Murray16

RX stands for rotary experiment... the 8 is basically a model designation.

Rupes

What has happened to all the good car names? What the hell is an RX-8? Don’t tell me it stands for something like Rotary Xtream or something, cause that’s not what cars should be named. When you think of a “mustang” you get an instant picture in your head of what a mustang looks like. It prob varies for each of us, but we all picture a mustang. Now picture an XRT. Is that a Ford…Mazda…Acura…Umm? Letters are boring and hard to remember what kind of car it is your talking about. Point is, we need to bring back the good old American spirit and start naming cars after objects that represent the car, not letters in the alphabet!

-Rupes

mysql101

It's Rotary export. They increase the number by one for each new model. It's been done this way for a lot longer than you've been alive

My sticker says my car was 99% made out of parts from Japan. Hard to imagine a car much less American than the RX-8.

Rupes

Bah, you missed my point. American or not, naming your car should be something you take pride in. Even the Tiberon (sp?) has a name that means shark in English. These cars should have a name, not just a few letters followed with some numbers!

-Rupes

mysql101

You need to look up all the previous posts on this subject. It is Rotary export.

mysql101

Some of the best cars around are named by numbers. Do you dislike 911 too?

How about our use of "F1", "GT", and numerous other acronyms numbers, symbols, etc.

Just because it has numbers in it, doesn't mean it's any less of a name

dboys44

I don't even own an RX-8 or an RX-7 nor have I ever owned a Mazda (however I am only 19) Yet, I still know the history, behind the RX name.

The RX-8 is a good name because it follows in a long line of excellent rotary powered sports cars. The RX-7 is a legendary car. Maybe not so much in America, but go over to Japan and ask somebody about it.

I hope to own an RX-7 or RX-8 someday, and I think they are good names.

RX22

Yea, like the Pinto, and the Gremlin!! Now those were great cars! And the images those names conjure up!!

And since the RX8 IS all Japanese, it would only make sense for them to bring back those good ol' merican names. Maybe they should also take that stupid rotary thangy out and put in a 400 cu in V8 in there! Yeeeehaawww!! (Actually that might improve the gas mileage :D )

I'm thinkin' instead of RX8 it should have been the Mazda Mongoose, or maybe the Mazda, uh, uh, uh......Oh I got it the Monkey!!! That would have been great the Mazda Monkey!! Wow, what a car!! We could be the Monkeyclub.com! Now that would be really neato!!

Spazm

Nothing more American than the jackass.

Abracadabra

Yup...like the ever so popular (before you were most likely born) Chevy "Nova" as in NO GO! Go figure?

Rotary Nut

Well Rupes Mazda has been naming their cars with the RX moniker long before you were even a gleam in you parents eyes! The RX theme was applied to every Rotary powered car Mazda has ever exported to this country sans the pick up truck. The RX-2, -3, -4, -7 and finally the RX-8.

Do some searching on the internet and you would be enlightened to this facinating fact!

:D

Xyntax

Don't confuse Lexus RX330 for a rotary ok? It's just a car-based SUV.

Victor E

I beleive that one reason manufacturers name their cars with a series of numbers or letters is so that you use the manufacturer's name when someone asks you what you drive. "I drive a benz...I drive a lexus...I drive a bmw, or a porsche." nobody ever says they just drive a dodge, or a ford. tipically only premium brands get this privalidge, and I believe it has a lot to do with useing this coded naming system. by naming the car RX-8, (or mx-5, 3, 6, and mpv for that matter), mazda hopes to have consumers calling their cars mazda's, which is better for their image. Sorta puts their company up on a pedestal. At least, that is my theory, but I'm convinced their is some truth to it.

mazdabob

Actually, the first Mazda rotary was named the "Cosmo" (1967-1972). In Japan, the RX-7 was called the "Savannah RX-7". The Datsun 240Z was called the "Fairlady".

There is a trend today with carmakers toward number and letter combinations -XLR, RSX, etc., that is confusing the public. Most people knew what a Cadillac Eldorado was, but XLR, CTS, STS? People remember the Acura Legend, Integra, Vigor. What's an RSX, NSX, TSX, KGB, BLT???

Spazm

I'll have a BLT with a side of NSX please.

Mikelikes2drive

i think the letter number naming system is juss easier for them to remember? or write down? who knows...i think its got something to do with importing the cars to america because why would they go through the extra effort in renaming the cars... integra to rsx or is300 to altezza...

interesting fact... in japan the lexus rx330 is the toyota harrier i did not kno that... i knew of the altezza the aristo and celsior but not harrier. (almost all cars in japan have names in japan... not numbers or letters)

RX8_ML

hahaha!!! me too mee too!!

Victor E

Cadillac is a perfect example. they are switching to a number system because they want people to start saying that they drive "Cadillacs". it makes the company look more prestigiuos. plus, if they ever phase out a model, it doesn't have a significant effect on there image, because although they may not make the allante anymore, they still make cadillacs.

P.S. I realize the allente is a horrible example, because nobody misses that piecee of garbage... but you get my point. now people that buy a cts, xlr,blt whatever, will say they they drive a cadillac.

Hornet

I don't want to get too far off topic but the car makers sometimes throw the engine size in the names too. Examples- BMW 330Ci (3.0L), Lexus RX330 (3.3L), and Infiniti G35 (3.5L)

RotorMotor04

^^^^
240SX(2.4L), 350Z(3.5L), 300ZX(3.0L) to name a few.

I guess it's a Nissan/Lexus/Infinity thing.

mazdabob

It was OK when a few manufacturers used numbers and letters, like BMW and Porsche. But if all carmakers do it, there will be mass confusion. The Acura Legend was a popular car, but how many people know what it's called today?

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

rumor has it that Mazda is going to drop the Miata name from the NC roadster, and just call it the MX-5

sferrett

It's always been called the MX-5 in Australia... never heard of a Miata until I came here to the USA.

mazdabob

In some countries, the Miata has always been the MX-5. I'm not sure, but I think "Miata" was only for North America. The VW Rabbit, now Golf, was always the Golf in other countries. I heard that Europeans visiting the US would steal Rabbit emblems for their Golfs back home.

mazdabob

Speaking of car names - Ford has Mercury, GM has Saturn. I heard that Chrysler was going to name a car line after a planet, also - "Uranus - take a spin in one!" :D