Sapphonica

The 8 is underpowered vis its comptetition, Mazda is selling very few of them, and fewer as time goes on.

Maybe 2008 is when the 8 will be discontinued.

'Tis a shame, but without another 50 horsepower, it just can't hang.

Japan8

Don't you ever read other posts here?

The RX-8 has already significantly outsold the FD in MUCH less time.

Mazda has never been the horsepower leader with their cars. Good handling and fun to drive. yes. High horsepower? No.

The Miata is an excellent example of this.

Mazda isn't too worried. If you don't like it... don't drive it. There are others who will.

Raptor2k

Depends what type of competition you're talking about. I hanged well with an s2000 today on the highway, but unfortunately had to exit after about a minute.

allmotorRX8

i dont think they will disco the 8, at least not until it gets an update

ATL-6s

Talking about this lil jewel?

Japan8

^^ um that's the Kabura. I've already read and reported on that article. See the Kabura thread in General Automotive forum.

missinmahseven

Wow, so some here think the 8 is a failure and it needs another 50 horses to 'compete'...

Grow up, will ya? The 8's doing just fine, as per mazda itself. Another 50 horses will make it more expensive to buy, to maintain, to insure. Want muscle? Want neck-snapping-pin-you-to-your-seat sheer glorious power? Go get a Mustang or something.. this car's wasted on you. You want some broadsword knuckle-dragging, inbred-retard 1/4-mile champ, not a scalpel of a pure driver's car.

2007 sounds about right for the first minor update. Similar to what happened to the miata in 1994 -- that year the interior changed quite a bit, new dash cover, bracing at the rear shock towers, slightly bigger engine (to cover for the extra weight of the Guv't-mandated safety doodads), and it grew a nose badge and new wheels..

I suspect we'll see a similar treatment soon for the 8. It'll still be very much the same car it is now, just with little changes here and there.

I hope the body doesn't change at all for a while -- it is gorgeous the way it is right now.

Raptor2k

What changes performance-wise can you possibly make on the rx8/renesis without FI?

bascho

I really don't care what Mazda does with the RX8 for 2006 or 2007.......or 2008 for that matter. I purchased a 2005......so all I care about is what the aftermarket can offer to enhance my 2005. And misinmahseven....who cares if the body style changes....if you like the body style the way it is.....then keep your car.........it's what I plan to do

Steakboy42

I love you, have my babies

-Steakboy

Rhawb

Oh, that's good stuff!

BlueEyes

Your arrogance is enteraining. The idea that someone can't appreciate the "scalpel of a pure driver's [car]" while having an extra 50 hp is laughable, at best. That you think the car is wasted on someone because they crave more power to compliment the balance is equally ridiculous.

bascho

People only bash 1/4 mile racing when their car is not very strong in that test. If the RX8 had 50 extra ponies and could hang with Mustang or a 350Z....then they would never bash the 1/4 mile test as "inbred-retard 1/4-mile champ"....they would never have to feel insecure. They're lots of cars that can perform at the 1/4 mile strip and on the twisties..... guess what? The RX8 is not the best track car out there ya know. It would be one thing if the RX8 was slow on the 1/4 mile strip but was the undisputed king of the track.....but that is not the case. So an extra 50 ponies would allow the RX8 to be in that class of all-around sports cars.

juiceRx8

^^^Good point!

RichardK

I can't imagine what they could do to the RX8 to facelift it; however, Direct Injection Renesis might be a worthwhile improvement - I have owned a Direct Injection Mitsubishi, and it really was as good as the claims. However, this assumes the same inefficiencies exist in the Wankel that exist in the inline injection engines.

Automatic Climate control isn't fitted in the US? What do you mean by Climate Control in this context? I thought the RX8 had it as standard; certainly the system my car is alleged to have in the UK (from the brochure and looking at a similar car) is what I would consider climate - set a temperature and ignore it, with override buttons for screen demist and perhaps turning off the A/C (I can't remember the control panel).

Is it really so recent, the RX8? I feel like I've wanted one for ages

missinmahseven

You're equally arrogant for calling me on it. What I wrote is my @$!# opnion and my philosophy regarding cars. Apparently Mazda and Lotus agree with my opinion and philosophy. They both have been making light little cars with not much HP for decades.

If the horsepower ****** can cry "I waaaant mo powaaah" then I am well within my rights to express my own counterpoint to that, as vehemently as I desire. Why should they be the only ones allowed by you to express their view?

I've been fairly quiet in this forum for 3 years... and am getting exceedingly tired of the horsepower crowd yelling for mo powah. In my view, the car's bloody brilliant right out of the box. Got a problem with my expressing my views on the subject?

missinmahseven

2 years of Sport Touring (GrandAm) championships kinda says it is superior to the other contenders, one of which has the "H" on the hood, the other has a curious little blue/white spinning prop on the nose. That's enough evidence for me.

I bash 1/4 mile drag racing regardless of what I drive. When I was a teen, it was real fun to run Gramma's 4-4-2 down the track... but I soon tired of it. I even consider Top Fuel to be rather pointless.

BlueEyes

The lotus' you refer to weight 2/3's of the 8 and have similar whp numbers. The lotus that weighs a little more than the 8 has nearly 2 times the power. They are still high power/weight cars. Lotus happens to focus on the weight. Poorly thought out argument.

If everything about the 8 was the same except that it had 50 more horsepower, would you be sad?
They don't tell you that you are undeserving of a car because of your view. They don't tell you to grow up because of your view. They don't infer they you are an inbred retard because you don't care about your cars 1/4 mile performance.

Have your opinion, express your opinion, keep your dumbass comments to yourself.

BlueEyes

Shockingly, another poor argument from you. Guess what? you don't drive a Grand Am Rx-8, you drive a production Rx-8. Comparisons are silly.

FlyingLeggs

Blue Eyes, get a clue. There's my 2 cents.

Sapphonica

The Mustang, & the Evo & STi for that mattter, are butt-ugly, whereas our beloved 8 is gorgeous. Not an apples to apples comparison, methinks. Also, low 1/4 mile time is not the goal, but I've never complained about winning an impromptu stop light challenge either. Especially against cars costing two or three times more. Heh-heh-heh. Color me immature.

I personally find it quite pleasant to not have to downshift to pass on the highway and in general have a car that is responsive at the throttle as well as the wheel. And I am not alone.

That's why I went the FI route with mine. For me, it is a zillion point five times more fun to drive now than it was stock.

This is subjective, tho'. My last car was an E430, and my other current car is a Legacy GT wagon (tuned by Vishnu), both of which are torque-y and would surely blow the doors off a stock 8. However, in matters of taste there is no argument, so no problem if you are satisfied with the 8's stock performance.

Bottom line: Mazda should offer FI for the many would-be customers who like a sports car with a 1/4 time not measured on a geologic scale.

BlueEyes

About what?

czr

iTrader: (3)

WTF?


..and blueeyes seriously needs a clue about our car that he doesn't own but has no regard for owners' honest opinions. He can read all he wants about it, get his info on the web or whatever, and maybe test drive it once or twice. He needs to put some serious time into it, push its limits, rev it up, track it for a day, and double the speed limit of a turn. Stop the hate. damn.

280RX-8

Wow. I really don't see how wanting some extra power puts you in the "Straight line Retard" category. Just as some people who drive 'Stangs upgrade the suspension so they will go fast AND handle decently. Maybe an 8 driver is tired of getting eaten up on the straightaways by cars he passed in the turns. More horsepower would do wonders for the RX-8's sales numbers. That's almost a fact. Awesome as it is, nothing is so great that it can't be improved.

BlueEyes

What do you mean WTF? It's really not complicated. He is entitled to think the car is fine as is, others are allowed to wish it had more power. He can also express his opinion without telling people to "Grow up" and that "this car's wasted on you". He can do it without inferring that people who want more power are "broadsword knuckle-dragging, inbred-retard[s]". A scalpel with 50 more hp is no less of a scalpel.

I've also driven the 8 on a track. In fact, I can't imagine a non-owner who has driven it more than I, barring family/spouse etc. As well, I don't hate on the car. I really like the 8. Enough so to convince two people I know to buy 8's. A lawyer which was no easy sale, and one of my freinds fathers. I too will buy an 8 when the money is available to be put into a car. One of my complaints, however, is a lack of power. Others may disagree, some share that view. That's fine. I don't, nor does anyone who shares that view, need to be insulted because of that opinion. Nor will I listen to a bunch of lame attempts to justify someone elses opinion by drawing false parallels to race cars and lotus'.