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Rx8 : You either get it or you dont.

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Old 07-10-2008 | 05:23 PM
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Rx8 : You either get it or you dont.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3927051

FYI: Something I started in my old forums vwvortex.

Background info:
TCL (The Car Lounge) is the biggest automative forums in the world (at least for English).

They have some favorite cars: eg. Miata, S2000, Porsche 928

But they seems to hate Rx8. Do a search and you will see.

I post there just to...hm..fire up their collective asses? :P

But thats basically what I feel about the Rx8 though. I registered in rx8club since 2003 and finally got one in 2008.

I AM ENJOYING EVERY MOMENT OF THIS CAR. Even as a jaded forum member, even when bone STOCK. This really is a car for us.

And I already have half a dozen ladies ride with me for the past week! Woot woot! Do that in your 350Z with 3 girls at one time! hahaha

Peace out. Gonna start bending over for the gas station now...T_T
Old 07-10-2008 | 05:49 PM
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It's very true. The RX-8 isn't something you kinda like. It's either you love it, or hate it. Sucks, but it's true.
Old 07-10-2008 | 06:02 PM
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ok ok i like your style and i think this deserves my 1000th post, way to go!!! congrats on the buy and welcome to the addiction......seeing that youve put 3 ladies in your 8, ive had 6!!!!! WOOT WOOT 1000!!!!!!!
Old 07-10-2008 | 06:22 PM
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Originally Posted by dozer
ok ok i like your style and i think this deserves my 1000th post, way to go!!! congrats on the buy and welcome to the addiction......seeing that youve put 3 ladies in your 8, ive had 6!!!!! WOOT WOOT 1000!!!!!!!
Thx for ur 1000th post haha....but still, show me a pic /w 6 ladies in car or it didnt happen! You got them double on each seat?! omfg pwnage!
Old 07-10-2008 | 06:49 PM
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yeah it is the truth you love it or you hate it(but mostly the ppl that hate it have no clue about the rotary or how they work)..the other day a "car expert"(he thinks) is like yeah u need a 13B in there then it would b a real car I was like it is a 13B he's like no it's not kept saying it all day till I took him out popped the hood and pointed to the 13B marking on the rotor housing!!!
Old 07-10-2008 | 07:03 PM
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the car lounge is the biggest car forum in the world? i didn't know that. i've had some funny experiences w/ vwvortex's forum. some people there are a little funny. i used to love volkswagens...until the late 90s when everything went yuppie (or high quality, depends on your point of view )
Old 07-10-2008 | 07:31 PM
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i love my rx8, but it depresses me that a new one in the USA can go for $25k, but in canada it's $46k.
Old 07-10-2008 | 07:52 PM
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Rx8 : You either get it or you dont.

June 2008 shows 333 RX8s sold out of about 13.6 million vehicles sold in the month. Appears the don't get its win.

All joking aside I think the RX8 alienates people more than the Miata or S2000 by offering so little to most people.

A Miata or S2000 gets the owner a top down two seater with zippy performance. People can see and understand that attraction although most will not spend the money to acquire one. An RX8 is just another 4 seater with weird styling and a funky engine to these people. The one really unique feature of the RX8 is the arrogant defensive attitude of the owners. RX8 owners can't understand that anyone would want anything else.

Myself I want a rotary but do not want an RX8. It does not fit my lifestyle. I would drive a FC convertible or rotary pickup if there was any decent place to get them serviced.

Last edited by OldCodger; 07-10-2008 at 07:53 PM. Reason: sp
Old 07-10-2008 | 07:55 PM
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Originally Posted by OldCodger
Rx8 : You either get it or you dont.

June 2008 shows 333 RX8s sold out of about 13.6 million vehicles sold in the month. Appears the don't get its win.

All joking aside I think the RX8 alienates people more than the Miata or S2000 by offering so little to most people.

A Miata or S2000 gets the owner a top down two seater with zippy performance. People can see and understand that attraction although most will not spend the money to acquire one. An RX8 is just another 4 seater with weird styling and a funky engine to these people. The one really unique feature of the RX8 is the arrogant defensive attitude of the owners. RX8 owners can't understand that anyone would want anything else.

Myself I want a rotary but do not want an RX8. It does not fit my lifestyle. I would drive a FC convertible or rotary pickup if there was any decent place to get them serviced.
Its because you do not have one...that you fail to understand...nice try tho...
Old 07-10-2008 | 07:55 PM
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Kafka are you really so 'butt ugly' you had to spend $25K to get girs to ride with you?
Old 07-10-2008 | 08:26 PM
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Originally Posted by OldCodger
Rx8 : You either get it or you dont.

June 2008 shows 333 RX8s sold out of about 13.6 million vehicles sold in the month. Appears the don't get its win.

All joking aside I think the RX8 alienates people more than the Miata or S2000 by offering so little to most people.

A Miata or S2000 gets the owner a top down two seater with zippy performance. People can see and understand that attraction although most will not spend the money to acquire one. An RX8 is just another 4 seater with weird styling and a funky engine to these people. The one really unique feature of the RX8 is the arrogant defensive attitude of the owners. RX8 owners can't understand that anyone would want anything else.

Myself I want a rotary but do not want an RX8. It does not fit my lifestyle. I would drive a FC convertible or rotary pickup if there was any decent place to get them serviced.
ouch!

isn't pineapple or atkins in oregon? i guess soCal is nice 'cuz there're quite a few good rotary shops/mechanics for one to buzz around in an old mazda and pay someone else to work on it
Old 07-10-2008 | 08:27 PM
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rotaries have always been love or hate
Old 07-11-2008 | 12:13 AM
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Originally Posted by eviltwinkie
Its because you do not have one...that you fail to understand...nice try tho...
But I do have one - a Miata. I know that when I park at the beach my decade older Miata draws a larger crowd than the RX8s near by. Its true as the OP stated that some crowds seem to love the Miata but not the RX8, but I can only guess why as I also like the RX8. I found I did not fit in the RX8! I needed power seats due to back problems. I needed cloth seats as the leather had an uncomfortable feel. (I am fat with a bad back and found I could enter and exit a Miata easier than a lot of cars.)

I have always loved rotaries but have never found Mazdas current product offering to match my needs. The low sales seem to indicate others might feel the same way.

How many on this board ever test drove an R100 for a media interview?
Or autocrossed an RX2? Or an test drove an RX3?

I came real close to getting an RX7 convertible instead of the Miata but all three I test drove had body shake problems that the used Miatas did not.
Old 07-11-2008 | 12:29 AM
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From: everywherez...
Again...nice try...

Other RX's have power seats...
My RX hath the cloth seats...
My RX draws alot more CHICKS than a decade old miata...

How about you plow into a wall @ 30mph with your miata and I'll do the same with my RX...and let's see who walks from the carnage...

Old 07-11-2008 | 01:10 AM
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So who is going first?
Old 07-11-2008 | 02:23 AM
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QFT:

Facts about the RX8 brought to you by TrueBlueTitan

The RX-8 has an aluminum hood that incorporates “Shock Cone” technology to minimize head injuries in the event of an accident with a pedestrian

The RX-8 power steering is electric instead of the old style hydraulic systems

The RX-8 has a return-less fuel system. This means warm fuel isn’t returned to the tank and fuel evaporation is reduced.

The RX-8 actually holds approximately 7 quarts of oil, but when you change the oil only 4 quarts are drained and replaced. This is because the oil cooler(s) are not drained when you drain the oil pan, and why a 3,000 mile interval between changes is really beneficial, since you never really have completely fresh oil.

The RX-8 has an electric power steering system. If your RX-8 engine stalls for whatever reason (i.e. run out of fuel) then the electric power steering continues to operate allowing you to steer safely to the side of the road.

The front seatbelts can be buckled into the rear seatbelt clasp but cannot be unclasped. DO NOT DO THIS.

The hood and rear doors of the RX-8 are aluminum. Additionally, they aren’t welded together but instead joined via friction.

The combustion chamber is covered with a resin coating to improve the initial engine break-in.

The E shaft has a bypass valve that opens when the oil is cold to allow cold oil to bypass the rotors and help reduce the engine warm-up period.
RX8’s already have the seat heater wiring in place in the center console, even if you don’t have leather seats or seat heaters.

The RX-8’s fuel tanks contain two roll-over valves that close and stop your charcoal canister from being contaminated with fuel in the unlikely event of an RX-8 rollover.

The glove compartment light is on all the time while your headlights are on.

It is possible to disable the TCS/DSC completely on an RX-8 by pressing and holding the DSC switch until both indicator lights illuminate.

The RENESIS rotary engine utilizes a metered oil pump to inject a small amount of oil onto the apex seals of each rotor to keep them lubricated and reduce failure.

The RX-8 Tire Pressure Monitor System has both a low pressure and a high pressure setting.

The high frequency sound you hear under the hood when the key is on but the engine is off is the electric throttle actuator pushing the throttle butterfly toward closed, waiting for you to start the engine.

Every time you first start driving the RX-8 there is an audible “thump” heard from the car. That is the ABS braking system performing a self-test.

The M/T RX-8 has a carbon fiber drive shaft while the A/T RX-8 employs a steel drive shaft.

The spare tire is not standard in US.

Not tightening your gas cap correctly after fueling will cause a CEL (Check Engine Light).

The Shinka has water-repellent front glass, front door windows and door mirrors.

Using the factory supplied tire sealant as a repair requires the replacement of the tire.

The RX-8 clutch pedal height is adjustable.

There is an audible “shift-alert” tone when your car reaches 8,500 RPMs.

Chassis Dyno-ing an RX-8 will make the ABS/DSC system think it has a malfunction and give you a CEL. However, if you shut off the DCS and TCS you can dyno the car without causing a CEL or DTC. Additionally, the dealership technicians can tell if you’ve set the DSC/TC to “full off” mode because doing it stores a fault code.

The RX-8’s automatic headlight adjusters, for the HID equipped cars, sensor is on the REAR sway bar, which is why a lot of folks complain about headlight aim after they install lowering springs.

The catalytic converters contain Platinum and that’s why they’re so expensive to replace.

The stainless steel exhaust systems grow in length by about an inch when they are up to temperature.

It is possible to listen to sounds coming from each individual speaker of your car, in a prescribed order. With the radio on, Press the power button and AUTO-M at the same time for 1 s. The speakers will then sound in the following order: Front passenger side speaker and tweeter, drivers side Front speaker and tweeter, drivers side rear speaker, and finally passenger side rear speaker.

The early RX-8’s had black windshield (windscreen) washer tanks, and later ones had opaque white so you can see contents without taking cap off.

All the instrument cluster warning and indicator lights are LED’s.

The 18″ (non-bright finish) OEM alloy wheels are painted and clear coated.

The RX-8 has drive-by-wire. There is no accelerator cable. The accelerator pedal sensor is a dual sensor that outputs to the PCM dependant on pedal position. Each sensor is a backup to the other if one fails. The PCM outputs to the throttle body which also has dual sensors.

The MAZDA RX-8 has a 5-Star roll over rating from the NHTSA. The RX-8 was the only auto in the US that got the 5-star rating.

The rear brake rotors have 60 vents, while the front rotors on a base model have 52 vents and the sport package front rotors have 54 vents.

Additionally, the front disks on the sport package equipped RX-8 are the largest ever offered on a MAZDA production car.

The Power train Control Module (PCM) carries out a full sixty step test of the Metering Oil Pump (MOP) every twelfth time the engine is turned off.

“Zoom-Zoom-Zoom” is from a 1994 soundtrack CD “Only The Strong” & was written by a guy named Kao Rossman, performed by Serapis Bey.

The roof on the RX-8 has structural members that are constructed of nitride treated steel? Nitriding fuses titanium to the steel with nitrogen through heat. This produces a very strong, yet lighter weight (2.2 lbs less than ordinary steel) roof and contributes to better handling.

The SHINKA edition RX8 has foam filled suspension members to further improve the handling without increasing the weight.

The RX-8 employs mode control panels which are 2 circular depressions in the floor panels. These two circles vibrate alternately creating “waves” which cancel each other out and reduce noise and vibration in the cabin.

At about 13,000rpm harmonic vibrations will destroy a RENESIS, but it could theoretically live its entire, long life just shy of that.

There are four side seals in the RENESIS rotor. A keystone to scrape carbon buildup from exhaust gases, a cut-off seal to eliminate blow-by between intake and exhaust ports, and twin oil seals to well, you know, keep the oil where it needs to be.

There is a Seat Track Position Sensor that tells the onboard airbag system what position your seat is in.

There is also an airbag sensor in the front seatbelt buckles to tell the system that your seatbelt is unfastened.

The 4 speed AT has larger secondary fuel injectors than the 6 speed manual.

The clock on the NAV system is nearly perfectly accurate thanks to GPS.

The carbon fiber drive shaft is protected from damage by shields and the connector pipe of the exhaust system.

The Automatic Level Controls for the radio incorporate a microphone that was tuned to “listen” to the sounds your car makes while ignoring sounds of other vehicles in order to automatically adjust volume appropriately.

The trunk lip spoiler is required in Europe for fuel economy reasons.

The electric power steering management is based, like the engine AFRs, on a programmed map that takes into consideration vehicle speed, steering input torque and engine speed.

The RX-8 steering wheel has a magnesium core to save weight.

As the rotors rotate the apex seals are actually sucked away from the rotor housing and therefore a spring is needed to keep the seals planted against the trochoid chamber walls.

The rear differential doesn’t use clutch disks like normal LSD’s do? Instead it uses a complex series of gears to allow the wheels to rotate at slightly different speeds, but still lock under given conditions.

The fender vents are not just for show, but do indeed help to vent hot air from the engine bay.

The RX-8 employs a first ever multi-link rear suspension for a MAZDA production sports car.

Each Renesis engine is hand-built (assembled) from start to finish by a single person.

The RENESIS name stands for Rotary Engine Genesis … But also for Rotary Engine for the New age with Exhaust on the Side and Intake on the Side.
Old 07-11-2008 | 02:29 AM
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Some of those facts are very cool to know.
Old 07-11-2008 | 02:34 AM
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Wow.
I love the facts up there.
Learned a lot more lol
I thought this "The Shinka has water-repellent front glass, front door windows and door mirrors." and this one was cool..."It is possible to listen to sounds coming from each individual speaker of your car, in a prescribed order. With the radio on, Press the power button and AUTO-M at the same time for 1 s. The speakers will then sound in the following order: Front passenger side speaker and tweeter, drivers side Front speaker and tweeter, drivers side rear speaker, and finally passenger side rear speaker."
Plus I didn't know only one person assembles a rotary engine by hand. Thought it was multiple persons but by hand.
Pretty cool stuff
Old 07-11-2008 | 02:34 AM
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they really are. i loved that
Old 07-11-2008 | 03:16 AM
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Originally Posted by OldCodger
But I do have one - a Miata. I know that when I park at the beach my decade older Miata draws a larger crowd than the RX8s near by. Its true as the OP stated that some crowds seem to love the Miata but not the RX8, but I can only guess why as I also like the RX8. I found I did not fit in the RX8! I needed power seats due to back problems. I needed cloth seats as the leather had an uncomfortable feel. (I am fat with a bad back and found I could enter and exit a Miata easier than a lot of cars.)

I have always loved rotaries but have never found Mazdas current product offering to match my needs. The low sales seem to indicate others might feel the same way.

How many on this board ever test drove an R100 for a media interview?
Or autocrossed an RX2? Or an test drove an RX3?

I came real close to getting an RX7 convertible instead of the Miata but all three I test drove had body shake problems that the used Miatas did not.
dude quit being so condescending to us i love miatas and would love to park one in my garage along with rotaries if i can afford a fleet. i don't go on to the 350z forum and bash them about why the z is not my thing and act all righteous and deserving 'cuz i've done this and that. i'm 6'2" and fit in the 8 like a glove (as well as a mini cooper); my old fd fit me perfectly, too, as well as elises and all miatas. there're many other members here who're long time rotary owners so you're not terribly special, but i guess you're a journalist so you're a big deal. i've never gone to a media launch but i did shake hands with carroll shelby and koby kobayakawa once, so i guess i need to mention that. the fc convertibles shook probably 'cuz it was not engineered as a convertible like a miata but basically a chop top. for me, i'd take a coupe over a convertible any day; miatas and s2ks are probably the only exception. last but not least, mazda has low sales? seems to me they're riding pretty high these days

Last edited by REsuperD; 07-11-2008 at 03:19 AM.
Old 07-11-2008 | 08:58 AM
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Originally Posted by OldCodger
Kafka are you really so 'butt ugly' you had to spend $25K to get girs to ride with you?
LoL I have the face like the rx8 design. some love it. some hate it.
Old 07-11-2008 | 09:39 AM
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Originally Posted by OldCodger
The one really unique feature of the RX8 is the arrogant defensive attitude of the owners. RX8 owners can't understand that anyone would want anything else.
Hey, nothing like a good old stupid generalization. It's even better when it comes from a self proclaimed codger whose experience with rotaries comes from test drives and a media interview in days gone by.

Most of us understand perfectly why others would want something else, and are perfectly at peace with that. The fact that the RX8 is not a mass market conveyance is something many of us find appealing.
Old 07-11-2008 | 10:27 AM
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I'm a firm believer in...anything worth a damn is never easy to achieve... yeah the RX needs attention, but personally, I love having my big *** sticking out from under the hood...and getting my hands a little dirty. If I wanted a spoon fed, gas and go car, heck I'd get a civic. I've owned 2 RX-7s in my time....and each one has been better than the last and they ALLL required things out of the ordinary here and there...SOOO call it a labor of love or whatever....either you get it or you don't...and if you don't....I'm sorry, you never will !


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