Friday, May 27, 2011

Automotive Addicts

Automotive Addicts

Mazda Builds Their Three Millionth Mazda3

Posted: 26 May 2011 09:42 AM PDT


The 2012 Mazda3. Image: Mazda

The Mazda3 has been built for just under eight years, and Mazda recently announced the production milestone of three million cars assembled. A global product, the car is built in three factories (one each in Japan, China and Thailand) and sold in roughly 90 countries and regions around the world. Over 1.1 million Mazda3s have been sold into North America alone, and the Mazda3 has become the fastest-selling model in Mazda's current lineup of passenger vehicles.

Mazda chalks the 3's success up to three key factors: it has a distinctive design, it's exceptionally functional and it offers responsive handling. The wide range of models available are also key to the car's success: you can buy a Mazda3 in sedan or hatchback body styes, with prices in the U.S. starting at just over $16k. The Mazdaspeed3, a perennial favorite of ours, ensures that even sports car fans have a variant of the Mazda3 to suit their needs.

To put the 3,000,000 number in perspective, consider this: it took Mazda nearly 22 years to hit 900,000 MX-5 Miatas built, while the Mazda3 more than tripled that number in less than eight years. Granted, the Mazda3 has a broader appeal than the MX-5, but it's still a clear indication that the Mazda3 is the right car, at the right price, at the right time.

Source: Mazda

Gone In Less Than 52 Weeks: BMW’s 1 Series M

Posted: 26 May 2011 08:41 AM PDT


BMW's 1 Series M. Image: BMW AG

When then-head of BMW's M Division, Dr. Kay Segler, showed the 2011 BMW 1 Series M at this year's North American International Auto Show, he referred to it as their "offer(ing) for the young enthusiast, which we need to cater for, because they would love to have something for which they can afford." That's a great sentiment, but the starting price for the 1 Series M was $47,010, before you began adding accessories. I haven't seen many BMW's on dealer lots that aren't optioned to the hilt, and a well equipped 1 Series M can easily sticker over $52,000.I don't know many "young enthusiasts" who would find a $50,000 car "affordable", or even within reach once you factor the realities of rent (or mortgage) payments, student loan payments and the cost of food other than ramen and peanut butter.

Now comes word that BMW will cease production of the 1 Series M after the 2011 model year, and that less than 1,000 copies will be brought into the United States. In other words, BMW has given the car instant-collector-car status, the young enthusiast be damned. If you thought dealers were price-gouging before, or that the cars were hard to find, expect a whole new level of madness now. If you're lucky enough to own one, then don't even think about driving it: in 20 years, the car is likely to be worth more than your 401k.

Source: The Detroit Bureau, via Autoblog

Gender Reassignment In the Automotive World

Posted: 26 May 2011 08:13 AM PDT


Specifically, can we please once and for all reassign the gender of every car to “neutral”?  After all, the last time I checked they are not organic beings and are typically inanimate objects while parked (unless Stephen King is involved).  Don’t get me wrong, by all means continue to lovingly assign a name to your Precious and refer to it as “she”.  As in, “I rode her hard and put her away wet” after a good flogging on a track day.

No, what I am referring to is the proliferation of the over-used and abused term “chick car”.  A vehicle inherently cannot have a gender.  It can have feminine lines (which I will get to in a second), and it can appeal to a specific demographic because of, or in spite of, the Marketing Department’s efforts.  But the only thing that makes a vehicle a “chick car” is the opinion of the person launching the term.

So when do we typically hear this cliche?  The Fiat 500, MR2, New Beetle, PT Cruiser, Miata/MX-5, Jetta, MINI (depending on model), and virtually all convertibles to name a few.  Why?  Best I can gather is that the car either has a rounded appearance, tends to be driven by rich high school girls or trophy wives, or has a drop-top (although logically why this equates to being feminine is beyond me; if you’re going to be stereotypical about it, females tend to not want their hair blown about by the wind).  For the record, minivans and SUVs tend to get dubbed mommy-mobiles, which is a crusade for another day.

Why do so many other cars that fit this mold escape the label?  The Viper is one of the most voluptuous things I’ve seen this side of a Victoria’s Secret model.  Tons of females of all ages pilot Mustangs on our roads every single day.  Porsches and Corvettes are curvy, expensive, and some even go topless.  So what gives?  All I can figure is “power”.  If that’s the case, why not be more accurate, or even creative, when referring to a particular model?  I have never heard anyone deem something a “dude car” because they instead use applicable adjectives such as “manly”, “rumbling”, and “authoritative”.  No one gives a girl grief for driving an STi or Camaro SS but woe is the guy who, though secure in his manhood, chooses a “chick car” as his daily driver.

I am not a feminist, to be sure, and honestly, that’s not the point of this at all.  It’s just that people who truly appreciate cars love them for what they do, especially if they perform well as in the case of the MX-5, MR2 and certain Jettas depending on trim/engine.  Even the 240SX, once panned as “a secretary’s car”, is now a cult classic and favorite of tuners and drifters worldwide. All I’m asking is for a little less prejudice, and a lot more thought put into automotive commentary than reverting to a tired old cliche.
Posted by Didik Rg at 6:06 AM

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