I babelfished the interesting japanese article
http://www.auto-g.jp/news/200212/18/newcar01/index.html
using http://babel.altavista.com/
babel obviously needs some work.
Interesting however (besides the awesome pics), the last paragraph


"It is the price which becomes lastly matter of concern, but it may be able to expect rather. With as many as 250 horsepower versions, with expenses included it is settled within 3000000 Yen! This is my secret expectation."
(Shigeru Yoneda)

converstion 3M yen = 24,815.97 USD
if he meant the price of a loaded 250 HP version wasn't to exceed the 3M mark (meaning less than 4M)
3999999 yen = 33,089.59 USD

Either way, sign me up. Most current article (12/18) with mention of price.

Does anyone know say, how much a Japanese car usually costs vs the US version. would a 3M yen car really cost 24,800 in the US or is there a mark up/mark down?

 

sorry to be the voice of doom, but prices from japan CAN be completely unindicative of the price here, and there are a few reasons:
1) Japan is in a deep, and long recession. Their price level is through the roof, unlike in N. America
2) That is the Japanese domestic price, and does not include costs like importation
3) That cost does not factor in trade barriers like tarriffs, or import quotas (i've got no idea of what US/Japanese trade relations are like)
4) The demand for the car in the US is completely different from the demand in Japan, and that difference will also make a difference in the price.

That said, this window you've come up with seems to be the one everyone has said the car will be inside from the beginning, so no surprises. $7k US is a really, really big margin of error anyways . good observation though, way to keep the eyes peeled!!

btw: there is no reason to assume the price relation ship on the same cars in the US and Japanese market have a linear relationship... without being a statistician or economist who studies exactly that, or someone with the intrest to read the data or conclusion of a study, there's not a good chance anyone here will know...

 

Yeah, Japenese cars are cheaper to buy in Japan (most of the time).

 

im expecting a 26,000 base price, if i see higher ill be surprised.

 

I have a feeling you'll be surprised then. I don't want to rain on anybody's parade, but I'm planning on spending at least $30k fully loaded. All things considered though, I think that's a very reasonable price....

 

yeah 30k fully loaded but i mean base. If they are competing with 350Z they may have a 26k base because Z's here start at 26k base manual.

 

Yeah, I hope it has a really high price too. Then all those wannabes who thought that they could get an RX-8 for 26K will be separated from the real owners. Then those buyers will go to their nissan dealership... and buy 350z's... and, uh... oh!... cause the RX-8 to sell poorly. Yeah thats the ticket! Then no more RX-7, and maybe even no more rotary. Yeah, yeah, that sounds like an awesome plan!!

:o

Sorry for the sarcasm, but I kind of take offense to people who want to see the RX-8 with a high MSRP just so they can have an exclusive car.

Mazda needs this car to sell, and it needs it to sell well. It's competitor, for better or worse if the 350z, and they need the base price to be at that magical range. Even if it is just to humor us, they need a good number to draw people into a Mazda dealership.

 

Agreed tallguylehigh. I'd hope that anybody who really wanted an RX-8 could have one. Elitism is for the insecure.... :o Besides, if you truly want an elite car, get a freakin' Bentley. $30k doesn't make things very elite anymore.

And true, if this car doesn't sell well (very well), the chances of many of us winding up with our true dream car (a new RX-7) are very slim.

 

Didn't some Mazda VP claim a base price of about $26k at SS5?

$30k for a car is not expensive at all in 2003. Consider that in the late 80s, a naturally aspirated FC cost about $20k, which if you adjust for inflation comes out to $30k.

Similarly, a Turbo II would cost close to $40k in 2003 dollars.

Compare this to the RX-8, which will out-accelerate, out-brake, out-handle, and out-last a TII. And if that wasn't enough, it will get better fuel economy and emmissions, have way more usable space, and be more rigid but still weigh less.

This, my friends, is called progress. The RX-8 is a pretty damn good deal IMHO.

 

from all the things I've read, all the specuation I've heard,
it seems like you will be able to get a low-power automatic with cloth interior and very little extra for about 26,500-27k
high power manual starting around 30,500-31k, and a fully loaded with nav, premium, every bell and whistle for 34,500-35k
right along the lines with the Z, like they have been saying all along.

 

Good info Pmacwill,

Does anyone here know what the prices are for the Mazda6 (Atenza?) in Japan? It would be interesting to look at the difference in prices between the Japan models and the US ones.

Hopefully, that would give us a general idea of what to expect.

Brian

 

Pmacwill-

Yeah, thanks for the info. I still kind of find it weird that the automatic will be in the base model, since the 350z comes with a manual base, but with all the work Mazda has put into this car I think they may have a better idea about what they are doing than we do.

I just need confirmation on something here. All this speculation has been around for so long its being transformed into fact- and that ain't right. Mazda, a bone please?

All I can say is how close is NAIAS?

 

From one of the Subcontractors of the Rx-8:

"Production volume is estimated at
approximately 60,000 to 70,000 vehicles a year."

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/st...000/0001376568

Later estimates that were posted here were a "little" lower. I think I read something like 50,000? I'm not sure what the sources were for the 50,000 number though.

 

Either way, RX-8 is like a dream car to me cuz it has everything I could ever ask for. Also, personally i dont think i can indulge in a pure sports cars anyways (for various reasons).

Of course, i dont speak for every one.

Actually, i'm fairly confident the base price will be close to 26k, but what i am worried about is the packaging. what if they force us to have certain items just to get say, the sports package? An unlimited number of scenarios can be imagined, but the point is that the actual price many of us will be geting may be much higher than the 26K base. True, u could just get base for 26K, but there may not be a base car lying around anywhere. From what i heard, you can't even get some cars base anymore.

 

Go to Mazda's web site and practice designing your own Mazda 6. It will drive you crazy! Either you get everything except for mudflaps and a cargo net, or you get nothing.

Ex: To get the sunroof, you must get leather, to get leather you must order the sport package, to get the sport package, you must order the sunroof. It goes round and round.

I found myself so frustrated. I know the way they package stuff that the only way my RX-8 will come is with everything. All because I want stick. I don't even want/need the 250 hp or large wheels.

The only thing separate will probably be the navi, but only if you bought everything else.

 

I know exactly what you are worrying about, because it seems to be happening to the Mazda 6 at this time. Cars are either being sold at bone stock or completely loaded.

Also, does anybody know how many RX-8's are coming here, I heard a really high number (40,000), and if thats the case, whats the percentage of automatic models?

 

here is some info regarding production from awhile ago:
After more than a half-decade's absence, Mazda's rotary engine — and its equally famous sports car that surrounds it — is staged for yet another comeback (see sidebar, next page). Only this time, Mazda expects to produce the car's Renesis (name derived from “rotary” and “genesis”) rotary engine for around $2,000, a key to avoiding the escalating-cost mistakes that led to Mazda's withdrawal of the rotary from the U.S. market.

Predicated on monthly output of 5,000 units, the company says, amazingly, that Renesis' cost is slightly less than it would pay for a standard V-6 engine. By implication, Mazda plans to produce 60,000 RX-8s annually, though management declines to disclose sales targets."
here is the link to the full article originally posted by patrickb


http://waw.wardsauto.com/ar/auto_rotary_redux/index.htm

 

Do we know how many of these are coming to the US?

 

There was also an article a while back that mentioned 20,000 annually. I don't think any of the mags know for sure, Mazda probably doesn't even know till they see what kind of demand there will be for the 8.

Also I hope that the RX-8 will be somewhat rare like in the 20,000 range so that resell will stay higher that way I won't get raped when I sell the 8 off for a new 7. Plus I don't want the 8 to become a mustang, where everywhere I go I see 15 parked in a lot.

 

I/we know that is what you are trying to say, I am saying however that that is not what Mazda wants or is looking for with the RX-8.

In no way will the RX-8 ever reach the popularity of a Mustang, so check that off your worry list- not enough people have faith in the rotary.

Also, I would really like to know why you want the RX-8 to be so expensive? Other than exclusivity, which will not be a problem, what other benefits do you gain? What benefits does Mazda gain is the better question.

I am 22 and looking for a new car. Sure enough there are a lot of new cars coming out directed at my age group. The RX-8 is one of those cars. I believe this was even the subject of a poll where a "single without kids" won, not to mention the age demographic where my demographic "22-25" (guessing) won again. To put it plainly, we do not buy 32K cars. So if Mazda is gearing the RX-8 towards me, and I'm looking for a car, and I won't buy a car costing way too much, has Mazda really done its homework right?

Just simply observations, but why would you, tribal azn, want to alienate the target audience for the RX-8?