Delnari said:
Look for spy shots from Milford and other proving grounds this summer. A boost in output to 200 hp to keep up with the class competition is expected in the 2008 model as well.
Side note, Mazda will release a Mazda Speed version of the MX-5 in mid to late 2007 with expected hp in the 240 range! More than enough horsepower to compete with the heavier GXP and Redline. Stay tune, as this is heating up.
There are a couple of cars, or so I'm told, that have a six speed cobbled in, but right now it's not in the cards for mainstream. Who knows what changes may be in store.
Personally, I think it's (6-speed) a "this one goes to 11" thing, and causes you to stir the gearbox more often. Each shift is a chance for a mistake, and with a torque band starting at 2200 rpms all the way to near 6000 rpm, you don't need so many gears...
I doubt that GM is all that worried about being compared to Mazda any more. The cars are what they are.
There is a hierarchy of chassis controls in any car - they go like this:
-Nothing
-ABS
-Engine Torque Managed Traction Control (may be coupled with automatic trans upshifts)
-Full capability traction control, which includes the application of brakes to control wheel slip
-Full "active handling" which controls yaw and sideslip relative to driver desires using both engine torque management and brake application.
There's also electronic differentials, I forget the trade name, that can apply cross-torque to varying degrees electronically. Think of it as a VERY controllable differential. Path-vectoring, or torque vectoring is what this technique of control is called.
If you have full active handling, (stabilitrak/esc/esp/whatever other name it's called) you automatically get traction control.
IIRC, the 2007 SKY will not have either traction control nor active handling The SKY redline will have ESC (which includes traction control). I believe you can disengage the traction control, and you have the option of turning off everything except ABS.