the 370z muscle range and the twins lightweight range.

All you've done is strawman and exaggerate what other people say to, ...actually I don't even know what your goal is. To belittle the people that want something reasonable? :iono:

There's an obvious gap between what the twins offer and the next level up that no car manufacturer has really worked on filling, and it seems that it would be reasonable that if the RX-7 had a successor it would fill that place just from looking at the design philosophy behind the FD3S.

86: 200hp/151tq/~2700lb/6.2 0-60/$26k

The next step up is basically a 370z, I can't think of any closer alternatives. 370z: 332hp/270tq/~3250lb/~4.7 0-60/29k

But, I would like a car that's not a miata/brz and is still focused on cornering dynamics rather than straight line performance. I don't need it to have a sub 5s 0-60, but at least quick enough that family sedans don't overtake you with ease.

So looking at those, why wouldn't a car with ~250hp/~21t0q/~300lb for 35k be reasonable?

If you want to belittle people for believing in something that should be possible just to feel like you have superior knowledge or something I have no means to stop you and you're free to continue, but my participation in that conversation ends here if you wish to take the conversation further along that road.

Agree, it is not unreasonable at all.

A lighter body is *CHEAPER*, not more expensive! Less materials, less $$$. The 370Z is heavy because it is literally an Infiniti luxury sedan with some length chopped off. Clean-slate smaller/lighter-weight genuine sports car could cost less than the bloated overweight 370Z while offering superior power to weight.

Bring it!

^Bingo. ZDan gets it.

Something about that car really talks to me. Good timing too, my kids should be ready to head off to college so our extra car won't need a back seat :D

> A lighter body is *CHEAPER*, not more expensive! Less materials, less $$$.

Well... that involves sacrificing comfort if you go down that route. I was thinking of just making more parts out of carbon fiber, hence what I meant when I said lighter is more expensive.

Mazda wouldn't even have to do that since they just spent a lot of R&D money on the super light ND Miata platform. Any new RX-X vehicle would undoubtedly be based on a stretched version of the ND to amortize the cost of that platform. Any sports car based off a stretched ND should weigh significantly less than the 370z shortened Nissan/Infiniti FM platform.

No. If auto manufacturers could just easily remove structural parts and have a lighter car that still meets rigidity and safety requirements, they would have done it already.

Making a car lighter requires more engineering and more testing, which probably leads to something that is more difficult/time consuming to build in the factory, not to mention more expensive materials would have to likely be used as well.