Bizz said:
the other side of the coin is that mazda has sold tons of miatas the size it is now. it would be very risky to chance pissing off those people (who fit, and like the drive) with a arger/heavier car. instead, go in the opposite direction. keep it the same size inside, but package everything better so that overall size/weight drops.
Good point. It's a little amusing to hear the Miata described as the main, or even a new, competitor for the Solstice (don't worry, I know what the intended meaning is). In less than 15 years, there's been over 700,000 Miatas sold. Last I heard, the Solstice was looking at 20,000 units a year.
While the Miata has been refreshed a couple of times, changes haven't been drastic, and it will be interesting to see how a totally new design stacks up against the Solstice, S2k, etc. Personally, I think the RX-8 bodes well for a nice, light, well handling new Miata. I'm glad to see that the Miata should have some lower priced competition, finally. I know a lot of people hate the modest Miata, girlie car, etc, but it brought back the market for roadsters and, like it or not, the Z3, Z4, S2k, Boxster, and others stand on it's shoulders. I hope the Solstice is everything it's cracked up to be and succeeds. The legacy of the Miata's success and it's phenomenal reliability have set a benchmark that won't be easily surpassed.