Just came back from the Rev-It-Up event in Atlanta, which started with the VIP day yesterday (Friday).

First things first -- Two pre-production RX-8's were there. A Winning Blue (my color choice) was left open outside, and a Mica Red w/ sunroof was left open under a tent. The car looks great in person, as this was my first time to actually see, feel & smell any RX-8.

There was little to disappointment. Car is just the right length, and there is just enough room for my 6-foot frame to comfortably be in the driver's seat, and for me to then slide into the seat behind. Tight fit, yes. Long trips, not without some timely stops to stretch, as there is little wiggle room for (2) 6-footers front-to-back.

I spent as much as I wanted with both vehicles, as the VIP event was not crowded. For any of you going to a Rev-It-Up event, I strongly suggest you get with your dealer & have them register you for the VIP Friday, as they are averaging 800 people at these things on Saturday, with similar numbers on Sunday.

Here are some other observations:
Head Room
I had 2-1/2" of head room in the non-moonroof, versus ~ 1-1/8" in the moonroof version. Since I pre-ordered a GT w/ moonroof, I found I could easily compensate by adjusting the seatback angle slightly. Again, tight headroom but suitable. One thing that did bug me -- from a safety standpoint, was the placement of the top door piller on my high temple area in the event of a side impact. It also would allow your neck to bend a good amount before your shoulders would contact the window glass. I trust the side airbag would compensate for this.

Sounds
The horn sounds like standard american auto horn -- not to be confused with the "meep" sound of hondas. They started the engine and revved it. From in the cabin, very quiet. That was surprising to me, as I thought the closer engine placement would be more noticeable. From the front, motor bay is again, very quiet. Amazing how smooth the engine ran (no shaky shaky). From the back, a muffled whine can be heard at higher RPM's, but mostly quiet like most standard production cars. The radio sounded very good, although there was no clear indication it was THE bose system.

Now onto Mr. Andretti. I found out he had the most drive time experience of anyone there, so I tracked him down to get his impression of the RX-8, compared to other rides he had driven. Adam Andretti (cousin to Michael & nephew to Mario), has been a trainer with some of the top Driving Schools in the USA. So I took what he had to say seriously. Time with him was limited, although these are the highlights of his observations with the RX-8. Between 2 - 4K RPM, it is a dog, and begs for a small supercharger. When I asked about handling, his eyes lit up, and got a big smile on his face & said, superb - very nimble. When he found out I had pre-ordered, he said I would not regret owning such a fine automobile.

Oh, the Mazda folks making the circuit with this event, all of them I asked, stated mid-July as the anticipated delivery date for the first RX-8's to hit the States.

 

Thanks for the update. As for the sound system, the way to tell if it was Bose or not is to look on the dash for a center spkr or to look at the tweeders near the side mirrors.

Wow July... Hope it comes in earlier than that or everyone here will go nuts :D .

 

You can hope guys but, UK delivery has now been moved to SEPTEMBER from JULY so a 2 month delay!!

Doesn't look good at this stage.

Cheers
Oilman

PS. Thanks for the info rxeightr

 

I was at the Atlanta Rev it Up Sat- anyone who hasnt gone- check it out in a city near you- lots of fun.

It appears the RX8s there had the Bose- at least the Blue one had the center front speaker and side tweeters.

However, I did notice the Red one did NOT have the mirror lights (for puddles or whatever). Since this was preproduction, not sure if production will actually have them. JSG or East Moon- do your cars have the outside mirror lights (down facing)?

This was my second time to see the RX8- saw it at the car show in Atlanta a month or so ago. Those who havent seen it in person, it is much more impressive than any picture shows- especially from the front. It really does have an aggressive, Italian design to it...

 

At least for the U.S. these are called "Night Lights" and will be a dealer option, at least according to the new brochure...

 

I went to the Rev-it-up event on Sunday. It was a lot of fun. I saw the RX-8 for the first time and was very happy with the whole package. I am 6 foot and I adjusted the driver’s seat to where I would have placed it for normal driving and I fit in the back just fine. Although I agree that it wouldn't be that comfortable for long drives, but then again, most cars aren't that comfortable in the backseat anyway. Although I do have to say that the bucket seats in the back are incredibly comfortable.

We had a monsoon drop out of nowhere on Sunday and it actually blew the ESPN tent over which then knocked a very high light post top off which came crashing to the ground. Luckily no one was hurt. It was crazy though! We actually got to continue the event in the rain, which made for a lot of fun!

 

The "night light" option, according to my dealer, are lights in the footwells for the driver/passenger, not "puddle lights" for the mirrors.

 

Yes, that's correct and has become clear since my post, sorry about that.