Ok...im new here, and thwere is basically only one reason I signed up here...I need to know what the RX-8 is foresure...is it a coupe...or a sedan? Im a regular on Supercars.net, and we are in the middle of quite the argument there about what the RX-8 is. Please let me know whether you know or not for sure. I f you dont know foresure...let me know your opinion. Thanks.

 

That is a very good question. I would say sedan as it does have four doors, even if the extra two are more like half doors.

 

I certainly do NOT know for sure, so this is purely an opinion.

I see this car as an extension of the 2+2 concept, simply an attempt to make a coupe more practical, as opposed to the idea that this is a sedan whose rear doors just happen to be small.

Having said that, Webster's defines a coupe as a "closed, two-door automobile, with a body smaller than that of a sedan". Of course, this definition was written before the RX-8 existed, and my personal belief is that the definition of coupe will tend expand to include cars such as the RX-8 (assuming the '8 does start some sort of trend).

Ultimately, the definition of what the RX-8 is will come from popular press, and over time: there just has not been enough time yet to see what that definition will be. Incidentally, Consumer Reports' October '02 issue (which has some sort of car preview article in it) places the RX-8 in its "Sporty Coupe" category along with Saturn Ugly, er, I mean, Saturn Ion.

P.S. If these cars are dismal failures, of course, nobody will care.

 

"Saturn Ugly, er, I mean, Saturn Ion" LOL

first i have to saywatch out for the popup ads on that site, i friggin hate those things
second here is a question from that thread: Dude, a car with 4 door is sedan. lol. What kind of coupe is with 4 door? A coupe is a car with 2 doors but has 4 seats. Mazda rx8 has 4 doors.
my answer to that is: the rx8! it is a class of its own- the four door coupe!
if you want to get really technical someone pointed out recently that mazda has recently been caught calling it a sport saloon, which if we check with blueadept he will say that is english for sedan.
but really it is in a class by itself! :D

 

Alright, thanx for those replies. ANd i know exactly what you mean ABout the Saturn Ugly. But i am still in the search for the true answer...wish me luck...I miht keep posting here too...seem like a cool place.

 

Sure, hang around, we don't bite.
We have a huge west coast rotary gathering next week(9/28). More info may be forthcoming.

 

Folks, I am trying to tell you, THE ANSWER HASN'T BEEN DEFINED YET!

And, it ain't likely to be defined by anybody on this forum. Probably Mazda won't even be able to decide what this thing will end up being classified as! Popular press, as much as we may or may not like it, will probably come up with some catchy crap that will stick.

 

hey, theimportguy, if you're goign to keep posting there, then tell those 1000's-of-posts guys to get their facts straight: the RX-8 IS NOT a replacement for the RX-7... and it DOES NOT compete with the 350Z, and DOES compete with the G35, which IS NOT competing with the 350Z because they are very very different cars.

 

Yikes! What a horrible forum! That's just a warning before anyone from here goes over there. Why is it that so many car forums are filled with people that are so immature?

Anyway, theimportguy, if you want some facts to back up the statement that the RX-8 is NOT the replacement for the RX-7, here's a link:
http://rotary.cep.net/exclusive/Detr...interview.html

and here's the text from the designer of the RX-8 concept:

"Question: Is the RX-8 the RX-7 Successor?

Reply: Absolutely not, its a whole new idea in sportscars designed to appeal to those who want the performance of a two seater sports car combined with the convenience of a family oriented 4 seater. That is not RX-7's philosophy. "


I don't understand why anyone cares whether it's a coupe or a sedan. If I had the desire to wade through the bile over there I'd offer this, although I suspect the meaning would be lost on most:

"that which we call a Rose,
By any other name would smell as sweet."

 

well put, as always, Rich.
but, i'm with the "sports sedan" camp. 4 seats and 4 doors + sportiness = sports sedan...

 

I vote for a sports coupe! :D I'll reserve my judgement until I see how much actual room there is in the back. If it's more than my Prelude than it will be a sedan. :D
Really though, the RX-8 is in a class of it's own.. IF the rear seats are comfortable enough for 6 footers.

 

Mazda calls it a "sports saloon" for what its worth. I think its an entirely new category of car.

 

suv.

 

We can definately rule that out...

 

oh ya, thanks for reminding me Grimace...
ya, "saloon" to us N.Americans who don't know is English (Brit.) for "sedan"... so i'm stickin' to my guns.
:D

 

Hey now! Watch your mouth!

Isn't there supposed to be a moderator watching these threads?

---jps

 

Maybe I was too rash. The RX-8 is sporty. We all know that. With its ample back seats, and 4-door configuration, it can be used to carry 4 adults with ease. Thats utility. Maybe it is the real SUV. :D

Its got about 1000% more sport than actual SUV's anyway, and is probably more practical on a day to day basis...

 

Are you talking about the G35s or the G35c not being in compitision with the 350Z?

 

I'd say the 350Z is going up against the S2000... RX-8 is definately in a class of its own.

 

I was reading that forum and the people remind me of the preps that go to my school. They think every little thing they read in the mags is true even for a car that hasn't enterd production yet.

I am in the sport sedan camp all the way. It makes sense if fully-grown people can sit in the back and move around with doors for them its a sedan.

 

Well, it would be nice if my insurance company thinks the RX-8 is a sedan...

 

I second the notion for the insurance. But since saturn can call their crap a 3-door coupe, Mazda can call theirs' a 4-door sports coupe its only fair. Then again if the magazines classify it as a four door sport sedan Who's gonna be whippin some *** in all the tests? Thats right, the RX-8!!

 

Classify it as you will, I don't care. I only care about the car, not the name.

SUV, why not? :D