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As far as the 6 being a super car, yes it is. But you don't come to market with a great car in a segment that includes the NEW Honda Accord and give it a 4 month headstart. THATS bad. You have to give people a reason to buy the 6 over the Honda. Mazda has done none of that.
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Of course it's probably of no interest whatsoever, but in most markets (North America is the sole exception); the Mazda 6 - or Atenza, in the case of Japan - is outselling the Accord by a sizable margin. In places like Japan, the ratio of Atenza deliveries to Accords is 5 to 1. Here in Australia, locals buy 12 Mazda 6s for every Accord sold. Mazda Australia is having problems getting enough cars - especially 5-doors - to meet public demand.
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I think that Ford actually using a Mazda platform again instead of the other way around shows something. They took the best in their collection and ran with it, instead of the other way around.
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and
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The next generation Mazda Familia / 3 / Protege will be on a platform developed with the European division of Ford as the lead
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...and as long as we're at it...
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t is Mazda that did the I4 engine development for global use (2.0L and 2.3L...of which, the 2.3L is already in use in the Ford Ranger / Mazda B-2300 and Mazda 6)
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It's amazing how some people like to take credit for everything. Ford of Europe being a fine example.
The Focus/Mazda 3 platform was - and is - a joint effort. Mazda and Ford people got together and determined a number of hardpoints each wanted incorporated into the platform for the Focus and Mazda 3. When it was determined that common items outweighed disparate ones, Mazda provided architectural guidelines and manufacturing protocol information to Ford's European branch (which is being headed up by the former head of Mazda R&D). Ford of Europe is the 'lead' division insofar as they did the initial layout drawing and built the first prototypes, but there's been plenty of Mazda input into the 'pan from the day pen was first put to vellum. Additionally, as pointed out elsewhere in the thread, Mazda and Ford each will have their own specific suspension and steering gear. Not even pick-up points will be common between the two.
Actual production start-up of the next-generation Focus and Mazda 3 will be very close to one and other. The Mazda 3 was previewed in mildly disguised form as the MX-Sportif at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year and the new Focus will make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Production of both cars will start in the third quarter of the year, with deliveries in some markets beginning early in the last quarter.
Mazda's development of the new 2.0 and 2.3s Ford is using was limited primarily to block architecture and basic design of the crank. Ford designed their own cylinder heads for the versions they use as well as Pistons. they ended up using a variation of the Mazda crank and con rods, although they had intended to do their own at the start of the program.
You know, the only ones giving the appearance of being clueless around here seem to be a number of the Ford-haters thinking with their glands instead of their brains, mindlessly painting anything and everything with an idiotically broad brush.
I sure as Hell hope I never get that bitter and twisted about something as immaterial as a car company.
bwob
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Friends don't let friends drive Lightburn Zetas
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As far as the 6 being a super car, yes it is. But you don't come to market with a great car in a segment that includes the NEW Honda Accord and give it a 4 month headstart. THATS bad. You have to give people a reason to buy the 6 over the Honda. Mazda has done none of that.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of course it's probably of no interest whatsoever, but in most markets (North America is the sole exception); the Mazda 6 - or Atenza, in the case of Japan - is outselling the Accord by a sizable margin. In places like Japan, the ratio of Atenza deliveries to Accords is 5 to 1. Here in Australia, locals buy 12 Mazda 6s for every Accord sold. Mazda Australia is having problems getting enough cars - especially 5-doors - to meet public demand.
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think that Ford actually using a Mazda platform again instead of the other way around shows something. They took the best in their collection and ran with it, instead of the other way around.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
and
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next generation Mazda Familia / 3 / Protege will be on a platform developed with the European division of Ford as the lead
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...and as long as we're at it...
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
t is Mazda that did the I4 engine development for global use (2.0L and 2.3L...of which, the 2.3L is already in use in the Ford Ranger / Mazda B-2300 and Mazda 6)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's amazing how some people like to take credit for everything. Ford of Europe being a fine example.
The Focus/Mazda 3 platform was - and is - a joint effort. Mazda and Ford people got together and determined a number of hardpoints each wanted incorporated into the platform for the Focus and Mazda 3. When it was determined that common items outweighed disparate ones, Mazda provided architectural guidelines and manufacturing protocol information to Ford's European branch (which is being headed up by the former head of Mazda R&D). Ford of Europe is the 'lead' division insofar as they did the initial layout drawing and built the first prototypes, but there's been plenty of Mazda input into the 'pan from the day pen was first put to vellum. Additionally, as pointed out elsewhere in the thread, Mazda and Ford each will have their own specific suspension and steering gear. Not even pick-up points will be common between the two.
Actual production start-up of the next-generation Focus and Mazda 3 will be very close to one and other. The Mazda 3 was previewed in mildly disguised form as the MX-Sportif at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year and the new Focus will make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Production of both cars will start in the third quarter of the year, with deliveries in some markets beginning early in the last quarter.
Mazda's development of the new 2.0 and 2.3s Ford is using was limited primarily to block architecture and basic design of the crank. Ford designed their own cylinder heads for the versions they use as well as Pistons. they ended up using a variation of the Mazda crank and con rods, although they had intended to do their own at the start of the program.
You know, the only ones giving the appearance of being clueless around here seem to be a number of the Ford-haters thinking with their glands instead of their brains, mindlessly painting anything and everything with an idiotically broad brush.
I sure as Hell hope I never get that bitter and twisted about something as immaterial as a car company.
bwob
__________
Friends don't let friends drive Lightburn Zetas
