nostatic

A fully optioned RX-8 (GT package) +nav + destination charge is $33,100.

A similarly equipped 350Z (Touring package) + nav +destination charge is $36,300. Of course, for this price, you don't get the 18" wheels. For that, you need to step up to the Track package (in that case though, you get the Brembos too!) which adds another $1000.

Where I find the RX-8's biggest price advantage is without all of the luxury options. For $28,300 you get some great options as standard equipment: LSD, DSC, 18" wheels and sports suspension. That's the model for me. Our Audi has power lumbar, heated mirrors and seats, auto dimming mirrors and homelink, but I can easily do without those on my sports car.

Best,

Lance.

Pork Chop

The 350Z Touring does have 18" wheels, as long as you get the 6-speed (automatics get the 17"s). They're not the same 18" Rays that the Track model however.

Jerome81

Yes, when I read the pricing I about fell outta my chair. When the Z arrived last summer, people were going nuts at how it was so affordable, the most affordable sports car that exists today.

If that is the way people felt about the Z, I can't imagine how they feel about the RX-8. It is the new sports car bargain. Granted it isn't a 2 seat car like the Z, but it is a sports car, and will likely deliver a much faster driving experience for less money.

All in all, the only car that I can think of with this performance, with the fantastic pricing is the Subaru WRX. People are still drooling over that car today.

This all bids very very well for the RX-8. I imagine it will be one of those cars people think they can't afford, but are then shocked by the price once they find out how much it costs. Can't say that about the WRX

Lastly, I can't imagine getting a car like the RSX Type S, Celica, etc when for ~$3000 more you get RWD, superior handling, extra 50hp and looks that kill. Yeah, that will be a bit too much for some, but for others it is $3000 that is easily justified, and I expect the RX-8 will steal sales in that area as well as the entry level sport/luxury cars such as the 325i BMW, IS300 Lexus, and Infiniti G35.

Lastly, if they can build a RX-8 for that price, with the sophisticated engine and such, imagine how much the next Miata on this platform will cost! :D Heck, a SE edition Miata right now already costs more than the base RX-8. I forsee a price drop while there is an increase in performance.

Mazda is back and on a huge roll.

MX-Man

Now we can start guessing how much the new RX-7 will cost.
It will have more power, have less weight than the RX-8 and will run circles around the 350Z. Anyone want to try?

tallguylehigh

My bet for the RX-7 would be a starting price of $38,494.61. Of course for calculations sake lets round up to $38,500. :D

nk_Rx8

I think the price diff is more like ~4-5K, since I thought a new RSX-S starts at ~$23.5k. So the difference isn't insignificant for most people. But you're right, for that $4-5k, I think the added bonuses are worth the stretch if you are able to! But I don't know how much they really will steal sales from those other luxury brand names. Those cars really seem like a different market to me. People who look at those other 3 cars probably want a luxury brand name which Mazda can't provide.

I think will do well in the non-luxury brand coupe/2+2 market though. From my surveying of people around work and friends, I find that luxury brand oriented people will still by luxury brands no matter if the car is less of a performer for the price. It's kinda like buying trendy clothes - they don't really cover you any better than regular clothes, but people have to have them to look good. Sedan buyers will still buy a sedans since it's still easier for passengers to use rear doors than suicide doors. And not to mention that one recent review even said that rear passengers can get out easy as long as they don't have back problems or something like that. So those that wanted a car with having passenger in mind, said that they would get a 'real' passenger car. So it seems that it really only competes against the non -luxury branded coupes from what I've been seeing/hearing around here. So hopefully it's a big enough market for success.

m477

Why would it be that expensive? I mean it's gonna be based on the RX-8 platform which is $26k base.

tallguylehigh

It was a total guess. I based it on the fact that the RX-8 tops out at around $33k with everything. Then I factored in a bump of a couple of grand for the MPS RX-8 up to about $36K and then another bump of the same size up to the granddaddy of them all RX-7. This way the cars will remain competitive pricewise but will not cannibalize each other in the sales arena.

Jerome81

I would guess there will be overlap like the G35c and Z. The RX-8 and RX-7 are different cars that would attract different buyers, same as the G35 and Z, which really aren't very different in price.

As far as the Mazdaspeeds go, I don't see why those couldn't overlap either. I would expect the Mazdaspeed RX-8 to outperform a base RX-7, which would outperform a base RX-8. The best would be the Mazdaspeed RX-7.

With that said, I would think the RX-7 would start maybe just slightly higher than the RX-8, if any higher. By all means it will be the same car, but smaller, so it really shouldn't cost too different.

Guess: RX-7: starts at ~$27,XXX

Mazda isn't going to shoot themselves again the way they did on the last RX-7. If they can make the RX-8 come in at what it did, there is no way they'll stray too far from that, and I REALLY doubt they'd be silly enough to try to charge much, if anything more than the Z. I would guess Mazda would like to be the price/value leader, and undercutting the Z would ensure that.