Word of Mouth can be a very powerful tool for Marketing and advertising. I am not too concerned about the success of this car. I have only seen/read/heard positive reviews of the car thus far - all conducted with pre-production cars.

I distinctly remember one reviewer (autocar perhaps) stating his initial concern regarding power before his test window, then very clearly admitted that his concerns were unfounded. He went to great lengths to praise the power delivery, handling and comfort.

I think we need to stop focusing on what this car doesn't have - Auto climate control, 6 disc in dash changer, no white for US, needs more torque, etc...WAHHHHH stop the crying already.
Mazda will sell as many as they can make. Those who buy something different, wanted something different - so be it. Those who actually get the RX-8, I'm sure they will enjoy it immensly. It's the overall package that will make this car a winner - a combination of power, handling, styling, utility, and engineering.

 

I'd have to agree with this thread that the appeal of the RX-8 lies in the broad demographic it's trying to reach...if you read the book, it's states:

"The question remains: Which cars are competitors? The answer is: The RX-8 does not have competitors. It is unique. Not only for its rotary engine, but also because of its attractively styles package."
- Page 36

the RX-8 is basically trying to be everything all at once, and reaching that happy medium would be impossible without compromises...the RX-8 falls short in almost every category; as a sports car, it can't beat a 350Z or an STi...in terms of luxury, it can't beat a BMW 3-series...BUT it never falls short by much...to be able to seat 4 people comfortably AND get 0-60 times in under 6 seconds all the while pricing it well under $30,000 is an engineering masterpiece, not to mention being the only mass produced car on the market with the brand new Renesis rotary engine...

yes, this car is trying to appeal to the sports car driver, the family man, the daily driver, the luxury car owner, the riceboy, the gadget freak, and the next door neighbor car junky...if you belong to two or more of these categories, then you're good to go...if you belong to only one of these camps, you may want to look elsewhere

 

egineering masterpiecel is right! i was, last night, reading through the mazda "walkaround" paper that was posted the other day. look at some of the measurements given in the comparison tables. it's only like 10 inces longer in wheel base and overall length than the s2000 but somehow they gave the rx8 usable back seats and a nice size trunk. it's almost 10 inches shorter overall than the 3 series but has only 1 inch less leg room in the back but has more headroom and hip room. the turning circle is also smaller than the s2000 even though the 8 has a longer wheel base. read through those comparison stats thoroughly and you will be amazed.

 

This is the most sense I have heard lately on this board. Thanks for making me realize more reasons I really want the RX-8 !

I fit 5 of the 7.

 

I couldn't agree more. Like rxeightr I fit 5 of the 7. This car is made for me!
Great job, Mazda.