I call bull to anyone who gets 8k off a current MY $40k vehicle (except Chrysler products) and there are no rebates or trades added in there. You can shut me up with your bill of sale (eekdance)
Average tissue is 8 percent off MSRP and if no rebates are given beyond that, your extra $4800 off the MSRP ain't happening. (idhitit)
If you read The-9 post again, he said $8k off MSRP WITHOUT any rebates. I think his statement is true. Those who bought loaded GT and paid around $31-$33k, received some incentives (rebates, cash back etc.) from Mazda. Or the dealer might have jacked up your interest by a point or so.
Also, keep in mind loaded GT could mean a lot of things. It could vary from a $40k MSRP to around $44k MSRP. Some might have gotten the Bose, Nav, Assist and call it loaded. There's still the towing, RSES, Sirius, remote start, accessories (allweather mats, roof rack, etc.)
Granted I bought in Sept 2008, my "loaded" 08 GT MSRP was around $42k, and I got it for a little less than $32k before TTL. I did get employee pricing, official Mazda rebate, official S-Plan rebate, and an extra $600 (??) to make up my mind.
So, I can believe someone can buy an 09 for $8k off MSRP.