All I want is an interior that doesn't rattle and a cup holder that doesn't get in the way of my shifter. Other than that, I love this car and wouldn't change a thing.

 

NO AUTO HEADLIGHTS!!!!!

climate control would be nice. 6spd Sequential Manual. cup holder that cools your drink, to match the one we have that heats your drink :p

 

New taillights....I just want a cleaner, simpler tailiight....like the Mazda 3.

 

lets see...

Auto Lights - Nice.. but so long as they have an override switch I'm happy (BTW don't the Canadian models have this? Couldn't you retrofit the US model?)

Backlight ALL switches in the car... namely the Sunroof area and rear cabin light.

No need for a cupholder myself , the 4 are fine for me, however I'd like some sort of CONVIENT storage area where I could drop my Cell PHone into as I drive, and still have it be in sight and within reach. Currently using a small "Pocket" that attaches the the driver door.. works great.

Audio Input Jack!!! Come on, just about every audiophile has an MP3 player, IpoD or some other item they'd like to be able to plug into thier stereo WITHOUT having to resort to some sort of 3rd party hack.

Trunk Open light!! OMG that would have been so handy when I drove home from the dealership and realized my trunk was not secure!

As for all the performance enhancing stuff.. sure HP , Heat and other options are nice, but all of the above are rather 'easy' to do for a 2006 model without much re-engineering. (Most of the above can be done via DIY forums btw..)

 

More adjustments for the heated seats ( at least high, medium, and low) and move the switches out of the way so my arm doesen't keep turning them on when I shift. And a standard compass. I just can't fathom why every car wouldn't have a compass in it.

 

An oil pressure guage and a real oil temperature guage.
Seats that go down 1" more.

 

hmm would be nice if the rx-8 was a flexible fuel vehicle. would mind running e85..bet it would be great with a turbo to be on that stuff:D

 

LOL :D

- More little storage areas.
- I want a cup holder I just want a re-design
- 10-4 on the mp3 player lego

 

Things I would change in order of desire

1) Better gas consumption - no brainer. Just give me the EPA estimates and I'm happy. I'm getting about 15/21 and shifting conservatively.
2) More low end grunt - it IS a bit weak on the low end power. I don't actually care that much, but it'd be nice to have and it's listed this high because it's much harder to do than the rest them so I'd like it more.
3) iPod interface - the iTrip DOESN'T cut it. I can get one installed though, but it's not exactly cheap.
4) Better Nav system DVD - Mine seems a bit outdated (some roads don't show up) and apparently it's $400 for a new dvd. Also a few of the roads seem to be labelled incorrectly.
5) Better seat warmer - I want it like it is on my parents' Honda Pilot. It roasts you whether it's warm or cold outside.
6) Better air conditioner - Mine's only cold if you put it on the last 3 ticks in the cold section.
7) Cup holders that don't warm or cool your drink - Not a big deal though since I hate having drinks in my car. In fact everytime I just put a soft drink there to bring home I've found crusted soda in it. Urgh. No more soft drinks in my car.

 

Maybe we should email these to Mazda NA.

 

SPARE TIRE! I'm still pissed off that they didn't include a spare tire in the price.
Trip computer: Would be nice to know when it's getting thirsty again.
Convertible

Oh yeah, knowledgeable mechanics.

 

-climate control system

ventilated seats- i feel this is the new trend

-dvd audio system capability ala Acura TL

-i pod capability

-everything else, fine by me.

 

Mostly repeats, but in case someone is tallying votes, lol...

1) Telescoping steering wheel: sit close enough for my arms, and my legs cramp... far enough for my legs, and I can barely reach the wheel

2) Better lighted switches: can't find the dang locks or sunroof buttons at night

3) Different trunk release button: maybe put it somewhere where I can actually SEE it (and feel it)

4) Revise climate control *****: yea, the rotary theme is cute - but I can't find the defogger/defroster buttons by feel... I have to look away from the road to find them

5) Bigger fuel tank: I don't care about the mpg so much - it's the 200-220 mile range that gets annoying

 

For sure a better heating sytem and a better cooling sytem. Throw away the Bose stereo and put a real audio system in there!

 

Escorts, we would like gorgeous escorts in our cars with $10000 spending money to take them on a date supplied by Mazda.

 

No need to email the ideas, there are many MNAO employees (who care) about what owners think that already monitor and read this forum on a daily basis.

Good thought though.

 

^^^
So that means they'll take careful note of Guy's escort idea.

 

Better AC

Make moonroof a separate option so you don't have to be a midget to get the other goodies.

Audio-input jack on the stereo, better yet work with Apple to integrate iPod with a convenient dock and full steeringwheel controls, track/playlist display and/or interface with NAV screen.

Optional setting to have instrument lights queue on ambient light. I.e. you come out of a tunnel and they revert back to daylight mode on their own and vice-versa.

Fix the trunk light so the spare doesn't block it.

Stop making the windshield washer resevoir out of opaque black plastic; I want to see the level at a glance, doesn't that make sense?

Vehicle should come with grilles for all the front ductwork.

Oil-level indicator on the instrument panel so you can see the level before you start the engine.

REAL (analog) oil-pressure gauge and coolant temp gauge

 

I agree with a lot of what's already been said. I'm with Guy, however -- one of the things that attracted me to this car was the fact that it DID NOT have a lot of bells & whistles.

I would vote for changes as long as they either improved the integration of the vehicle or driving characteristics/experience:

-- audio jack -- and I'll also pile on the iPod integration idea -- way cool
-- along those lines -- more user-friendliness in the modularity and expandability of the head unit and the center console chassis structure
-- a simple compass reading next to the ambiient outside temp
-- the "real" gauges idea would be a big improvement -- oil pressure, coolant temp, oil level that actually means something other than "oil is present"
-- trunk open light on the dash
-- move the trunk interior light to accommodate the spare
-- button backlighting -- I liked some of the other lighting ideas, too
-- telescoping stering wheel and/or moveable pedals might be useful -- but I would recommend mechanical designs, as opposed to some electric-motorized design -- I'm not sure how much weight and complexity it would add
-- of course, more powerful engine options would always be nice -- or at least MazdaSpeed-spec'd turbo options for those of us who'd like to grow the car into higher power (i.e., parts backed up by a Mazda warranty if installed professionally) -- similar to the "Works" package from Cooper for their Mini

The only mod I've made to my car was having a shop install the Racing Beat oil cooler and a/c condenser grilles. The guys at the shop were honestly surprised that they were not a standard item

What I WOULD NOT want, but wouldn't mind, as long as I didn't have to have them in my car:

-- auto climate control
-- auto headlights
-- no more "bong" alarms -- I like just the lighted alarms
-- personally, I don't need heated seats or electric-adjustable seats
-- any other additional "luxury" item

Bottom line, there's quite a bit of sophistication underlying the Renesis, the CAN-enabled PCM, and the physical integration of the entire car. The driving experience and environment, by contrast, is VERY SIMPLE -- call it "enthusiast," "minimalist," or "purist" or similar -- you get the idea. When I was testing the RX8s I found I really liked the "no frills" environment. It amplified the purposefulness of the car's character as a great driving machine.

Bottom line: improvements are great, but I'd contend that many of the ones mentioned in this thread should be "options" as opposed to standard items.

 

For me the only thing missing is a better trip computer. Most of the standard aust sedans have very comprehensive ones.

 

I second this. Heck it can you into your marketing campaign of making the Rx8 lighter! Alcohol is less dense than gasoline.

 

I'd like for the climate control to be displayed in degrees. The selector now doesnt seem to have as many increments, and I find myself too hot with one notch and then too cold with the next notch. Otherwise I wouldnt change a thing, except the position of the cupholders as many have said already.

 

Here's my list:

WANT:
Variable seat heaters (warmer too)
Seat memory
Fewer Rattles
BACK LIT HOMELINK BUTTONS
"Real" oil gauge
Trunk light that works with spare

Don't Want:
Auto headlights
Daytime running lights
Auto climate control
Parking brake buzzer
Auto wipers

These just take away control and/or are annoyances.

 

mugatu's sense of humor

oh, and turbo

 

My Shinka already has a clear (sorta) plastic windshield washer reservoir, so I guess this has already been addressed in the '05's.