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Spaz | Posted: Mar 24 2016, 09:27 PM | ||
Just a guy towing a car across the country to chase a dream. Group: FORUM MODERATOR Posts: 9,272 Member No.: 30,193 Joined: Jul 25th 2008 Location: Plymouth, MN |
Mazda hasn't had a power soft or hardtop anything since the FC vert, but this car looks incredible and is definitely a bit of a stray from the ordinary for the Miata. It's always been about simple yet effective setups, and while this is a notable curve ball to that, I actually really like it. RF is short for Retractable Fastback, and while this is a prototype and the press wasn't allowed to really check it out too much, it appears to otherwise be equipped identically to a fully loaded Grand Touring model of the current standard MX-5, with a few tweaks to the body lines besides to help really set the look apart from what is already a fairly evocative car in the aesthetic department. The release from Mazda proper is here: http://insidemazda.mazdausa.com/mazda-news/2017-mx-5-rf/ | ||
Tessou | Posted: Mar 24 2016, 09:59 PM |
More NEGATIVE than a black hole Group: ADMINISTRATOR Posts: 19,345 Member No.: 12,263 Joined: Sep 12th 2005 Location: Update Profile | Dunno what to think about this. I still don't think it looks good due to Mazda's design department taking the brown acid, but I like that they're moving away from traditional tops to make something more technologically modern. |
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The Sixth Element | Posted: Mar 24 2016, 10:56 PM |
matter intangible Group: Members Posts: 394 Member No.: 44,779 Joined: Sep 28th 2014 Location: Los Angeles, CA | Is it still light or a bit heavier? |
Nomake Wan | Posted: Mar 24 2016, 11:26 PM |
ShiMACHaze Group: Advanced Members Posts: 19,542 Member No.: 5,394 Joined: Feb 5th 2005 Location: Drydock | Looks good to me. |
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MetalMan777 | Posted: Mar 25 2016, 03:14 AM |
Snooping as usual Group: Advanced Members Posts: 1,780 Member No.: 32,588 Joined: Apr 13th 2009 Location: what are you doing in my swamp? | I read there's a 110# penalty over the regular one. I also hear the hard roof will probably make installing a rollbar a lot more difficult, but we'll wait to see once it gets here and rollbar manufacturers get their hands on it. There's clearly some rollover protection there, but how safe is it really if it is made to fold out of the way? Just make a proper coupe already. |
Sensation! | Posted: Mar 25 2016, 03:20 AM | ||||
As expected of country grown vegetables Group: Special Snowflake Posts: 2,330 Member No.: 19,520 Joined: Aug 14th 2006 Location: Redondo Beach, CA. |
The NC has had a power hardtop a year after it was introduced which continued to be produced until the newest model.
It just doesn't have the flying buttress styling this new Miata roof has. I'm surprised a hardtop ND has been such a big deal. | ||||
Falbere | Posted: Mar 25 2016, 04:20 AM |
Back from the dead, baby Group: IDP Admin Posts: 1,327 Member No.: 43,254 Joined: Mar 31st 2014 Location: Singapore | It reminds me of those Corvettes or something, just much smaller. But it looks beautiful. |
RalliKai | Posted: Mar 25 2016, 06:11 AM | ||
IDW Goldmember Group: Advanced Members Posts: 2,164 Member No.: 3,607 Joined: Oct 9th 2004 Location: Update Profile |
This! I like the hardtop ND design as it gives me kind of a 240Z vibe. Unless they make a pure hardtop coupe though, I'd still opt for the base model convertible due to price and weight saving. | ||
BOZZ | Posted: Mar 25 2016, 09:06 AM |
IDW Posts A Freaking LOT Member Group: Advanced Members Posts: 28,412 Member No.: 1,414 Joined: Mar 9th 2004 Location: Update Profile | I like it, interior looks pretty nice but no surprise since it's based on a top of the line trim level. |
Drew | Posted: Mar 25 2016, 10:05 AM |
Bought not Built Group: Advanced Members Posts: 3,941 Member No.: 12,733 Joined: Sep 23rd 2005 Location: Driving through the night, down the hills... | It goes targa and it looks good. Yeah, I'm down with it. |
RalliKai | Posted: Mar 25 2016, 11:54 AM |
IDW Goldmember Group: Advanced Members Posts: 2,164 Member No.: 3,607 Joined: Oct 9th 2004 Location: Update Profile | There is still one thing I want Mazda to address with their interiors and that's the display sticking out at the top of the dashboard. After sitting in a new Mazda 3, it just looked awkward to me as opposed to the traditional stereo controls setup. |
BOZZ | Posted: Mar 25 2016, 12:19 PM | ||
IDW Posts A Freaking LOT Member Group: Advanced Members Posts: 28,412 Member No.: 1,414 Joined: Mar 9th 2004 Location: Update Profile |
Yeah, those are pretty weird, with the way they look and are placed they look like they should be removable. It's a weird design to say the least. | ||
Sensation! | Posted: Mar 25 2016, 12:45 PM | ||
As expected of country grown vegetables Group: Special Snowflake Posts: 2,330 Member No.: 19,520 Joined: Aug 14th 2006 Location: Redondo Beach, CA. |
They're not as bad as you think. The dash angles downwards ever so slightly, so the top of the screen is barely an inch higher than the highest portion of the dash (not including the cluster hood). So in the end, its not obstructive and doesn't create the bulky look associated with high mounted center displays with hoods. I personally like the look, the software on the other hand is total trash on mazdas. It'll freeze browsing through radio stations with no way to hard reset the system unless you turn the car off. Yeah... | ||
Spaz | Posted: Mar 27 2016, 09:26 AM |
Just a guy towing a car across the country to chase a dream. Group: FORUM MODERATOR Posts: 9,272 Member No.: 30,193 Joined: Jul 25th 2008 Location: Plymouth, MN | Heh, I totally forgot about the power hardtop on the NC. You never see them so it slipped my mind. I actually really like the new interior designs as well, especially in the smaller cars. The display creates less of a bulk and divide in the dash as a result of how it's mounted, and it's really easy to reach and not in a location that moves your eyes off the road like it is for a lot of manufacturers. I mean, plenty of people mount phones up there for nav or music or whatever because of the ease of it, so it kinda makes sense to put your integrated connectivity system in the same area. Plus, they are touch screen so it just makes sense for it to be at eye height. I'm not a fan of the software either, but, it's TomTom, so you can't really expect much. There are update recalls for the CMU for a few cars but outside of that I don't think there's been much development into overall improvement. But it's new for Mazda, and it's definitely a start. I just want a twin-clutch gearbox from them already. |
Sensation! | Posted: Mar 27 2016, 01:21 PM | ||
As expected of country grown vegetables Group: Special Snowflake Posts: 2,330 Member No.: 19,520 Joined: Aug 14th 2006 Location: Redondo Beach, CA. |
They're touch screen until you go past 10 MPH. Then it's all controlled by the nav wheel, which btw, is quite fantastic. I prefer physical interaction to a non-haptic touch interface anyway. This is something I hate about the Model S. Yes its a giant tablet. No, its not that much easier to key in addresses on it than you would on a phone, even as the passenger. Anyways, the menus on the Mazda aren't over-designed and over complicated like on BMW's comparable i drive. The Mazda way of navigating the menu is very natural and intuitive with the wheel. Which reminds me, since you work at the Mazda dealer now, I really need to take our 3 in for another software update. This post has been edited by Sensation! on Mar 27 2016, 01:25 PM | ||
RalliKai | Posted: Mar 28 2016, 04:50 AM |
IDW Goldmember Group: Advanced Members Posts: 2,164 Member No.: 3,607 Joined: Oct 9th 2004 Location: Update Profile | I agree about the control knob being nice. I didn't get to play enough with the software but could tell it was nothing like what Audi or BMW use. It still makes the stereo screen on my 1st gen Mazda 3 look like an Atari game though. To me, the protruding screen just comes off as a theft risk and I wish atleast it could be retracted/hidden when not in use. Had the opportunity to look at a new MX-5 on Friday, and was pleasantly surprised how much nicer the car looked in-person, especially in red. |
BOZZ | Posted: Mar 28 2016, 07:06 AM | ||
IDW Posts A Freaking LOT Member Group: Advanced Members Posts: 28,412 Member No.: 1,414 Joined: Mar 9th 2004 Location: Update Profile |
I actually was at a Mazda dealership recently and some of their touchscreens, like the ones in some of their crossovers like the CX-3, have the touchscreen built into the dash like other cars, look good, unlike the ones on their sedans. | ||
Spaz | Posted: Mar 30 2016, 08:54 PM | ||||
Just a guy towing a car across the country to chase a dream. Group: FORUM MODERATOR Posts: 9,272 Member No.: 30,193 Joined: Jul 25th 2008 Location: Plymouth, MN |
Very true. I always forget that they disable that since 99% of the time I'm in a new Mazda these days I'm just moving it around the lot. Yep, there's an update to a 31.X version for the CMU software now. Also if you haven't had it done there's the lack of power in cold weather update for the ECU, and a couple other dumb recalls. Still nowhere near as idiotic as the recall for the 6 because certain types of spiders can enter one of the EVAP vents and will clog it up with webs. I mean, how often is that really a thing?
The console knobs are nice, I will agree. I don't know about a theft risk though... I mean, it's part of the dash. Yes, it can be removed, but it's also integrated into the CAN bus and use a proprietary plug, there's no way it can be used anywhere else. And yes, the New Miatas look Fantastic in red. Especially with those red Brembos. | ||||