They ever gonna fix the buttons they use for PDK? Why can't they put paddles behind the wheel like everyone else does, and instead cling tragically to the stupid tiptronic buttons that were always bad? I have heard nothing but praise for the transmission, but if the interface is as horrific as it is, what's the point?

Also, the Boxster looks awesome these days. It's evolved into a distinct, very nice looking model. Pretty amazing stuff.

I disagree, I much prefer the sleeper looks of the current MS3 to the scoop on the new one. If I wanted a car that tells everyone it's fast, I'd have gotten a WRX. Which is what you have. I guess we just have different preferences, huh?

Besides, I think the ducting they have under the hood is a neat little touch. I don't want my car to tell everyone it's fast- that's what the turbo is for. When I want to tell people it's fast, I show by example. And I like it that way. Smoking that chump in the Si who doesn't know it's a 'Speed3 is just too fun. :)

Andrewgto-
Did you touch it and feel it? It's not about the plastics they use, IMO. It's about the buttons and dials that the plastics move. It's all in the movement of the dash. Push a plastic button in a Kia, and then push a plastic button in a BMW. Sure, the materials are probably damn near identical, but the button in the BMW is going to feel much better.

I like the interior style of the camaro more than the mustang or especially the challenger (mostly since it's straight out of a minivan, or PT cruiser). But for it to be great, I hope GM has dumped the teal blue color of the interior (which they've been using for a quarter century now), and they need to ditch the very pleather looking shifter boot. It just looks horribly fake in the picture.

But I do agree on your final point. Looks pretty great for the price. I just wish they'd found a few hundred pounds to cut out somewhere, 3,800 pounds is kind of ridiculous. Not that they're the only offender these days, god knows, but come on, really? Even the mustang is "only" about 3,400 pounds with their V8. Still, they're beating the hell out of the 4,100 lb Challenger, which is apparently entirely made from cast iron.

Yeah, that hood cover does look a lot like carbon fauxber to me too.

Look, so they got caught with their pants down in the biggest storm I've ever seen in my 21 years of living in the Puget Sound area. I'm inclined to give them a break- this storm, and subsequent accumulation, has never happened like this, and is more suited to a midwest state than the northwest. It's been a major inconvenience, trust me, but this isn't exactly the end of the world here.

I agree. They're going to saturate the market that is already pretty thin. And I wasn't aware that anyone missed the allroad when it died, I haven't seen many on the road at all. I'm in WA, where it would seem to be prime territory, too. I dunno, I don't think we need another audi wagon.

Look at SCCA racing. There are so many Miata's in there, it's crazy. There are spec Miata leagues, as well as Miata's that race in general racing otherwise. They do campaign an LMP2 car in ALMS, but that's not too mentionable, to be honest.

The cars Mazda makes don't lend themselves too well to the big leagues, like a GT2 ALMS car, but that doesn't mean you don't race. I'd love to see a GT3 or even GT4 class in ALMS with more cars- Or a dedicated, separate race since the track is pretty crowded as it is. I'd love to see Solstices, Miata's, Speed3's, RX-8's, Cobalt SS's, and whatever else you want- that'd be fun to watch, IMO. Probably not ALMS caliber, but it'd still be fun.

Also, the ALMS organizers should allow Rotaries in and bring back the Mazda 787B. That would kick ass.

So they aren't in a major series right now, but you don't need to race in a major form of motorsport to get racing cred, though- I mean, what exactly has Honda's F1 team done for them? It's been a great money pit lately, but not much else, unless you count public humiliation.

Why? I love Mazda (note that my pic is of my Mazdaspeed's tach), but they've built up a lot more racing cred than Honda has, while spending probably a fraction of what Honda spent in one season of F1.

Mazda is proof that you don't need to spend billions to make a reputation for yourself in racing. And I do watch F1, through the bad times and the good (I was at the USGP in '05- I still shudder at the memory). I wonder if anyone will step in to fill the void, or if the 3rd car from the top 2 teams rule applies.

Yes, I'm gonna miss the R10. It was always very strange to see the R10, which, quite frankly, sounds like a quiet space ship, cruise right by the GT1 Corvettes, which are without a doubt the loudest cars on the track. I loved the contrast there.

I'm also sad that we won't get our Audi v. Acura clash, that was gonna be really fun. Now Acura will just Audi the LMP1 class for the next god-knows-how-long. Oh well, at least GT2 is gonna be awesome, right?

Yeah... I was a bit worried, but now I'm pretty happy I got my Speed 3 when I did, over the summer. It is a hell of a car, and I think the look is a little sharper than the new one. I like the new one, don't get me wrong, but... I like the current one a bit more, it looks sportier. I'm sure the new one will grow on me further, though. Especially when the new Speed comes out. I just hope they don't bring the scoop into production.