claude4

Well, I saw my VIN# assigned to my L.I. dealer up on mazdausa.com's site when I did a search for available cars.

So there w/b 1 new 8 roaming the streets and byways of Long Island soon enough.

Claude H.

dvarapala

I look at it this way: if I can afford to spend $35,000 on a sport car, I can certainly afford whatever the fuel cost is going to be, especially today when gasoline is cheaper (in inflation-adjusted dollars) than it has ever been.

I don't even know what kind of fuel economy my car gets, and frankly, I don't care - as long as the fuel gauge tells me when it's time to fill up so I'm not left stranded, I'm too busy enjoying my smiles per gallon to worry about how many miles per gallon I'm getting.

Of course, your mileage may vary. :D :D :D

Yhippa

Yes, all of a sudden, there were like nine in a row one day. I'm going to take a look at them later today too to see if they still have the blue ones out.

red_rx8_red_int

My dealer has at least 20 8s sitting on the lot. About 10 up front where they've always put the 8s, and at least 10 more in the middle of the lot. Saw the green for the first time tonight. It's nice. But they are selling them, someone about 15 houses down the street bought one the same color as mine and also with the appearance package and spoiler. Damn, the exclusivity is gone! LOL, I hope they enjoy theirs as much as I do mine.

Rick

That sucks! I wish the 8 well but I hope it does not turn into your average Honda. I can see it already."the 8 is like an a**hole.... everybody has one." ha ha.

mikeb

the 8 will never be as common as a honda

Ike

If Mazda has it's way the 8 will be about as common as the Z or the WRX since both og those cars sell arounf 30K a year. Thought they do have a bit of a head start.

Ike

mikeb

thats ok with me -- but not as common as a honda, camry , etccc

f1 tech

Well, it depends on which Honda. The S2000 will never be as common as the 8, they make far less, but the 8 will be less common than say a Civic or an Accord.

RobDickinson

The s2000 has been on sale for years, there are 3 in my company car part (200-300cars).

It'll take a while for the rx-8 to get close to its numbers, especualy if the UK sticks at 2000 units per year. Worldwide production is max of 60000, probably 30000 for the first year. Dont know s2000 build numbes tho - it will sell less because its less practical.

RX8-TX

If I have to be cool-headed about this: I would seriously like to see this car in the mainstream selling tons of units. Why? that would make maintenance much more reliable, and parts cheaper.

Resale value? well, if you have a car that has a very well established maintenance and parts market...it will improve. The car will never be an exotic (at least not in the next 20~25 years) so I don't care if Joe Smith buys 20 of them.

grogiefrog

I went back to a dealer last weekend and got to sit in one. What a great car! I want to wait to buy one until after my current car is paid off (in another year), and wait until after winter (so that's going to be Spring of 2005).

Plus, some people do not like to buy the first year of anything. So I do expect that the RX-8 will sell a lot more as it evolves, and as people save their pennies.

Ike

Well, I see between 1 and 5 WRXs a week (if I don't got to autox or a meet) and maybe a couple Zs. So even though 30k seems like a big number it's really not. It's about enough to exchange a wave every now and then but not nearly enough to be pulling up next to one in on the highway or at a stoplight every time you hit the roads.

Ike

BADDCOMPLEX

We still have lots of RX-8s here in Houston on the dealer's lots, I do think demand is down but its still the best looking car out there.

RX8-TX

Is demand down, or did they over-estimated the sales rate?

Just to put some perspective here:

I have some experience in production management, and the biggest dilema is 'What to do when introducing a brand new product?'

The questions that raise:
1. What chances does it have to sell?
2. How much can we expect it to sell in the first 6 months from release date?
3. If we under-produce we run the risk of losing the excitement wave and therefore losing potential customers. If we over-produce, we have to bear with initial production costs + R&D for an X period of time until sales catch up with costs.
4. And in most cases, if we over-do it, can we still sell at a profitable rate once the 'new' year arrives (that's the worst scenario for me...Im going through that, right now!!)

Tronics

I think it's a little of both cases. Mazda might have over estimated the popularity of the rotary, or the people willing and able to purchanse a 30k car with the options available. Almost everyone who wanted a RX-8 has one. IMO people who have 30k to spend on a car will spend it on a BMW, or another equally priced/equiped car. Only the rotary enthusiests will be intrested in the 8, now seeing that they now have their 8's, the rest of them are sitting on the dealer lots. I expect sales for the 8 to be realitivlily slow from here on out, without any rebates or discounts. But I'm no expert, just my opinion.

f1 tech

The dealer near me is selling them between 1800-1000 off MSRP. They have at least a dozen sitting there. I'm waiting and hoping that Mazda will have a special financing rate before I get mine.

rotary-tt

Some of us are waiting it out. I don't like 1st yr cars and every rotary I've had was one. And I don't like to take the 1st yr depreciation. I rather buy it used. Saved myself over $20k by waiting to buy my '93 RX-7. Also, some of us older folks think $30k is too much for a car. Hell I don't even want to spend $20k. I'll guess I'll just have to keep driving my 7 into the ground until the price of a used 8 comes down...

Tronics

Don't drive it into the ground! How dare you say that about a 7!!!!!!!!!

mikeb

he said that about his "twin turbo" 7 none the less

rotary-tt

It's not a low mileage show piece anymore. 91,000 miles. Drove my '86 until it had 160,000. Driving it into the ground because I'm tired of putting money into it. Just having fun with it as it is. I don't intentionally abuse it. I just try not to have it be a garage queen. Now if it was a low mileage example then I'd be more inclined to fix every little thing.

Regarding the 8, I'm hesitant about 1st yr Mazda's. Take a look at the laundry list of TSB's on a '93 RX7. Then look at the 94/95. Many, many little problems with the '93. Same with my '86 although it had less problems. Same again with the '79. I'll wait until 2005 + 1yr for the RX8 to see how reliable it is in the 2nd yr and for someone else to take the 1st yr depreciation.

Driving a rotary into the ground is how I've driven all of them. 7,000+ rpm daily. Just keep up with the maintenance and don't beat it until it's warmed up. Have fun, anything which breaks you can just buy another! That's the beauty of no car payments:D

Actually it's hard to beat the '93. You're going sideways or ballistic before you get the chance to really push it

RX8-TX

Such a beautiful comment....

Tronics

You live in Richardson? Isn't there a dealer in your town where they have **** loads of 7's for sale?

RX8-TX

I don't know their name, but I DO know that they were the first ones to buy an 8 and put it outside for display. They also have like 3 or 4 third gen. sitting outside. They are on Central Expressway between Spring Valley & Belt Line (I think..)

Why??

Diablo

I have only seen one RX8 in my area in a month. He was filling his tank. I checked out the car in the flesh and it looked pretty cool. I dont know why I dont see more. after all this is LA and a everyone drives a hot car here. I see so many 350z's it be nice to see more RX8's n the road.