Love the looks, can’t wait to see one in the showroom.
Car design like everything else has trends which all seem to follow I guess. There’s a sort of wrap around body work detail that they all seem to be doing currently on concepts, and squinty lights, not to mention the trend for sticking a screen sticking out of the dash now, when most used to manage to put the sat nav lower down previously.
But it’s a good spot, there are indeed some big similarities. So all power to Fiat, who have made the 124 completely different (and completely fugly!)
Probably because modern cars are largely designed by computers these days to improve aerodynamics and economy etc. and, surprise surprise, when you feed all the data and criteria into the computers they come up with similar solutions.
Perhaps the Fiat was actually designed by a man with a pencil and rubber - and the Nissan Juke by a computer virus
I don’t think he had rubber, otherwise he would had rubbed it out and tried again until he made it look good…
Would like to see one
A thread from Miata.net - the RF as displayed at Mazda North America HQ in Southern California.
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=607892
Lots of photos and videos…
And it’s 100lb heaver .
And theres more in another thread…
Am I right in thinking that car has an Auto gearbox? The shift lever looks like it is an Auto shift stick!
Yeah it’ll be offered with manual and auto gearbox options.
It’s looking very good, glad to see it a bit more up close. Shame about meteor grey though, I was looking forward to seeing one in that colour.
To be honest it seems to be a very complex way of have a 12" slot of daylight over your head! A straightforward coupe seems a better option, to me at least!
That way I could have my roadster, with its summer tyres for dry days above 4C, and a coupe, with winter tyres, for the rest of the time!
Interesting
Big mistake imho, it’s a lot of money over the soft top without the benefit, I would have considered an ND coupe just like the NC in the future, but I just can’t see the point of just the roof coming off. Also looks rather awkward from certain angles. might change my opinion when I see it in the flesh.
Agreed - does nothing for me - a real fast back or coupe would have been better.
Its all about carving out a new niche, NOT about offering potential MX5 buyers another option. The NC PRHT couldn’t do this. When it was launched, it did not lead to a leap in MX5 sales.
I wonder if the real money earner for Mazda on this top mechanism will be in licensing it out, to someone who is thinking about launching a premium-priced roadster in the next year or so…
I think they have been trying for a new niche with the ND anyway. Just look at some of the advertising, its not aimed at cream tea runners, but at a far more yooffull market it seems to me. Hence no glovebox, a sure sign they don’t want buyers who have to use several different pairs of spectacles, or need to have a box of tissues handy at all times…!
So the next thing is…potential price bracket? Anybody heard any rumours, not due out till 2017’ so time to start saving methinks!
Or do I just keep the eleven year old NC.
STEVE
With the hood “intact” it looks a pretty tasty coupe. When “slot” is open it’s pretty much a dog’s dinner, and no doubt quite an expensive one too.
I certainly wouldn’t waste any of my hard earned cash on it!
Save your money for a better option Steve!
Well that’s me told, with my ND SR, tissues up my sleeve & spare specs in a tiny handbag …
We’re not all ancient drivers into cream teas garden centres !
If the RF attracts more younger drivers into mx 5 ownership then brilliant
With the hood “intact” it looks a pretty tasty coupe. When “slot” is open it’s pretty much a dog’s dinner, and no doubt quite an expensive one too.
I certainly wouldn’t waste any of my hard earned cash on it!