Along4TheRide

Whoa! Great salesman! Have to admit, I make a lousy passenger, and I'd make an even worse one going 3-digits fast. Salespeople gotta have nerves of steel. Especially ones that sell fast cars.

jez64

Dan (the salesman) was holding to the door and hand brake for dear life. His fault, he told me that to get the real feeling for this car you have to drive it like you stole it.

I have to admit, my last two salesman, Bob at Stevens Creek Porsche and Dan at Oak Tree Mazda (San Jose, CA) have gone above and beyond. This guys let the cars sell them selves. Have to go now, is time for the Sat. morning trip to Starbucks :D

Krankor

The RX-8 was at the top of my list of cars, although I did shop a few others (Infinity G35, Corvette). After some careful shopping, I had decided on the 8, but hadn't decided on *which* 8. I'd read about the shinka online, but wasn't super-impressed. I was thinking that the gray was a pretty good looking color. But when I checked out what the dealer had available in the manual, it turned out the Shinka was the only one that had the options I wanted (especially the heated leather seats). Now, sitting in the showroom, the black-cherry just looked black to me. Which was ok, because I like black (my old MX-6 had been black), but it didn't seem like anything special. Fortunately, through some odd circumstances, I ended up getting to see the same car out in the sunlight, where I could really see the cherry. INSTANT LOVE.

hottrx8chic

I am a new owner of the Shinka. I previously had a 04 TG 8 and when I saw the Shinka I fell in love and just kept saying to myself that I have to have it. I got tired of seeing my car everywhere I went and realized that the TG was a popular color and felt it was time for a change. And damn am I glad that I made that decision cause the Shinka is a sexy car. No one can honestly say that it is not a beautiful looking car. Its crazy cause its not just one color its three...........lol..........if you own a Shinka Im sure you know what I mean....the color is envied by many. The only downside I think, is that they didnt number the cars like the LE SS camaro's are. Just would have been nice to know what number I was...... Lastly I must admit that I turn around and look at my beauty everytime I walk away from her.

shinka213

I'm right there with ya girl!!!!
da shinka is da bizzzzzzzzzzzzzom! :D

Vizacar

Look up your VIN here:

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/pdf/...on_Numbers.pdf

shinka213

thanks Vizacar

I'm # 516 built date 12/2/04

yippee!!!!! :D

TEW Rotors

I decided in 2003 that my next car would be an RX-8. At the time I was driving a '95 Ford Probe GT. (I would have bought an RX-7 in '95, but I couldn't afford one.) When I saw the RX-8 was coming out, I fell in love with it. It was the best of all worlds - a rotary with room for (soon-to-come) kids.

So, it was early '03 and my car was falling apart. I decided I would deal with my crappy car until I could get an '8. The problem is, I personally will never buy a car in the first year of a new model. That meant I had to wait until the '05 RX-8.

The time came in October '04. I went to my dealer (where my wife and I had previously bought a Tribute) and test drove it and almost bought a titanium grey that day. But, the '05's they had didn't have a lot of options (and I wanted everything, including NAV). So, despite a lot of pressure from the dealer to take the one I had driven, I decided to order one. I chose black/brown, they told me my order would go through in mid-November and I should expect to have my car in mid-to-late January.

Come January 31 and no word from the dealer. I called my salesman and he said the car wasn't there, but he would check on it and get back to me. He called me back to tell me that my car was one of the ones that had been on the line when the fire happened at the plant. It sounded like BS, but I checked out the info on the fire and it was plausible enough. Disappointed to say the least, I told him to give me a call when my car finally showed up.

Two days later, the salesman called me to tell me about these special-edition RX-8's that had just come off the truck. He told me I should come take a look. After talking to him, I checked out the Shinka on the Mazda website and was very impressed. The one thing I noticed was no NAV, which was a drawback.

To make a long story an epic, I went to the dealer to take a look and was mightily impressed. The look of the interior and exterior were unbeatable and I drove home with #293 that night in early Februrary.

shinka213

gr8t story!!!
:D :D

hottrx8chic

Thanks! Now I have no complaints..............hehe..............Im #1077 Pretty sweet!

k_clements

Does anyone know if you can find out what the production number for my Shinka is? Is it true there are only 4 or 5 in the US? My Shinka story.

Hubby and I went car shopping, parked at the Honda dealership. Something told us to walk to the Mazda dealer next door. There was a white RX8 in the show room. I asked if they had an RX8 in an automatic. The sales man located the Shinka on the lot. It was so dusty you couldn't tell the color. We drove it and bought it....They cleaned it up and WOW. Woke up three times the night we brought it home and ran to the garage..I've never been so exicited about a material possession.....First non practical thing I've done in my life. It's an Awesome vehicle. I bought it not knowing how special it really was. It just felt right.

Overport

when i bought my rx8 the shinka wasn't available.

a few months later i saw one on the street and was floored as the car was in direct sunlight....one of the most beautful colors i have ever seen on a car. I almost caused an accident.

just thought i'd share.

wedge357

I'ts been posted above your thread. Here it is again.

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/pdf/...on_Numbers.pdf

Tyler8

False. There have been 1357 built and there were 4 Shinka's (2MT/2AT) at Byer's Mazda (Columbus OH) when I bought mine. I don't know how many of these are in the US, but certainly lots more than 4 or 5.

Tyler8
2005 6MT Shinka

k_clements

Thanks Guys...I have #836..... 2005 Shinka AT

Along4TheRide

Did a quick check on the internet the other week looking to see how many Shinkas were left in North Carolina, and it looks like there isn't one to be found anywhere.

Anybody else in the area have any luck seeing one available?

wedge357

There's a few Shinkas at my dealership here in West Palm Beach (Palm Beach Mazda) the last time I was there 2 weeks ago. I don't think they're selling a lot of 8s because they keep their inventory too hidden for casual people to see. Their used-car lot has more RX-8 out in the front...