Possible Front Wheel Drive MX-5

[Sarah]

Mazda are apparently considering ditching rear wheel drive for future models, check out this article.

http://uk.autoblog.com/2012/03/07/ne...share_facebook

Needless to say this would be very disappointing if they did.

[concealer404]

If it's going to be as ugly as all the renderings i've seen, then no big loss. Open diff FWD for all i car, it'll make me vomit just as hard if it were RWD.

[I<3flippyheadlights]

Low powered, front wheel drive cars are fun and easy to handle. Appealing to the mass consumer would be that much simpler. But when it comes to the Miata, it should stay a FR car. Mazda might let us down.

[Tekel]

Mazda and all their ads about the Passion of driving and zoom zoom, and first kill the rx, now this would essentially kill the mx. So much for driving Passion...

[thedguy]

Mazda and all their ads about the Passion of driving and zoom zoom, and first kill the rx, now this would essentially kill the mx. So much for driving Passion...

The head of marketing over at Mazda these days (they ditched the company that came up with Zoom Zoom about a year ago) doesn't understand why anyone would want the Mazdaspeed 3 when the current Mazda 3 "already gets me speeding tickets."

This will never happen, I guarantee it. Even if the car isn't a huge cash cow on its own, it is still the number 1 selling sports car of all time. The enthusiast market is important to Mazda and the fact that it is also the most raced car in the world is not lost on Mazda. The car is a PR tool in addition to a volume sports car. The ND will be RWD. 100%.

Lotus would never go FWD, they'd never build a heavy luxury cruiser, Porsche would never build an SUV.

Mazda doesn't have as much Ford backing as they used to, at this point I wouldn't be surprised for a FWD MX-5 just because they don't have any rear-drive IRS vehicles to pull parts from once the NC goes out of production.

[diabeetus]

Porsche would never build an SUV.

[concealer404]

I think he meant that as an example of why a FWD Miata is plausible...

But this is fun. Here's the other two he was talking about:

[shane]

I don't see this ever happening, it would be branding suicide......

[concealer404]

I don't see this ever happening, it would be branding suicide......

You act like they make their money on the Miata.

[shane]

Well not many companies are at the moment, still they have quite a following, they aren't in business to lose that..

[concealer404]

Well not many companies are at the moment, still they have quite a following, they aren't in business to lose that..

They lost over 1 Billion dollars last year, the MX-5 sells less than 40,000 units worldwide. They're clearly examining the feasibility of continuing the Miata as it is. Can't say i blame them, to be quite honest. Cater or make expensive decisions in the favor of the 5% of people who drive that are actually enthusiasts, and you go out of business VERY quickly.

[I<3flippyheadlights]

They lost over 1 Billion dollars last year, the MX-5 sells less than 40,000 units worldwide. They're clearly examining the feasibility of continuing the Miata as it is. Can't say i blame them, to be quite honest. Cater or make expensive decisions in the favor of the 5% of people who drive that are actually enthusiasts, and you go out of business VERY quickly.

+1
Like I said before, making it an FR will be more appealing to the masses (if they can make it cheaper that is even better) I would rather mazda keep making money then try and appeal to the small amount of people who are enthusiasts. Besides, do you plan on buying a ND? For that matter a NC?

[MartyMcfly]

You act like they make money.

ftfy. lol

[friday]

Global sports car = sporty econobox car???

I would rather the MX5 be canceled than become FWD.

[concealer404]

Inb4 Lotus Elan.

(Which actually handled beautifully, for what it's worth.)