Looks like British pulp "news" fiction to me.
Not that I'm against the idea mind you, but it will be difficult for anyone to
unseat the Miata in the North American market.
The Miata is just too good a car. Superb dynamics, coupled with Japanese
reliability and a huge dealer network. Competeing directly against the little
Mazda roadster will spell disaster. The only way to bring in a new sportscar
would be to either go upmarket or downmarket from the Miata. I cannot see BMW
going up in price as it will then compete directly against it's own Z
roadster, and BMW has no clue how to build an inexpensive, entry level car so
that is out as well.
Another issue is that the majority of the market are not us, so to speak.
When you say "Triumph sportscar" to someone 90% of the time the response is,
"Oh a buddy of mine had a TR7, it was a piece of junk." I've had people even
call my TR3 a TR7 and ask how I keep it running. There is a large negative
image problem that would have to be overcome somehow for the car to sell in
any kind of numbers.
And then there is the spectre of a Triumph with a German engine. That makes
my skin crawl. But I'm a crumudgon about that sort of thing.
After all, you wouldn't put a DB 605 in a Supermarine Spitfire now would you.
Terry Stetler.
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