New front for the MX-5

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I love that miata coupe.

If you took a regular miata and the removable hardtop you could make one. 3M has a product called panel bond, it is used to bond steel to steel or steel to fiberglass(etc). It's as strong as a weld, you could panel bond the hardtop onto the car and then fill it with a reinforced body filler. Smooth out the lines and make it look like one piece. Re spray the roof and upper deck area and you have your own coupe.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I do find the retractable hardtop very attractive with the top up.

MAKE A COUPE MIATA DAMNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Raza]

snip

Is that on sale?

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Is that on sale?

Are you talking about the Miata Coupe(the red one)?

I believe it was sold it in japan.

[Raza]

Are you talking about the Miata Coupe(the red one)?

I believe it was sold it in japan.

No, the Solstice coupe.  I knew about the MX-5 coupe.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

No, the Solstice coupe.  I knew about the MX-5 coupe.

Ohh, i just assumed you were talking about the more attractive/better car. 

[Raza]

Ohh, i just assumed you were talking about the more attractive/better car. 

Not this time.   

[Payman]

No, the Solstice coupe.  I knew about the MX-5 coupe.

March 2009... IIRC.

[hotrodalex]

I'm likin' the new Miata. Looks a bit more aggressive but still Miata-esque.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I kinda like the solstice coupe, reminds me alot of a M coupe. I hate that they threw a targa top in there, it should have been a hardtop car.

From the reviews i'd be alittle skiddish though, it sounds very halfbaked compared to a evolved product like miata. Mazda has had years to perfect and distill it's miata into the find blend that is the current NC. GM slapped a bunch of parts bin pieces together and threw it out there. Styling wise it looks great IMO, i wish GM would continue the product and do as mazda did and continue to seek perfection through refreshes and remodels. In typical GM fashion though it seems like they will just drop the product and run, letting it die a slow painful and lonely death only to later sit back and ponder why it was never as well regarded as it's competition(mainly the miata).

[Laconian]

They already did drop the product and run. The beancounters figured that GM is losing $10k on every Kappa, and since beancounters rule the roost at GM, it's goodbye, Solstice!

The Miata has the benefit of really nailing the formula from the first iteration. The constant improvements have kept interest alive, but the interest has never exceeded the huge excitement that greeted the first Miatas in 1989, so you might consider first impressions to be the "ceiling" for interest in the car.

The ceiling that GM set for itself when the Sky and Solstice debuted is pretty low. That horrible roof design and the hilarious trunk sabotaged their chance to grab mindshare from the Miata.

[S204STi]

I like it, it seems to draw more of a familial connection with the RX8.

[r0tor]

i always like to laugh at how the solstice was sold out for months before it came out... then people found out how completely unpractical it was and sales plummeted quickly

[Secret Chimp]

Looks kind of riceboy now.

[hotrodalex]

i always like to laugh at how the solstice was sold out for months before it came out... then people found out how completely unpractical it was and sales plummeted quickly

It's not unpractical for what it is. It's just that people expect every car to have the same storage space as a suburban. 

[2o6]

They already did drop the product and run. The beancounters figured that GM is losing $10k on every Kappa, and since beancounters rule the roost at GM, it's goodbye, Solstice!

The Miata has the benefit of really nailing the formula from the first iteration. The constant improvements have kept interest alive, but the interest has never exceeded the huge excitement that greeted the first Miatas in 1989, so you might consider first impressions to be the "ceiling" for interest in the car.

The ceiling that GM set for itself when the Sky and Solstice debuted is pretty low. That horrible roof design and the hilarious trunk sabotaged their chance to grab mindshare from the Miata.

Isn't most of that cost due to the unnecessary and expensive hydraforming technology that is used on the body panels?

[TBR]

It's not unpractical for what it is. It's just that people expect every car to have the same storage space as a suburban. 

It is considerably less practical than any car you could possibly deem as its competition (ranging from the Miata to the Boxster).

[Onslaught]

It's not unpractical for what it is. It's just that people expect every car to have the same storage space as a suburban. 

I don't expect a car in it's class to have large amounts of space. However, The S2000, MX-5 and many other convertible 2 seater's have much more room in them. It they can do it then why not the Skystice?
It's because of the looks of the back and how the car had to be made to accommodate them. But I don't feel it looks as good as any of these other cars and it's not near as usable for a weekend car.

[hotrodalex]

Maybe it's just me, but if I'm buying a 2 seat convertible, I don't care about the trunk. I'm not going to be taking many trips in it or anything. The biggest thing it might have to carry is a grocery bag. MAYBE a duffel bag.

[Onslaught]

Maybe it's just me, but if I'm buying a 2 seat convertible, I don't care about the trunk. I'm not going to be taking many trips in it or anything. The biggest thing it might have to carry is a grocery bag. MAYBE a duffel bag.

For a toy then sure . But I've only had a 2 seat roadster for over 12 years now. And if I didn't have some kind of trunk then buying things, playing golf, going on road trips and living without any space would be kind of hard. If my almost 20 year old car can do it the why not then almost new GM cars?

[TBR]

Maybe it's just me, but if I'm buying a 2 seat convertible, I don't care about the trunk. I'm not going to be taking many trips in it or anything. The biggest thing it might have to carry is a grocery bag. MAYBE a duffel bag.

You would never travel with it?

[Onslaught]

You would never travel with it?

To me one of the best things about these car is going on a long weekend trip. No trunk makes that kind of hard.

[Raza]

To me one of the best things about these car is going on a long weekend trip. No trunk makes that kind of hard.

The two seat convertible is one of the, if not the, most romantic vehicles.

[hotrodalex]

For a toy then sure . But I've only had a 2 seat roadster for over 12 years now. And if I didn't have some kind of trunk then buying things, playing golf, going on road trips and living without any space would be kind of hard. If my almost 20 year old car can do it the why not then almost new GM cars?

Well for me it would be a toy. I have my 3 series or Mazda 6 for making trips. The 2 seat roadster would probably be used only for day trips or joy riding.

[Raza]

Well for me it would be a toy. I have my 3 series or Mazda 6 for making trips. The 2 seat roadster would probably be used only for day trips or joy riding.

There's nothing like a long trip with the top down.

[hotrodalex]

There's nothing like a long trip with the top down.

I rarely take long trips in a car. I like taking my Camaro or bike out for day-long rides, but I don't have time to go on a huge trip. So the trunk wouldn't matter.

I'm not saying nobody needs a trunk, just that I don't. I also think it's silly to judge these cars off of trunk size.

[Laconian]

There's nothing like a long trip with the top down.

And decent seats that don't destroy your back. I need those.

2o6, maybe that's a part of it (though I haven't read about it specifically), basically GM can't hit the volume numbers it needs to amortize the costs on maintaining the Kappa assembly line. It's a shame, that same RWD small car chassis could have been used to cheaply build a small RWD coupe everybody here is screaming for.

[MX793]

They already did drop the product and run. The beancounters figured that GM is losing $10k on every Kappa, and since beancounters rule the roost at GM, it's goodbye, Solstice!

The Miata has the benefit of really nailing the formula from the first iteration. The constant improvements have kept interest alive, but the interest has never exceeded the huge excitement that greeted the first Miatas in 1989, so you might consider first impressions to be the "ceiling" for interest in the car.

The ceiling that GM set for itself when the Sky and Solstice debuted is pretty low. That horrible roof design and the hilarious trunk sabotaged their chance to grab mindshare from the Miata.

Wait, GM has already killed the Skystice and Kappa platform?  When was this announced?

[Laconian]

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/gm-losing-10k-per-car-on-solstice-and-sky/

I thought this was shared on the forum already? I'll do a post on this in the Fast Lane.

[Onslaught]

I rarely take long trips in a car. I like taking my Camaro or bike out for day-long rides, but I don't have time to go on a huge trip. So the trunk wouldn't matter.

I'm not saying nobody needs a trunk, just that I don't. I also think it's silly to judge these cars off of trunk size.

I don't judge it for it's trunk. I happen to not be a fan of how they look. But, if others can have a trunk then you'd think it could too.