2007 RX-8 Official Press Release
#27
To counter all your whinning:
A) static models generally mean lower depreciation rates for owners of that vehicle because everyone isn't rushing out to buy the much-improved newer one.
B) RX-8s or any other sports cars don't matter for crap in overall car sales. Many are loss leaders for their company. Mustangs are probably the exception, I'm guessing Ford makes significant money off that model. It is more of a muscle car though and those fall under a slightly different buyer and market segment than sports cars.
Take the Z for example. Nissan sells more 350Z's than Mazda does 8's. However, I bet that Nissan sells many many more XTerras and Altimas than 350Z's and makes a hell of a lot better profit margin on them. So it should come as no suprise that Mazda has dumped all their R&D into other cars that needed it more desperately last year. Both the 3 and the 6 now have performance champions to help re-invigorate those models and pull decent sales themselves. They have a handsome crossover SUV that stands to make the company a buttload of cash. They have a roadster which would have lost a lot of sales to new competitors if it didn't have a timely redisgn. Does it come as a suprise to anyone that Mazda is acting like a (GASP!) business? All considering, they have done an amazing amount over this last year and to expect them to update their least important model when they have bigger fish to fry is rediculous.
That being said they make cars and thus like cars and are probably really like the RX-8 themselves. As long as the bean-counters don't axe it, I garauntee you they have the long term, personal interest. Just be patient. I would not be suprised if Mazda gets to take a breather now and can devout some time to the RX-8 or pass it off to Mazdaspeed for the majic touch. I suspect good things outta 2008, but if they don't come to fruition I will wait another year and enjoy the resale value.
A) static models generally mean lower depreciation rates for owners of that vehicle because everyone isn't rushing out to buy the much-improved newer one.
B) RX-8s or any other sports cars don't matter for crap in overall car sales. Many are loss leaders for their company. Mustangs are probably the exception, I'm guessing Ford makes significant money off that model. It is more of a muscle car though and those fall under a slightly different buyer and market segment than sports cars.
Take the Z for example. Nissan sells more 350Z's than Mazda does 8's. However, I bet that Nissan sells many many more XTerras and Altimas than 350Z's and makes a hell of a lot better profit margin on them. So it should come as no suprise that Mazda has dumped all their R&D into other cars that needed it more desperately last year. Both the 3 and the 6 now have performance champions to help re-invigorate those models and pull decent sales themselves. They have a handsome crossover SUV that stands to make the company a buttload of cash. They have a roadster which would have lost a lot of sales to new competitors if it didn't have a timely redisgn. Does it come as a suprise to anyone that Mazda is acting like a (GASP!) business? All considering, they have done an amazing amount over this last year and to expect them to update their least important model when they have bigger fish to fry is rediculous.
That being said they make cars and thus like cars and are probably really like the RX-8 themselves. As long as the bean-counters don't axe it, I garauntee you they have the long term, personal interest. Just be patient. I would not be suprised if Mazda gets to take a breather now and can devout some time to the RX-8 or pass it off to Mazdaspeed for the majic touch. I suspect good things outta 2008, but if they don't come to fruition I will wait another year and enjoy the resale value.
#28
Originally Posted by flomulgator
To counter all your whinning:
A) static models generally mean lower depreciation rates for owners of that vehicle because everyone isn't rushing out to buy the much-improved newer one.
B) RX-8s or any other sports cars don't matter for crap in overall car sales. Many are loss leaders for their company. Mustangs are probably the exception, I'm guessing Ford makes significant money off that model. It is more of a muscle car though and those fall under a slightly different buyer and market segment than sports cars.
Take the Z for example. Nissan sells more 350Z's than Mazda does 8's. However, I bet that Nissan sells many many more XTerras and Altimas than 350Z's and makes a hell of a lot better profit margin on them. So it should come as no suprise that Mazda has dumped all their R&D into other cars that needed it more desperately last year. Both the 3 and the 6 now have performance champions to help re-invigorate those models and pull decent sales themselves. They have a handsome crossover SUV that stands to make the company a buttload of cash. They have a roadster which would have lost a lot of sales to new competitors if it didn't have a timely redisgn. Does it come as a suprise to anyone that Mazda is acting like a (GASP!) business? All considering, they have done an amazing amount over this last year and to expect them to update their least important model when they have bigger fish to fry is rediculous.
That being said they make cars and thus like cars and are probably really like the RX-8 themselves. As long as the bean-counters don't axe it, I garauntee you they have the long term, personal interest. Just be patient. I would not be suprised if Mazda gets to take a breather now and can devout some time to the RX-8 or pass it off to Mazdaspeed for the majic touch. I suspect good things outta 2008, but if they don't come to fruition I will wait another year and enjoy the resale value.
A) static models generally mean lower depreciation rates for owners of that vehicle because everyone isn't rushing out to buy the much-improved newer one.
B) RX-8s or any other sports cars don't matter for crap in overall car sales. Many are loss leaders for their company. Mustangs are probably the exception, I'm guessing Ford makes significant money off that model. It is more of a muscle car though and those fall under a slightly different buyer and market segment than sports cars.
Take the Z for example. Nissan sells more 350Z's than Mazda does 8's. However, I bet that Nissan sells many many more XTerras and Altimas than 350Z's and makes a hell of a lot better profit margin on them. So it should come as no suprise that Mazda has dumped all their R&D into other cars that needed it more desperately last year. Both the 3 and the 6 now have performance champions to help re-invigorate those models and pull decent sales themselves. They have a handsome crossover SUV that stands to make the company a buttload of cash. They have a roadster which would have lost a lot of sales to new competitors if it didn't have a timely redisgn. Does it come as a suprise to anyone that Mazda is acting like a (GASP!) business? All considering, they have done an amazing amount over this last year and to expect them to update their least important model when they have bigger fish to fry is rediculous.
That being said they make cars and thus like cars and are probably really like the RX-8 themselves. As long as the bean-counters don't axe it, I garauntee you they have the long term, personal interest. Just be patient. I would not be suprised if Mazda gets to take a breather now and can devout some time to the RX-8 or pass it off to Mazdaspeed for the majic touch. I suspect good things outta 2008, but if they don't come to fruition I will wait another year and enjoy the resale value.
#29
I knew there would be a 2007 model, but this will be the last year. There will not be a 2008 RX8. How do I know you ask? My Ouija board spelled out the phrase"08, no more mulligans".......Freaky......
#32
Maybe… just maybe… Mazda likes the car pretty much the way it is. Maybe they have the wisdom to recognize that the 8 is a truly wonderful car and they don't want to screw it up. If it was up to me, I certainly wouldn't change it in any significant way. And, reading all the articles, I doubt most auto journalists would either. When a car knocks it out of the park the first time up, why change it?
Don't know about you, but I'd take a 240Z over a 260Z any day.
Don't know about you, but I'd take a 240Z over a 260Z any day.
#39
Originally Posted by New Yorker
Maybe… just maybe… Mazda likes the car pretty much the way it is. Maybe they have the wisdom to recognize that the 8 is a truly wonderful car and they don't want to screw it up. If it was up to me, I certainly wouldn't change it in any significant way. And, reading all the articles, I doubt most auto journalists would either. When a car knocks it out of the park the first time up, why change it?
Don't know about you, but I'd take a 240Z over a 260Z any day.
Don't know about you, but I'd take a 240Z over a 260Z any day.
They got it so right they stopped counting the surveys
Must have been to many postive responses messing up the curve for the regular cars they didn't do well on.
#40
Originally Posted by Shoafb
They got it so right they stopped counting the surveys
Must have been to many postive responses messing up the curve for the regular cars they didn't do well on.
Must have been to many postive responses messing up the curve for the regular cars they didn't do well on.
#41
Originally Posted by New Yorker
Like many cars, the 8 had teething problems in its first year of production—mostly with flooding. Since then the car has been reliable. The current recall on all 8's is basically a very generous public relations ploy—generous because, in fact, only a small percentage of cars in hot/low humidity environments have problems. If you want to give the 8 a Fox News-esque bullshit spin on the truth, that's fine, it's a free country. But the truth is the RX-8 is a reliable car. (I realize "truth" is somewhat out of fashion these days, but heck—it still means something to me.)
#42
Originally Posted by saturn
Do you have any proof of any kind to go with your angry biased statement? What does "reliable" even mean. It's a relative term and means different things to different people.
#44
What is amazing is that they still have not added automatic climate control (which all the international models have had since 2003), auto-off headlights, auto door locks, power passenger seat, power rear window controls (so people will actually use them for once), and a more functional cluster gauge. They'll ignore simple crap like that which other less expensive cars they sell come standard with, but will waste resources making an advanced remote entry system and start button feature.
#45
Originally Posted by New Yorker
Like many cars, the 8 had teething problems in its first year of production—mostly with flooding. Since then the car has been reliable. The current recall on all 8's is basically a very generous public relations ploy—generous because, in fact, only a small percentage of cars in hot/low humidity environments have problems. If you want to give the 8 a Fox News-esque bullshit spin on the truth, that's fine, it's a free country. But the truth is the RX-8 is a reliable car. (I realize "truth" is somewhat out of fashion these days, but heck—it still means something to me.)
The recall is not generous. You really think they did this out of the kindess of their hearts? As I said before, they stopped counting our surveys>>>>>>>>> that is how many complaints they recieved! However trivial you might consider the complaints Mazda has to see the bottom line. They have shown by the numbers of the 8 produced that they intended to sell many more then they have.
#46
Originally Posted by JeRKy 8 Owner
What is amazing is that they still have not added automatic climate control (which all the international models have had since 2003), auto-off headlights, auto door locks, power passenger seat, power rear window controls (so people will actually use them for once), and a more functional cluster gauge. They'll ignore simple crap like that which other less expensive cars they sell come standard with, but will waste resources making an advanced remote entry system and start button feature.
#48
you're kidding me! the rear windows are manual crank? That's crazy.
I suppose you can spin it as a child-proofing feature but come on...
and what do you mean by 'they need to add auto door locks'?
Can't you lock all the doors with one blip of a button?
I suppose you can spin it as a child-proofing feature but come on...
and what do you mean by 'they need to add auto door locks'?
Can't you lock all the doors with one blip of a button?
#49
Originally Posted by roland_beech
you're kidding me! the rear windows are manual crank? That's crazy.
I suppose you can spin it as a child-proofing feature but come on...
and what do you mean by 'they need to add auto door locks'?
Can't you lock all the doors with one blip of a button?
I suppose you can spin it as a child-proofing feature but come on...
and what do you mean by 'they need to add auto door locks'?
Can't you lock all the doors with one blip of a button?
the rear windows push out, like in minivans kind of.
i could care less about auto lock doors as well.
#50
You guys need to reach back and pop those rear quarter windows open every once in a while. You get the sweet burble of exhaust without the wind noise. I agree that an option would be nice, but I for one don't want the added weight of more electric motors for quarter windows that are so small.