Maybe I'm crazy, but from some angles, it reminds me just a little of a corvette. When I first saw it, I was a bit annoyed because I just bought my 2007, but then I don't like the new front end from the straight on view, although I think the new tail lights are better. Cleaner, less fussy. However, the front is now more fussy and over done. The interior is better in some ways. I like the two tone leather, I like the recaro seats, be interested to see if they make it to the production model. HATE the wheel, seriously, one thing I liked about the RX8 was it didn't have an ugly steering wheel. Don't think the head unit looks much better, overall the interior doesn't blow me away.

When is this due out? Late next year? Early 2009?

 

I wonder how many other changes have been made that we can't see....

 

Agreed!!!

The front looks like a mess, venting behind the front wheel is ugly. Really makes me happy I own the old version. I do like the seats and the tail lights seem better.

Looks like they've added auto climate controls and deleted the fake oil pressure gauge. Would have been nice if they just made it work. They also rapped the seat leather around the side so the rear seat belt wont check the hard surface like in the old car.

Looks like the tail lights are LED now.

 

Did APC design the tail lights? God that is really fugly. And the side grill is too low. They should have copied the side grill from the E46 M3 instead of the E92 M3.

The recaro seats look good, but I doubt it'll be available in North America.

And it looks like they did nothing to fix the filmsy center console.

 

Agreed on all counts.

 

Is there any reason why the Recaro seats couldn't be fitted in our current model...?

 

You can retrofit them, but it'll increase the cost of the car if they include it as standard equipment. JDM special models always get some fancy bucket seats that we don't get here.

I'd totally rock those Recaro seats though, but I don't want to know how much they'd cost new.

 

interior seems great but i like the outside look of Our 8 better.

 

The little red hash marks start at 8.5k on the current tach, too.

 

The production model is due to be revealed at the NAIAS in Detriot next weekend. Being that these pics just showed up I would be willing to bet they are of the full production ready update.

 

i hope the recaro's make it here

 

I like the seats. I like the wheels. Don't like the front end at all.

And 1/4 tank gone after 3 miles, youch!

(j/k)

 

I think the design of the new one blows ours away!! Its just the same things most people said when they first saw an RX8, "Its design is overdone". Thats what I love about it!!! I think that by the time this thing hits streets itll be amazing and probably have more power so we can not only have the best handling cars, but fast ones too

 

pretty nice
is it gonna be the 08?

 

What's that above the tail pipes?
Is that the false flame 4th and 5th brake light..........or should I simply put the Tequila down and back away?

Also seems like a little more of the water heater cannister underneath is exposed back there.

 

I am SO glad it's ugly, makes me love my 2005 even more.

The only thin I like is the new strut brace.

 

It was on the MX-5 first.

 

The concavity at the bottom of the center stack seems out of place, and yep...the steering wheel is hideous. I REALLY like the aluminum accents on the stereo controls though.

 

Huh, I think I like it

 

does the restyled rx-8 that important that forum needs to have two simultaneous active threads on it? hahahahah

 

well considering that we've all been waiting 5+ years for this (and new colors year after year after year) ... it's quite the commotion!

 

Basically I like those steering wheels that are shared across a lot of Mazdas, but I like the steering wheel in the new Mazda 6 a little better because the center part is not round.

 

I think that those are the non-US rear foglamps that are mandatory in Europe.

 

I miss the rotary accents in the front and back. I also don't like the black pastic bar acros the front grille area which is hanging that front license plate. I liked the old front grille area where it looked a little like the open maw on a Lotus 7. The steering wheel looks bad, but I dig the red stitching and the Recaro seats, however, I forced to agree that the chances of them sending Recaros the the US is low. I find the overall design to be more reserved than the current car trimming back the wheel arches and integrating the body panels together more. As a redesign it looks more like a normal car to me than it used to. The only thing that sells me are the Recaro seats. No Recaro seats; no sale.

 

Hmmmmm................never noticed them on other 8's I've seen from Europe. Maybe I never looked close enough or they are new?