Toyota gets ready for a stoush with Mazda...interesting.

by **aka_juffa** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 2:21 pm

The age has reported that Toyota is preparing a convertible version of the new 86 model. Could be very insteresting.

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-news/t ... 1u7by.html

J.

by **Lokiel** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 2:54 pm

Is it just me or does this look like a bit like an S2000?

by **MackTheKnife** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 2:56 pm

Convertible versions of cars that were developed as Coupes are almost never good.

by **OurCognitiveSurplus** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:05 pm

MackTheKnife wrote:Convertible versions of cars that were developed as Coupes are almost never good.

"The [86] was designed from the outset to be built as a convertible," Toyota's chief engineer for the 86 coupe, Tetsuya Tada, told Autobild.

by **aka_juffa** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:12 pm

MackTheKnife wrote:Convertible versions of cars that were developed as Coupes are almost never good.

Yes, agree...however according to the article Toyota designed the 86 to be a convertible.

J.

by **bruce** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:17 pm

That could really hurt the already tiny sales of the NC in Oz.

by **Lokiel** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:25 pm

Hopefully this will motivate Mazda to put an engine with some grunt into the ND - I doubt they will though

by **OurCognitiveSurplus** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:28 pm

Lokiel wrote:Hopefully this will motivate Mazda to put an engine with some grunt into the ND - I doubt they will though

It's not like the 86 is big on grunt either.

Can't wait to see some going around the track. Will be very interesting.

by **emex** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:34 pm

Hmmm is it going to be a 4 seater like the coupe or the com-gen 2 seat that we saw in the article, the article arty pic one looks like a toned down 350/370Z.

by GP » Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:36 pm

according to the article Toyota designed the 86 to be a convertible.

But they made it a hardtop, Sounds like it will be a failure

Hopefully this will motivate Mazda to put an engine with some grunt into the ND

Never understood why the mx5 is so gutless. If they had more power they would sell more

by **bruce** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:45 pm

I imagine the beancounters had a lot to do with it.

by **deviant** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 5:45 pm

OurCognitiveSurplus wrote:
Lokiel wrote:Hopefully this will motivate Mazda to put an engine with some grunt into the ND - I doubt they will though

It's not like the 86 is big on grunt either.

Can't wait to see some going around the track. Will be very interesting.

200BHP and the coupe weighs a tiny bit more than the NC. Assuming the convertible version is not much different in weight then Mazda really will struggle to sell the ND unless they can bring it in as lighter or more powerful or substantially cheaper than the GT86....the NC is already north of $50K on the road so they are going to have to do some serious thinking to get the ND below $35K!

I am seriously tempted to ditch my NB for a GT86 when they come out, want to see prices and options though!

by **miata** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 8:11 pm

OurCognitiveSurplus wrote:
Lokiel wrote:Hopefully this will motivate Mazda to put an engine with some grunt into the ND - I doubt they will though

It's not like the 86 is big on grunt either.

Can't wait to see some going around the track. Will be very interesting.

Because it's designed with a similar philosophy to the MX-5, it's not about power, it's about the pleasure of the driving experience.

by **slimx** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 9:03 pm

Its a boxer engine isnt it?

Just find a wrx/sti and chuck on the turbo very easy to turbo

Mx5 only has the se and sp.
Sp impossible to find and se is nothing nxt to an sti setup.

Mazda needs to wake up and chcuk a boosted rotary in the mx instead of just spreading rumors.

Rotary engines are cheap. - gd for mazda
High on maintenence - better for mazda
And bloody powerful - happy non 86 converters

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Tapatalk

by **Duane** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 9:14 pm

I read, not sure if there is any truth to it, that room under the hood is very tight and that the currest guise of a rex turbo setup wouldn't fit? I'm sure the tuners will find a way.
Mazda need to bring back the RX7.