Seeing the future

[Raksj04]

I still think Mazda should be a Limited editon RX-5 Miata, even if they used the rensis from the RX8 and didn't add any power to it. It is still 50 more ponies then the 2.0L they have in there now. If they built about 500 to 1,000 of these cars I believe they would sell, And the limited number of the cars shouldn't really hurt their avg for mpg and emissions. This would be a great fuller car till the next RX-#. I agree with a removalable hard top like the older MX-5s.

[Raksj04]

Also Mazda but this on thier face book

Mazda
Huge thanks to all of you for helping make last month our best-selling January since 1994—score 1 for driving!

It was the best January ever for our Mazda3, CX-7 and CX-9; Mazda6's best month since 2008; and our Mazda2's best month, ever.

Which year/model Mazda are you driving? Will we have the honor of upgrading your Zoom-Zoom in 2012?

I guess things are getting better.

[My5ABaby]

Good news. Now let's hope that equates to a good profit margin. They've been advertising pretty heavily which is $$$.

[Raksj04]

I am really leaning towards a MS3 for my next car, unless they have something better when I am ready to buy.

[Redhawkjrt]

Mazda to Raise $2 Billion in Share Issue, Loans -- Reuters
By Taiga Uranaka and James Topham
Feb. 21, 2012
Japan′s Mazda Motor Corp plans to raise $2.1 billion to shore up its finances and invest in a new plant in Mexico, financial sources said on Tuesday -- a bigger-than-expected dilutive fundraising that sent its shares tumbling 10 percent.
The loss-making automaker aims to raise 100 billion yen ($1.3 billion) through a public share offering and 70 billion yen through subordinated loans from banks, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.
If Mazda were to raise 100 billion yen through a new issue at Tuesday′s closing share price of 145 yen, just under 690 million shares would need to be added, representing a huge 38.7 percent dilution of existing shares.
"I think share reaction of this size is to be expected for such a large surprising fund-raising," said Kenichi Hirano, operating officer at Tachibana Securities.
Battered by a strong yen, the nation′s No.5 automaker is set to post its fourth straight annual net loss in the financial year to March. This month it predicted red ink of 100 billion yen, much worse than an earlier estimate of a 19 billion yen loss.
Mazda, which makes the Mazda2 subcompact and the Mazda3 compact car, is the most exposed among Japanese automakers to currency swings, building about 70 percent of its vehicles in Japan and exporting 90 percent of those last year.
"The company′s fundamental outlook is still very grim and at the same time there is a huge need for cash," said Koji Endo, analyst at Advanced Research Japan.
"Even if they raise 170 billion yen, which sounds like a pretty big number, when they get done paying the bills, it could evaporate pretty quickly," he said.
To reduce its reliance on exports, Mazda plans to construct a plant in Mexico and renovate its Thai factory, and lift its overseas production ratio to 50 percent from 30 percent in four years time.
Other capital expenditure plans include the introduction of its next-generation engine and transmission technology on all its cars by around 2016. It is also considering a venture with Russian car maker Sollers to produce Mazda cars in Vladivostok, as well as production capacity increases in China.
INDEPENDENCE IN DOUBT
A share offering would follow one in 2009, when Mazda raised 98 billion yen via a mixture of new shares and treasury stock.
One financial source said the new loans would be provided by Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, the state-backed Development Bank of Japan and other banks, adding that the announcement could come on Wednesday.
Mazda said in a statement that no official decisions had been made.
Investors have questioned how much longer Mazda, without major market share and unable to remain profitable as a niche brand, will continue in its current form.
"I don′t think Mazda can continue on as an independent, and with its future vision still unknown, it′s hard to make an investment decision on it," said Mitsushige Akino, chief fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment Management.
Mazda CEO Takashi Yamanouchi said last week the car maker is in talks over project-based tie-ups but played down the possibility of a capital alliance citing its partnership Ford Motor Co.
While the two still operate joint car factories in China and Thailand, their relationship has weakened with Ford′s stake now just 3.5 percent compared with a peak of 33.4 percent.
Shares in Mazda ended down 10 percent after falling as much as 14 percent at one stage. It was the most actively traded stock by volume on the Tokyo bourse′s main board.

[djmtsu]

Still not concerned.

[reddozen]

Originally Posted by djmtsu

Still not concerned.

Same... Mazda posted record sales in January. We're talking 24,000 cars at a 68% increase over last January, putting them 12 most cars sold out of 37 brands. More cars than Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Acura, Scion, and several other big names.

I'd say they're a pretty strong company. Their only financial troubles are because they export 90% of their cars from Japan, and the exchange rate of the Yen is stupidly high. They're looking for partners to be able to produce more cars locally thus cutting exchange and importing costs.

They're not going out of business with sales stats like that.

[Raksj04]

I would prefer a American or Canadian build Mazda over a Mexican built one. My brother had a chevy cavalier built in Mexico and that was a POS

[My5ABaby]

It was a Cavalier... It'd be a POS from any country.

[Raksj04]

Mine was made in ohio and it was a little bit better.

[Pete_89T2]

Originally Posted by djmtsu

Still not concerned.

Neither am I. In the long term, the investment decisions Mazda is making will reduce their exposure to the risks of currency valuation swings. Just wish they would build a new plant in the US instead of Mexico.

[My5ABaby]

Originally Posted by Raksj04

Mine was made in ohio and it was a little bit better.

So yours is "a little better" and the sample size is 1....

[Sephitrask]

Originally Posted by Raksj04

I would prefer a American or Canadian build Mazda over a Mexican built one. My brother had a chevy cavalier built in Mexico and that was a POS

VW/Audi have plants in mexico and they do just fine. Its about quality control; the workers are going to do whats expected. From my experience as an employer, I have has quite a few mexican employees (legal ones) and they worked 100X harder than any other employee I ever had

[Nutsid]

Originally Posted by Sephitrask

VW/Audi have plants in mexico and they do just fine. Its about quality control; the workers are going to do whats expected. From my experience as an employer, I have has quite a few mexican employees (legal ones) and they worked 100X harder than any other employee I ever had

I do not think that quality is what he was worried about - more of opening jobs up in the home front. Quality control is a huge issue, and not just in Mexican plants. Just read the reports on how American car companies do with their quality. It isn't good, and I should know - I work in an American car plant.

[Pete_89T2]

Some of you may have seen this already, but this article gives me hope:

http://wardsauto.com/vehicles-amp-te...otary-new-life

Apparently the engineering staff at Mazda is still doing productive rotary development work.