Retractable hardtop for 2007 Mazda MX-5

[genjy]

The 2007 MX-5 will have a retractable hardtop option for the top trims:

This is an official product information bulletin sent to Mazda dealers about changes in 2007 MX-5 trims:
http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.ph...chmentid=77495

2007 MAZDA MX-5
Product Information Bulletin
May 18, 2006

Last year the newly redesigned MX-5 won the prestigious Japan Car of the Year award as well as being named a Car and Driver 10 best car. Mazda is pleased to announce that for the 2007 model year we are adding a groundbreaking power retractable hard top to the lineup. The power retractable hard top will be the most affordable retractable hard top in the industry in addition to being the only one which does not take up any trunk space. Additionally we expect the open and close time to be class leading. This feature will surely bring in many new customers.

Timing:
The 2007MY Job #1 is scheduled for June 2006 for the power retractable hardtop and initial production for the 2007MY soft top is July of 2006.

[Bravada]

PLEASE do not link to PDFs! Thank you.

[asim]

Wow...I don't think GM has anything like this planned. =[

[genjy]

Originally Posted by asim

Wow...I don't think GM has anything like this planned. =[

Yeah, it makes me wonder if Mazda had planned the power hardtop from the very beginning or was it able to pull off a hardtop design and tooling within a year. I wonder what else Mazda has up its sleeve. Rotary? Turbo? Coupe?
The MX-5/Miata is Mazda's most important car...

[CarShark]

This is sooooooooo bad for GM, I can barely believe it.

1. Mazda is going to make one of the Solstice's glaring faults (the fiddly roof) into an even bigger one. Soon you'll be able to put the roofs up on two Miatas before you can on one Solstice.

2. The Miata is still going to weigh much less than the Solstice, unless Mazda decides to use baby elephants.

3. GM will soon lose the title of "America's cheapest hardtop vert".

4. The Miata will finally gain a little appeal to the majority of the roadster crowd-people who don't run autocrosses and demand absolute handling perfection but ease of use and the wind in their hair. God help GM if Mazda can find a way to make a Miata cruise.

[steverino]

Maybe Wilmington should hold off on increasing production volume and dealers can kiss goodbye to their $5,000 markups.

[Butz]

GM should come up with this option for the Solstice and SKY

[Quickening]

Get Opel working on something, QUICK. They seem to be very good with hardtop convertibles (TIgra, Astra)

Got to give credit, where credit is due. GJ Mazda. Even if your car still looks like a girl car and wussy, you got the technology that the Solstice lacks.

[Aerodynamix]

In a perfect world, GM would be able to scale and adapt the power tops from the G6 or Astra TT to fit Kappa. Right now, I think GM's best bet to counter this is to offer an attractive removable hard top like this:



Not this:


Leave the wagon-top for EDAG and the aftermarket.

[Bravada]

Originally Posted by Quickening

Get Opel working on something, QUICK. They seem to be very good with hardtop convertibles (TIgra, Astra)

That's not Opel, that's Heuliez (for Tigra) and somebody else I forgot who for Astra

[boydrive]

1. Mazda is going to make one of the Solstice's glaring faults (the fiddly roof) into an even bigger one. Soon you'll be able to put the roofs up on two Miatas before you can on one Solstice.

Being a Solstice owner, am so sick of the roof comment. THE ROOF IS VERY EASY AND FAST TO PUT UP AND DOWN, I REPEAT THE ROOF IS VERY EASY AND FAST TO PUT UP AND DOWN, I REPEAT THE ROOF IS VERY EASY AND FAST TO PUT UP AND DOWN.

and I would not buy the MX-5 because it has a retractable hardtop, the car is still not as nice looking as a SKY or Solstice and most people buy a convertible especially a two seater to keep the top down.

FOR THE RECORD IT TOOK ME FASTER TO PUT MY ROOF DOWN, THEN MY FRIEND WITH HER 350Z. People should not talk till they know what their talking about!!!!!

[SobeSVT]

Originally Posted by Bravada

PLEASE do not link to PDFs! Thank you.

Why not? Is it against the rules? I find this particular one very informative.

And BTW, this are great news indeed. Will only broaden the Miata's appeal and give it an HUGE advantage over its competitors. Good for Mazda.

[Bravada]

Because in some system configurations, like mine, they take a century to load and stall the browser in the meantime. I wasn't aware of the fact it was a PDF, so I clicked it and for a moment felt an urge to inflict intense pain on somebody.

[Quickening]

Originally Posted by Bravada

Because in some system configurations, like mine, they take a century to load and stall the browser in the meantime. I wasn't aware of the fact it was a PDF, so I clicked it and for a moment felt an urge to inflict intense pain on somebody.

I hope GM is at least working on power tops for Solstice/Sky. If they could do a hardtop..that would be even better. And of course, give us a F'n COUPE!

[1BadPig]

Doesn't the retractable tops have a weight penalty against them? An easy manual top should be the way to go. Are we as a country that lazy that we need a power top?