It's now almost two months since the first RX-8's left the Austin area Beasley stores, but I have still yet to see another one "in the wild"! Apart from the Texas RX's meeting last month, the only other time I've seen another RX-8 on the road was at the local gas station, where one was being fuelled up by a Mazda North employee (presumably pre-delivery).

Where are y'all hiding?

 

I am hiding down here in South Austin, lets get a hill country drive going really soon.

Colin

 

I'm just up the block or so from Colin also, I work in South Austin, off of (Mopac) but live up in Pflugerville...

But I'm only on the road for only a little bit during the day. Yep, I haven't seen another in the wild yet either....

 

My 8 is hiding up near the Arboretum. This is my first manual, so I usually take it out at night when the traffic isn't bad. When I take it out I'm usually up in the hills between Mopac and 620, and along 2222 :D.

I've seen 2 others on the road and two parked in drive ways in the last week.

 

I'm up for a drive, but not until later this month - I'm off to Topeka for the SCCA Solo II Nationals next week.

 

Is that really true? Mine came from Mazda South, and you saw me Sunday............ (But, I don't live in the Austin area).

 

Well, by "in the wild" I meant on the streets, not at a pre-arranged rendezvous or autocross.

 

Anyone going up to Rudy's this Evening? It the first Wednesday of the month...

 

Unfortunately, first wednesday is also a standing Miata Club event. The Miatas win out this month.

 

Speaking of 8s in the wild, I saw a blue one with paper tags on Burnet when I was in Austin for the game last weekend. Then I saw a titanium 8 sitting all by it's lonely in a Baptist church parking lot off of 360 late Sunday morning. Until that weekend, I hadn't seen but one in Houston (saw another in H-town that friday), and the first time I go to Austin in quite a while (feels like forever), I see two. Go figure.

 

Stake out the Mopac North access road by Duval. We've got FOUR in our parkng garage now. Yellow, Blue, Red, and Silver. I think we're going to have to come up with a group shot or something.

 

I work almost next door at the IBM campus. And I still haven't seen another '8 on the road!

 

I finally saw one today. If that was you in the Silver turning right from Foster Ln into Shoal Creek Blvd this afternoon... Hi!

 

I park my 8 on the IBM campus. Only RX8 on IBM...:D

 

Must be in a different lot then, 'cos mine's the only one in my lot (north side of bldg 003). :p

 

Mine's on the parking lot next to 905. Looks like we have both sides covered.

 

Finally saw my first 8 in the wild. If you were driving a blue 8 heading east out of Bee Caves on Hwy 71 this morning at bout 0915am.....................

HI!!!!!

 

Alright, I just got on this forum like a week ago, and I haven't really done forums much. When I say I haven't really done forums much, I mean this is my first to actually read or post. So cut me a little slack if this questions already been asked. Do the Austin RX-8s meet anywhere, or go to a track or anything like that? I'm kinda new to the Austin area so I don't really know of anything big that happens, except parties on west campus and clubs on 6th.

 

Well, if you're up for a bit of fun tomorrow, and don't mind an early start in the morning, come on out to the Tech Ridge industrial park one block west of I-35, north of Palmer Ln.

Registration closes at 8:30am. Details, and a map to the site, at http://www.spokes.org/

 

Eccles

I was at Tech Ridge. Your 180 degree/emergency brake move on the slalom was amazing!! So was your consistent time. Your friend on the other hand was another story. It's scary to see an 8 spin out.

On the other hand, I know what the 8 is capable of from your driving. I'm glad I decided to keep mine.

 

It was a fun day, though the number of alternative paths available made time comparisons a little difficult. The RX-8 felt absolutely amazing down that long slalom and back, and it was fun to try a handbrake maneuver for the turnaround - I was afraid I'd gotten a little rusty in that department.

Dan Pedroza ran one run in my car towards the end of the day, and went a second faster than I had. I truly don't believe that there was any more time to be had in the slalom on the runway, so I think he must've picked it up on the loop around the apron. Maybe he went clockwise - I didn't see that part of his run and I forgot to ask him.

Yeah, Danny's spin through the finish was a little hairy. Guess I shouldn't have told him how to disable the DSC for his first run at least!

Hope you had a good day. Next time you come out, introduce yourself! If I'd known you were there, I would have offered you a ride. I'll be there for the remaining events for the year, though I'll be running the wife's Miata after I return the RX-8 this week.

 

I didn't know you could offer spectators a ride!! I should have introduced myself. We did meet a while back at Rudys, during the first RX7 / 8 meet. Next time they have the event at Tech Rige, I'm going to try it with my 8. If you're there, I'll ask for pointers.

 

I got to take one for the weekend and I can see why people love this car. I had a blast and didn't want to give it back today. I have had a few brief drives in them prior to this but driving it this whole weekend really sold me on it. The traction control worked well in the rain on Sunday and I went to Burnet and back on Saturday. The drive up and back was comfortable on the straight portions and a blast through the twisties and the big hill on Park Road 4 near the Longhorn Caverns. We took the big hill 4 times and it was like a roller coaster ride. The only negative thing that I found was that I was always going way too fast. I kept finding myself easily at 20 mph over the speed limit on Mopac, 183, and other major roads without realizing it.

I have not yet driven the 2004 S2000 and I also want to wait to drive the Mazdaspeed Turbo Miata, but the RX-8 has definitely made the list of possibilities for my next car.

Kirk

 

Heheheh, welcome to the dark side, Kirk. :p

 

I am really sorry that you had to turn yours in but hopefully things will turn around so you can get another one. Would you get one again or go for something else?

Kirk