Pricing Estimate from Car and Driver

[TheDarkKnight]

I don't know if this has been posted already or not but I tried looking and couldnt find anything. Well anyway, I just finished reading March's issue of Car and Driver and they had their first drive impressions of both the BRZ and FR-S. One thing I noticed inside is that they said both cars will go on sale for around $26,000. This is definitely a lot higher than what most people have been thinking which really sucks but I guess we won't know officially till the end of spring. :/

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by TheDarkKnight

Pricing Estimate from Car and Driver

Bolded the only important word.

[Mango22]

Let's hope that isn't the base price or I'll go with the BRZ, since it comes with more standard options. 26k seems too high. Base should be 23k at best, IMHO.

[switchlanez]

Reposting the best info I've found regarding price:

What is everyone basing their $23k/$24k expectations on now that similarly equipped EU/Japan models have been announced to be in the upper $20k range and US price has been announced to be "less than $30,000" (not $25k)?

Some key posts I saw in the JDM price thread:

Originally Posted by Spaceywilly

Mazda Roadster Japan
Trim   Yen    USD Conversion
S      2.33M  $29,975
NR-A   2.45M  $31,519
RS     2.6M   $33,449
S RHT  2.68M  $34,478
RS RHT 2.86M  $36,793
VS RHT 2.92M  $37,565

Mazda MX-5 US
Trim          Price    Comparison to JDM price
Sport         $23,470  28% cheaper than S
Touring       $25,830  29% cheaper than RS
Grand Touring $27,100  28% cheaper than S RHT

86 Japan
Trim   Yen    USD Conversion
CG     1.99M  $25,601
G      2.41M  $31,303
GT     2.79M  $36,239
GT Ltd 2.97M  $38,578

FRS/BRZ US
Trim          Estimate based on Roadster prices
FRS           $24,455  28% cheaper than G
BRZ Premium   $28,092  29% cheaper than GT
BRZ Limited   $30,139  28% cheaper than GT Ltd.

In a nutshell: After applying JDM:US Miata conversions to JDM 86 prices, the FR-S price guesstimate is $24,455.

Originally Posted by AVOturboworld

As a former automotive photojourno, all those misleading articles are *why* the manufacturers are coy about announcing pricing early. The only reason pricing is getting out in Japan is because they gave dealerships in that market the go-ahead to start pre-orders, mainly so they can get an idea about demand and how they'll have to pump them out of the factories.

Just because we are starting to see cars here and there doesn't mean regular production is underway. Manufacturers make a pre-run of hand assembled cars to get out to journalists, to use as demonstrators for dealers to drive, for the advertising agencies to use to make the dealer training catalogs, etc. Sad thing is they have to crush them afterwards as they are not road legal cars...

So, anyways, they don't like getting pricing information out because the press always leaps to conclusions. And the manufacturers know it. Just because this car is important to all of you doesn't mean it's important to a guy that is jumping in and out of a different car daily, being rushed to write something interesting about it.

Manufacturers set prices for every country based on what the market will bear, not on exactly what it costs to make the car. I've been involved in such, it's no easy task, and they'll be literally trying to get that sorted out up to the last minute.

Regards,

Paul Hansen
www.avoturboworld.com
www.facebook.com/BRZSportsCarClub

Even with the $24,455 conversion (most inclusive one I've seen on this forum barring "gut feelings"), it won't be sorted til "the last minute" pending a fudge factor introduced by US market forecasts. Which, again, has already been broadcast by Scion as "under $30k."

[TylerLieberman]

If it's more than 23k, I'm giving Toyota the finger......just saying

[balance]

switchlanez,

Applying the conversion ratio of the MX-5 to the FR-S is somewhat misleading. The pricing determination is independent from country to country. For instance, go look at how much MX-5s are selling in the UK. It's substantially lower than the starting price of GT-86 introduced yesterday. How is this possible when both of these cars are priced similarly in Japan?

[tripjammer]

$23k!!

$23K!!

I have a feeling...and it's deep in my gut...and that feeling is $23k!

[balance]

23K w/o Bespoke.

[Snoopyalien24]

If it is 25k, I will get a Hyundai Gensis, or a Ford Mustang for new.

Or a used s2k, nice S14 kouki, or idk what else.

[switchlanez]

Originally Posted by balance

switchlanez,

Applying the conversion ratio of the MX-5 to the FR-S is somewhat misleading. The pricing determination is independent from country to country. For instance, go look at how much MX-5s are selling in the UK. It's substantially lower than the starting price of GT-86 introduced yesterday. How is this possible when both of these cars are priced similarly in Japan?

I never said the Miata ratio is definitive but it is objectively based on numbers and offers a sensible baseline before we spew subjective "gut feelings." I followed that argument up with another post which agrees with what you said.

Originally Posted by AVOturboworld

Manufacturers set prices for every country based on what the market will bear, not on exactly what it costs to make the car.

But country-to-country prices are still partially dependent on cost to build since they are all being sourced form the same plant in Japan.

And about the Miata being cheaper. It's probably because roadster culture thrived in the UK; it is their "bread and butter" and sells in high quantity and, hence, costs less in the UK. Relating this back to the FR-S, the moderately powered lightweight sports coupe recipe would probably sell better in Europe and Japan considering what Americans in general want out of a sports car.

[vaporiz]

Don't we already have like 1000 speculation threads of what the prices is?

[switchlanez]

^Yes we do and so this thread is redundant. I think we should merge all price speculation discussions into one thread.

But only recently did we get official prices on Japan and the UK (all the past discussion did not take both into account) so it's something to talk about again.

[Dark]

Originally Posted by switchlanez

^Yes we do and so this thread is redundant. I think we should merge all price speculation discussions into one thread.

But only recently did we get official prices on Japan and the UK (all the past discussion did not take both into account) so it's something to talk about again.

Ichi or Josh should merge the threads and make it "Official pricing speculation" thread.

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by Dark

Ichi or Josh should merge the threads and make it "Official pricing speculation" thread.