Exploring the fascinating world of rotary engines, this episode features John Leverett from Mazda USA, who shares his deep-rooted passion for RX-7s and the unique characteristics of rotary engines. With personal stories about his family's history with Mazda and insights into vehicle launch strategies, John provides a rare glimpse into the automotive industry. The discussion also touches on the challenges of launching new models and the future of sports cars in a crossover-dominated market. Enthusiasts will appreciate the blend of nostalgia and industry expertise.
Jon Leverett, a Mazda USA product launch veteran, shares a trove of automotive passion and behind-the-scenes industry stories focused on the legendary RX-7 and Mazda’s rotary engine heritage. As a self-professed “rotary kid” (his family owned 20 RX-7s!), Jon’s enthusiasm is infectious when he describes the unique sound and feel of his first car – a silver ’88 RX-7 that cemented his love for Mazda.
He then pulls back the curtain on Mazda’s product development: listeners get to ride along as Jon recounts launching new models, including the thrill and pressure of unveiling the FD RX-7 in the ’90s with its cutting-edge twin-turbo rotary. He shares car culture tidbits like the internal debates at Mazda about manual vs. automatic sports cars and how customer car stories often influenced marketing strategy. Jon also reveals his most exciting restoration project, dubbed the “Red Dragon” – bringing a Rotary engine back to life in tribute to Mazda’s innovation.
It’s not all tech talk; Jon’s stories brim with personal moments, like road-tripping an RX-7 across country to prove its grand touring chops, and the camaraderie of the Mazda fan community.
Whether you’re a die-hard rotary engine fan or just curious about how a car company brings a vehicle to market, this episode offers an engaging blend of personal memoir and insider know-how. It’s a celebration of innovation, persistence, and the quirky, wonderful world of rotary sports cars.
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"Well, we coordinated. We found an RX-7 lover by chance who's going to share some of his early stories about his family of RX-7s in his family."
The Mazda RX-7 is a sports car that uses a special type of engine called a rotary engine. It's known for being fun to drive and has many fans because of its unique style and performance.
The Mazda RX-7 is a lightweight sports car known for its rotary engine and agile handling. It has a cult following among car enthusiasts and is celebrated for its performance and unique design.
"...the title is a project manager of strategic planning and implementation if you really want to get into it. But launch strategy is the shortened way to say it..."
Vehicle launch strategy is how companies plan to introduce a new car to buyers. It includes making sure the car is designed for the right people and has the features they want.
Vehicle launch strategy involves planning and coordinating various departments to ensure a new vehicle is successfully introduced to the market. This includes targeting the right audience and ensuring the vehicle has the necessary features and content.
"...whether it's a hybrid or MX-5 or whatever it is. So and then kind of in the midst of that..."
The Mazda MX-5 is a small sports car that seats two people. It's known for being fun to drive and is often seen as a great value for sports car lovers.
The Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight two-seater sports car known for its agile handling and fun driving experience. It's often celebrated for its affordability and is a popular choice among driving enthusiasts.
"...whether it's a hybrid or MX-5 or whatever it is. So and then kind of in the midst of that..."
A hybrid vehicle uses both a gasoline engine and an electric motor to move. This helps save fuel and is better for the environment than just using gasoline alone.
A hybrid vehicle combines a traditional internal combustion engine with an electric propulsion system. This design allows for improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions compared to conventional vehicles.
"We have seen success with some models where we announce the replacement and that boost sales for the current model. That being the example being CX-3 when we announced CX-30. It actually helped CX-3 sales. So it kind of varies. But generally, once you announce a new model,"
The Mazda CX-30 is a small SUV that is fun to drive and looks nice. It has enough room for passengers and cargo, making it a good choice for people who want a versatile vehicle.
The Mazda CX-30 is a subcompact crossover SUV that combines sporty handling with a stylish design and practical features. It has been well-received for its engaging driving experience and upscale interior.
"No, no, that's very interesting. And obviously a big follower of car companies and I've actually owned four Mazdas, two Miata's, one MX6. And what was the other one? Oh, my first Mazda 1986 RX7, which was the second generation RX7 first year of that car. And that"
"I've actually owned four Mazdas, two Miata's, one MX6."
The Mazda Miata is a small, two-seat convertible sports car that is very popular because it's fun to drive and not too expensive. Many people love it for the open-air experience.
The Mazda Miata is a lightweight two-seat roadster known for its fun driving dynamics and affordability. It has become a popular choice among driving enthusiasts since its introduction in 1989.
"...But unfortunately, it seems like most people aren't buying sports cars these days. So, but I don't know. Surely at some point, this crossover craze has to die down..."
The 'crossover craze' is about how many people are buying crossover vehicles, which are a mix of SUVs and cars. This has made it harder for sports cars to sell well.
The 'crossover craze' refers to the increasing popularity of crossover vehicles, which combine features of SUVs and passenger cars. This trend has led to a decline in the sales of traditional sports cars, as consumers gravitate towards more versatile vehicles.
"...John has a very interesting path to how he came to work for Mazda USA. But before we get there..."
Mazda USA is the part of Mazda that sells cars in the United States. They are known for making fun-to-drive cars, like the MX-5 Miata.
Mazda USA is the American division of the Japanese automaker Mazda, known for producing vehicles that emphasize driving enjoyment and innovative design. The company has a strong heritage in motorsports and is well-regarded for models like the MX-5 Miata.
"first rotary he'd ever or I guess I should say first rotary he ever rebuilt. And that I never had issues with that engine."
A rotary engine is a special kind of engine that spins instead of using pistons like most cars. It's known for being lightweight and powerful, and Mazda is famous for using it in some of their cars.
A rotary engine is a type of internal combustion engine that uses a rotary design to convert pressure into rotating motion. This design is most famously used by Mazda in their RX series of cars.
"...you went through three transmissions on that part seven. My transmission was bad when I got it..."
The transmission is what helps your car change gears and move. It's like the car's way of deciding how fast to go based on how much power the engine is using.
The transmission is a crucial component in a vehicle that transfers power from the engine to the wheels, allowing the car to move. It can be automatic or manual, with each type having its own characteristics and maintenance needs.
"...that car had synchros between first and reverse so you had to come..."
Synchros help your car's gears change smoothly when you shift. They make sure everything is moving at the right speed so you don't hear grinding noises when changing gears.
Synchros, short for synchronizers, are components in a manual transmission that help match the speed of the gears to allow for smooth shifting. They prevent grinding and ensure that gears engage properly when changing speeds.
"he had this 740 turbo wagon I guess it would have been a late 80s turbo wagon had this this hound's tooth or plaid black and white interior..."
The Volvo 740 Turbo is a car made by Volvo in the late 1980s. It's a wagon, which means it has a lot of space inside, and it has a turbocharged engine that makes it more powerful.
The Volvo 740 Turbo is a mid-size car produced by Volvo from the late 1980s, known for its turbocharged engine and practical wagon design. It was popular for its reliability and spacious interior.
"... slip into neutral for one moment here so the BMW 525i that you had you mentioned it before let's talk a..."
The BMW 5 Series is a luxury car that is great for driving and has a lot of nice features inside. It's designed to be both comfortable and fun to drive, making it popular among those who like a premium experience.
The BMW 5 Series is a line of executive cars known for their performance, luxury, and advanced technology. Since its introduction in 1972, it has been a benchmark for midsize luxury sedans, combining driving pleasure with comfort.
"by a girl who I'm pretty sure was texting and her Mustang and she rear ended me..."
The Ford Mustang is a famous American car that's known for being fast and sporty. It's been around for a long time and many people love it.
The Ford Mustang is an iconic American muscle car known for its powerful engines and sporty design. It has a long history and is popular among car enthusiasts.
"...ther Mustang which launched that car into a Honda Accord and honestly it was pretty devastating I loved th..."
The Honda Accord is a type of car that is good for everyday use, like driving to work or taking the family out. It's known for being dependable and having plenty of room inside, making it a favorite for many people.
The Honda Accord is a midsize sedan known for its reliability, spacious interior, and fuel efficiency. It has been a popular choice among families and commuters since its introduction in 1976, often praised for its blend of performance and practicality.
"I ended up rebuilding the heads getting the heads remachined had a burnt valve when I bought it..."
A burnt valve is a problem in a car's engine where the valve gets damaged from too much heat. It can cause the engine to run poorly.
A burnt valve occurs when the valve in an engine fails to seal properly, often due to excessive heat. This can lead to a loss of compression and performance issues.
"...it had more torque for sure than the RX7 in line six yeah yeah and you know the engine was was also really smooth..."
Torque is how strong the engine is at making the car move. More torque means the car can speed up faster, especially from a stop.
Torque is a measure of rotational force in an engine, which affects how quickly a vehicle can accelerate. Higher torque generally means better performance, especially at lower speeds.
"...I could net that driver side window I replaced the regulator every other month..."
A window regulator is the part that helps your car's window go up and down. If it breaks often, it might need to be fixed or replaced regularly.
A window regulator is a mechanical component that controls the movement of a car's window, allowing it to be raised or lowered. Frequent failures can indicate wear or poor design.
"...I owned a volvo but now I didn't have the cool 740 uh turbocharged wagon but um what did I have Doug..."
Turbocharged means the car has a special device called a turbocharger that helps the engine produce more power. It does this by pushing more air into the engine, which helps it run better and faster.
Turbocharging is a technology used in internal combustion engines to increase power output by forcing more air into the combustion chamber. This allows for more fuel to be burned, resulting in greater engine efficiency and performance.
"Doug 740 gle white with red interior the red interior was nice..."
The GLE is a fancy SUV from Mercedes that has a lot of space and nice features inside. It's designed to be comfortable and stylish while also being able to handle different types of driving.
The Mercedes-Benz GLE is a luxury midsize SUV that offers a blend of comfort, performance, and advanced technology. It is known for its spacious interior and high-quality materials, making it a popular choice among luxury SUV buyers.
"... I just really wanted that so uh that's where the c30 came along um and uh I ended up getting a was it ..."
The Chevrolet C30 is a big truck that can carry heavy loads and is built to last. It's popular among people who need a tough vehicle for work or hobbies.
The Chevrolet C30 is a heavy-duty pickup truck that was produced primarily in the 1970s and is known for its robust construction and towing capabilities. It is often sought after by enthusiasts for its classic design and utility.
"I ended up getting a was it 2011 c30 r design with a six speed manual you know the turbocharged inline five..."
The Volvo C30 is a small car that looks sporty and has a powerful engine. The 2011 version is known for being fun to drive and has a nice interior.
The Volvo C30 is a compact hatchback known for its unique design and sporty performance. The 2011 model features a turbocharged inline-five engine and is appreciated for its driving dynamics and stylish interior.
"...what was it at P1800 was like the old Volvo and that's like the modern interpretation of it..."
The Volvo P1800 is an older sports car made by Volvo that was popular in the 1960s and 70s. It's known for its beautiful design and is loved by collectors.
The Volvo P1800 is a classic sports coupe produced from 1961 to 1973. It is well-regarded for its stylish design and has become an iconic model among classic car enthusiasts.
"...between Mazda and Volvo I actually was offered the Volvo spot too..."
Volvo is a car brand from Sweden that is well-known for making safe and reliable cars, including sedans and SUVs.
Volvo is a Swedish automotive brand known for its focus on safety and quality. They produce a variety of vehicles, including sedans, SUVs, and wagons, and are recognized for their innovative safety features.
"...how to put an FJ and in four wheel drive that we were selling...I never driven an FJ but um yeah I really liked it..."
The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a tough SUV that looks unique and can handle rough roads. It's designed for off-road driving and has a special system to switch to four-wheel drive for better traction.
The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a retro-styled SUV known for its off-road capabilities and distinctive design. It features a rugged build and is equipped with four-wheel drive, making it suitable for various terrains.
"...do emissions testing in Tennessee and if they didn't pass..."
Emissions testing checks how much pollution a car produces when it runs. It's done to make sure cars are not harming the environment too much.
Emissions testing is a procedure used to measure the amount of pollutants emitted by a vehicle's exhaust system. It ensures that cars meet environmental regulations and helps reduce air pollution.
"...so you'd have to drive it overnight um so I would I got you know drive a Range Rover..."
The Range Rover is a fancy SUV that can drive on tough terrains while keeping you comfortable. It's known for being luxurious and powerful.
The Range Rover is a luxury SUV known for its off-road capabilities and high-end features. It combines comfort with performance, making it a popular choice for both urban and rugged environments.
"...it overnight um so I would I got you know drive a Range Rover uh take it home you know on there to use a lot uh..."
The Range Rover is a fancy SUV that can handle rough roads and off-road adventures, but it also feels very comfortable inside. People like it because it looks good and can go almost anywhere.
The Land Rover Range Rover is a luxury SUV that combines off-road capability with high-end comfort and technology. It has a strong reputation for its performance in rugged terrains while providing a plush interior, making it a status symbol among luxury vehicles.
"...ber driving the old against the new old being the 23 model against the new 24 before I think before we had a..."
The Tesla Model 3 is a car that runs on electricity instead of gas, which means it can save money on fuel. It's known for being fast and having cool tech features like a big touchscreen inside.
The Tesla Model 3 is an all-electric sedan that has gained popularity for its impressive range, performance, and advanced technology features. It represents a significant step in making electric vehicles more accessible to the general public.
"...there is a new differential in the 24 uh that we were driving so that we could understand the changes..."
A differential helps your car's wheels turn at different speeds when you go around corners, making it easier to drive and improving grip on the road.
A differential is a mechanical component in a vehicle that allows the wheels to rotate at different speeds, especially important when turning. It helps improve traction and handling by distributing power to the wheels more effectively.
"...d passing it down but I also really love like the 96 Porsche 911 wide body career s I just that is like peak 9..."
The Porsche 968 is a sporty car that was made in the early '90s and is loved for how well it drives. It's a special car that many fans of fast vehicles admire.
The Porsche 968 is a sports car produced from 1992 to 1995, known for its balanced handling and distinctive design. It represents the last of the front-engine Porsches and is appreciated by enthusiasts for its performance and driving experience.
"I'm currently looking for a JDM uh Japanese domestic market uh Suzuki cappuccino oh nice the right hand drive just a micro Miata if you will from the 90s..."
The Suzuki Cappuccino is a tiny sports car made by Suzuki in the 1990s. It's known for being fun to drive and is similar to the Mazda Miata.
The Suzuki Cappuccino is a small, lightweight roadster produced from 1991 to 1997. It features a right-hand drive layout and is often compared to the Mazda Miata due to its compact size and sporty performance.
"...I bring my DeLorean but oh nice I'm uh it's like almost too careful with that car so something a little smaller..."
The DeLorean is a famous car known for its unusual look and its appearance in movies. It has special doors that open upwards and is made of shiny metal.
The DeLorean DMC-12 is a sports car that became iconic for its unique design and role in the 'Back to the Future' movies. It features gullwing doors and a stainless steel body, making it stand out on the road.
Select text to request an explanation
Welcome back to Listener Land. You have found to all the cars I've loved before, your authoritative
podcast on automotive nostalgia, where every car tells a story, every car has a culture,
and so it's time to plug in dust off, get a little grease under the nails, and slip
on the favorite car-themed t-shirt with my co-pilot shotgun, ride or cry, Doug. Let's
look at that t-shirt. What is that? You like it? Yes, and I do believe in foreshadowing in
the entertainment industry. I love, look at that shirt. Legendary automobile.
Indeed. And we're going to find that that's important because today, yes, we're going
to introduce, in a few minutes here, very involved with the brand, very involved with
the brand as his family was growing up. But before that, again, housekeeping here. I want
to welcome new listeners all over the world. And you know, the past 10 days, we've had
a bunch of international activity, Doug. To it, Sydney, New South Wales is where,
Doug? Test the geography. Where's that? Australia.
You got it. Welcome back, Australian listeners. Sweden, Stockholm. We have some
listenership there. Thank you for returning. We've been downloaded again over the past
10 days in Ukraine. Thank you to our returning listeners there. Japan, France, Switzerland,
I think is a new industry as well as Indonesia. Welcome back to all of you. Slide L, Louisiana,
a little closer to home to me. And congratulations to our listeners. And this just popped up in
Philadelphia. Congratulations on your recent Super Bowl victory and everybody's, I guess,
you know, we're sitting in that little, little hole of time between football and baseball. So
if you're not enjoying Grapefruit League and waiting for Major League Baseball to come back
around. Hey, you found us. Welcome back. So let's see. All right, I am wearing, oh, let's not
go any further before you mentioned my shirt here. Oh, yes, yes. Tell me about your shirt.
Right. So Doug sent me this shirt. Well, one of our guests here was Tom Young, just one of
the most interesting people out there who did, what did he do? Production design or something
for the Dave Letterman show? I think he did audio for Dave. Oh, yeah, that's right. He was
an audio or video, I forget, but he has a master's in fine arts. Yes. And he worked on the
Letterman show and then just did this complete 180. Decided he wanted to tinker with Ferraris
and is now one of the authoritative Ferrari restores in the world and such an interesting
guy and he sent us a couple of t-shirts. Check out his episode. You'll, you will love it.
What do you say? What else am I? What am I forgetting here? I know we chatted about a
few other things earlier. Doug, what do we got? Reviews. Reviews. That's it. All right. So
it is my, it is my, often my, oh, we have a bunch of, we've got a bunch of new reviews here
now that I'm looking and let's see. Tim C left a podcast, but I don't think that's Tim Cook.
I'm sorry, the head of Apple. That's one of our other ones. Should I read that one? Sure. Tim C.
I love this podcast here. Others like myself fawning over some old car that uncorks memory
songs and smells from the past, whether it was design, what you did, what you did with it,
you felt attached to it like few other possessions in your life, almost like a good dog and you're
excited to tell others of these fond memories. Maybe it was Tim Cook. Would we remember Tim Cook
if you were on the show? I think we would. I think we would remember. All right. Well,
let's not bury the lead. We have a very special guest here today. Yes, the t-shirt was foreshadowing
and Doug, how did today's guest come into your life? Yeah, so great question. So just with some
popularity to the show, we were contacted by, and I'm going to do my best to get it right,
but a public relations person from Mazda USA about having our guest who we'll introduce
in a moment on the show. And Doug is squeezing here. Doug is so good at this stuff. It's amazing all
the people that just wind up on the show or in our lives in circuitous ways. We make friends. We
keep up these relationships. So you reached out to them, Doug. Somebody got back to you,
and how did it go from there? Well, we coordinated. We found an RX-7 lover by chance
who's going to share some of his early stories about his family of RX-7s in his family.
His family had a family of RX-7s. I think that's safe to say. And we're going to learn about
his job, hear a little bit about his job at Mazda USA and what he's done and really interesting
career path that makes me think a bit about our episodes with Weber State University and
their career paths to automotive, which is different than the path John took. But John
took a very circuitous path as well. Been a theme recently. And I just can't wait. Let's get him in
here. John Leverett with Mazda USA. Pleasure to meet you. Thank you for coming on our show.
And what did you think when you first got this invite? Who are these two knuckleheads or what?
Well, good to meet you both. Glad to be on the show. Yeah. I mean, I'd heard about the
show before and I'd heard snippets of it before. So I was excited about it. I knew who you guys were
when I was approached with the opportunity. So excited to be here. All right. And yeah,
that's what. Now, can you tell us without killing us what you do for Mazda or use some super secret?
Yeah. And please don't melt our brains. It doesn't take much for me.
Yeah. Yeah. The title is a project manager of strategic planning and implementation if you really
want to get into it. But launch strategy is the shortened way to say it. But yeah. So I worked
from Mazda, essentially coordinating all the departments to make sure we launch a vehicle
well, whether typically that's a new a new vehicle, whether it's a hybrid or MX five or
whatever it is. So and then kind of in the midst of that, that means obviously coordinating
with departments, but also making sure the vehicle is aimed at the right person and has the right
content, things like that to be successful. Yeah. Good point. And I remember reading
not long. You look at this phenomenally complicated and amazing thing in your driveway
and it takes, you know, it only takes what a week or two to make one as it kind of slides
through the assembly line, but a new launch, a new automobile or even derivations of something
existing takes years and years to bring to market. And if you think it about maybe the
the North American auto industry, the way things kind of move back across the border to be
finished unfinished and unplugged into here or there. Bob, I read a book recently by Bob
Lutz and he was saying it, it takes it can take the better part of the decade from
something from blueprint to thinking about to sourcing. Where does it fit in the product line?
So I would assume you touch some part of that, right? Can you speak to your experience?
I do. Yeah. I mean, we have probably two other teams as well that are focused at
different points throughout the vehicle's life. I am kind of in the between those two teams,
I guess, just depends. I mean, there's so many things vary with launching and creating a new car,
but we do have a team focused on five, 10 years out. Whereas I'm more so focused on the more
two, three year outlook with what's coming down the pipe and then another team that's
more so negotiating the next model year and things like that. But yeah, you're right,
especially when it comes to something like a BEV and you don't have an electric vehicle
and you don't have an electric vehicle. So whole new platform, you got a source batteries, that's
going to take a lot more time than the typical cycle of 10 years ago where you've got an engine
lineup that you can kind of refresh and put into a new model. And that certainly doesn't
take as long. But yeah, there's a lot of variability with the timeline on coming out
with a new model. Interesting stuff. So is something is ramping up? And this might be too
simplistic. Is something is ramping up? Does something else kind of have to ramp down?
Are you kind of thinking how they enter? Well, we're going to discontinue this one model and
try something else over here, but we got to replace it with something on the same chassis
or platform. Is that a hard thing to do? It is. Yeah, I mean, you know, that's
a lot of that is tied to how, when do you announce a new model? Because you don't want to announce a
model and then sales of your current model to tank, right? But it depends on the model, too.
We have seen success with some models where we announce the replacement and that boost sales
for the current model. That being the example being CX-3 when we announced CX-30.
It actually helped CX-3 sales. So it kind of varies. But generally, once you announce a new model,
theoretically, that tanks the appeal of the current model. But we've got current models right
now that we are kind of looking at where we need to maintain the momentum of them right up until
the replacement. And that's a hard thing to balance. But that is a big part of the job.
I mean, a lot of that relates to PR. Like, how do you communicate to the public
while maintaining your current pace? Yeah, it was, okay, Doug wants to hop into the
conversation here. But one thing that popped in my head as you were speaking was how
complex a process that has to be. Because everything's a competition and other makers
are looking at you. You're looking at other makers. And so how do we service internally the
vision and what we want to do with respect to what everybody else has said? So you're kind of looking
for a lane to jockey into. But let's bring Doug into the conversation. Oh, John wanted to say
something. Then let's get Doug in. Please. No, no. Yeah, I was just going to say that's
exactly right. You do want to pay attention to what your competitors are doing while also
still finding something that's unique. Like, you don't want to always have to respond because
you want to have your own space where the value, like in my case, Mazda brings
automatically is unique on its own. So we don't necessarily always have to respond. But that's
the balance of how do we make our product unique yet still have the things that people are always
shopping? Oh, I like the way you put that. That's brilliant. And speaking of unique,
I'm looking at Doug, who wants to hop in the conversation here. And that T shirt he's wearing,
that RX7 was such a unique car back in the day. But let's get Doug in here, Doug. Yeah, yeah.
No, no, that's very interesting. And obviously a big follower of car companies and
I've actually owned four Mazdas, two Miata's, one MX6. And what was the other one?
Oh, my first Mazda 1986 RX7, which was the second generation RX7 first year of that car. And that
was my first stick ship car, actually. So I learned to drive stick shipped on that car.
I had an automatic car and then I had friends in high school who had stick ships. I'm like,
this is more interesting. And it just took off from there.
I would go ahead. I squeeze in. I know you want to keep going. But I just I've
done Doug a real long time. And I forgot about that silver MX6 you had, which was a gorgeous
automobile. It was head turning. I remember when you hang out with Doug, a lot of it's
correlated. And you said, well, let's go hang out. Let's go grab lunch. And Doug says,
I want to go test drive something. So I remember we drove to the to some dealer
in his car in that that silver MX6. And I remember pulling up. Oh, no, maybe I was in
the showroom and you pulled up in that car. And all the heads turned. I mean, it was just
a gorgeous. It was literally a head turning automobile. Go ahead, Doug. I mean, it really
was. So yeah, I have to ask John, I have so many questions about Mazda. But John,
the question all our viewers want to hear listeners is, when will there be another RX7?
We can't get this guy's not going to tell us trades. He doesn't have to trouble John.
Don't get yourself in trouble over us, man. But you can still up to that.
Will there be another one? Maybe. Maybe he's okay. Yeah, maybe. Hey, I appreciate the pressure
because the more, you know, the more we get asked that the more we've got to do something
at some point, I think. But yeah, I don't know, though, it is always it's always the plan.
But I know we kind of talked about it earlier. But yeah, the being an independent automaker
and then with all the regulatory pressure, which might be going away, we'll see. But,
you know, it's just been hard to we've got to build up the volume and build up the profit
with our SUV so we can afford a car like that, afford to build that car. Because obviously,
as car people, we might buy one. But unfortunately, it seems like most people aren't buying sports
cars these days. So, but I don't know. Surely at some point, this crossover craze has to
die down. And maybe maybe the sports car segment can come back in. That would be great. I know
some of the other companies are trying to do it. But yeah, it's it's a tough market for sure.
Yeah, what you need to invent, John, is a sports car with storage. Once you got that figured out,
zillion dollar idea. Okay, but before now, John has a very interesting path to how he
he came to work for Mazda USA. But before we get there, yes, this is a cliffhanger. We're going
to put him back in time. We're going to go 88 miles an hour. And let's go back to where
it began. John, what was your first car? How did you get it? And is your older brother a legend?
Yeah, my first car was a 1988 Mazda RX 7 G XL. So that was the top trim non turbocharged rotary.
So, you know, top trim back then meant you had air conditioning, power windows,
leather seats that actually had the adjustable suspension, normal and sport suspension,
though that didn't work by the time I got the car.
Yeah, that was that was my first car. And I got it from my my brother bought it from my brother.
He it was his first car. And that was the first RX 7 my family ever owned. And
after that one probably came somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 plus RX 7s.
Wow. And my brother was already on a turbo two 1988 turbo two RX 7. We call it the red dragon. That was
his car. And so I bought that that 88 G XL from him. And by the time I got in it had been sitting
out the paint was a little bit faded. So we kind of did like a light restoration. It already had
a new engine. My brother had rebuilt the engine that was the first engine he ever rebuilt
first rotary he'd ever or I guess I should say first rotary he ever rebuilt. And
and that I never had issues with that engine. He actually became pretty well known
for rebuilding rotary engines. And I don't know if I mentioned this, but I was so much
younger than my brother. So I'm getting this first car at 14. My brother's was already at
that point 23 or so. So he was already in college and pre me getting a new car he was
started racing got his racing license when I when he was in high school. So my very
formative years were me growing up around him racing going to the racetrack having these
RX 7s around. I think at one point there were probably at one at one time we had seven
some between seven to 10 RX 7s golly around the house or back you had a bar in the front garage.
So between those two spots and that's that's what I grew up around. So
in the blood in the DNA in the family ledger. So you said you that one car you never had any
issues with but I mean you had a population of cars. So with that engine unique in its way
did you ever have any issues or were there problem spots that you guys would have to tear
apart and fix. Well I remember I probably went through three transmissions on that part seven.
My transmission was bad when I got it was never really yeah somebody beat it up.
Yep. Yeah well I think that the transmission I got with the car you know I think that was the
one that my brother drove on that's the one I learned to drive stick on. So it started
winding really bad in first gear and then it wasn't too long after that it dropped.
Also I don't think that that car had synchros between first and reverse so you had to come
to a complete stop in order to shift from and I you know wasn't doing that.
And then the second one have no idea why that one went and the third one is what I sold the
car with but aside from that I mean the only issues I had were just your old car issues
where plastic became brittle or maybe a hose would fail because it's old and brittle or
something like that but I never had issues with the engine itself. Wow. So yeah and
and honestly you know you just learn how to drive them you learn how to drive them you
learn how to maintain them and they're pretty bulletproof if you do all that you know well.
Yep and you know Christian Christian and I were talking about earlier he's like why is a
rotary engine what's what are the benefits right and it's really from my standpoint it's simplicity
they lack of moving parts versus a conventional engine. Yeah I completely agree and you know that
was it was it was my first car so that's the first car you know the foreign thing to me was when I
went to just a piston engine car after my RX-7 because then there were more I actually went
to a BMW after the RX-7 and I that car was breaking all the time I fell out of my depth I understood
a rotary and I'm not near as mechanically minded as my brother is but I that I just felt out of
my depth a little bit on that BMW. So did you did you foresee a career with Mazda USA from the
moment you put a your foot on the clutch in that first car or no was this a dream fulfilled
or you said wow neat first car great company we'll see. Yeah I don't think so although I would joke
as a high schooler like I'm going to be the CEO of BMW or something like that which was so stupid
and that was just because I was a car person and I liked cars and at the time I liked BMW but
maybe you wouldn't say that right now but I would just joke about that but otherwise you
know I there are many other things in my life that were pretty influential one of the things being
probably the house I grew up in which was this really old home that my dad was constantly working on
and restoring and I kind of lived in this old neighborhood with a lot of quaint homes and
my close with our neighbor he had a really this old kind of cottage shingle style cottage
and he was a big Volvo guy I remember he had this he had several Volvos and he had this 740 turbo
wagon I guess it would have been a late 80s turbo wagon had this this hound's tooth or plaid black
and white interior and I remember my mom getting it borrowing it one day because the minivan that
she had was in the shop and I fell in love with Volvos I just truly fell in love with that
car I thought it was so cool saying yeah yeah and my friend my other my best friend his mom drove a
Volvo wagon you know the rear facing seats and anyways all that to say I'm getting off track but
that's the whole show keep going yeah the main thing that really probably came into my mind was
was architecture I wanted to do something with design at points I thought you know I want to
be a car designer later that turned into architecture just as a little bit of a more practical
route because I wasn't sure how to get into car design right but working for an auto manufacturer
really was not like aside yeah I don't know that just didn't seem possible maybe a realistic I don't
know so yeah it was I think architecture really became more of my focus but there was always
but I will say also I in the back of my mind was like well architecture is a design field and I know
that there's some car designers with architecture backgrounds and you know architecture is kind
of the founding design principle so this will this will translate you know scale proportion that
kind of thing that would translate into yeah industrial design or car design if I do want
to do that later so that was kind of in the back of my mind and then yeah that's what I did so
that is a yeah a really crazy path all right yeah so before we get into that let's let's slip into
neutral for one moment here so the BMW 525i that you had you mentioned it before let's talk about
it before we move on to the Volvo you're kind of you're kind of interweaving all of it so
so what did you think of the BMW how did it compare to the first I was reading your notes
loved obviously much bigger and much quieter uh so was that the car that saw you through college
well no so I had the RX7 in college and you know I would still have that to this day but I got rear
ended um going to class one day by a girl who I'm pretty sure was texting and her Mustang and she
rear ended me launched me into another Mustang which launched that car into a Honda Accord and
honestly it was pretty devastating I loved that RX7 but it was family yeah it bent the frame slightly
when that whole thing happened and it was so frustrating too you know I feel like you say
I tell this story with like a that involves a couple Mustangs in an RX7 it's like oh
you're racing it's like no I wasn't just in stop and go traffic on the way to class
like nothing nothing crazy I you know and uh so after that the spare tire on that RX7 really took
took the impact it actually didn't look as bad as you'd think yeah um but the frame got bent so when
that happened um I'd actually already bought the BMW maybe about a less maybe nine months before
um as a little bit of a project um actually ended up rebuilding the heads getting the heads
remachined had a burnt valve when I bought it um and then transmission but like I said I'm not
mechanically minded so a lot of that ended up falling to my dad and my brother uh which is
probably a little bit of a sore point um but by the time the RX7 that got totaled I ended up in
that BMW um so that finished my probably two years of college was was last two years of college
was in that BMW um and uh yeah I I really enjoyed that car a lot um you know it had had a little more
power than how well it had more torque for sure than the RX7 in line six yeah yeah and you know the
the engine was was also really smooth um you know I kind of felt you know that's kind of a ridiculous
car for a college student to have so it was uh not at all it was uh you kind of felt like a
baller rolling around campus in this five season I had it was the it was an m sport it had the bbs
deep dish um polished you know alloy wheels it looked it looked good it was black well well well
you know man on campus yeah it had uh you know it had a power adjusting steering column and the
power adjustable headrests you know like all those things that are just so ridiculous for some
college kid to be to have but um yeah that was fun but it broke every other month probably
and never keep to fix yeah never keep to fix I could net that driver side window I replaced the
regulator every other month maybe or something had to realign it every other month it just would
not you know it was just constantly the cables are constantly snapping in that window
transmission went out again which is what led me to my car after that um and uh but man when
it was running it was a fun it was a fun car yeah got you yeah go ahead dumb the ultimate
driving machine I think yeah definitely bmw's uh yeah I mean yeah it was definitely go ahead yeah
well it was definitely like you know I come from rx7 which was like this light and fleet and possible
fun car um and then I go to this like very like sturdy serious like German sedan you know and
you still have fun in it but it wasn't fun in the way that the rx7 like rx7 it was like you could
you could toss it into any curve or turn and you knew you were going to be okay the the
bmw was like it just would it just flattened out every every turn I don't know it just so it
felt so much heavier or something it was fun it was just serious right yeah we can all agree on
that yeah all right well you spoke a little bit about the Volvo let's chat about that because
I owned a volvo but now I didn't have the cool 740 uh turbocharged wagon but um what did I have
Doug 740 gle white with red interior the red interior was nice yeah you know what we Volvo
owners say is you can't spell Geely without gle but tell us a little bit about your Volvo yeah yeah
so once the transition without that bmw um again I you know it basically came down to okay this is my
this was after after college I was in architecture had my my first you know big job um even though
you know when you started out as an architect you don't really make much money at all but
so I was like okay I'm gonna actually spend a little bit of money uh so um my requirements
were I wanted a manual again and um I just kept thinking about the way the inline five sounded
an evolve I just really wanted that so uh that's where the c30 came along um and uh I ended up
getting a was it 2011 c30 r design with a six speed manual you know the turbocharged inline
five um black uh with the black and and I think they knew buck or suede interior whatever they
called it and I and it was a fully loaded one too it had the dine audio um sound system in it had
the little flip flip navigation screen like I felt that's right so cool in that car um but it was
funny because it was like you know not maybe a week or two after I got it um one of my friends are
or maybe it was a girl that I can't remember but um was like isn't that um the twilight guy's car
and I was like wait is it what because I didn't I didn't watch twilight I didn't know but anyways
turns out I think yeah Edward colon in twilight drove a c30 and that deflated my my ego there for
a while but I still love that car um and uh yeah so that was my first that was my first car
purchase that I really bought all on my own um and then uh yeah I really I really love that car
you know it was uh the manual the transmission was not like that engaging um but it was still fun
because it was a manual um and I met my wife in that car that's the car yeah so when I when I moved
to Nashville after architecture I that's the car I took to Nashville uh I kind of did like my single
my single life in my dating life in that that Volvo good job which yeah it was so much fun
and you know I always sorry Christian I always think about the c30 I call it like the shooting break
right and I always think about what was it at p 1800 was like the old Volvo and that's like the
modern interpretation of it I I know it got associated with that yeah definitely that's
what I loved about it I it was you know it was perfect I mean you could fit a lot in there
yeah yeah it was just a two door yeah and that glass hatch that scoops all the way down to the
bumper I just thought that was so that was definitely like a love of their hated thing but
I don't know I like I like I like design that's like makes you have an opinion on it
little daring little daring beautiful and we started talking about this a little bit more
you're going to school to study architecture so let's let's pick that thread up again
and if you could continue that story and let us know tell us what happened in school and
cut and how that walked you through to the eventual job you know yeah so yeah I did an
undergrad degree in architecture and I'd actually done two years I was in undergrad for six years
because I transferred two years after being at a private like liberal arts school that didn't
have architecture I transferred from there to a public university that that had the program
because that's when I fully decided that's what I wanted to do and I loved it I I like am not
you know I'm not the best like test taker and architecture was perfect because so much of it
is what you're acting what you do what you make what you draw what you and then you have to
defend what you do you know you're you're standing up in front of professors and architects
talking about your design what you've created defending it in a way and I just really did well
with that more so than just having to you know take a test and and learn things like you know I do
not have a mind to be a doctor or to be in the science field at all I just can't I can't do it
and I'm so so thankful other people can but I had the mind for this so then yeah after that
I was working I worked at a firm for a little bit in school and then worked for a firm after
school for about two years and you know that's when like the car bug really got me because I
was working at a firm and it was back where I grew up and I think you know you go to school and you
get the design degree you have visions of working at some fancy firm doing these massive cool
buildings there's everyone's got the money to spend on the designs you want to do and
that's not the reality and so I did get to do some cool things but you know generally I started
to get a little bit like man is this it like this this is what I'm gonna do for the rest of my life
I'm already doing it and then I just remember with some of the architects around me just being
so kind of flabbergasted that I thought cars were cool or thought that appreciated the design
of cars you know I remember one architect in particular being like yeah I guess cars are designed
aren't they and I was like what like what do you mean our does of course they're designed they are yeah
exactly like you have to think of how every piece fits provides function provides style it's I mean
it's the very definition of of packing a lot into a small bag and the type of people that are
gonna find it in it because it's an extension of you you drive down the street and you say
I'm gonna make an assumption about that person it is a very public personal display of you know
how you feel about design wealth yeah yeah yeah definitely so you know that all was kind of brewing
in my mind and I finally got to the point I had been applying for jobs mostly with Mazda or Volvo
I would say I was still pretty picky I wasn't just like carte blanche whoever will take me
I was I was being you know specific with these OEMs I wanted to hopefully work for
and I just never heard anything and I get it because like my resume at the time was just all
architecture yeah just didn't make sense so I was like all right I just got to do something
I got to get something car related on my on my resume so that's when I decided all right I'm
gonna move to Nashville I had this friend that kept nagging me like hey we need a roommate we
need a roommate you got to come to Nashville like move to Nashville be our roommate okay
so I finally did and I didn't have a job but within a month got a job at the Mazda dealership
in Nashville which it was between Mazda and Volvo I actually was offered the Volvo spot too
but I I just it was the dumbest position it was the dumbest thing I don't know why I said no to
Volvo because I hadn't gotten Mazda yet but then because my driving record wasn't great
at the time so Mazda the Mazda dealership was like we can't ensure you
and the the owner of that dealership really took a chance on me he was like well let me see what I
can do and in between that time of them being like we can't ensure you Volvo had offered me a job
at their their dealership the Volvo dealership had offered me a job and I said no to that and
then a few days later Mazda the Mazda dealership had given me a job so that was pretty crazy
yeah so what were you doing at the dealership what what did I was just a sales yeah I was a sales person
you you completely did a 180 yeah it was crazy too because um you know I'm leaving the degree
I'm leaving the field I got my degree right but most of my family and friends are like yeah no
that makes sense you should that makes sense like you going to work for at a car dealership
or working with cars that makes sense like I really didn't get much pushback um in in
terms of leaving architecture even though that's what my life had been for so long
because that was pretty cool and then um and I really loved working at you know I didn't like the
I'm not I didn't like working on commission and I didn't like I don't like sales but it was a great
dealership to work at um and I really like being around cars I was like I became the go-to car
guy um you know when even on used cars you know uh if if one of the other people
was showing a car and they didn't know how something worked they come grab me um and I
you know I remember showing you know how to put an FJ and in four wheel drive that we were selling
and how to you know do different things of the FJ and I had never done any of that before it just
made sense to me so I just you know was showing how to do that I never driven an FJ but um
yeah I really liked it I I mean you know we would have to test cars
do emissions testing in Tennessee and if they didn't pass you know usually sometimes they
went past that they had been sitting for so long so you start a car up and run it through emissions
it's not going to pass so you'd have to drive it overnight um so I would I got you know drive a
Range Rover uh take it home you know on there to use a lot uh you take a Range Rover home you
know drive it clear it out a little bit so it'll pass emissions then I can just see these
senior architects so watching you drive past the firm in a different car every day yeah he really
did belong in a dealership this guy thinks about one thing yeah that's cool yeah so yeah yeah go ahead
no no I was yeah I was there for for seven months um and uh or maybe I was there for eight months but
I I started that job in January late January and then by September I had moved to Jacksonville
Florida work to work for Mazda um North America um so I was there just enough time to get that on my
resume and then also meet my now wife um so yeah it was kind of a whirlwind period of time but it was
super significant for me it kind of really brought me to where I am now so did you the job that
you moved to Jacksonville to get with Mazda is that roughly what you're doing now or did you
did you kind of work no not at all yeah definitely this is my fourth position with Mazda that starting
position was um I was a specialist um so I was an analyst um for whatever and I was out of a region
office not not the main corporate office out of California which is where I'm based now um
but uh yeah I just did anything to help support the dealers in the southeast and
and to support the reps and the managers out in the field um in that in the southeast region
which was I think Virginia Florida over to like maybe maybe Alabama or something like that
so yeah and then after that I became a rep um and that's what brought me up to Virginia
which is where I live now um and then I became a service rep and I was over at the DC Metro
um and then I became launch the strategy manager um three three-ish plus years ago or so got you
so how long have you been with Mazda on the whole from Jacksonville to up in Virginia where you're at
and I think I think just over seven years maybe gone eight years or so I think congratulations
that's a lot that's that's a lot to pack in it is a lot to pack in and it's kind of funny too
because I I feel like you know our generation my generation gets the rep of not staying anywhere
very long and uh I but I'm like man I've really been I've really been so I've actually stuck it out
you know for a while they're being architecture for two years and the dealership for a few months
I was like oh gosh I'm in the stereotype but now I've uh I've been with Mazda yeah for for
quite a while feels like at least good deal let's bring Doug in so what um at before we ramp down
I I did want to ask so what's the most exciting project that you've led um since you've been at
Mazda yeah probably um mx5 I mean anything mx5 related is just automatically the most exciting to
me yeah um so when we did you know we had we had the significant updates for 2024
where you know new headlights tail lights refresh design wheels and I remember driving
the old against the new old being the 23 model against the new 24 before I think before we had
announced it but there are some steering feel improvements there is a new differential
in the 24 uh that we were driving so that we could understand the changes and really
see the changes and that was just so fun I mean it's like moments like that for me as a car guy
that I'm like uh this is just the best um just getting to drive cars they just dropped it off
at your house and said here drive well at that time I was actually in I lived in California
so I I've been back and forth to Virginia a few times but um I was in California so yeah
I just went into the to the r&d office and that was you know half the day was driving those cars and
that's that was probably the most exciting and that followed by the 35th anniversary mx5
that's right that's this year that was this year yeah so um just any you know not only is
that exciting for me but that's you know the pillar of our brand you know that's the
it's kind of our halo car and that's kind of the car that's that really embodies all of
Mazda's values you know so it's just really fun um to to do anything and to have that
specific you know line to work on yeah yeah no that's exciting and yeah I remember my first
me out as a red 1990 that was my first convertible man it was the best car
yeah yeah my uncle had an early 90s miata in the midst of all those rx7s
so yeah I I got the bug that way too
yeah no that's awesome yeah and 30 years later right it's still very sought after there's
always the thing what's the what's the saying about a miata I forget miata is always the
answer miata is always the answer yes whoever coined that and I don't think it was Mazda it was
brilliant yeah yeah it is brilliant for sure yeah and um so we I do want to ask and we've
talked a lot about Mazda cars and BMWs and rx7s Volvo um what would be your dream car
or what car are you looking forward to at some point in the future yeah um
an interesting question and you can't say rx7 because you're your whole family okay so go ahead
yeah no I I mean I feel like I I have my I have a dream car for every use case
if I like that uh so and I still kind of have this a little bit of this goal of
owning a car from every um country that makes one um so you know I've got Germany and Sweden
and Japan down but overall I think I've really I've really been uh pretty taken by the latest
amirah um of late the with the supercharged v6 and the manual transmission um I just really
like the idea of being able to buy a car like that new and keeping it for forever um and passing
it down but I also really love like the 96 Porsche 911 wide body career s I just that is like
peak 911 styling for me yep yep 993 yep that's the one yeah it's the it is the one and everyone
knows it so I don't know if I'll ever get to that but um on a more on a more practical note I'd
really just love to find a uh mid 2000s Mazda b4000 4x4 with the manual nice um I'd love to
just have a little work truck but those are impossible to find with the manual but that's
what I'm currently keeping my eye out on uh to try and get something for house projects and things
like that yeah no I look I like it I I always tend to think in cars that uh cars for different
use cases and in fact I'm I'm currently looking for a JDM uh Japanese domestic market uh Suzuki
cappuccino oh nice the right hand drive just a micro Miata if you will from the 90s do you know
about Duncan imports yep I do okay Christian I've actually been there I have actually been there
it's have you ever been yeah yeah it's just 30 it's 30 minutes down the road yeah it's about
five hours for me which is probably a good thing yeah yeah yeah yeah my dad was looking at mini trucks
uh year or two ago so we went there and yeah and they're all the rage yeah yeah they are yeah
that's fun that'll be a cool car to have yeah yeah it'll be fun fun and different and uh
you know cars and coffee and other events like I bring my DeLorean but oh nice I'm uh it's like
almost too careful with that car so something a little smaller and and uh it's a stick shift but
and I just miss flinging a car in the corners yep that's not the car to do it in
yeah yeah I like a different dream car for each use case because the car that you know your dream car
cruise in the beach may not be the dream car to drive to Alaska tomorrow so you know know the
requirements so yeah as as we uh as we guide the podcast toward the the off ramp here uh I got one
last question for you John I can't leave you with Doug he will talk to you all night about cars
and I know you want to eat dinner so I just uh on the way out here I gotta ask you you just
look so happy I cannot remember a guest smiling as much as you did so I have to ask you what
what is your favorite thing about working from Mazda oh man what's my favorite thing
working about Mazda um I think I do really I really enjoy the um how much I touch in my current
position um I like that I kind of get to see all the different um sides of what's going on
whether it's marketing or whether it's you know on the spec product spec side of the business
or even incentives or whatever I I really enjoy kind of having a full picture of what it takes
and what's needed even if I'm not necessarily I'm not the one doing all those things but I'm
I get to see all those things and that's just really cool um I really enjoy being involved
in and kind of having the the insight to all those different uh parts of the car company
great answer what a great answer what do you think about that answer Doug
I think it's I think only at Mazda could could somebody like somebody do that one person be able
to do that at a at a company has to be a car like company like Mazda well I think that might be
yeah one of our best on the way out answers we've ever had well John it was an extreme
pleasure meeting you chatting with you getting to know you and hearing a little bit about your
past your family and uh your world today we appreciate you're making the time yeah it was
great talking to you both it was a lot of fun absolutely well you have just heard the high
revving low mileage late model heard around the world yes even in Sweden in Indonesia
authoritative podcast on automotive nostalgia he's Doug get him at dug at carslove.com
I am Christian reach me at christian at carslove.com he was John Leverett with Mazda USA if you like
the show please follow and tell a friend if you don't like the show do the same thing check us out
at carslove.com the website is newly revamped you're going to love it especially the reviews
write one for us I'm sure we'll see you at the next local car show show room race
trip or concourse so we appreciate your listening we'll see you next time thank you listener land
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