[WolfpackS2k]

Originally Posted by regal

I just don't see it. Even BMW made a recent attempt with the 1-series (although not really affordable) and it was a fail.

The new Miata will probably outsell them in 2015. I know the twins had a good first year, but a really profitable platform needs to sell like that every year.

Now I hope the twins break the mold and turn the industry upside down selling like hot cakes but the market just isn't there.

A lot of people think Nissan and Honda will throw their hats into this territory but there are no signs, a new platform takes 3 -5 years and without even concepts being shown the other OEMs just aren't interested.

There will be more cars like the upcoming Alpha 4c, but those are $60k cars. Even lotus who once sold the Elise here for under $40k is going up market.


I think the main thing will be Miata striking back with a great car but open top roadsters are a different market than a sports coupe buyer. The real slap in the face will be the open top twin vs the new Miata, anyone think that will go well ?

It's hard to say that BMW tried with the 1 Series. For all the compromises you had to make (compared to the 3 Series) all it saved you was around 150lbs. Not much of a trade off for a more cramped interior and ugly exterior.

Using the fuel economy standards (CAFE, etc) is a poor excuse, as these cars don't sell in large enough numbers to hurt the corporate average. The stated 160kg of CO2 per mile isn't some rule they had to adhere to, rather it was a voluntary thing. (I believe to fit into a lower tax bracket in the idiotic European taxing structure).

I'm against any sort of hybrid assistance system unless it can be kept under 150lb and cost no more than an extra $1000 to the cost of a car. Modern automobiles are already complex enough as it is and as they continually get more complex the auto industry becomes more of a throw away society (like cell phones). When all that crap breaks nobody will want to pay to maintain it.

KISS