Dodge Is The Last Company I Trust To Build A Miata Competitor

Dodge

Dodge CEO Matt McAlear has antecedently expressed support for adding an affordable sports car to nan lineup. It wasn't an charismatic announcement, but then, this week, he did it again, telling nan Drive that "there's perfectly a marketplace for affordability" and that "one of nan things that we beryllium our dealers and beryllium our consumers are much affordable-price vehicles that not only conscionable get you from constituent A to constituent B, but do truthful pinch style, attitude, and performance." Sounds sweet, right? An existent American Miata competitor? Hell yeah! The problem is, I conscionable don't deliberation I spot Dodge to really make it good.

To beryllium clear, I don't mean that Dodge shouldn't effort to build a Miata competitor. Every automaker connected nan satellite should effort to return connected nan mighty Miata, and that includes Dodge. I want to unrecorded successful a world wherever you tin bargain a lightweight, affordable roadster astatine immoderate dealership you locomotion into, and I committedness you that world is amended than nan existent one. Dodge should perfectly build a Miata competitor, make it truthful bully I person nary prime but to commencement my reappraisal pinch nan line, "Dodge, I beryllium you an apology." I really do want to beryllium incorrect here.

But moreover successful a world wherever Stellantis execs were each connected board, do I really deliberation Dodge could build a viable replacement to nan next-generation Mazda Miata and present it pinch a starting value beneath $30,000, arsenic McAlear initially suggested was nan goal? Not a chance. They tin astir apt build a roadster that exists, but it will almost decidedly extremity up being markedly worse than nan Miata and/or importantly much expensive. 

Sure, Dodge has caller acquisition building nan Challenger and nan Viper, but nan Challenger ne'er had to beryllium light, and nan Viper was ne'er meant to beryllium anyone's regular driver. An affordable roadster aliases coupe, connected nan different hand, has to beryllium comfortable and applicable capable for regular use, moreover if it's a 2nd aliases 3rd car for astir owners. While besides being light, nimble, engaging, nosy to drive, fuel-efficient, reliable, and stylish. If that sounds for illustration a gangly order, that's because it is.

Dodge

Mazda has Miata improvement down to a subject and has much aliases little perfected nan creation of cutting corners to prevention money successful ways that don't detract from nan driving acquisition unless you're tall. As for Dodge, I don't deliberation I spot them to attack their affordable sports car task pinch nan aforesaid benignant of focus. American automakers already person capable of a estimation for building cars that consciousness for illustration they were designed by committee, being owned by Stellantis only complicates that more, and they'd beryllium moving connected a task that's beautiful overmuch nan other of thing nan American section of Stellantis formerly known arsenic Chrysler Group has done for nan past respective decades. 

In theory, having a European limb that it could get heavy from would beryllium an advantage here, but I besides don't cognize if Stellantis is nan partner you want here. The brands that cognize really to build rear-wheel-drive cars pinch engaging handling are Alfa Romeo and Maserati, 2 brands that don't compete astatine nan sub-$30,000 value constituent until astir six minutes aft your thrust 1 disconnected nan lot. Parts-sharing would thief bring down improvement costs, but would nan money saved not processing caller parts offset nan higher costs of those parts primitively being developed for much costly vehicles? Oh, and nan past clip Fiat Chrysler introduced an affordable roadster, it had to bargain Miatas from Mazda to rebadge alternatively of processing its ain car.

We besides cognize coupes and convertibles don't typically waste successful large numbers, making it difficult for a batch of automakers to support them successful their lineups. Odds are, Dodge would request it to connection it extracurricular of nan U.S., too, successful bid to waste capable to warrant nan improvement costs. And that astir apt intends making it a hybrid astatine nan very least, if not electric, which adds some different furniture of complexity and cost. Plus, moreover if we presume improvement is astatine slightest a twelvemonth along, we're looking astatine astir apt different 3 years earlier it's ready, and who moreover knows what nan world will look for illustration successful 2029 aliases 2030. 

If I really had to guess, I'd put my money connected Dodge deciding it would conscionable beryllium excessively difficult to make money trading a Miata competitor, and it will ne'er happen. Which is astir apt for nan best. But what if, against each odds, they really pulled it off? What if Dodge really built a amended Miata? What a world that would beryllium to unrecorded in.