as a first car, to anyone of any age, i do not suggest the rx8.

the type of TLC that a rotary needs is beyond the limits of someone tryin to figure out which pedal makes the car stop.

it has been semi-seriously considered that anyone planning on buying a rotary powered car take a quick test on rotaries to see if they qualify as someone willing to handle the work. i kno that a kid will not have the hood up every fill up at the gas station checkin his oil level. kids are irresponsible, buy him a goldfish not a rotary, if the fish dies in a week, just buy the kid a 350z like evryone elses kids in the high school parking lot. leave the Z's to people who cant think for themselves, and the 8's to those who qualify.

a teenager needs a car they can turn the key and go, not worry about it flooding, running out of oil, sqeeky brakes or any other bull crap that comes with this car. no kid wants to be at a hangout and have the car sit there and warm up till he can shut it off. think about it, ur at a huge party and ur car is blockin someone from leavin, thibnk the kid wants to let it idle for 10 minutes till it warms up b4 he can go back into the pool?

no see if he wants to sit there after hes had 8 beers in him, yeah right. a car like this is left for either a responsible adult, or a kid who knows a lot a decent amount about rotaries and is willing to make the sacrifices to keep the engine in top condition (like me, im 20)

 

I'm sorry. A 17 year old being given an '8? Parents doing this are simply too involved in their own wealth to understand what they have done. Kids this age definitely don't have the maturity to handle a car like this. (Oh, I know they think they do, but reality is quite different! - just look at the insurance rates for late teens and early twenties) That is a disaster waiting to happen. As I see these posts of kids bragging of how they have driven Vettes, Vipers, etc. I just sit here and cringe. (Is that really a word?) I know you youngsters won't possibly believe this, but if you are given these things "free of charge" at such an early age, what do you have to look forward to? (I guess that's probably a pretty worthless argument to these kids, isn't it)

I just hope no one in my family comes up against one of these 17 year old '8 drivers who decides to show off to their passengers and causes a fatal accident. Yeah, I know that can haappen in any car. But from my own experience, I know an RX-8 is much more likely to elicit this response than a Volvo wagon! (My kids all drove Volvos (tanks) until they were out of HS) Not that they were perfect, but I always prayed that the old, stodgy Volvo somehow kept them from "showing off" their driving skills.
IMHO, it worked. They are all still alive and thriving.

To you parents who REALLY care about your kids more than your - or their - "status", get them a Volvo wagon now to drive to school and tell them "when you've earned it, an RX-8 may be in your future!"

Zoom, Zoom!

 

Just Remeber To Respect The Car And The Danger U Can Put Ur Self And Others By Not Doing This. Any Car I Your Age Can Be Dangerous, But This One Specially, Speed Is Very Very Dangerous Remember And Dont Get Suckered Into Street Racing Take It To The Track. Your Very Fortuned, Enjoy The Car And Be Safe!

 

When pilots learn how to fly, they don't start on F16s...

When folk learn how to ride a bicycle, they don't get a Harley...

Giving an inexperienced driver an 8 just isn't smart in my book...

 

I am sick of threads like this. I'm 16. I have an 8. My dad bought it, pays the gas, pays the insurance. I pay for everything else... oil changes ($27), new tire (due to nail $277), new battery ($45), etc. There are lots of teens with 8's. It's not for you to decide whether I should drive this car or not. It was my parent's decision and money, and that's what they decided to do. To give me my dream car. Trust me, they would not have done it if they didn't think that I was responsible enough to handle it.

 

Yeah, that's what being 17 was all-about...picking up girls.

 

19. 3rd car. Perfect driving record. Responsible young-adult. (Presidents Scholar at SMU, RA next year - so I've put myself through college [full ride])

Just don't act like you deserve it. Treat it as the blessing that it is. I don't know how many contemporaries of mine who weren't doing anything wrong got screwed because of someone elses stupidity. Please realize that you're only as safe on the road as the lowest common denominator. You could have been autocrossing since you were 15 (me) and done several DE's and from that standpoint be incredibly competent in that venue, but that one person who changes lanes without checking their blind spot could end your life.

Please be careful, and don't make it any harder on the rest of us teenager owners by doing something foolish.

-Michael

 

Well put, I really can't understand a parent who would buy a kid a vehicle like this besides spoiling their kid rotten they are endangering the rest of us. Reality is that teenagers are several times more likely to be in an accident or be killed in a vehicle accident. Parents think they are being good to their kids by buying high HP vehicles but in reality are just increasing the likelihood of having their children killed or killing someone else. It is all a matter of development, the brain of a teenager has not developed in areas of understanding risky behavior. This is a proven fact.

I know the teens won't agree with this because when I was a teen I didn't either. But now that I'm 44 and have a little life experience I can say without a doubt that teens and high power cars are a bad mix. Are their exceptions maybe but static’s say support my stances.

 

I am 16 years old right now and happen to agree with the bulk of what you said. One thing that I do strongly disaggree with is your use of "teen" Yes, it has been proven the majority of teens tend to make foolish and even idiot decisions however the grouping of all teens together is a bit harsh and even insulting. Yeah, I have friends who will smoke pot or even take acid and drive - true ignoramus's, the kinds of people who should not be driving in the first place. They are the reason teens get a bad rep and when I am lumped togetherw with them, I feel infuriated.

I suppose what I am trying to say is that just because most teens are immature doesn't mean all teens should be banned from driving vehicles such as the rx-8, 350z, etc.

I will say it right now and am willing to accept the "criticism" of it - I did not pay in full for my rx-8. I payed about $10,000 that I had earned from producing (videos, school plays, etc) while an inheritance from my passed grandmother payed the rest. I spent most of my childhood living at her house and my parents and I agreed she would have liekd me to have it. As far as insurance, I pick up half while my parents pay the rest (insurance for a brand new rx-8 is less than that of a '99 explorer believe it or not). Now please explain to me how I am undeserving of my car. I am a kind, considerate young man who is fortunate enough to own an rx-8 after having my license for a year.

Oh and this is all in fun, internet debates are always a pleasure

edit: Ah, foolish me, I acted too quickly - I didn't read the last sentance of your post :D

 

I think most adults (teenagers not included) will agree that teens shouldn't drive fast cars simply because we remember what it was like being that age. I have a lot of responsible, smart, nice friends who did a LOT of stupid driving stunts shortly after they got their licenses. Does age prevent you from doing dumb things? Of course not, but most would agree that life (and driving) experience, tapering hormone levels, less peer pressure, and more responsibilities (families, jobs, etc) make people less likely to take risks. When I was in highschool, I sure wished I had a fast car, but in retrospect, I'm very glad I didn't.

That said, I don't expect any teenager to turn down a fast car because some adults said it's a bad idea. Just be safe!

 

yea i just turned 18 in feb and i got my car last year when i was 17 for my birthday, i fell in love with the car when it first came out in 03, and everything about it i loved, i remember being online and learning everything i could about the car before i even got it, i have a 05 bb 6spd, and yea i love it, and i take care of it. It is true how some people show their feelings in a bad way when you get a nice car, but when all my friends got their cars first i wasnt an *** about it to them, i was happy that they got their car, now that i waited and got my car last out of all of them and i happen to get my dream car, they hate, so just be humble about it! o yea, and girls like it ahahhaha!

 

Edit: Quoted so some adults can quit with the blanket generalizations.

Counterpoint:
I was driving our Boxster S today (top down) taking my younger brother, who mind you is about to get his license, to get his hair cut when a black C6 with Black/Purple powdercoated stock rims and blacked out lights all around wove through traffic dangerously to get to pole position next to me at a light. This was on Westheimer in Houston, and if you're not familiar with the area, Westheimer used to be the major streetracing scene in Houston before the millenium, and since then a zero tolerance policy has been instituted.

He reved at me, I ignored him, took a sip of my drink, and poked fun at him to my brother. When the light changed, I started slowly in first gear, so he'd quit altogether, so he does the predictable: As I look over, and see that he's in his mid-30's he guns it, staring at me. Then a black suburban pulls across 3 lanes of traffic (mind you, this is 3pm on a Saturday in a metropolitan part of town) and he slams on his brakes, jacks the car into my lane, and avoids the obstruction of a family of 4 in his fiberglass deathtrap. If I had attempted to race him and not been the mature 19 year old that I am (wow this is ironic), he would have careened into me or careened into the family.

I'd love to say that he learned his lesson.

Further down the road, I put on my blinker to turn into the parking lot from a left turn lane. The C6 jacks the car without a blinker into the lane infront of me, and pulls out way into traffic at the red light. I reverse, giving him room to back out of the intersection, but he just sits and people have to go around him.

Funniest thing ever happens next:
Light turns green. C6 peels out, drifts into a U-turn, curbing his rear right wheel in the process because he sucks at life. He then guns it, expecting me to follow. Naturally, i take advantage of the protected left to pull into the parking lot of my brother's barber, and i never saw this immature adult again.

Moral of this story: don't give idiot 30-somethings a toy they have no appreciation for. I find it quite humorous that the individuals on this thread would lead you to believe that a 16 year old given a sports car is any different than a repressed male during his midlife crisis buying a sports car and trying to feel young again by being an idiot about it. One of the hurdles a teenager must overcome, or die, is the invincible complex. No teenager ever thinks that bad things can happen to them. Do you think that a 36 year old who just bought a corvette because of a big bonus or promotion feels any less invincible?

I can already forsee the flames. Some of you will question whether or not I would give my son a sports car. Some of you will try and defend the guy in the C6. Many of you will deny that you yourself were ever like the man in the C6. Some will shrug me off as just another "radical" college student who, someday, will understand where you're coming from. Many more will respond in an immature manner, and make my point for me.

I'm tired of being lumped in with "typical" teenagers. I hope that some of you will realize how stigmatized some of us are when grown men pick on the majority and forget the exceptions.

Thoughts?
-Michael

 

Not trying to insult anyone, so please don't take any of this personally. I am going from proven data and scientific study. Teens simply lack the development of their brains that inhibit risky behavior. If I recall the study right, that part of the brain is not fully developed till early 20s and is very under developed in 16 to 18 year olds. It is just part of life and as a parent I feel it is my responsibility to protect my children and others to the best of my ability, I expect the same from others as well.

I my sound like I am lumping you together with the bad apples, this is not the case. I am grouping all teens together based on studies I have read. When I was a teen I was in that same group but had a 1966 60 odd hp VW bug, I hated it then but will say now that I'm glad I didn't have more.

 

i think the 8 is just fine for a teenager. i had my first fd when i was 17. The 8 is more reliable and easier to control than an fd. The fd with minor mods is faster that the 8 ever can be.

 

hay, where do you live. i want to borrow some money to pay for my university tuition so at least i don't need to sell my car.
lucky you. i am on the verge of selling my rx8 dued to university money.

 

Well when i started driving when i was 17 my first car was a Mustang. It was a great car, got me places and it had some power. Since we had had the car since 96 it had racked up about 125,000 miles on it. My parents decided to get me a new car because they felt i needed it and i was paying for college for myself. They got me back in Mar. 05 a Mazda3. The downgrade on power sucks but i love how the car handled and everything. My mother decided about a week later to trade her Lexus RX-300 for a 2005 RX-8 Shinka edition. My mouth dropped since i was telling her i wanted that car so badly and i would have paid half of the cost if they would have gotten me that instead. But now since i am working my butt off and have money saved up for college due to family deaths, I have my sights on an RX-8 again. I am going to have to work my butt off though to start saving up money and then keep the money flow coming in to afford the monthly payments, gas, insurance, maintance and everything else going on in my life. I am 20 now by the way. But yeah only a couple of more months until i go out and get it :-D

 

Im 17 too and just got my rx8. Previously for my 16th b-day i got a 2005 wrx, that my parents paid for. I just traded my suby in for the 8 on last saturday...abee

 

I think that all teenage drivers should have 8's, that way they all get crashed or ragged and mine will be that much rarer.

 

My son is 16 and has already had two accidents in six months. One was clearly his fault, the other wasn't -- but it takes time develop driving skills including defensive driving skills. This only comes through repitition and being in a variety of different situations on the road. Insurance companies know this and rate accordingly as far as age is concerned. Do I let him drive the 8? Sure as long as I am also in the car, otherwise no. But if another teen wants to give me $21,600 for mine right now, I will take it.

 

i livew in the katy area and i have seen that guy he is a douche bag and also an idiot i saw him careening in and out of traffic yesterday.

 

I got my 8 just a couple months ago for my 16th brthday. (July 7th to be exact). It's an unbelievable car, and quite frankly I never actuallly planned on getting it. I test drove the scion tc, mazda 3, honda civic, and when I saw the 8 I fell in love, and my dad even said he would never get me a sports car for my first car. (I had been dreaming of this car for months and seeing it and sitting in it was like a dream).
A week later an add in the paper was to good to resist, and my dad had the silver 8 parked in the driveway on my brithday. Talk about a surprise! Anyway, I believe that many teenagers are irresponsible and the statsitics support this. But not all teenagers are like this, just the majority. I believe that I'm a pretty responsible driver, and other than hitting 125 ( which I probably will never do again on a 55mph road) I'm very aware of my surroundings and other dangerous drivers. Obviously driving takes experience, but you gotta start somewhere. I'm never going to say that i Deserved this car, and I feel extremely fortunate to have parents that took care of the entire cost of car and insurance. and the power in this thing is definately enough for a 16 year old.

I'm not sure on this, but in my opinion, I think that people with cars worth a bit of $$ and who have enough maturity can avoid many accidents. Of course , sometimes they are unavoidable, but if you have common sense and are very aware of your surroundings you can avoid many bad accidents. To me it seems that kids with much cheaper cars don't treat them as good and are more succeptable to crashing. Thats always kind of been my theory.

 

an accident is bound to happen.

 

Great post Michael, despite it being about 6 months ago.

 

Not only was this post ENTIRELY irrelevant, but it's also completely false. I don't know of any "minor mod" FD's making 300+rwhp. It takes standalone (PFC) and full bolt ons to do that. Many RX8's make that, and more..not to mention the handling is right on par, and the weight is too. Don't take breathing for granted!


Anyhow. I think the 8 is a fine car for a teenager..WHO WORKS FOR IT. You don't have the same respect for a car if it is handed to you..before I had a car at all, I used to beat on my mom's Mustang like no other. My foot was never off the pedal! But I have my RX8, paying for it myself (I'm 16, by the way), and I respect it so much knowing that its MY time and money that is allowing me to have this beautiful machine.

But yeah. 90% of all teenagers I see (especially at my high school) are just flooring it to show off every single day. It's kind of rediculous, I mean, people walking all around..meh.

 

Wow how old were you when you had the mustang. Its cool kids nowadays get to drive good cars before they even go to college. Some are lucky i guess but its good you work for it because if your parents pay for it you wont give a rats a**.