Business Notes AUTOS

No sports car in years has so quickly won the hearts of U.S. car buffs as Mazda's pert Miata MX-5. But Detroit automakers are not content to sit back and watch foreign roadsters whiz by. Next month Ford will begin selling its own cosmopolitan contender, the Mercury Capri. The car's body was designed in Italy, and its engine and chassis were developed jointly by Ford and Mazda. The Detroit automaker has a 25% stake in the Japanese company. The convertible, which will be built at a Ford plant near Melbourne, will be the first Australian-made car sold in the U.S. The Capri takes dead aim at the Miata. While the Mazda has rear-wheel drive and two seats, the Mercury offers front-wheel drive and a small backseat. Ford has priced the Capri slightly below its rival: $12,588 for the standard model and $15,522 for a turbocharged version, which Mazda does not offer.