My wife has finally decided to trade in her late model camry for an RX-8, which would make three 13B engines in the family!
Here's the catch..she says it must be a vert. Anyone heard a rumor that mazda has plans for a vert-8?

 

If you mean convertble...no, no plans...go buy a Miata.

 

maybe he means an 8 that's dizzy, don't know why one would want a dizzy car

 

There's been all kinds of talk about something rotarized without a fixed roof. Just nothing too soon. Hope you're not in a hurry.

 

expect to wait at least 2 years before we're able to answer your question.

 

Yep, I meant a convertible. The term 'vert' is used in the RX-7 forums, where I spend way too much of my time :D
Anyhoo, thanks for the info. Might be worth the wait. Miata? No thanks..

 

Ewww, I hope not. After seeing the VW Bug convertible and the Mini Cooper convertible, I think I'd just about vomit if I saw an RX-8 convertible.

 

I dunno- I think this would be pretty damn hot...
https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...chmentid=28900

 

Naw, there was a photochop a little while back of a black convertible 8, looked fairly good IMHO. I.E. I'd buy it.

Regarding availability of one. Yeah, already answered. Rumors and speculation is abound, but nothing hinting definitive yet. So at least a couple years.

 

The new RX7 is reported to be a convertable!! As for the 8....maybe in '06? Who knows. Have her buy a MS Miata or an S2000.

- Irish

 

Isn't the RX-8 due for a redesign in 07? They wouldn't release a convertible version based on the old design in 06, would they?

 

I wonder if a convertible 8 would be a bit of a challenge to design--particularly body rigidity given the lack of side pilars between the doors. Also, where would the ragtop go when it's down? Seems like that would take up some valuable room, unless they do it as a 2-seater only or lose the trunk.

 

There is talk at Mazda, at least from what Mazda execs told Automotive News, that a coupe and convertible are in the works for 2006-07. The article is somewhere in the media forum.

 

um when i wen to mazda the other day with my cousin for her tune up on the mazda 3.... i talked to the sales guy that sold her the mazda 3 and we talked about new cars from mazda... he mention there would a RX8 vert soon....

 

Don't ever, ever, EVER listen to a sales person- they never know what they're talking about. And they'll say anything that they think you might want to hear.

 

well thats just based on what i heard... but i didn;'t velieve it also cause first... i asked about the mazdaspeed 8... oh yea i ive in canada... he said what mazdaspeed rx8? we only have the mazdaspeed miata.... then somehow he talked about new comming cars... and he said there will be a toubocharged 6 soon... then i was like OH the mazdaspeed 6 as read on many many websites.... then he's like no just a toubocharged 6... then i was like.... humm... then he just said something about a convertable 8 comming soon....

 

newport conversions can convert your 8 tho--i believe you would be the first.

 

Speaking of convertibles, anyone drive a Mazdaspeed Miata yet? Looks like it would be a pretty cool car to tool around in...

 

aside from it being slower than the rx-8 and tiny... no. It looks neat, but at 6' it didn't feel good when I sat down.

 

The Miata got voted one of the top 5 "chick cars" by listeners of CarTalk, along with the Dodge Neon and pretty much anything made by VW. I thought it was pretty funny. I never thought about it that way, but VW does make chick cars!

The top 5 "guy cars" were predictably the Viper, F-150, Camaro, Corvette, and Mustang.

 

When we first visited the Mazda dealership the MS Miata and RX8 were lined up side by side. My wife greatly preferred the Miata since she cosnsidered it to be a "real" sports car because it is cute, as opposed to the RX8 which she dismissed as a 4-door "family car". Even though she just bought a new car, she was willing to pay for part of the Miata, but she wanted nothing to do with the eight.

I, on the other hand, was basically interested in a rotary -- which meant either a used RX7 and a new RX8. Since it was apparent that my wife and I had philosophically incompatible notions over what a sports car is supposed to bem I went back to the delaer by myself for a test drive. However, in deference to my wife, I did drive the MS Miata right after driving the 8 and based on a 15 minute drive on that included both freeway and twisty roads, I thought the two were roughly comparable in both power and handing -- which is to say they were both much better than anything I've driven in recent memory. I probably would have given in to my wife and gotten the Miata except for one fatal flaw; the top of the windshield was at eye level.

There is some discussion here (https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-media-news-11/news-rx-7-other-mazda-models-20752/) concerning the possibility that the next generation Miata (maybe 2007) will a) use the RX-8 chassis, and b) have a rotary option for the engine. If they increase the headroom a couple of inches, I would be very interested -- regardless of whether they call it a Miata, an RX-7, or an RX-8.