Comments on: Video: Mazda MX-5 folding hardtop

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 03:55:56 +0000

I was going to post a comment arguing but gby on post #24 took the words out of my mouth. Nice job . Go MX-5.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 20:50:29 +0000

Come on, how can anybody still like soft-tops these days? That’s the only reason I wouldn’t buy a convertible other than the Mercedes, soft-tops suck. Oh well. Back to your arguing.

By: gby

gby — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 05:56:33 +0000

#20, you are the very reason that America is in decline. Ignorant, racist people like you is ruining this great country. What do you base your claim that “it is a given that everyone wants the Solstice and Sky.” on? Perhaps your “everyone” only refers to those fools who spend the money on one of those hunks of ****, only that the **** is the Solstice. I have test drove a Solstice, and the interior is just absolute crap. That alone is enough to stop many people from buying one, far cry from your claim. Seriously, go to Iraq and shoot some terrorists up, you might just be of some value to your country.

By: Required

Required — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 22:07:26 +0000

What will sell this car is the fact that there is no loss of trunk space and minimal weight gain (75 lbs). I laugh at the performance freaks that complain about the 75 lbs, but if you add up the weight of the softtop assembly and the factory optional hard top (45 lbs for HT and 20-25 for the softop assembly) you get no major weight penalty then if you were running with a hardtop. AND you don’t have to have 2 people to remove it and find a place to store it.

Way to go Mazda!

By: Dan B

Dan B — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 21:44:10 +0000

^the level of performance available in a gxp or redline ought to be comparable to those other roadsters, but not head-and-shoulders above them. Just cheaper, and it’s all in the execution. Every time I see an s2000 I marvel at its clean design. I love how everything but the stereo is almost at fingertip distance from the wheel.

By: Thing2

Thing2 — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 19:10:07 +0000

I want to see when Mazda figures out a way to automate the process of building the Rotary engine (now its by hand!) and making that cheaper. Then we’ll see rotary engine options for the whole line of Mazda cars. An RX-5 would be amazing.

By: Orally Gifted

Orally Gifted — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:59:53 +0000

The new Rabbit is hot David Hasselhoff. Only you and Mark Fields think hair like that is cool, so I will be perfectly happy dring my 5 cylinder 130 mph Rabbit that cost under 20k with 18″ alloys

By: I Wankalot

I Wankalot — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:58:13 +0000

BRILLIANT! I want on. Solstice and Sky owners may have more power but they have bought so much less. The sad thing is they don’t even know it.

By: carmaniac

carmaniac — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 17:59:05 +0000

Ken, I think you hit the nail on the head when you said: “The old rag tops are what the car was originally mimmicking. Now it feels like it is trying to be an SLK.” But that is exactly what Mazda is trying to do, they’re trying to sell people a cut-price SLK, and you know what, I think it will do VERY well, especially in the USA. For us enthusiasts, it doesn’t make any sense, but for the average joe (or joette lol), it’ll make the MX-5 more appealing as a 365 vehicle.

And to Jurrian concerning the engine power…have you driven one? The amount of power is more than enough from the MZR 2.0 engine, and there is probably a Mazdaspeed version in the works already! Unless you are talking about the 1.8 not offered in North America…and which no enthusiast would buy anyways…

By: Ken

Ken — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 15:56:24 +0000

As an original Miata owner, I agree with those who claim that this is the answer to a question no one asked or really wanted. Yeah its pretty cool, yeah I’d like to see one…shoot I would like to own one. But I just don’t see it all that necessary. The old rag tops are what the car was originally mimmicking. Now it feels like it is trying to be an SLK.

I think its a good idea that some people will like, but it will not sell nearly as well as the ragtops because of the classic convertible feel. The new MX-5 is pretty amazing. Mazda re-did everything and did an amazing job.

By: David Hasselhoff

David Hasselhoff — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 15:56:08 +0000

It’s a decent looking car, and the hard top is pretty sweet, it’s just too small for me, I’d feel too much like a guy driving a volkswagen rabbit – sort of effeminate.

By: Renton

Renton — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 15:33:57 +0000

#12 –Wicketdated — They are the real deal and a ton of well built fun. Now go try an S2000 and stomp on it.

By: Wickedated

Wickedated — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 15:24:08 +0000

That car is a hot! I used to think Miatas were pretty ghey until I drove one. The thing corners like a house fly. The hardtop is real slick.

By: JMa

JMa — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 15:12:23 +0000

I think Mazda would have been better off creating a real hard top mx-5 with all the benefits of a hard top (lighter, stiffer, more aerodynamic, bigger trunk…)

By: eric

eric — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:50:48 +0000

Damn, I hope this doesn’t kill off the Kabura concept. The Kabura was basically a better looking miata coupe so I see them as direct competitors. I for one would prefer the Kabura especially if they could shoehorn in that 2.3l turbo 4 from the MS3 and MS6. Hatchback coupes are more versatile than hardtop convertibles.

By: ss

ss — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:42:31 +0000

i think the hardtop is going to sell really well. In fact i think it will boost sales, not take away from sfottop numbers. I live in the North East, we get some serious weather all year round. i think the hardtop will make the interior more comfortable/quieter and will draw more people to the miata as a daily driver.

By: Jurrian

Jurrian — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:20:50 +0000

Why don’t they put in desent engines first to make it a guys car instead of making it a total womens car with this looser hardtop. what do you need this for? the softtop was fine. and better looking. and more roadster instead of convertible

By: Atomicbri

Atomicbri — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:16:01 +0000

Hey #4 I agree, the comments here used to be a lot better, now it seems like every highschool delinquient comments here. I love this site for news…. As for the new Miata. I think this will do well. This top (though not as pretty up) will last the life of the car unlike the soft top versions that get weather torn. SO will Mazda sell both of the cars? Hard top convertible and soft top convertible?

By: Renton

Renton — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:07:16 +0000

Nice. Real nice. No loss of trunk space. Teh Solstice/SKY has a complete loss of trunk space wiht just a soft top.

Folding hardtops are the coolness.

How do you MIata bashers think up your BS???

By: Bob Lutz

Bob Lutz — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 13:52:06 +0000

What a POS, everyone know Pontiac makes the best roadsters.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 13:42:44 +0000

What I find hilarious is most of the people leaving comments can’t afford a used datsun – and I’d go so far to say a majority don’t have a license. This is a fantastic site for news – but today is the first and last time I read the comments.

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 13:42:21 +0000

Ahhh, folding hardtop on the miata. The answer to a question nobody (including customers AND dealerships) asked.

By: 6ix

6ix — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 13:38:22 +0000

Hey, how ’bout we just see what the residual values are for the Mazda vs the Sky/Solstice clones? My guess is that the Mazda will be much, much higher. In fact, I wonder if there is even one car in GM’s entire lineup that has a 3-year residual more than 50. That number speaks volumes about how desirable a car is. A Cobalt is 39 (ha ha ha!) where as a Civic is somewhere in the low to mid 50’s.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 13:35:43 +0000

Everybody wants the Pontiac Solstice and the Sky over this pile of crap anyways so the Mazda is wasting their time with this