Just picked up my 05 RX8..Its Black,Auto with Paddleshifters..The Dealer said it was a SHINKA in his AD.. Is there a sure fire way to tell if it is one? BTW..This is the most awesome car I've ever owned... I picked her up for alittle over 9K with 72k miles on her.. Any Help would be Appreciated..

 

Easiest way to determine if it's a Shinka is if it says SHINKA on the b-pillar or by the Color, which should be a Black Cherry Mica Color code (28W) as that was the only color produced for the Shinka models in '05.

 

If it's 2005 and Black, it is not a Shinka.

All 2005 Shinkas were Black Cherry Mica, a purplish mica color.

2006 has Shinkas of many colors, including black.

 

if it's black. it's not. The 05's came ONLY in black cherry red AND as mentioned, the pillars actually say SHINKA on them.

there is also a PDF of every single VIN for the shinka production.

check your vin against this pdf:
http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/pdf/...on_Numbers.pdf

If you dont see it, then it isn't. it's just that simple.

 

And check the interior... '05 Shinkas came with Parchment color seats and trim.

 

^yup my friend has a 06 shinka in SS.

 

Ok Thanks all,Its not Black Cherry,And thanks for the info.. Now its time to Wax her,and do Oil Change... Any Advise or Warnings for doin AUTO Fluid Change?

 

nothing special, just like any other car

<----this dude has a 2005 Sports Prestige Limited ... aka Shinka

 

Welcome.

 

Pics?

 

So now i am confused.

People here have confirmed your car is not a Shinka - which is a special edition; the car the dealer claimed to have sold you. But you seem ok with that?

I would be very angry. If your invoice mentions anywhere the word Shinka (or special edition), then they lied to you. That's a borderline fraudulent transaction.

However, if they just "told" you the car was a Shinka, then that's different. Perhaps they didn't even know what they were talking about. Anybody can claim anything by word of mouth about a product. The consumer is responsible for being informed before purchasing.

 

^ good point.

If the advertisement and/or price and/or invoice indicates 'Shinka' on it at all, then you have a pretty good chance at demanding a partial refund. Perhaps they did that out of ignorance, since the 2005 in KBB only shows "base" and "Shinka", so they think a loaded GT package is "Shinka", but still. It isn't a Shinka, and if it was sold to you as one, there is a price difference that you should be able to get back from them.

 

I'd be pissed. They only made around 1300 Shinkas in '05. Every single one was Black Cherry (Radiant Ebony outside the US). Every single one had parchment (light tan) leather. Every single one had piano black interior trim, instead of the silver of a normal 8. Slightly revised shocks, and the front crossmember ahead of the engine was filled with urethane foam. All the brightwork is a little more subdued, a little darker. It's a bitch when it comes time to find spares, but such is life with a limited-run car.

If your dealer advertised and sold you a Shinka and you didn't get a Shinka, you got robbed.

Look up your VIN in this table.

Some will say there's no difference, but to me there is. Shinka just looks classier, less busy, more elegant. Just my opinion, mind you.

 

Ha, I thought the same thing.......

"Now it's time to wax her and do oil change..." My *** would have said, 'Now it's time to drive straight to the dealer and raise hell!'

 

/\
This

Also, your point about the leader thinking a GT was a Shinka is good. Maybe that's what really happened after all.

Well, unfortunately the differences are mostly cosmetic, so most people would say there's nothing substantially unique or worth it. Beside the different shocks, foam-filled cross-members, and different gear ratio in the rear axle (R3); there's no performance enhancing additions. I mean, it is not that Shinkas, 40th AEs and R3s came from factory with a turbo charger!! (that would have been awesome for a special edition car)

But I totally understand where you are coming from. Those subtle differences are really defined by the individual customer. For me, the 40th AE has a lot of things that are important and unique for "me."

Anyway, the point is that those special editions subtleties are important to many people, and that should be respected.

Hahah, exactly! I was like...is he really going to celebrate after being told he got screwed? LOL

 

It's what happened for mine, only reversed in direction. The dealer knew the loaded GT wasn't a Shinka, so he assumed it was a base, and priced accordingly, so I got it for $19k at 8,600 miles 1 year after first purchase


As far as the price difference, it depends on what the OP actually got. If he got a Base sold to him as a Shinka, then you better believe there is a price difference worth pursuing. If he got a loaded GT, well, the gap isn't that big at all after 7 years, so maybe not really worth it?


Then again, it's possible that it wasn't sold to him as a Shinka at all, and the OP just believed that it was, and has been corrected, and is moving on with a shrug.

 

Well, his original post said that it was stated in the ad.

If the buyer didn't know how to distinguish a Shinka in the first place, then I'm sure it isn't important to him. And unless he ended up paying an unfair price, it doesn't seem to be an issue for him.

Personally, I spent the better part of a year looking for my Shinka, and then driving 8 hrs (round trip) to get it. But that's how important it was TO ME.

 

I appreciate the Tight Nit Group and the comments,Truth is.. The Dealer wasn't sure if it was..Had NO CLUE about the Engine or anything.. They Gave me Book on my 12y/o Dodge Dakota and I paid Book for this Car (not SHINKA book either,Which would've been about 12k+) So No worries I didn't get Hosed, I got a good deal on an AWESOME car that's in GREAT shape..I even had the chance to see Under the car since it was on one of the RAMPS that the Dealers have..not a SCRATCH anywhere under the car.. She Purrs like a Kitten and seems to be Well maintained..Even Have Sticker for 05 RECALL work that was done at the Dealer.. So Thanks Again..and These Paddleshifters are AWESOME ZOOM ZOOM

 

Still no pics!?

This never happened.

 

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

Ok gets even better.. Have the Milky Dipstick issue..Went to Local Dealer here in NJ..They Informed me it was perfectly normal..Then I asked about Recall Sticker on Firewall..The Lady Ran my VIN..Found out that the car has the ROTOR EXTENSION WARRANTY for 100k miles or 96 months..which means I have 30k miles to go till warranty is OUT.. LOVE THIS CAR..Hard to keep Under 85MPH tho Lifted Jeep with Snorkel kit and Winch...not nearly as fast lol ZOOM ZOOM

 

Wow. You did NO research on this car, did you?

Every single RX-8 has the 8yr 100k engine core warranty....

And they probably all have a milky dipstick as well.

Read the first 9 posts here for some more bits of information that you probably missed: https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/new-potential-owners-start-here-202454/

 

Well Ok.. But Theres a MINOR flaw in your statement...The Warranty on the CORE didn't start until O8 NOT 05 when the Vehicle was Purchased NEW!!! According to the Papers I got from the local Dealer..and No MOST THE TIME..Powertrain Warranties are NOT Transferable..Which lead to my surprise..WOW..My Jeep FORUM is Nothing like this one..Must be the AGE bracket of Children who's Parents Bought them this type of Car!!!! When ya buy a 7 Y/O Used Car off a Lot..And then find out that the Engine is still covered by the Manufact...Its a Nice Surprise.. And Maybe We ALL don't know everthing about Everything.. But a Milky Dipstick in my Jeep or Malibu is a HUGE cause for Concern and not Something Im and ANYONE I KNOW is acustomed to seeing..Including 3 mechanics and a man Whos Brother owns a Rotary Performance shop in AZ.. So for the 4 minutes it took me to Drive to the Dealer and 3 minutes it took them to set me at Ezzz.. Im Thrilled with this Car.. And AMAZED by its Following..

 

No, the warranty starts when your vehicle was FIRST purchased(by the very FIRST owner). I have an 05. It was first purchased in Oct of 2005, so my 8 yr 100k warranty will expire in Oct 2013, or when I reach 100k miles on the car, whichever comes first.

 

It still proves that you didn't do much research at all.

A) No, the factory warranty starts from the first date for first purchase. Doesn't matter how frequently it is resold or how many engines it has replaced, it still counting down from the same point.

B) All factory warranties are transferable from owner to owner on every vehicle sold in the US. Including Jeep. It is AFTERMARKET warranties that usually do not transfer.

C) not sure what drives your comment: "Must be the AGE bracket of Children who's Parents Bought them this type of Car!!!!"? Are you saying that the car has a warranty because of how parents sometimes purchase the car for their kids? Are you saying that my parents purchased it for me? (untrue, I bought at 27, and paid it off in 3.5 years) The comment just doesn't make any sense

D) The milky dipstick is something that is common to the rotary engine. Not piston engines. Just like I wouldn't expect you to "be accustomed" to not having pistons in the engine, but you can discover through a bit of research.

E) What is up with all of the capitalization changes? It makes your posts very hard to read.