Hi Folks, I did my usual weekly stop by and drool at the local Mazda dealership. They had a new black RX-8 on the lot. It had the appearance package and for the first time ever, I saw an orange sticker on the drivers side window which read something like "use caution when unloading -- low ground clearance. sticker only to be removed by owner". Now, I've looked at many RX-8s with the appearance package (I LIKE IT!) and this was the first time I've even seen this sticker. So naturally now I'm wondering about the "daily driver practicality" of the front air dam that comes with the appearance package. So, has anyone with this front air dam had real problems with ground clearance during their daily drives? Thanks, Rich

 

Not me .... i'm fine

 

Hey Rich, Welcome to the forums!

I've never had a problem with my AP equipped RX-8 and scraping. The suspension is stiff enough that there's no 'body bounce' as you go over driveways and speed bumps, like you see in poorly-lowered hondas. People riding in my car ALWAYS think i'm gonna scrape on stuff and I never do. My friend drives a lowered honda and always grabs the door when I approach a driveway or speed bump, thinking i'm going to slam on the brakes to slow down enough to make it, but I never have to. The RX-8 goes over everything with ease.

The only word of caution is if you're car is ever towed, request a flat-bed as directed by Mazda, and the owner's manual i believe. The rear of the car comes extremely close (within in 2 inches) to the ground when towed with a regular tow-truck.

 

Thanks, Thats the kind of feedback I'm looking for. I'm getting one of these awesome cars because its probably the best ever combination of sporty and practical for someone like me with a couple of kids. I see way too many people with cars (my God and dually trucks too!) so low they can't even pull into a Taco Bell without some major driving shenanigans. A cool look is great, but not to the point that it becomes impractical. Thanks for the responses...it looks like the Appearance package stays on my list! :D Rich

 

There's a good amount of clearance as others noted above, though you do need to look out for the nose when parking straight on to a curb.

 

yeah its not as low as it looks, but watch out fordips followed by inclines, i got a slight scrape along the bottom from one of these

 

you just need to watch out for the front mud gaurd ... that runs a bit lower then the air dam.

as you can see in the picture

 

Should be noted that the front mud guard IS NOT part of the appearance package.

 

I just order my RX-8 with the AP (picking it up tommorrow!). I noticed the sticker too. That sticker is not so much for the benefit of the consumer, as it is for the guys that load/unload the cars on the car carriers. The main reason it's there is because although the front airdam isn't much lower, it does stick out further to the front than the standard design. So they are advicing the carrier loaders to pay attention to the ramp angles. You have to use a lower ramp angle so that the ramp contacts the tire before it contacts the airdam.

 

Stangmatt66, Thanks for answering the question before I had a change to ask it! Rich

 

I measured the difference when I picked my car up, and the appearance package only lowered it by half an inch. Not really enought to notice. But yes, you have to be careful parking sometimes. I managed to scrape mine for the first time on a curb about a month ago. Nothing that a quick touch up with the paint couldn't handle, but I felt terrible.

 

Thanks folks, I'm convinced that I was worrying about a problem that doesn't exist more than I already have to deal with. This forum is great. Thanks, rich

 

I have the AP with Eibach Pro springs and have no problem except I have to be carefull not to pull to far forward with parking where there is a concrete stop.

 

Partly depends on what part of the country you live in. In FL, many roads are designed with drainage channels (Miami curbs) next to the curbs. If you make a left hand turn straight into a driveway, you can make contact because your tires are sitting in a channel as the front is reaching the incline of the drive.

Always be careful front parking. Most curbs and parking lot stops are higher than the spoiler. Thankfully the car is short enough that you don't have to pull all the way into a space, just hang back a bit and everything will be ok.

 

if you look at the 8 carefully you can see that the wheel is very close to the front end compared to most low cars.. .that helps alot

 

my car originally didn't have the ap package on and i put on the front air dam and rear parts myself. As everyone mentioned, the ap package only lowers the ground clearance by 1/4-1/2".

...now my mazdaspeed sideskirt are a different story

 

As noted, you need to use extreme caution when parking the 8 head-on toward a curb or concrete barrier, but that's true without the AP too. The good news is that the car is short, so there's no need to pull all the way up.

 

I have mine lowered with eibach springs and the replica ms kit and my car still has clearance

 

I've been thinking about getting the AP as the more I see it, the more I wish I had gotten it when I bought my 8. However, I was recently at a restaurant (Outback steakhouse) and I was pulling into a parking space where I was looking at the car next to me as a gauge as far as how far I could pull up. All of a sudden, I felt my tire hit the concrete curb and I nearly came out of my skin. If i had the front air dam that came with the AP, it would have been toast for sure. Now do I still want it? Probably. Just need to be more careful I guess.

 

Yeah you definitely need to be very conscious when parking the 8, especially with the AP. I've had mine for a month and still getting used to the dimensions. Not a single problem yet though