Apology from COBB Tuning

[Cobb Tuning]

I have had some time to reflect on the developments over the last couple of days and I feel that I owe the MAZDASPEED community an apology.

I am relatively new here at COBB Tuning and am very excited to be a part of this team. I believe in what COBB Tuning is trying to accomplish in the marketplace and know that we have the talent to accomplish the goals that we set for ourselves. I have a great deal of respect for the engineers and calibrators that dedicate so much of their time and put forth huge effort to make the AccessPORT products the best they can be. I see the long hours that sales and tech support put into taking care of our customers' needs. Over the past six months I have come to know the people that are the driving force behind the company you know as COBB Tuning. In my enthusiasm for being a member of this team, I have taken the comments on several MAZDASPEED forums as personal attacks on me and my fellow COBB Tuning employees, and have vented my frustration in an inappropriate way.

I allowed a small minority of offensive forum members to get the better of me, and in lashing out at them, I have inadvertently offended a large population of the community that was not the target of my criticism. The part that I find most embarrassing is that I was influenced by people that have no interest in our products whatsoever, who post solely to stir controversy. I want to offer my sincere apology to the entire MAZDASPEED community for comments that you found offensive and promoted a negative stereotype for the community as a whole. Just like all other forums I have participated in, the vast majority are good natured people sharing a common enthusiasm for a cool car. I do know better, yet I let my emotions cloud my judgment.

I would also like to offer an additional apology to all of the MAZDASPEED enthusiasts that have supported COBB Tuning throughout the development of our products and stuck with us through the difficult times as we explored and learned about this platform. Although it was not intentional, I do see why my comments were perceived as a "slap in the face" and how you feel you are being unjustly punished and abandoned. Our decision was based on the actions of a minority, and the COBB supporters that have remained quiet and faithful, anticipating future features, were the ones we asked to bear the burden of that decision. That was not a fair decision for us to make.

In an effort to make reparations, COBB Tuning will move forward with implementing the Launch Control and No Lift Shift features on the MAZDASPEED AccessPORT that so many have been waiting for. Launch Control and No Lift Shift will be implemented in the same form as on other platforms. Launch Control will allow the user to set an RPM that the engine will rev to, building partial boost pressure, while the clutch is in and the throttle is at maximum. No Lift Shift will allow the user to set an RPM that the engine will maintain between shifts while the clutch is in and the throttle is at maximum, maintaining partial boost pressure. Development on these features is not complete and we will provide availability dates when we are 100% confident in their accuracy.

We understand that many of you just want to use the AccessPORT with OTS maps, but variance of the MAZDASPEED from the factory has prevented our OTS maps from working properly on some vehicles. In an effort to assist these customers, COBB Tuning will release a full featured beta version of AccessTUNER Race software for the MAZDASPEED3 & 6. There will be no charge for this beta version of AccessTUNER Race and the software will be released on April 20th as previously stated.

In closing, I must admit that this has been quite a learning experience for me. For what it is worth, I assure you that I will not let my emotions generate another outburst like this in the future. I hope that each of you will accept my apology and not allow my indiscretion to tarnish all of the positive advances that my COBB Tuning colleagues have brought to MAZDASPEED enthusiasts.

Sincerely,

Gary Sheehan
Director of Marketing
COBB Tuning

[crazyitalian041]

rofl

[08JD]

"we don't like mazdas" (under your name) a little immature don't you think?

[rodrigo]

wow , is that apology really from cobb?? or some prankster??

[Fobio]

Originally Posted by 08JD "we don't like mazdas" (under your name) a little immature don't you think?

I think that's is something that the Mods will be happy to change at this point. =)

[rodrigo]

if this letter isn't a prank I am glad to hear this.

[wakeboarddude]

Good to hear an apology! Choose your words and actions better next time.

[Renzokuken]

I can respect that. I would like to retract any asnine comments I made. Oh Gary, if my neighbor Earl tells you about any random disgruntal commnts Ive made, just disregard it. It takes a bigger man to apologize, unless this is indeed a joke.

[Cobb Tuning]

Originally Posted by 08JD "we don't like mazdas" (under your name) a little immature don't you think?

Agreed. That is not something we put there and may be beyond our control to change. I will try to change that now.

[thanox2]

You almost broke my heart

[Cobb Tuning]

Originally Posted by 08JD "we don't like mazdas" (under your name) a little immature don't you think?

Thank you for pointing that out.

[rodrigo]

at this point I dont like mazdas either, but I am stuck with 3 more years of car payments.

Apology appreciated sir.

[Grim]

So is Cobb going to continue with the ms3?

[08JD]

Originally Posted by Cobb Tuning Thank you for pointing that out.

sorry about putting you on the spot light like that, thanks for the apology man.

[xandrake]

Is this real? I sure hope so.

[mazdaj]

talk about an april fools cluster fuck. my head is about to explode from all this drama.....

[DaleNixon]

Thanks Gary. Personally, I appreciate this a lot.

[spheed3]

If this isn't a joke I'll be buying another Accessport

[bova]

its funny how quickly peoples mentalities change, haha. good news though.

[crazyitalian041]

i was about to say the same thing... astounding.

[Boother]

Gary, I truly appreciate your appology and look forward to having COBB continue work on the Mazdaspeed vehicles. I am EXTREMELY grateful that COBB is offering the ATR Beta free of charge and will be using it as soon as it is available.

THANK YOU!!

[Fobio]

I appreciate Cobb and Gary's apology and efforts.

...and I'm sorry if I ever came off as demanding with high expectations...because in the back of my mind, I always knew you guys would deliver. =)

[rodrigo]

bova mazdaspeed owners are like the ECU man, erratic!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fobio]

Originally Posted by bova80 its funny how quickly peoples mentalities change, haha. good news though.

and it shows that all it takes was a little human touch...

[Cornerfreak]

Good news! I'm happy to hear about the extra efforts for the new options too.

[bova]

haha some peoples brains are like ap's they only work on 40% of the users.

[triplejumper18]

I guess I can get back to work and stop reading stuff from a zillion forums.

[tunersteve]

Good to hear that things are being reconsidered for all parties. Best of luck.

[sweetpickles]

Good news Gary. Glad to see Cobb went a different route with this when all was said and done. As I said before, I can understand the business case for not developing new Mazdaspeed products, but standing behind existing products and doing right by the customers that have already invested in your product makes all the difference to me, vocal opposition or otherwise.

Hopefully at some point down the road Cobb might reconsider new product development for this platform as I've always been a fan. In my view with this post you've at least opened the door back up to the community if you want to revisit it down the road, so I appreciate that.

While as a customer I really wish this would've been handled differently initially on the Cobb side of things, sans new OTS map dev, I'm happy that the AP will be more feature complete with the inclusion of LC, FFS and access to a free version of ATR.

Good on ya, Cobb

[Unoriginalusername]

I am not sure how a few members on the various sites managed to generate a reponse from Cobb that started this mess in the first place but the point is if I go home and call my wife a bitch, say that I never loved her and all the time we spent together was a waste and I am moving on to bigger and better things that will cause damage that even the most thoughtful appology can't undo.

In my line of work, this would be called a career limiting move... I'll believe you've learned from your mistakes when Cobb asks you to move on. Glad however to have the rest of the Cobb team back and continuing to support the platform and products that I have purchased from you

[bioevolve]

YAY!!! WOT is the works!!! BETA ATR for Free!!! Apology!!!

[acidbbg]

Thanks for the apology.

We hope that Cobb continues to build their relationship with the MazdaSpeed community.

[phailerider]

ok..lol two days of craziness is over and at the end of the day we even got the atr beta stuff free!!

this is crazy but i really do think that cobb means well, they are generally good at what they do, and that...... our ecu and fuel system still sucks.

cobb is gonna remember this car for a LOOOOONG time..lol

[martyxattack]

i think this is a great example of what a difference how you treat your customers can make. not saying cobb has bad customer service but you see you come here and post positively toward the community and look at the response you get. when you post here for cobb you are cobb not gary sheehan. if someone called cobb with an issue would you do all you could to resolve it or blame the customer. from the posts you've made A) you made everyone here hate cobb and B) youve made everyone outside of the mazdaspeed community think negatively of us which is really whats important.

[FantasmoNegro]

I wanna go post this apology on NASOIC and tell them the reason why they never got an apology is because they are a bunch of douchebags. I don't have a user acount over there though.

[xandrake]

Glad shit got sorted. It's nice to have Cobb back on board with our platform.

[mike8748]

I can't believe it! WOW!
Thanks for seeing through the BS to see that there are MS3/MS6 owners that do appreciate all the hard work COBB has done for our community.
I am very thankful that the decision was made to continue with the release of the FFS/LC and even a FREE beta release of ATR.

You have made many AP owners very happy :-)

[martyxattack]

and made many im sure start considering an ap which is why its a shame there pulling out. market is so fuckin limited you really dont have an option but to sit back and wait to see whats really gonna work when you mod.

[Erich]

Originally Posted by mike8748 You have made many AP owners very happy :-)

And likely generated new sales.

[rodrigo]

Randy, out of all the east coast fuckers I always told you I thought you were the most level headed, I agree with you 100% (and I will need them hyperdrive pills soon modafooka)