you got a good point, but I really think the key for mazda and the rotary is light weight, all car makers are increasing the weight of the cars with every new model they make, if mazda made the rx-8 today it would be 150 lbs less, look at the mazda2 and the new mazda6 both are bigger than the car they replace yet weight less.

Yes they need to increase HP, if they can increase hp by 20% and lose a few pounds, the car can be competitive with car with a lot more hp like the g37c

 

Actually, his punctuation is fine. It is the lack of paragraph breaks that make it hard to read. People who post like that risk others just skipping over their longer efforts because it IS hard to read.

So, hit your enter button from time to time while in mid-flow and we'll all be happy.

 

hopefully they will, but I highly doubt it

 

Guys/Gals,

My latest mail from someone who has good connections with Mazda Australia is that although the car is due for a mid-life facelift, any new shape is denied.

So, think mild cosmetic changes rather than a new model.

 

Leave the exact same exterior, i don't care.

Could the 4 month production break be strickly for maching and stockpiling a new motor that would be essentialy a drop in to the current body style?

 

I suppose it's possible but I doubt Mazda would introduce significant mechanical changes, such as a new engine, without changing the body shape.

I think it's either a facelift with no more than some minor mechanical changes OR a whole new model (with a major engine upgrade or perhaps even the same or similar mechanicals). My latest mail is that is more likely to be the former, which makes sense given the absence of any evidence (e.g. spy shots) of a major change.

Whichever, those thinking about trading in an older car but debating whether it is worth it simply to get a newer version of the same model now have some reasons to sit back and wait to see what develops.

 

I don't like the direction their face lifts are going...They don't seem as appealing/sporty as before. I don't mind performance changes, mainly referring to engine changes (not including anything that deals with exterior and interior design). I hope it stays the way it is, it's just so damn good looking...too bad I probably won't get my hands on one for another two years...

 

Revolver is correct here and confirms my views that a "complete" redesign (new body) is just too early, as I have said an 7-8 year production run is the normal time line for Mazda's Sports Cars, look at the MX-5's 3 series (NA,NB,NC).
So a 2011 or 2012 is about the time "IF" we will ever see an ALL new Rotary.

 

Mazda did a facelift of the Mazda 6 about halfway through its shelf-life, so something similar next year for the RX8 makes sense. The 6 facelift made it a better car in several minor though important areas (i.e. functionally), so maybe this alleged facelift of the 8 will be more than just new lights and bumpers. As demand has dropped off for the 8 in the past year or so, it's just good marketing to rejuvenate the range and get more out of the initial development investment.

Whether we ever see an all new rotary engine will probably depend on whether Mazda can make something that conforms with emission regs and retains something approaching acceptable economy and power. Personally, I won't be holding my breath for 2011-2012 but I hope I'm surprised. Perhaps by then a hydrogen powered model will be deemed viable?

 

I've personally seen the words "new model RX-8" on a document with a Mazda Australia letterhead, that's all I know.

 

I know this may be far fetched on any means, but what do you guys think would be the likely hood that mazda would spin out their hydrogen rotary engine? I mean they've been talking about it since 2005, so they have had much time to develop it into something quite nice. Because from the read on the '05 Tokyo show, it is direct-injected as many of you speculate it will and should be. Not saying by ANY means that they will ever come out with one, just a thought. The read also does bring up the point about them playing around with the rotary for a hybrid also.

http://rotarynews.com/node/view/458

 

It isnt going to be the hydrogen renesis. If it is, then it's also a facelift normal renesis for most of the cars with a few hydrogens. They couldnt replace any of their cars with a hydrogen powered car and be successful at all. Just arent enough places to fill up on hydrogen plus the lack of power. 8 sales are low as it is, that would only hurt more. I would like to see more info towards how they could implement the hydrogen renesis successfully but at this point in time, it couldnt work.

 

If you saw this then it is a second gen RX-8, and coming from you I know this is true

I hope they show us something at sevenstock, at least a couple of pics

 

I don't rly care of facelift, my car is good looking as it is, I would be very interested if it had a DI renny though, maybe engine swap is time.......

 

Dont know about the DI yet, last time I had some info on this it was still in early stage, but that was some time ago, I think it may be a better renesis, some reliability isues solved and maybe some more power and fuel economy

 

Don't doubt you have but 'new' is a very relative term. It could just as easily apply to a facelifted model of the RX8.

Time will tell but I'm still plumping for a facelift next year rather than a new shape.

 

But that's precisely what Mazda did by putting the 1.8L engine into the 1994 MX-5 Miata with the same body shape after 4 production years with the 1.6L. Of course, everything is more difficult with only one version of the Renesis, but it's about time for DI, and a few other improvements would certainly be welcome. I'm just sayin' "4 more years!" was not a good slogan for Richard Nixon or George Bush either.

 

Gomez you SOB!!!!!

looks like im going to have to kiss my sources ***

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...81#post2058781

 

Seems odd to me that Mazda would introduce a special edition RX-8 in January and then make it obsolete it a few months later with a facelifted/improved RX-8.

 

A Simple Fact: Automakers do NOT redesign cars after five model years,it's not remotely economically feasible.
Mercedes-Benz runs 8-9 years,on average,with minor cosmetic changes in between.
As to motor tweaks,why would they bother?
They already p*ssed in our cornflakes and down our shirts when they released the 'Mazdaspeed3',and forgot to 'bother' with their "flagship sports car".....On that,I couldn't be more disappointed,or,really, insulted,as a consumer.
What will happen is a cheap re-skinning,and more than likely they'll f*ck the lines up,with the 'help' of a Ford design wankfest.
They'll 'feminise' the 8's skin next time,and round out some of the definitive lines, wanna' bet your pink slip?? :D
To hell with Mazda's re-skin,right now I'm having fun modifying the exterior,I added a Seibon carbon fiber hood and am waiting on the matching replacement trunk and a carbon-fiber wing.
After that,lambo doors.
Let's see Mazda touch that.
The 8's a fun car,and a pain in the ***,I'm thinking of adding a used '04/'05 Subie STi to the garage for easier tweaking....getting 400hp out of one of those ain't so hard,and getting an 8 to break 300hp on a dyno and still be reliable seems to be a fantasy.
Still,I loved my 1980 RX~7,and even though the 8 can be a *****,I won't be getting rid of it any time soon.
If only the new Skyline wasn't gonna' be $100K.....Sigh.....
If Mazda can pull head-from-heinie and deliver a new 7 that can compete in-class with the +300hp crowd,at a fair price- point,and not over-engineer it to the point of collapse,I'd be a buyer.
The on-the-boat de-tune in 2004 set the stage for a clusterf*ck that Mazda's still trying to fix for the US market,today.
The 8's had more recalls and ECU reflashes than the average sh*tty Ford line,it would have been nice for an 'over-engineered' car to have been actually released over-engineered,instead of too quickly,to recoup r&d costs and get the car into competition and whatnot.
I could go on and on-I love my 8,but for Mazda,not so much love,these days.
(Although they did recently extend my warranty for another year and 12k miles. I wonder what's gonna' crap out at 60K that mazda knows,that we don't?)
It's stuff like that,that makes me wonder why I didn't buy that '93 RX-7 I was looking at. Oh well..... Zoom Zoom!

 

Ramble much?

 

Apparently you listened.


(LMAO!)

 

There will not be a new 7. The 7 is dead. Nobody can mount a decent business plan to justify even the minuscule production that the marketing failure the FD had.

The new 8 will be out in spring 2009 as a 2010 model. The entire rear end of the 8 will need to be redesigned to meet the US crash standards of 2011. The MX-5 and Kabura/ MX-3 are in the same boat and will see a re-design around that same time. Therefore the new model will be out then , with new skin, new body etc.

If there is a new even minor re-design of exterior panels RX-8 for 2008/2009 I would very very very surprised. You don't re-skin a car that you are replacing in 2 years.

The most likely engine will be a version of the new hybrid rotary in the 2010 model.

and a six year production cycle is rather long in the current automotive world. Not sure where you are getting the benzes 9 year per model production cycle. The C and E class models are currently running on a 6 year cycle. Since the 8 started selling as a 2003 model in most of the world (except north America) an 2009 model would be also a 6 year cycle... hmmm just like the FC... Completely replaced with the failure that was the FD after just 6 years.

And recalls??? I have only had one in my 8

 

I don't know where you are getting this hybrid stuff from. I would be very surprised to see that on a large scale anytime soon.

 

Mazda will be showing a new version of the Mazda5 hybrid/hydrogen rotary powered vehicle at this years Tokyo Motor show. besides the much greener version of the Rotary the Mazda5 will also be using the industries first all plant derived bio fabric seats and also will use bioplastics for the interior trims like the dashboard.

The biofabric/bioplastic/hybrid/hydrogen Mazda5 is production ready and will begin leasing in 2008.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007...to_begin_.html