I got this letter back today, which matches with my update yesterday (phone) from my usual person I had talked to the first time. I have now received four emails matching this date, plus a phone call also matching this info.


Hi Tiffany!

Thank you for contacting Mazda North American Operations. I appreciate
the opportunity to respond to you.

In regards to your inquiry, the 2006 Mazda RX-8 is estimated to be
available in January. However, please keep in mind this is only an
estimated time. The actual vehicle availability may vary from region to
region.

We hope to have it available as soon as possible.

I hope this information will be helpful. Please let me know if you have
any additional questions.

Zoom-Zoom!

Please take a moment to give us your opinion about our e-mail service.
Click or paste the link below to complete a brief, online survey.

http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB2248X8B2CGH

Regards,

Charlie Kim
Specialist, Customer Assistance E-Business



The person I talked to on the phone said they are shipping out of Japan at the end of the week, at least 500 of them!!!!! West Coast expected to have them first, and so on working their way east. ETA at dealers is between 3-6 weeks.

 

The "zoom-zoom" thing is getting really old and annoying IMO. I wish they would stop putting that in all their corporate responses.

Good to know that we will be seeing the '06's here shortly (next few months).

 

My dealership told me a plant in Hiroshima burned down and thus the 2006 models were going to be late going out, maybe until April-May.... Was he just bs'ing me or what?

 

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

thats a new one

 

News to me. The only delay I knew of was a parts availability problem with another vehicle built at the plant that pushed the schedule back some.

 

Been searching the internet since he told me and havnt found anything to confirm it... Hopefully he was just talking crap to try to convince me to buy an '05?

 

not really new... last year, at this time of the year, the ujina plant in hiroshima caught fire and delay production for a while (8,000 vehicle delay, i think)

 

I thought it was longer ago than that.

 

hahahaha

 

Article dated 12/14/2004:

"Fire Erupts At Mazda Motor Plant In Japan
............

Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) -- A fire broke out at a Mazda Motor Corp. plant in western Japan, the local fire department said Wednesday. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Television footage showed flames leaping high into the night sky above the Ujina plant in Hiroshima, where the automaker is headquartered. The fire department dispatched 21 trucks and two ambulances to the scene.

Authorities received a call at 11:00 p.m. (1400 GMT) reporting flames in a part of the facility where vehicles are painted and finished, a Hiroshima fire department official said on condition of anonymity.

Firefighters still hadn't extinguished the blaze more than an hour later because of gas wafting out of the factory, the official said.

The cause and extent of the fire were not immediately clear."

 

The fire caused some backlog, but apparently an abruptly scheduled run of other mazdas sharing that line pushed the 8 back as well.

 

See the sticky above on the 2006 for a complete explanation. In essence, 2006 delayed till March or so because the plant was busy with other stuff that actually sells. U.S. dealers still have plenty of 2005s, so they're in no hurry to get the 2006 here. Unlike, say, the CX-7.

The plant fire resulted in a few months without production of 2005s, but apparently dealers didn't need them anyway. Seems RX-8 buyers are a rare breed and/or the rest of the world just doesn't have a clue about the car. Great handling, good ride quality, usable rear seat, very reasonable price--but very little interest.

 

patience is a virtue. it will be here sooner or later.

 

and then gone forever