75 More Hp and an i-pod dock....ah to dream!

 

OMG you guys are hilarious. Hmm maybe i should wait til the 06 comes out before I trade it in.

 

I spoke to Mazda (corporate) back in April 2005 several times and asked specifically what changes Mazda has planned for the RX8 2006 model year and whether I should wait- namely because I had already put a deposit down on the special order 2005 RX8, which i just received last weekend btw.

They said that it's only the 3rd model year and as far as everyone at Mazda support knows, there have been no announcements internally (or otherwise) re: major changes to the RX8 product line. So, (un-officially) they said don't expect any major changes- period. They also said based on past experience, if there are any changes, it would be modifications to the color & options available.

Based on my personal experience, I put a lot more weight in what Mazda (corporate) has told me vs. what the dealerships have said. The dealerships don't always give accurate info because (1) they don't know or (2) they want to move existing inventory and so they lie.

Two local dealerships told me back in Feburary 2005 the Shinka wouldn't be around until late summer 2005, which as we all know now was a big fat lie. In fact, I called Mazda (corporate) to verify this info and they (Mazda) said that is total BS and Sinka's are already at port and would be delivered to So. Cal delearhips & available in two weeks.

AND, in two weeks those same lying dealerships called me back to say that the Shinka's showed up.

Go figure...

Detrich =P

 

might as well karyl, no difference between 04 and 05 and you lose tons of $$$ doing the trade now :o

 

I'll tell you what I would LIKE to see-

some new interior colors for the cloth version- some contrasting inserts on the seating area (like my MP3) and the doors- would be nice. It's awfully DARK inside of an RX-8 if you don't get a colored leather interior.

I would drop the Chapparal leather color too- it looks like a mistake. Brown leather shoes on a tuxedo dont cut it.

Mount the &^%$#$@ front license plate in a way that doesn't compromise the looks. For a car whose home market requires a US style front plate (thank you General MacArthur) I can't understand for the life of me why they didnt come up with a better solution than putting a protruding square object on a protruding, somewhat rounded grille. Dumb! And completely unneccessary.

Some brighter accents on the dash would be nice too, although I know those are optional. The steering wheel off the new Miata would be great, as the current one looks like it came off the shelf- which it did.

Stop making people spend $4000 to get a power seat.

All that could be done at little expense and with no retooling needed.

Stage II needs:

Continue tweaking the thing to up the mileage, or add some more capacity to the fuel tank.

Punch up the low end of the torque curve if possible.

Expand glass area (without compromising safety) to aid visibility, like the back door windows and rear glass.

Front valence needs complete redesign. Suggest changing grille opening to something more Cobra like with an oval shape.

 

[QUOTE=MP3Guy]

I would drop the Chapparal leather color too- it looks like a mistake. Brown leather shoes on a tuxedo dont cut it.

the chapparal is the NICEST leather option they have... especially for a black 8

 

The Chapparal leather looks good in the TiGrey also! But that's just an opinion and everyone knows the old saying about opinions...

 

I like the chaparral look on the black, grey and green....

 

Hello, I have been lurking here for awhile, as I am currently in the market for a new ride, and the RX-8 is on my list.

I almost pulled the trigger on one last week, but got cold feet at the last second because of concerns with reliability.

Anyways, this thread caught my attention because I had recently had a conversation with a friend of mine in the automotive journalism industry about this very subject.

The whispers from Japan are that Mazda is tinkering with a 1.6L version of the RENESIS motor. The motor will come in two flavors, an NA version in the neighborhood of 300hp, and a supercharged version with quite a bit more.

The new motor may not see the RX-8, however. Mazda has designs for a 2-door coupe, and/or a two-seater convertable that will more than likely wear the RX-7 badge and sport the 1.6L RENESIS if it comes to be, but not until 07 or 08.

As for the 06 RX-8, a new automatic version, an HP boost, and two new exterior colors, including a two-tone. If nothing else comes of the 1.6L RENESIS, the supercharger will almost definetly make it to market as a late '06 special edition RX-8

Thats the rumor.

Cheers,
kory

 

I think chaparal looks really beautiful on black and TiGray

 

yep 1.6L

 

A thick C pillar doth not a coupe make, and the reason why it is so thick is to compensate for the lack of any bracing between the doors. It was NOT a styling option, it was done to make the car safer in rollovers.

 

Well...since people brought out the "wish list", I'll add my .02

I think we need a better tranny in the 8 (6spd & auto). The cruising speed of 75mph on the highway produces too high of an rpm. I've heard consistent reports from 8 owners that driving in 6th gear at 55mph can produce slightly more than 29mpg so I think it would be a GREAT idea to stick a new tranny in the 8.

(Just ask Chevy how a 400HP V8 can get 27mpg in the highway...that sweeeetttt 6th gear)

I also would rather see a bigger Rotary than a Turbo or SC. Give us a 1.6L & 300HP without FI and the 8 would no longer have competition in it's price range. 300HP at 3100lbs and over 200 feet of torque and the mag's will have no choice but to name the 8 the king of the 25-35K sports car field.

I also would love a TAN interior in my black 8 (no...not just leather, for cloth too) along with a Tan dash mixed with the black & silver.

As stated above, add a better tranny with lower highway rpm and the 8 has a chance to hit 20/30mpg. I say that because right now in the city (over the life of my car) I'm averaging slightly over 19mpg in mainly city driving so 20/30 is possible....at least 20/26...

The 8 has so much more potential and I hope Mazda sticks with it. I hope they invest more into the rotary (which I thank them for doing throughout their history). Can you imagine a rotary in every version of car they sell? Can you imagine a hybrid rotary (electric & gas) car?

I think someone should email them about the RanCAM rotary (a round rotary engine) and maybe they can invest in that company. They have a rotary engine prototype that makes 42HP out of an engine that can be held in your hand. Cool stuff...

OK...I'm done dreaming...

 

Again with the speculation and confusion just like in last week's 2006 RX-8 thread. Lets see how long till this one is closed too.

 

If you consider the cruising RPM as a percentage of the total range, it's really not that high. I understand that your point is better fuel economy though, and that would be nice. But I'm not sure a different gear ratio is the answer. 6th is lethargic enough. Any decent automotive engineer will tell you that designing vehicle is a matter of compromise. I'm sure the Mazda engineers did their homework and gave us what they thought was the best mix of performance, drivability and fuel economy they could offer at the time within their constraints. We can dream though...

 

I wish the mods would stop closing these threads tho--I don't see the harm in bouncing around ideas. I was when they closed one similar in which a decent discussion was taking place.

 

^ I agree Dre...sometimes it seems that there's way too much thread-closing going on...sorry mods, just my opinion

 

i close them when there are concurrent discussion going on in multiple threads. or if another "active" one is still ont he first page of posts. i also try to merge merge them but people get confused and get annoyed at that. i try folks i really do. what annoys me is when i close a thread and then a foum member goes to a different thread he doesnt like and posts "why was the otehr thread closed when this one is still open and it sucks?"

 

I have read these boards for a few weeks because I am getting ready to by an 8 - probably a Shinka this weekend. Anyway, I was thinking of waiting for the '06 model in case something significant was being changed/added. I emailed a sales person at Mazda corporate and he told me there would be "no engine or structural changes" in the '06. He left open the possibility of a new color(s).

Take it for what is worth.

 

What I've heard (Gord96BRG reported it first, I believe) is that the auto will get a new transmission able to handle 9000 rpm and will, therefore, be equal power to the manual. Also, I believe there is an SMG tranny coming out.

As far as my own speculation goes, they'll probably have another special edition come out. With the Miata, they had a "special" edition pretty much every year.

~ Matt

 

I called Mazda NA today and the rep I spoke to said there's still no info whatsoever on upcoming 2006 RX-8 changes. In fact they haven't even heard much about the 2006 Mazdaspeed 6 yet or the 2006 MX-5 Miata either..except for what's already been made available online.

I think white RX-8s were showing up on dealer lots by July or August 2004 and we had already known all about them by the end of May 2004.

It's June 2005 already and still no press release from Mazda about their upcoming 2006 lineup. I guess they're going to release everything in Fall this year like most dealerships do.

Still looks like it'll be a while before we know what, if anything, is being changed for 2006 RX-8s.

 

That rep was BS'ing you with respect to the 06 MX-5. Dealers have info on all the equipment packages, options, and full specifications (stuff that isn't on the Mazda web sites yet), and some dealers have posted that info on www.miata.net forums. The ONLY thing unknown about the '06 MX-5 at this point is the pricing. Aside from actually having a car on the lot, you couldn't get any more information! To claim "they haven't heard much about the 2006 MX-5 yet" is ridiculous.

Someone in Mazda knows the details about the '06 RX-8, since it starts production later this month! However, I'd believe the "no engine or structural changes" line, since (along with colours) it leaves open the very likely new transmission choice (At this stage, I wouldn't expect a 6 spd SMG choice - that will probably now wait for the Mazdaspeed RX-8. I would expect the 6 speed auto behind the Hi Power engine).

Regards,
Gordon

 

They will solve the MPG problems with a larger gas tank.

 

You got that right! The car has already appeared in all the magazines, and I saw a production car at the New York Auto show.

If I were in the market for a two seater, this is one hell of a nice car. Beautifully executed right down to the last detail.

Back to the RX-8, I hope some new colors appear- and I also hope this is the year I can get one- there's always something in the way.

 

I still don't see the RX-8 getting an SMG.

The RX-8 was supposedly going to get one that the MX-5 was rumoured to get -- yet the MX-5 didn't get one and no official mention (that I've ever seen) has said anything about it ever getting one.

Off the top of my head, in the entire Ford Motor Company the only SMG in the parts-bin is a VERY high-priced one used by Aston Martin. No SMGs in Volvo or Jaguars which are much more likely to be investing in one than Mazda is. Without one in the parts-bin, I don't see Mazda getting one. Maybe, maybe for a MazdaSpeed variant that they can purchase from someone in very limited numbers, but I don't see one on the major lineup for years to come.