NOHOME said:Why did the solid roof GT version not go into production?
Yeah, as someone who was involved in product planning and development for a living, I kinda know the answer, but it would be nice to hear the "Fly on the wall" details if there is anything interesting to be learned.
Pete
Less than 200 NB tin tops were made in a very limited production for JDM only. I've always wished that those had been available here.
1. Was there ever a Plan B car that might have made production if the Miata as we know it didn't make the cut?
2. Going off memory here, but isn't there a mismatch between the curve of the NA hood and the rear edges of the headlight covers? How and why did that slip by?
In reply to DarkMonohue :
I wonder if there was a plan B car, if it wasn't even a sports car. Mazda had the RX7 still when the original Miata came out- so its curious that two small sporty cars came from a med sized mainstream maker, who had a tie to a large oem for a long time that would have squashed everything.
In reply to alfadriver :
When the Miata came out, the RX-7 was a lot larger, heavier (3000lb!) was available in 160hp and 200hp forms. And its days were also numbered, as the FD was almost through development - all "1993" FDs sold in the US were built in early 1992.
NOHOME said:How close did the Miata come to being FWD or was it even considered?
I've seen pictures of clay models of both a FWD Miata and a version that put a FWD drivetrain behind the driver like an MR2. Interestingly the FWD version looked nothing like the (323 based) Mercury Capri; it looked more like an Ford Econobox ZX2 in profile. I don't know how far along those proposals were developed past the clay.
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
Regardless of the size difference, they are two cars in a tiny retail segment. Which is odd.
In reply to alfadriver :
That is part of the gamble I was talking about, too.
Contemporarily, Nissan had the 200SX (soon to be 240SX) and the 300ZX, Toyota had the Celica and the Supra and the MR2 (which was still a 1600cc lightweight), and that is just the US market. So, maybe Mazda saw a hole in their lineup?
The timing was impeccable as the Japanese hypercar market imploded a couple years after the NA was introduced thanks to a strong Yen.
DarkMonohue said:1. Was there ever a Plan B car that might have made production if the Miata as we know it didn't make the cut?
2. Going off memory here, but isn't there a mismatch between the curve of the NA hood and the rear edges of the headlight covers? How and why did that slip by?
2 they line up fine whe new, but they're a very convenient place to lean on when working under hood, and they get bent :)
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Not having one to refer to, I can't snap a photo, but I could have sworn my parents' very early, very gently used NA had a subtle but unmistakable mismatch between the curvature of the hood and the absence of same on the headlight covers. There was a swell in the hood near the fender and for some reason it was not reflected in the shape - not the position, but the actual shape - of the headlight covers.
EDIT: I tried and failed to find a good photo online, but did find references to adjustment by bending back to shape. More than likely my dad would have assumed that the shape was still correct because the car had never been wrecked, and certainly nobody would be so crass as to lean across an obviously flyweight component...
Any replay of the stream available?
Pete. (l33t FS) said:In reply to alfadriver :
When the Miata came out, the RX-7 was a lot larger, heavier (3000lb!) was available in 160hp and 200hp forms.
My FC memory is getting foggier by the day, but It think the n/a S5 started in the 2700s. My S4 Turbo II weighed in at 2750 lbs and I believe from the factory they were 2830lbs.
I never had a Miata , but they did a great job right out of the box :)
And they found a market that was looking for a cool sports car like a British sports car but without the problems.
I would love to see more drawings of what other body designs , nose and tail that did not make the cut .
calteg said:Any replay of the stream available?
The live version is here: https://www.youtube.com/live/qjr6Tnkfoxw
It'll get cleaned up a bit (we had three or four cameras) and reuploaded. I'll post the link when then happens.
It went really well. Lots of interesting stories and definitely some things I've never heard before.
For those who want to see the renderings of alternate versions and the story of the FF and MR proposals, there are a few books out there that include them. When I get back home in a week, I'll post up some suggestions.
I came across this ad in R&T - June, 1989. A teaser....
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Thank you for sharing the link. I'm sure it will be an enjoyable hour and a half.
In reply to Datsun240ZGuy :
So the car was originally supposed to be released on July 1 1989 in the red, white and blue color scheme. When it was shown for the first time at the Chicago auto show in February, everyone went crazy and the car was on the cover of R&T in March. The cars were being shipped into the US and were supposed to be stored, but the marketing guys convinced Mazda to just start sending them to dealers and into the hands of the public. By the time that ad was printed, the Miata was big news and available.
Learned that this weekend from Bob Hall as we were walking around :) I have been stuffed full of early Miata information.
The original live broadcast suffered from some audio bugs, so a cleaned up version with extra camera angles has been added.
Also, Tom Matano talks about envisioning the "collector's guide" to the Miata 20 years after it was introduced. Turns out that was a real thing (sorta) and he was kind enough to share it with me and give permission to share.
https://flyinmiata.com/pages/tom-matano-on-the-concept-of-the-miata
https://flyinmiata.com/pages/tom-matano-on-the-philosophy-of-the-miata
I was so fortunate to be able to take part in this.
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