Well, thanks to a well-timed business trip and the folks at John Hine Mazda in San Diego, I finally got to sit in a production RX-8.

Result: I don't fit.

I played with the seat in a GT model for a good 30 minutes and could not find a seat position that would allow me to (1) Not scrape the headliner with my head and (2) reach the steering wheel. I could either be comfortable and wedge my head into the roof or recline the seat into "low rider" position and not be able to reach the steering wheel and be resting my back on the back of the seat.

It's possible that I might fit if it can be confirmed that the Sport combo of manual seats and no sunroof gives you back 2" or more of headroom, but until then I'm sadly going to have to bid the RX-8 farewell...

(Depressing, since like many of you I've been waiting for this car for years, but also not surprising as I didn't fit in a Gen III RX-7, either...)

As a reminder, I'm not exactly of NBA proportions, I'm 6'1 with a 38" inseam, so make sure you sit in one for yourself before you order...

 

38" is a big inseam for a 6'1" guy.

I'm 6 feet even with a 34" inseam, 33 on some pants :p

 

I am 6'1" and I fit in the 8 with a sport package so dont give up hope yet.

 

that sucks man...i'm 5'8" with a 33" inseam and i fit just fine...i also had a good 2"-3" head clearance while not "low ridin'"...i take it you had to move the seat back a ways but also had to recline the seat forward in order to reach the steering wheel, right?

 

Basically I had the seat all the way down, all the way back, and the seat back tilted at perhaps 45° (it's hard to say "forward" or "back" sinc e there's no "default" position for the seat back.)

As far as the Sport goes, I hope to sit in one one day, but of course to maximize profit all dealers I know of have ordered nothing but GTs. (In fact, my local dealer wanted an extra non-refundable deposit if I was going to order a Sport, along the lines of "We're going to need an extra deposit if you want to order such a stripped down vehicle, because we won't be able to sell it if you don't accept delivery.")

BTW, 38" is what it says on my jeans; I suspect my actual inseam is around 35"-36"...

 

Hmmm...I'm 6'2" with a 34" inseam. That means that you're either all legs or I'm all torso.

I do fit in a Miata, though, but I can't get a helmet on with the top up. Driving top town in the rain on the track can sure be entertaining...

 

I have a relatively long torso; for example I can in no way fit in a Miata with the top up, and with the top down I actually look over the windshield; I have to duck and turn my head sideways to actually look through the windshield.

BTW, this isn't just a Mazda thing; in a Porsche Boxster I can't flip the sunvisors "back" or they block my view; I need to leave them flipped "forward" against where the top would be if it were up...

 

Strange...although we are similar in size, we must have very different preferred seating positions. Also, if you've been in a Miata, the old model (with the pop up headlights) has more room than the newer model. I think it had to do with a change in the seats.

I got to sit in an RX-8 briefly and it seemed fine, but I think I'm going to go to the dealer tonight. Sure hope there are no issues.

 

Actually, I looked over the top of the windshield in the original MX-5 Miata as well; I've only sat in newer ones as a joke ("Do I still look over the windshield? Yup....")

 

BillK, you must have short arms for your size, that seems to be the only explanation. Sorry to hear you don't fit though, that must be very disappointing. I'm 6'1", 32" inseam (therefore I have a rather long torso), and I didn't have any problem getting comfortable in a Touring package (manual seats, no sunroof) RX-8. I haven't yet been able to try a GT package (which is what I'm getting), but I don't anticipate any problems. I do have rather long arms though.

 

Yeah, I don't perceive my arms as particularly short but admit that a more reclined seating position may have worked if the steering wheel telescoped as well as tilted...

 

Wow.. that sucks man. Sorry to hear it. There's no sense in getting something, anything, you're not comfortable with.

I'm 6 foot with a 33" inseam.. but my head just clears under the roof. I can feel my hair on the roof.

Unless you feel it's something you could get used to, or maybe try different aftermarket seats, it's gonna hurt not getting a car like this.

Good luck in your quest.

 

BillK --

I may be in the same boat as you are. I finally got a chance to sit in a red GT and a blue non-GT at the Rev-It-Up in Philly this past weekend. Much to my dismay, I couldn't sit comfortably in the red GT, either. My head was literally pressed against the inside of the car (6'0" tall, 29" inseam - egually proportioned head to waist / waist to feet). There was no power to the car (under the tent - fire marshal said no starting the car), so I couldn't adjust the seat. I asked the Mazda Keymaster about adjusting the seat and he said that the seat was set pretty low already(and then he mentioned the whole fire marshal thing).

The blue, non-GT, however, fit like a glove. It was way more comfortable than my Integra GSR (which is for sale - btw). Whereas the red one was like sitting in a late-model Prelude - headroom wise.

So I may end up getting a non-GT. Which is a shame, 'cause, while I can live without the leather seats, I really wanted all the other options including the sunroof. First chance I get though, I'm gonna try and test drive a GT to make sure. Though, I have a feeling that I'm going to have the same problem.



-- Anthony

 

I'm 6'1" with a 34 inseam. I have a 38" sitting height (sit against a wall with your legs out in front of you and measure from the corner to the top of your head). An old lower back problem has trained me to avoid slouching at all. My Dad (6'4") seems to sit about 2-3 inches forward on the seat, then slouch until he's in full contact with the seat. (kind of like allowing his hips to rotate forward to make him shorter) can't imagine it's comfy, but that's the way he sits.

I have vision problems out a Miata (both generations) to the extent I removed the visor on the driver's side. In the morning I'm in the roof on both Miatas. (Skull, not just hair rubs fabric) In the evening (spinal compression) I've got enough room to not have my hair rub. In the second gen, I took the seat out, cut 2 inches of foam off the bottom of the foam and put it back in. Still looked like a stock seat, but gave about an inch extra head room.

Sitting in a sport with no sun roof and cloth seats I had 1"-2" above my head in just about any position, once I fully lowered the seat.

Sitting in a GT with electric/leather seats and a sunroof, it's tighter. My hair will brush (military flattop) in the mornings, but not enought to keep me from getting the car (want to check it out one more time) It took me some time to find a good seating position with proper arm reach. I actually moved the seat up closer than all the way back. My legs are not 100% straight in that position, but it lets me recline a little farther but still reach the wheel. To make this comfy, I'll probably raise the front edge of the seat a bit.

I guess my suggestion is try it somewhere other than full back, and I wish it telescoped too.

 

Damn, now you've got me worried again. I'm surprised the sunroof makes that much of a difference in headroom, given that it opens outward instead of sliding back into the roof. Still, I think I'll be OK, since I tend to drive with the seat leaning back. I was able (barely) to fit in a Mercedes SLK, which (being a 2-seater) didn't have room to move the seat back any further.

 

Yeah, it looks like it would be a Sport or nothing, but it also looks like I would have to order one to try sitting in one as dealers want to maximize profits and are all ordering GTs.

Rather the Catch-22 situation, actually; I can't tell if I would fit without sitting in a Sport (or base), and I can't order a Sport without knowing if I would fit...

 

Why not go up to Faulkner Mazda? As of last week, they had three 8's (all ATs) that are being test driven. The black is the standard, the red & silver are the GT.

btw - I had no probs with the 8s at the Rev-It-Up or during my test drive b/c I'm 5'6"

edit: even if you don't want to test drive, you can at least ask them if you can sit in them. When I went up, all three were open.

 

Don't give up hope, Bill! There is a large difference between the sport and GT versions - I sat in both. I'm 6'4", 36" inseam, and had no problems in the sport, but I am brushing hair on headliner (left side of me only) in the GT and I have to recline the seat farther. I was conflicted about buying the GT, but ended up driving it home. I'm going in for a real short haircut Saturday! If you're not into the moonroof, the Sport version is still pretty slick. The cloth seats are VERY nice - I wouldn't have too many regrets about giving up leather if that was the only way to get into an RX-8.

 

I'm 6'5" and fit perfectly. I didn't fit too well in my 3rd Gen, but the RX8 fits me really well.

 

rx22,did you fit in the gt or touring model,im too a little worried now.im 6.2 and we still dont have any cars to sit in yet,mines due to arrive next week and ill be very bummed if i cant get into my gt.no chance to get a non gt up here,dealer only orderd 1 and its sold.

 

It was the 6 speed, 247 horsepower w/ a sunroof. I was completely comfortable. Even my wife commented that I fit well. I was on the verge of buying an S2000, and the fit there was lousy. In my 3rd gen RX7, I had to literally tilt my head sideways while driving. So relax, I doubt you'll have any problems.

 

Sure it was an RX8 ?

I am 6'3" (no idea on inseam...) and I fit absolutely no problem.
I mean no car is ever truely right for me (and some are just plain silly) but the RX8 is great !

Plenty of headroom , pedals comfortable.

Only things I can think of are -

a) What seats did it have ? The one I sat in had cloth manually adjustable and they went wayyyy low.
b) Sunroof - Try a car without sunroof - these cut down headroom lots.
c) One of us is some kind of mutant.

I am hoping it is options a+b rather than c.

Morgan.

 

I just went to a dealer last night to see how I fit. All they had were the leather interiors with the sunroof...and it was a tight fit. I could feel my hair brushing against the roof. I adjusted the power seat as low as it would seem to go, too.

Again, I'm 6'2" with a 34" inseam.

They didn't have any of the cloth interiors without a sunroof, so I didn't get to see how that would be in comparison. From what I hear, that'll give an extra inch or two which is all I would need.

 

I know this'll sound really weird, but I really feel like I fit better in my car than I did 2 days ago. I even inclined the seatback a little. Is this possible, or am I just desensitized to it now that I've been DRIVING it instead of sitting in the parking lot at the dealership?

 

Be sure to report back; my local dealers aren't getting any non-GTs, period. One has one open "third wave" order slot for MY 2004, but my deposit becomes unrefundable if I order a Sport because they say they won't be able to sell such a "stripped down" 8 if I back out. If I wanted to play odds I'd throw the deposit on a craps table instead...