I have read that thread and I agree. There is just something off with the pedal/seat/wheel placement for some people. That why I think the car needs either adjustable pedals or a telescoping steering wheel. I told Mazda but they don't listen to me. Did give me a $50 coupon for service for my feedback.

 

Your killing me! I paid $1,500 over sticker for my pre-order.

No regrets, but its tough when the deals on 8s get better & better over time.

 

Yes if you wait you will get the deals. The cash back Mazda was offering in March is the difference in depreciation on the car. The car was built in 9/2003 so it basically 1.5 years old. Still I got a new car for the price of used Rx8s being sold with around 20k miles at CarMax. I don't care how much it depreciated when I drove it off the lot. This car's a keeper!

 

She hasn't approched me yet with any request. I'm sure when she does it will be costly! By the way I like your Avatar! Is that you? Ha.

 

Did we run out of boomers? No posts in a week?! Anyway this is a really great thread. It just shows that it someone makes a great car... no telling who will come to buy it!

I ordered my 8 waaay back in Jan 2001 - and had to wait til Jul 2003 to get it!. So saying I pre-ordered is no small exaggeration! I blame jumping the gun on my long gone, but always loved frummpy little orange RX-2 4-dr sedan I once owned when I was actually young. Well, at 56, and having had my shiny red 8 now for 21 glorious months, I must say it has certainly become my new hobby, as well as my youth elixir. So far the 8 has taken over one of my garage bays, lots of odd days, nights, and weekends, and a considerable chunk of change with no end in sight, thankfully.

The hardest thing is driving it in all the traffic around here. If you would consider your 8 your date, driving in traffic with 'ordinary' cars is like taking a race horse out in the kiddy coral. Slow, frustrating, and only gives me time to daydream about my last track session.

 

To justify your purchase and keep her happy, her purchase will need to be somewhere between equal and double of what you paid.

My wife swears it's me and it does look like me so...maybe.

 

I got mine and my first tattoo within 3 days of each other last June. I'm 53. Does that qualify as a "crisis?" My wife & daughters think so, but the daughters have no qualms about driving it every once in a while!

 

Great thread ! I'm 40, married with no kids. We needed a new car. I wanted a sporty car but it still had to be reasonably practical (I play net in hockey and the car needed to be able to hold the equipment). The night before my 40th b'day, my wife and I were at dinner. That's when I told her I made my decision on the car. In the weeks approaching that night I had pretty much resigned myself to the Acura RSX (even though both of us didn't like the looks of it). But that night I just said wtf, I want the RX-8. I couldn't sleep that night because I had a hunch that my wife had organized a golf outing the next day. I knew my brother would be there ... why's that important ? Because he started selling Mazda's just a few weeks earlier. Zoom Zoom !

 

Well , this may be an ancient thread, but just in case there are any "geezers" (40+) out there contemplating purchasig an '8 and trying to figure out how to sell this idea to the "significant other", maybe reading thru this thread will help. IT SURE DID FOR ME!

I've now had my '8 for almost a year and couldn't be happier with it! As others have said on this site, every week day morning I get up to go to work at 4:45am, and after groaning to myself about the early hour, one of the first things I think is " I get to drive the '8 to work!" And then I'm off and running!

If you have any questions about any of the issues brought up during the original thread, let me know.

For those of you who really enjoy the thrill of driving, this car is a fantastic!

Zoom, Zoom

 

I'm 18, and if I saw a 55 year old driving an RX-8 - my brain would automatically anticipate that this 55 year old man is most likely the coolest cat in the world.

 

For the record, as a person of over 40 (43, to be precise), I do not consider myself a geezer.

 

44 here and mine was an easy sell, she said I had to have 4 seat. I was also putting in some long hours at the office with a lot of stress so she felt this was a well earned reward. Best stress reliever I could have bought.

 

I'm 55, Me and my wife always loved sportcars especially the rx7's. I've owned two in the 80's. After heartfailure I said "hell life's too short I want another sportscar". My wife agreed full heartedly out of love for me and after seeing and driving the 8. I also drive a 00' 626 so know Mazda makes a quality car. The 8 has healing effects on me everytime I drive it. She uses it for work and I use it to joyride. I chose it over a Harley.

 

I'm 57 and am something of a car nut. Fortunately, I have done well enough to indulge my love of cars without going broke. Over the years I have owned Fords, Chevys, Nissans, Toyotas, Lincolns, Acuras, Pontiacs, Oldsmobile, Dodge, Mitsubishi and Mazdas. I get practical and buy a sedan and then after awhile, I can't stand it anymore and get another sports car. My favorite cars have been, Dodge Stealth, Ford Probe GT (turbo), Miata and Rx8. I just sold my Acura to get another RX8 (sold the first one due to poor air conditioning that they couldn't seem to fix). Just love the car and the air works fine now.

 

Krankor,
qaqItlhneS

Of course, I wouldn't consider you a "geezer", but if you have any teenagers, they or their friends may put you in that category!!

batlh bIHeghjaj

Zoom, Zoom!

 

qItlh? I find no qItlh anywhere. Did you mean qIH?
Ahh, but I have no teenagers, or children of any variety.
qatlho', batlh bIHeghjaj je SoH! 'ach RX-8-Daq yIHeghQo'!! {{;-)
Ahh, a language we can all understand.

 

Thought I'd put my 2 cents in here too. After hearing me praise my new RX8 over the past coupla months, my 65 y.o. dad is now considering trading his '02 Miata in for an '8 of his own. he jokes that "yeah, at 65 i'm getting a bit old for sports cars, might be time to trade *down* to a sports coupe" heheh.

but since he doesn't care for the convertible aspect of his Miata, the RX8 makes total sense, if only for the added utility. then maybe he'll end up being the senior member of this board!

-Gulaman

 

I can't believe that I haven't posted here before. I'm 49 and have had the 8 for over 1 1/2 years & 20K miles now. I started looking for a new car and as the former owner of RX7's, I think the need of getting back to a rotory swong me back to Mazda. I've had quite a few warrenty issues with this car, but Mazda has come through and taken care of them. I am quite happy with the car.

 

ok guys and girls after having several hot rods and the pain of owning them i can say we all have come a long way from my 1967 ford fairlane,1967 impala ss,h.o. 340 dodge diplomat,1969 road runner to the gas crunch 1987 f&f(fast)honda accord lxi,they all were fun to drive but as time went on as well as age i got myself a new 04 gt rx8.i have put on most all the things i wanted on it(strakes,spoiler,side flares,intake,m/sexhaust yaa sounds good that way!) still working on custom grille.but i love this car and i do not care what people say or talk about because it's for me and not them.i bought this at 48 years old and i have had my share as well as others on the gas problem and recalls but it just won't stop me from loving this car.my wife thinks i'm nuts but respects the love and the ride my college grad kids like it too!!(one drives a 06 honda pilot the other drives a 03 v-6 honda accord)they both have started there own successful lives and were happy i sold my 87 accord and got myself something more up to date so all in all everyone's happy for what we have and the time it took us all to have nice things on that note i am glad we all have come to a part in the road where it's fun to go out and drive like the good ol days that have past.. hope everyone here lives long and injoy there life with there rx8's .....see ya soon and enjoy!!!



beers!!!!

 

I am 42 and just got my 2005 Whitewater pearl Touring RX-8 a couple of weeks ago. It's been in the garage - waiting for all the salt to get off the roads. I have a 2002 Taurus I use in the winter and rainy days. Had first & third generation RX-7's and love the rotary.

I have a 89 Nissan 300ZX for sale in mint condition. Not allowed to have two sports cars said the wife. The 300ZX is beautiful - any one interested le me know.

Attached are some pictures.

My email: cotellesea@yahoo.com

 

You already answered your own question. Let her drive it! Let her go WOW! Worked for me. We're mere babies though, I'm 46, she's 44.

Mike

 

I'm 45, married with two daughters and I bought my '8 last September. One test drive and I was hooked! This is the perfect car for me. I can carry the family around and still have my sports car. I can have a ball through the twisties and still enjoy a very civilized drive. My wife's not a fan of the car but that does not bother me a bit.

 

I'm 53 and have found the RX-8 to be one of the best moves I've ever made in life. When I adopted her, I had no clue the quality of friends I that would come along with it. The car along with this forum has truly been a life changing experience. I'm a more active person looking forward to weekends or just driving to work. Our group participates all the time in events such as spectator racing events, HPDE Driving schools, Autocross, mountain runs, tuner sessions, dyno days, and other misc fun stuff. Life's great, the RX-8 rules and my baby is one year old as of last Friday. I never owned a sports car before and now I can't believe what I missed all these years.

 

I'm 58 and am having a blast with my '05 Velocity Red 8. It has put the fun back into driving.

 

baby boomer bump!!!