Why I hope the new Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 do well...

[bmatharu]

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/CD73D302BF596CBFCA257957007F5EC7

[clive]

Good find :Santa

[jetpilot]

Whilst i hate to be negative about the future of the rotary, if your pinning your hopes on the success of the BRZ & 86, the general feelings i have seen written on both are, regardless of its "ethics" (light weight, rear wheel drive fun car) at the best part of the figure of £30k that has been thrown around, they are both way overpriced (more so the 86)!

And, being the RX8 is now littering the classifieds at peanuts money due to its reliability issues, i would say the future is bleak, for a new Rx8, as i think the market would be exceptionally dubious.

I would much prefer a new Rx7, a true sports coupe aimed way above the BRZ & 86 to tempt the true rotary sports enthusiast, not a funky 4 door coupe which is/was bought by the unknowing!

[bmatharu]

True, but a lot remains to be seen in terms of hot versions of these two new models. The success of these models will in my mind depend a lot more on the JDM market rather than over here in the UK. IF they can develop some cult following over there, then that is what will give hope to manufacturers and fans alike that the entry sports market is worth carrying on with. After all its the madness that goes on in Japan that allows us to reap the benefits over here.

At the end of the day if they can develop the technology for the rotary to be efficient, and the market proves to be strong in the medium to long term, then there is every hope that the rotary engine will live in an exciting sports coupe. I think it is rather well acknowledged that the rx8 was not the successor to the rx7 that it should have been, and the guys at Mazda will know this. There is a certain degree of pride that emanates from Hiroshima about the rotary, so I don\'t think the future is black. Not just yet.

[bmatharu]

Also don\'t forget the noise coming out from Honda and the rest. They\'re planning something exciting, maybe along the lines of the NSX and Nissan are certainly carrying on with their 370z. Its exciting to see new entries in this market space, and if Mazda get the engine right I think we may well get our car. I just hope its not fused with the mx5 as has been suggested in some literature that I\'ve read...

[jetpilot]

An Nsx replacement will be or should be, a supercar, not a sporty coupe! The 350 and 370 are similarly priced to the 86 and more heavily spec\'d!

There was a massive rant on Pistonheads about peoples views/feelings and they were very keen on this car at the original 22k price tag, but 99% of the threads i read think its way way too expensive at closer to £30k. Similarly compare it to the RX8 which had the 22k ish price tag! £8k is a lot of money!

Agreed in Japan where it will probably cost half that, its great value for money but where is its market place over here, just how many young "drivers" have got that much money to spend on a new car?

[bmatharu]

Fair play mate, I agree with you there. But then again fast car ownership costs are sky high even when you don\'t take purchase cost into account. I mean insurance in this country is probably the biggest thing stopping younger drivers from purchasing these kind of cars. I\'m 22, and I sink pretty much all the cash I earn into my FD. It\'s all paid for by me, and I\'m in my final year of university, but boy is it a stretch at times. One that is definitely worth it for the joys of daily driving such an amazing vehicle! Read something today about the government throwing another £41m into the opening and closing ceremony budgets for the Olympics because Cameron didn\'t think they were flash enough in their original plans. Now if only they could have redirected that cash into rotary development :2Confused....

[Brett]

Both cars look great, but its worth bearing in mind that these cars are not all about the power - they are supposed to give a back to basics approach in terms of limited grip and power.

I can\'t wait

[gsb876]

I think the dramatic drop in prices of the RX8 might hinder a future rotary project, in the current economic climate a car that delivers such poor mpg wont survive as a mass sales vehicle. There are always those who will buy but the sales figures will be terrible unless the new one is very efficient and gives good mpg.

[jetpilot]

I think the dramatic drop in prices of the RX8 might hinder a future rotary project, in the current economic climate a car that delivers such poor mpg wont survive as a mass sales vehicle. There are always those who will buy but the sales figures will be terrible unless the new one is very efficient and gives good mpg.

It does make you wonder as the Rx8 seemed pretty popular, i mean, i even remember them selling for a small premium 2nd when they first came out, if people knew what they were buying into, i.e poor mpg, an engine that required above average maintenance and care with regards to oil useage.

With regards to the BRZ & 86, i really cant see how they couldnt be produced for the rumoured price over here of £22k. A lightweight, rear wheel drive, 200 bhp car isnt exactly breaking boundaries or pushing budgets!

[gsb876]

With the cost of fuel only escalating higher, the average person will struggle to fund a decent performance car quite soon, the cost of living seems to be getting higher and higher.

Not been to a japshow for a while but have the attendance numbers dipped at all