Okay, so neither car is "official", as in production date, specs, or design, BUT why not gauge interest in something besides Ford vs. Chevy?


Pros for the Mazda:

If I plain do not like the look of the new Camaro, then I will buy an RX-7.

I can only assume that with 250 HP out of a NA 1.3L, I can expect 325+ on a Turbo setup. Afterall, Mazda is getting some good R&D out of their RX-8.

The Rx-7 has always been lighter / smaller than Camaro.

Mazda has MazdaSpeed. They could give us a race ready full warranty speed machine. Chevy has SS. Woo.......


Pros for the Camaro:

With 198,000 miles on my 93 LT1, and it still running like a rape date, (or a raped ape, which ever you prefer!) I am SOLD on Chevy's reliability. Hords of Chevy fans scorn the LT1 as a break down machine - (hypercrappy pistons, opti-scrap, etc). But I find those are the same people who have done dozens of after market bolt-ons, "fixes", "free-mods", and the like. My 93 is stock, my brother was the first owner. We have both ragged on it. And it asks for more.

I have owned 3 RX-7's. 79 Turbo - lost compression (apex seals). 85 non-turbo, ran fine. 90 GTU, no compression (apex seals) sitting in driveway awaiting new engine. Damn Wankels just are not as reliable as the pushrod.

Torque! Need I say more?

Seating - yes I really do use those back seats. You gotta cruise, and have a place to put the ladies.

Price - Only a guess, but I believe that the Mazda will be just over 30K. The Camaro is supposed to be where, 24-28K?


That's about it. Thoughts, comments, violent reactions?
And don't forget Toyota is looking at a new Supra.

 

In 2008 dollars, and depending on the model, I'd expect Camaro to run between $25,000 and $35,000.

Full book convertible cars could touch $40,000.

 

The Mazda Rotory engine sucks.

- It puts out crap for torque
- gets the gas milage of a Big Block, yet puts out about 1/4 the power
- polutute more than almost any other engine on the market.
- They ALL burn oil (1 quart per 1,000mi. is what I have read)
- week power band, the automatic cars that don't rev as high only put out 193HP at 7,000rpm

If they were smart they would dump the junk Rotory and use a turbo or Supercharged version of the Ford 3.0L V6. I don't think a turbo rotory would even pass US emissions. The N/A version just barely did, and turbo engines usually have a harder time passing.


Isn't the new RX-7 expected to be a 2 seater? If so the turbo version is more of a Vette like car than a Camaro, and chances are the RX-7 will also cost Vette money.

 

besides the fact that RX stands for "Rotery eXperiment", it has become tradition. no rotery, no RX7. suggesting a 3.0L Mazda for the RX7 is like suggesting the Camaro should have 3 wheels.... yeah, exactly. it's insane.

 

I love both cars (in their previous iteration), and would love to see both come 2007.

Rx7 - Small, nimble, TT should give the 1.3L rotary a much needed boost in the tq department while improving the overall hp and powerband. No doubt about it, this thing will rip with TT. Easily 300+hp capable, and in a light weight package should be tons of fun to toss around. Like previous Rx7's, it should be an excellent handler. Rotary probably won't be anywhere near reliable as the good ol Chevy Gen IV pushrod v8, but everything else about this car should be top notch.

Camaro - Should carry on the tradition. Like the 4th gen, it should offer class leading hp, and best performance bang for your buck. It probably won’t be anywhere near as light or nimble as the rx7, and the handling most likely won’t be as polished, but they should still be good nonetheless. Acceleration should be tops, and I would think it would be high 12 sec capable at the least. Maybe even dip into the mid 12’s with an excellent driver (assuming it puts out 380-400hp). It should be cheaper than the rx7, which would leave lots of $$$$ to play with (assuming you don't go for a loaded camaro SS convertible that is).

Would be a tough choice. Hopefully we’ll have both options come 2007. Camaro will be there, but Mazda’s dragging their feet on the rx7 and can’t seem to make their minds up. The rx8 is weak, and it is showing up in sales. They need to bring the rx7 back.

 

RX-7 will be lighter no question, but why wouldn't the Camaro handling be "as polished"? The Camaro will most likly have IRS standard and is on a 100% new platform.

The non-turbo RX-7 will probably be in the same price range as the 400HP LS2 V8 Camaro, The Turbo RX-7 will be up in the Vette price range. In the Mazda world RX-8 = Camaro, RX-7 = Vette

 

RX-7 and Camaro should not even be compared to each other. They're from two different camps, one is a sports car, the other a sports sedan. (Some will argue sports coupe, including me.)

This is not meant as a knock on Mazdas. I once considered buying a new RX-7 about 15 years ago. However, they just are not in the same classification.

 

Chances are that the RX7 will cost more then the Camaro, so if you can gather the extra 10-15k for the RX7 over the Camaro, then have fun.

 

Weight, weight, weight. The previous FD Rx7 weighed around 2,600lbs, had a perfect 50/50 weight distribution, and pulled .98 g's on the skidpad. Overall, it loved curves, and very few cars under 50 grand handled like it i thought. Cars like this are built purely for the curves. The steering, the nimbleness, the overall feel was tops and world class i thought. A new rx7 should further improve on all.

To me, the z28/SS while good handlers (even better with the 1LE option) weren’t built purely for the road course. This shows up in the chassis, the steering, and the overall suspension, feel, and setup of the car. By polished I meant “fine tuned”. And by fine-tuned I mean world class or near world class (think vette). I see the 5th gen as having good handling characteristics, but not the world-class levels a car like an Rx7 or vette would have. The 4th gen camaro was never a vette/rx7 caliber car in the handling department and I really don’t see that happening come 2007. Not without taking off a lot of weight, and investing tons more money on the chassis, suspension, brakes, etc….. This in turn would price the camaro upwards, and that probably isn’t something chevy/GM has in mind.

Just a haunch btw.

True. A 93 Rx7 had a sticker price north of 35g’s, pretty much in vette territory. A new well optioned one will probably be somewhere in the 40k’s I would think. At that price, it really isn’t a camaro competitor, but a vette one.

I don’t think we’ll see a non-turbo rx7. The 93+ FD rx7’s all had turbo’s, and a N/A option wasn’t available. If the rx7 does come back, I think it’ll only be available with turbo’s. I think the rx8 will stick around and be sold alongside it as the N/A and cheaper alternative.

 

Actually, Chevy repeatedly got an LS1 Camaro to scoot around their test tracks quicker than the C5 until 2001, I believe. Ask Red.

 

Are you serious? how is that even possible? C5 weighs less, has better brakes, wider tires, suspension setup/geometry, lower center of gravity, weight distribution, tuning, etc....

Anyways to elaborate on what i said earlier (and meant by polished), i'm not just talking numbers alone, but the "feel" as well. On most tracks, the Camaro z28/SS will probably put up better numbers than a Honda s2000 (which is an excellent track car), but you get a completely different feeling when taking corners in both cars.

Man, something had to have been wrong with those vettes. What changed in 2001? Pretty much the same c5 right? I don't recall any drastic changes. Wow. I always knew the c5 wasn't any faster in the straight-aways (atleast in the 1/4 mile), but never pictured it looking at camaro taillights in the curves.. I still don't. Someone's definitly got some explaining to do.

 

I REALLY doubt F5 will be able to hang with S2000/S2200. That car outhandles 350Z, M3, and some other car. Not much go for straight line acceleration, but its light weight has a tremendous advantage.

 

We're talking School Bus handling Camaro outhandling a Corvette? No IRS, 300 extra pounds, poor weight distribution....

I don't believe it, not under normal circumstances and normally functioning cars.

 

I didn't believe it either, until guionM stated it and Red Planet confirmed it a while back...I believe 2001 was when C5 received beefier shocks or some change was made to improve C5 handling.

By the way, my SS does NOT handle like a school bus. No, it isn't as tossable as a sub-2000 pound Lotus Elise but remember that 1LE Camaros handle at over .9 g......

 

Hey - congrats on the new car! I didn't realize you had bought an SS!

When did you buy it?