Hi y'all,

I was most fortunate enough today to meet up with rxeighter whilst in the US for work. rxeighter brought his wife and family with him, about 45mins drive, and we met and enjoyed a movie together.

We are both glad we met, and were both a little aprehensive about it at first - orghanising to meet a stranger, a foreigner at that.

Some pics:




Rxeighter offered me a drive. Well, how could I refuse, after driving around for nearly a week in a POS.

Impressions - Well I would have to say it seemed to be much the same performance wise as the Aussie spec "hi-power" 6 speeds. It was only a 10 minute drive it that, but enough to hit the red-line in second a couple of times. It is very difficult to tell SOTP-wise, but I couldn't tell any real difference. I guess these cars are all the same (between here and the US), with some possible changes to the ECU. The exhaust note was the same, and the beeper was just as quiet as I am used to.

The handling/ride seemed the same to me, as did the feel of the EPS. I guess they are all the same spec.

The US cars don't have the Climate Control like what is std on the Aussie models. But then again - we don't get 2 oil coolers.

The car had the full black interior - which is the only combo available on the Blue. It suits my tastes better, but that is just me. Of course the indicators/wipers were revesed on the column, althought the park brake is still on the RHS of the backbone/console. Slightly more footroom next to the trans tunnel, as the exhaust headers are not in the way, but I found it difficult to heel and toe as well as I can do in my own car.

On the exterior, the only real visible difference is the orange indicator lenses up front. Rxeighter's car had a sun-roof which looked cool, but I did notice the reduction in head room. He also had a "invisible" bonnet protector, and similar for the headlights.

Under the bonnet, the only noticable difference was the Brake/clutch master cylinder and washer bottle were swapped sides - for obvious reasons. Plus it didn't have the extra protective grills like a few select aussie cars now have.

The movie was good, but I kept recollecting the drive of the Winning Blue RX8 GT in LHD. I would have easy been able to spend some more time getting to know rxeighter and his family.

Thanks guys! I wish we had more time to chat.

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Interesting views. Lucky boy getting a drive of a US spec RX-8.

Did you know that despite it still being 2003, they call there cars a 2004 model. Go figure that . Putting that one down to old fashioned American hype..

At least the Aussie/Jap etc 2003 models go until the end of 2003..... (gotta love that practicality)

Never spotted the sunroof option on the Aussie list. Thats a welcome option & it looks similar to the FD RX-7 (92-02) design.

Would like to learn about the JAP spec Rx-8 wit the 184kW engine option

 

HYMEE

That is a long post for you are you tryng to become a ++DEZ
maybe you should try to catch up with canzoomer and put your name down for his stage 1 mod .

Have a safe journey back .

michael

PS did you notice my advice to pepe & timbo re placing the screws back to front avoiding the need to paint screw heads.on the grill , obviously common sense is not a compulsary subject at IT school .

 

My family & I certainly enjoyed our time getting to know Hymee. His passion for the RX-8 is obvious, and I certainly wanted him to test drive a US spec car for comparision's sake.

I personally have never met a person from down under that was not top notch, and Hymee was no exception. By the way Hymee, you are going to let me drive your RHD RX-8 if we come visit?

That might be just enough reason to take a trip to Oz

 

rxeightr

Definately - so when are you coming

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Old fashioned is right - that's been the way in North America for more than 40 years. Where have you been?!

The new model year vehicles are traditionally introduced in fall of the prior year, eg. 2004 models from every manufacturer are on sale right now. The legislation governing this is that a stated model year must be sold in part of the calendar year for which it's designated, and can not be sold over more than one Jan 1 date. Theoretically, a company could put their 2004 model year vehicle on sale in Feb 2004, and continue to sell it until Dec 2005, but who wants to buy a new 2004 in 2005? The way it often works is that a manufacturer will hold an eary introduction of a new model in spring, effectively introducing it 4 or 5 months ahead of the other new model year vehicles. Theoretically/legally, one could introduce a new 2004 model in January 2, 2004, and sell it for 23.9 months until Dec 31, 2005. Such early introductions aren't unheard of - in the US, the Mazda6 went on sale in Nov 2002 as a 2003 model (actually a late introduction), but in Canada, Mazda held it back until January 2003, and indeed put it on sale as a 2004 model!

Regards,
Gordon

 

Actually Gordon, in both your examples the car in question would be a 2005 model. The model year is the year of the January 1 that it spans. So a car that's on sale from 2/04 until 12/05 is a 2005 model since it spans 1/1/05.

See this post for more detail.

 

hehehe - we have been in that place called the rest of the world that does actually exist outside of the US of A.

I meant to check rxeightr's plate yesterday - in Austalia it is simple - the number on the compliance/factory plate is THE year number.

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Whoops, sorry! In my first theoretical example, you're right. In the second, I mis-typed - I meant to describe a 2004 model being sold from Jan 2003 to Dec 2004.

Regards,
Gordon

 

In Australia we tend to use the model code to define the "model" rather than the year. It is possible to go past more than 1 1st Jan with the one model. Somtimes the local manufacturers use "Series II" designation if there have been some significant enough running & cosmetic changes applied to the vehicle.

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

No aware of any State in the U.S. that use their plates in such a fashion.

 

Let me guess - because the fluids go around the car the other direction?
:D

 

Can ya take a photo of the build plate under the bonnet for us?

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

I don't believe there is one. If my memory serves me correctly, you're referring to the ADR compliance plate; since American cars don't comply to Australian Design Rules, there's no call for the plate over here. :p

 

Yep, I know what you mean Eccels. As I can't go and check under my bonnet at the moment... But I thought there was 2 plates - one the fitted in Japan, and one here. They certainly did have that on my previous Mazda's, but that could have easily changed. Surely there is some for of build plate on every car made? Even the Briggs and Stratton on the mower has one!

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Like eccles mentioned, I don't see a plate under the bonnet.

 

Although I bought my 2000 Dodge Neon in Dec. 1999, they had indeed been on sale since January of that year, as a 2000 model year. I think they wanted to be the first new 2000 model year car released, but I imagine that could royally screw up the sales figures when you try to compare one year's sales to another... well, model years anyway.

No matter now, the Neon is gone, the 8 is here. :D BIG improvement.

 

Understood - it must all just trace back to the VIN then.

 

Umm,.............................. Australia

Despite the USA market getting a year ahead of the rest of the world all the time. A good way to determine the REAL year model is to check the seat belt tags as they are manufactured & fitted within weeks making the year stamp quite accurate.

When we imported a Jap-spec RX-7 or Cosmo, we checked the belt tags straight away to ensure a 95 model etc was actually a 95 model.

Can go on more but its getting off the original topic..... Sorry

 

In North America these are usually on the drivers side door pillar, visible when you open the door.
We also have the V.I.N. ( Vehicle Identification Number) or serial number on the dash, in front of the driver, at the very edge where it meets the windshield.

 

The VIN is also stamped on the firewall, just above the engine.

 

If the RX-8 is anything like the Miata, the VIN is also stamped into several other components, and on sticky labels on many body panels.