Am I the only one?

[Signal 2]

^And (FWIW) "CAR and DRIVER" 10-best in the "Sports Coupe" category in 2004.

shaolin, regarding my comments about the the Renesis being near it's limit in HP, I hadn't read the article in R & T, I was referring to an article in RXTuner and comments attributed to (I believe) Cam at Pettit. But I'm not impressed with cars that can just lay down a black strip either. That's one-dimensional. I'm old enough to remember the 60's muscle cars (many of which the 8 would beat 0-60) and those never impressed me, even as a kid. Acceleration is only one part of the equation for performance. And I agree with you, the 8 certainly has everything else.

 

[EXA4DRIVER]

I totally agree with EXA4DRIVER. I would love to have one as a daily driver.

Thanks Bottom line once again, it's a great buy. Is it my 1st choice? No (see my sig ), but still a great car for the $$$.

 

[shaolin]

Man, I love S2K's...just wish there was a car that drove like an S2K with a back seat...wow looks like RX-8 fits the bill eh?

 

[EXA4DRIVER]

Man, I love S2K's...just wish there was a car that drove like an S2K with a back seat...wow looks like RX-8 fits the bill eh?

Yeah, I wish I could have kept my P5 as a "utility" vehicle, but I didn't have the space for a third car. Hopefully in a year or two I will have a three car garage. Then I'll be able to buy a Jetta wagon to hold some baby seats in the back

 

[ccracing19]

I love my 8, traded in a spicy orange msp. Was going to get a mazda speed miata, but my husband talked me into the 8. I also looked at the sk2 but like the miata, was hesitant about a convertible. He said eventually I would be tired of the noise, limited space etc. they look good but that's about it.

The 8 has lots of room, 4 adults set comfortably, the styling is awesome. Plenty of trunk space and I could go on and on.

 

[Replica]

ha haha ha keep telling yourself that

Both in the high 14's. Don't see how you can deny that.

 

[IchBinEinMP5]

Wow... that was a long read/skim. Since everyones asking:


I think that the RX-8 is a refreshing design, one of the latest shapes and profiles that are sublimely beautiful, with curves and edges, that with a little time and intimacy provide a great deal of pleasure to ogle. The worst part of the car seems to be the way the suicide doors cut up the flow from stem to stern and the questionable looking tailights.

The interior is absolutely stunning, in typical Mazda form, they are top notch in quality and asthetics. I have owned many vehicles ( a lot of Mazda's, but including Toyota, Honda, Daewoo, etc. ), and the Mazda's always fit me perfectly. The four seat arrangement fit my wife, daughter, the salesman and I just fine, and without the salesman, we would have enough room for a short family trip through the country.

Power I feel is very subjective. What is enough? How is the power delivered? Is the engine tractable in the more mundane moments? And can the vehicle be enjoyed in its entirety and not just in race situations? I think that the RX-8 positively excels at answeringh these questions correctly. The man-machine interfaces are enjoyable: the shifter is slick and falls to hand quite nicely, the pedal feel, and the way the seats caress your backside. Some of the great LeMans winners were powered by sub 200hp engines, and as many of us know, the key to speed is momentum, and on paper the RX-8 might lose to even the Neon SRT-4, but there is very little out there that handles as well as a RWD car and the RX-8, and driven with some vigor, the RX-8 is not only fast, but a viceral experience that can be duplicated again and again.

Price in Canada: $39,000 (presently)

Comparisons:

Nissan 350Z: $46,000
Honda S2000: $50,000
Ford Mustang: $35,000
Mazda Miata: $34,000
Infiniti G35: $45,000
BMW 3 series: $35,000+
Mercedes 230 series: $44,000+

The aformentioned vehicles seem to be the closest competition to the RX-8, which puts the pricing of the vehicle at the bargain end of the spectrum.


Well, that was my late night Canadian perspective on this subject. My only request is that perhaps a car should be judged after it is driven...

 

[Brian MP5T]

I like the 3rd gen RX-7, but the 8 is nice.

 

[cyomega]

another point i made, i dont like the fact that it came non turbo. what would people say if the next skyline was N/A and whimpy

The 'next skyline' IS N/A and wimpy... in the US it's the AWD G35 Sedan

VQ35DE (notice no 'T's on the end of that engine code)
298 HP V6

For the ~$32.5K price of that car, I'd rather have a loaded EVO8 (which IMO looks hideous next to RX-8), STi (thank god they fixed the bubble headlights), or even an RX-8.

(wiggle)

 

[Slider]

if i had 30+k to blow it sure as s*** wouldnt be on that underpowered, small, shark looking thing. hell, IIRC the evo isnt much more if at all (when you get base model), correct?

If I had 30k to blow on a car I would be in an STi.

 

[Brian MP5T]

agreed.

 

[KpaBap]

I for one think the RX-8 is a great "Mazda" car. And by that I mean it's a driver's car. It might not turn in the fastest 1/4 mile time, it might not be the fastest around the track, but those that have driven one can form a relationship with the car in the same way one can relate to something made by the good old Bayerische Motorische Werke.

It's all about the experience. In the end, I might not be going as fast as the next guy, but I'll be damned if I'm not having a lot more fun doing it.

 

[shaolin]

^^^ Agreed. Right now I'm driving around in my friend's Firebird (I don't know what trim) but it's a 2002...I think the last model year. (My car got backed into so it's in the shop getting the rear quarter panel repaired.) Anyhow, the Firebird is damn powerful, but I just feel so disconnected in it. It doesn't inspire confidence like any of my Mazdas did, and it's just not fun to drive.

 

[Kooldino]

Don't judge the RX-8 until you've driven it. Besides, there's more to it than it's speed (or lack of)

 

[Brian MP5T]

The car is a great ride...

 

[Captain KRM P5]

i drove a six speed and frankly thought the car was great all the way around. i thought it was pretty damn quick and this is coming from a turbo p5 owner. my biggest complaint is, like everyone else's, price.

it made car and driver's 10Best again fyi

 

[Dexter]

whenever i even sit in one i am not worthy. then i drive it and i die.

 

[Mazdaspeedgirl]

then i drive it and i die.

(lol)

There is more to the car than just what you see on the outside. I am referring to people's complaints of the price. The car is actually a bargain for the engineering that it took to make the car the magnificent spectacle that it is. How many cars out there for under 30K have the precision of an electric steering system? How about the handling capability of the PPF (save the miata)? And a RWD fully independent suspension? Low polar moment of inertia? Carbon fiber driveshaft? 18inch wheels? FANTASTIC brakes?! You won't find these tasty treats for $26K anywheres else. Yah, you can get a base 6spd for a steal IMO.
Me personally I would never lay down that kinda money for a FWD or FWD based AWD. BUT, that is my taste, ergo what suits me may not suit everyone.

Oh yah, and another thing I love about the 8: no chassis sharing, i.e. SRT-4=Neon (I'm gonna get it from a lot of immature people for that one ), STi=WRX, GT Mustang=v6 mustang, Trans Am=v6 firebird, and so on.
The style of the design also says elite. There's no mistaking an RX-8 for anything else, and as one car show commentator said it, it doesn't have that "boy-racer" style.



Disclaimer: All statements are opinions of the Mazdaspeedgirl, and if you don't like it, proceed to the nearest exit and don't let the door hit you in the ass. (lol2)

 

[Dexter]

<3

 

[Mazdaspeedgirl]

<3

(k)