Just bought a 2009 RX-8 R3
06-22-2008, 08:05 AM
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Just bought a 2009 RX-8 R3
According to the sales associate, I may be the first person in Canada to buy one of the new R3 models. I paid the deposit last Wednesday and my car is currently on a train somewhere in western Canada, scheduled to arrive at my dealer in "two to three weeks" (which will likely be while I'm out of the country on holiday in the first week of July).
I believe I might have been one of the first people to test drive the R3. I received a call from the dealership a few weeks ago, when their first and only R3 was being off-loaded at the dealership. That afternoon they handed me the key and said "go play".
Driving the R3 was a radically different experience from my current ride (a track prepared, supercharged, 2nd gen Miata with over $14,000 of performance upgrades). In my Miata, there is a sense of urgency in the way everything happens - accelerating, turning, braking. In the R3 it was just very... smooth. Even at 9000 rpm the car did not sound or behave unsettled. Clearly, I will have to adapt to a very different style of driving with the R3, but I am looking forward to getting it out on the big track that we have not too far away. I suspect it will be able to carry a lot of speed through the corners, making up for it's torque deficit.
Now, if only the gas prices don't kill me...
I believe I might have been one of the first people to test drive the R3. I received a call from the dealership a few weeks ago, when their first and only R3 was being off-loaded at the dealership. That afternoon they handed me the key and said "go play".
Driving the R3 was a radically different experience from my current ride (a track prepared, supercharged, 2nd gen Miata with over $14,000 of performance upgrades). In my Miata, there is a sense of urgency in the way everything happens - accelerating, turning, braking. In the R3 it was just very... smooth. Even at 9000 rpm the car did not sound or behave unsettled. Clearly, I will have to adapt to a very different style of driving with the R3, but I am looking forward to getting it out on the big track that we have not too far away. I suspect it will be able to carry a lot of speed through the corners, making up for it's torque deficit.
Now, if only the gas prices don't kill me...
06-22-2008, 09:01 AM
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Congratulations... Love to see some pics when you get it. Do you plan to mod right away or will you run stock for a while? What part of Canada are u from?
06-22-2008, 11:39 AM
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^ Used parts needed to be replaced, what can I say 
cjcjag seems to have a solid mod record with his Miata, so it wouldn't surprise me if he gets into modding right away -- no time like the present!
cjcjag seems to have a solid mod record with his Miata, so it wouldn't surprise me if he gets into modding right away -- no time like the present!
06-24-2008, 07:43 AM
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Sorry to disappoint, but this car will not have any modifications. As for Calabogie - definitely! Just not sure when I'll have the time. Got a busy summer ahead. The car is supposed to be delivered in a week or two now, but I will be away all next week, so that means probably the second week of July will be the first opportunity to take any pics.
06-24-2008, 10:08 PM
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Further to my last, there is a Sparkling Black Mica R3 at Performance Mazda in Orleans (Ottawa) with just 88 kms on the clock as of last week. Maybe it has since been sold (the black R3 car seen around Ottawa?).
One mod I will be doing to the car is getting a custom "paint job". The car was not going to be available in the colour I wanted until late August, so I decided to get a custom look. I put "paint job" in quotes because I am presently looking into an alternative approach that was suggested to me - "wrapping" the car.
For those not aware, most (perhaps all) NASCAR cars are wearing a vinyl wrap these days, rather than paint and sponser decals. I've discovered that we have a company in Ottawa that does vehicle wraps - K6 Media. Their website has photos of vehicles they've wrapped if you want to see the finished product. It looks pretty good to me. Now I'm waiting for an estimate of the colour scheme I want on my car.
There are a couple of things about wrapping that really appeal to me. First, the vinyl is 2 mil thick and so it functions exactly like the "invisible bras" that are being applied to the front of cars, especially exotics, to protect against stone chips. I was already thinking about getting a chip guard of some type applied after the custom paint job was done. So, wrapping would combine two steps into one.
Secondly, the wrap can just be peeled off a few years down the road to reveal the original paint (in new condition). This can be really useful if the car is to be sold or if you just want to re-wrap it in something new. Apparently, wrapping is quickly becoming the preferred approach for thousands of taxi owners who are forced to paint their cars bright yellow (or whatever) while they are taxis, but then they want to be able to sell their cars after 3 years.
So, those are my plans for the new R3. All I'm prepared to say about my intended colour scheme at this point is that I want to do an "hommage" paint scheme.
One mod I will be doing to the car is getting a custom "paint job". The car was not going to be available in the colour I wanted until late August, so I decided to get a custom look. I put "paint job" in quotes because I am presently looking into an alternative approach that was suggested to me - "wrapping" the car.
For those not aware, most (perhaps all) NASCAR cars are wearing a vinyl wrap these days, rather than paint and sponser decals. I've discovered that we have a company in Ottawa that does vehicle wraps - K6 Media. Their website has photos of vehicles they've wrapped if you want to see the finished product. It looks pretty good to me. Now I'm waiting for an estimate of the colour scheme I want on my car.
There are a couple of things about wrapping that really appeal to me. First, the vinyl is 2 mil thick and so it functions exactly like the "invisible bras" that are being applied to the front of cars, especially exotics, to protect against stone chips. I was already thinking about getting a chip guard of some type applied after the custom paint job was done. So, wrapping would combine two steps into one.
Secondly, the wrap can just be peeled off a few years down the road to reveal the original paint (in new condition). This can be really useful if the car is to be sold or if you just want to re-wrap it in something new. Apparently, wrapping is quickly becoming the preferred approach for thousands of taxi owners who are forced to paint their cars bright yellow (or whatever) while they are taxis, but then they want to be able to sell their cars after 3 years.
So, those are my plans for the new R3. All I'm prepared to say about my intended colour scheme at this point is that I want to do an "hommage" paint scheme.
06-25-2008, 08:16 AM
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Kieswetter Mazda in KW has a white R3, they have had it for about 3 weeks........or DID have it. I was there for a test drive 2 weeks ago; nice car but the difference between that and my like-new 2004 GT didn't leave any incentive to trade.
07-05-2008, 06:30 AM
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Sorry to disappoint, but this car will not have any modifications. As for Calabogie - definitely! Just not sure when I'll have the time. Got a busy summer ahead. The car is supposed to be delivered in a week or two now, but I will be away all next week, so that means probably the second week of July will be the first opportunity to take any pics.
07-05-2008, 09:59 AM
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^ Agreed. Needs to be lowered right away Prob needs beefier sways too. Short shifter for sure. Would add a Cobb as well. And of course, it needs a MS muffler -- too quiet in stock form. Finally, a controversial item but I really like it, a sprint booster.
