RACER-X Posted June 5, 2007 Share Posted June 5, 2007 Does anybody see a spec Solstice class coming? Have any of you taken' one for a ride yet? Think the Miata has some competition? Sooo many questions. What do you guys think????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon dawes Posted June 5, 2007 Share Posted June 5, 2007 i'm still a very noob noobie, but i know that at the last autox i was at, one solstace was running almost as fast as the formula cars and may have been barely off the ftd. good driver, i'm sure, but seemed like a very capable car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted June 5, 2007 Share Posted June 5, 2007 I think its a great car so far and I hope to see it actively involved in road racing soon. It would be great to see a spec series. I got to crawl over and under this bad boy recently. It is very very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nape Posted June 5, 2007 Share Posted June 5, 2007 Aren't Spec classes usually formed to keep costs down? You can build an AI car or two CMC cars for the purchase price of a Solstice, not counting race prepping one. They're cool cars, but no thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Ok so lets go back to the first Miata.....there was no spec series when it first hit the show room. The MX-5 series isnt at the grassroots level ...yet.... Come on man, have a little foresight. When the time is right......it would be fantastic to see a grassroots series based on the Solstice. In the meantime, I think it would be great to see them run under the Grand Am/ Rolex umbrella. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DriverGT5 Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Screw the Solstice, long live the Sky!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 I personally like both. The sky is dead sexxy for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaje Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Spec Miatas are just way more plentiful and cheaper to buy including the parts source from Mazda itself. There's even an MX-5 Cup series now. I just don't see a spec series coming for the Opel GT (and it's cousins such as the Solstice or Sky - I think there will be a Buick version too) cars anytime soon. Maybe 5+ years down the road when they become affordable as a race car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Spec Miatas are just way more plentiful and cheaper to buy ... Back in 89/90 I dont think there was a spec miata class.....or even anyone racing a miata was there? apples = apples Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
944-Spec#94 Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 If you want to know what it is like to drive one those in a spec series their are a couple NASA guys that have some expereince going wheel to wheel in those things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon dawes Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 well i sat in one. does that count? and honestly the driving position was fantastic. everything laid out pretty well. but unless i had the turbo, i just think it wouldn't "do it" for me. and even then, without the burbly v8 it just doesn't SOUND fast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RACER-X Posted June 6, 2007 Author Share Posted June 6, 2007 Yes I like the looks of the Sky better too. My wife and I drove a GXP one the other day and it has power. Way more power than our 03 Miata but the brakes didn't seem as good. I know its a heavier car but it should have bigger brakes. The handling was outstanding!! It was a tick over 30k sticker price. The real deal breaker for us was, no trunk. There is a trunk but once you put the top in there, that's it, no more room!!! I think if sales remain strong in a few years when used prices bring them into reality, we will see one spec class for both the Solstice and Sky. Start planning now guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaje Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 Back in 89/90 I dont think there was a spec miata class.....or even anyone racing a miata was there? Well of course not since the Miata came out in 1989. Here's what I mean...the base price of the early Miatas was only $13,800 (even in today's money that's still much less than the base price of Solstice [$21k) or Sky [$24k]). The RX-7 was already a very popular production car and even had Spec Series starting out...simply the Miata was a natural extension. Outside of maybe the Firebird no one really raced many Pontiacs except one off efforts. There was no where near the interest in creating a spec series. Production #s - There is close to over 1M cars (the Solstice #s are about 20k per year in comparison). 1989 45,266 1990 95,640 1991 63,434 1992 52,712 1993 44,743 1994 39,623 1995 31,886 1996 33,610 1997 27,037 1998 58,682 1999 44,851 2000 47,496 2001 38,870 2002 40,754 2003 30,106 2004 24,232 2005 29,950 2006 48,389 Total 797,293 What is most important besides price and availabilty of cars is the MFGRs support. Mazda has done a wonderful job creating a racing parts supply business to support it's enthusiasts amateur racing projects. And it is not a one off marketing blitz events that eventually taper off (which GM is well known to do). Mazda's continued support over the past 2-3 decades just give those potential participants willing to spend their money the piece of mind that they will be looked after. So I don't see this as Apples = Apples; the Miata sold more units, was a much cheaper platform, and Mazda helped foster a racing series through probably the best support system from any mfgr for amateur and professional racers alike. Don't get me wrong as I'd like to see a Solstice series but GM needs to fix their business and stop losing money and spending to create and properly support and develop a Spec series I just don't see in the cards. Wagoneer needs his 7 figure salary and the Union needs their Viagra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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