Hey guys & gals,

I just joined this very informative forum. I am not an owner yet. I'm about 4 weeks from getting an 06 RX8. I did visit the dealer and test drive it and negotiated the price down as far as he would go, got everything in writing and when I go back in 4 weeks, I'll bring the paperwork with me and make my final offer which will be lower than what was negotiated.

In any case, I'm looking at a possible Shika SE, according the the VIN {CARFAX}. What is a sure fire way to tell if this is exactly what I am getting. Because the salesman didn't even know that it was a Shika according to the VIN. Is it possible that the VIN info could be incorrect and I'm really looking at a 06GT.

Can anyone point me in the direction of some concrete documentation of what was available in 06, as a Shika special edition in the USA. {Like the tell-tale features, that identify it as such}

Its fully loaded, sliding moonroof, dark grey leather, bose etc ... Unbelievable price!!!!!

No, I'm not naming the dealer, No, I'm not telling exactly where. WHY??? I don't want anyone to go looking at it or even thinking about it. I will say that I'm near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania ........ I'm not giving any more info than that untill I buy my RX

Thanks for any and all info.

 

I'd be willing to bet it isn't a Shika.

Might be a Shinka, though... *shrug*

(Did the B-pillar say "Shinka" on it? Also, what color is the car?)

 

Never heard of the Shika SE. Must be new.

 

No I didn't know to look at the B-Pillar ....... the car is a greenish-blue metallic.

Features:

Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Leather Seats, Power Steering, AM/FM Stereo Power Seats, Power Windows, Multi Compact Disc, Moon Roof with tilt or full open settings, Power Door Locks, Dual Front Air Bags, Front and rear side airbags
Tilt Wheel, ABS, Rear spoiler and keyless entry remotes.

 

What color are the seats?

 

dark grey leather



Vehicle Record Summary
VIN: XXXXXXXXXX We found 1 record(s) for this vehicle
Year: 2006 Style/Body: Coupe 4D
Make: Mazda Engine: 1.3L EFI 0.0
Model: RX8 Base /Shinka Country of Assembly: Japan

 

the rear lights. are the double silver strake things painted silver, or polished metal?

also, it should say "shinka" on the "b" pillar.

 

shinka seats only come in parchment leather/alcantara combo. which is a light beige color i believe.

standard non-shinka seats are leather/cloth and rubber. shinka seats are parchment leather and alcantara.

 

05? 06?

05 Shinka has only one color: Black Cherry (Dark purple). No other trim has this color.

06 Shinka has sand/alcantara leather. No other package offers this type of leather.

Easiest way is register with mazdausa.com and input that VIN number. It will tell you the car's original interior/exterior color.

And geeze, someone asked exact same question just few posts down....

 

Was any RX-8 offered in metallic blue-green? If it's a custom paint job then the black b-pillar panel that has the "Shinka" emblem on it might have been replaced or even painted over.

Another way to determine if it's a Shinka or not is to check the emergency break handle. If it's wrapped in leather with a heavy x-stitch, then it's a Shinka RX-8. If it's molded plastic, then it's a regular edition RX-8. Or, at least you know which car the break handle came from. It could be swapped or customized.

 

The Shinka was only available 05 and 06. The 05, as noted before, was black cherry with parchment leather (no contact area inserts). You would have to ask someone else for interior pics of this.

The 06 had their "Shinka" and "Shinka Package". The Copper Red color was only available as a Shinka (i.e. you can't have a sport edition CR). However you could get some other colors, as stated above, with the "Shinka Package". This meant that you got everything but the paint color of the Shinka. I've attached a couple of dealer shots of what the Sand/Alacantra interior of a shinka (package) looks like. Note the high gloss piano black accents near the seats, on the steering controls and in the center dash. Also note the color combination of the seats, the darker area is the Alacantra (sort of a fake suade). This combination was only available in the 06 model Shinka (packages).

When all else fails though, do a VIN check. You should for any used car anyway, along with a carfax so you know what you are actually paying for.

 

06 Shinka's came with Satellite radio preinstalled and one year free subscription to Sirius Radio. Look on the top off the trunk is the antenna there? The car your describing doesn't sound like a Shinka at all, they came with alcantara leather which is a very light tan, almost white not dark grey...be afraid, be very afraid. I have a Shinka so I should know.

 

Here are pics of the parchment (cream colored) leather in the '05—which came with Sirius and a one-year subscription, too.

 

05 Shinka here !!

Like New Yorker said, thats the stuff that came with 05 Shinka plus

Urthene filled front cross member
a bit bigger rear shocks
and certain parts of the bodyframe has reinforced parts (Mazdausa did not mention this one u gotta look it up in Mazda Japan's site)

 

Thank you all for the additional detailed information ........ Now I can re-negotiate based on the fact that the car is a Base\Grand Touring model.

For the previous poster, I wouldn't have been able to gain this knowledge by hijacking a similar thread. So I thought it best to start a more specific thread. I know its been an issue on this board with duplicate\similar threads being opened.
But, sometimes these dup\similar threads don't have the specifics you're looking for.

Thanks for the pics Fencig .... they helped alot. And thanks to the Shinka owner's for the facts.

 

Looks like you are not alone dbdbdb. Another board member stoped by his friends dealership and put his VIN into the computer. His also is incorrectly lable as a "shinka" but is not.

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/weirdest-thing-happened-today-after-vin-check-120146/

I will deffinaly watch out for this in the future as I plan on getting a Shinka in a year or so when I buy a used 8.

 

The color that you are looking at is called Phantom Blue. The Shinka was not offered in that color. Only pearl white, galaxy gray, Brilliant black, and copper red.

I would say that it is a GT model. This is from my dealerships ordering guidelines.

 

Hey ... good luck working a better deal.

Just in the North Hills of Pittsburgh ... where exactly are you? I already own my 8, so I wont be bothering your dealer...