Wow... talk about oversized... heh. If anyone wants to resize and host it for me then shoot me a PM for the new links.

 

awfully big in here alright !!!

anyway - a good write up . Confirming what we all know already . The 8 can't make up for it's lack of power with good handling in this company anymore .....

 

Nice review..well the RX-8 had a nice run and nabbed 10 best 3 years in a row. Can't wait to try out the 370Z! This car is putting out C5 Corvette numbers and is 18HP shy of the 350HP that the C5 Corvette has in it.

Still patiently waiting on Mazda to see how this new 16X plays out. I am so glad I am not in the car market now, that Z would have my name all over it!

 

yeah a little big hehe

and also if I was going to buy a sports car now id probably go with a 370z

 

Yea, sad part is that i bet even the 2010 Stang GT would be close to beating the R3 in a comparo as well (damn that was hard to say). Yes, i know, SACRILEGE! LOL. Did you see how bad it murdered the Genesis 3.8L in the latest MT mag comparo? Yeesh. Ok, maybe that is a stretch, but todays cars are just getting better and better and making advances. The 8, though still a great car and my baby forever, is just getting passed up by the competition. Period.

 

its obvious the RX-8 has less power than these other cars, I think the bitchin is ment to put the bug in Mazda's *** to bring out the new motor and a turbo version as well. A little reality check is due here, since when do we need a car capable of 13 second 1/4 mile times to be a winner? The RX-8 is a car that inspires speeding at all times, the car needs more power? Compared to the old nonturbo RX-7's the RX-8 is mind blowingly fast. Fuel economy is better than those cars for a given amount of performance. For a car driven on the street its fast enough. More torque would make it better but nobody needs a faster car unless you are racing it. Yes we need the 16x but look at your cars guys, the RX-8 is an incredible car.
Anybody notice the RX-8 is faster in handing with smaller tires than the 370?

 

I am looking into the 370...but am realizing it is going to empty the wallet when it comes time to replace those tires. When looking at cars, you gotta take into account that stuff too.

 

Unlike most, I would be happy if there were just a way to increase the torque. I could live with the 232hp. I have some fun with my 8 but Ill never take it to a track or anything like that. In everyday driving you dont need 300+ hp anyway. If the 16x can address the fuel economy and give it at least 25 hwy, it could be the perfect car, even if it only ends up with 250hp and 200 torque.

 

yeah, but the fact of the matter is that we want more people to buy our cars. To do that, you have to appeal to the mainstream public. We need to be able to compete with the competition, which means more power (or less weight). Even if it is more expensive, the 370z is a better car and will definitely sell more than the 8 (by a larger margin than the 350z did). We've had a good run, no doubt about that, but until they come out with the next rx, we're going to be left behind. This stuff doesn't make me like the car less, but I do want mazda to have every incentive to keep making great cars like this, which means they need sales.

 

I enjoyed reading the article in the magazine.

 

Morning all, have they put the purchase costs of the cars on there (hard to read at that size) -

In the UK you can pick up an R3 for £19k now if you haggle - the book price on bmw website for the 135 is £29,610 - you need to add paint, stereo steering wheel, seats, tyres etc and the 370 again £26-£32 depending on the model.

what bits does the RX8 have that are optional extras on the 135, what pack do you need to choose on the 370 to get the same spec?

I remember when I bought my 8 many moons ago, - it was the same 0-60 as a Z4 (3.0), same weight, but the Z4 needed 4K more in extras to match the spec (xeonons, wheels, stereo etc) of the 8.

Saying that the 370 looks awesome, I'd even take a 1 yr old 350z as they're dirt cheap right now all considered.

 

I am surprised that the rx-8 is still in the comparison considering it's quite grey on the temple area. U'd think the new TT or the Genesis Coupe should be in the comparison rather than the aging rx-8 (despite the cosmetic redesign). Amazing that after all these years, autorags still consider it a standard bearer for sports coupes.

 

I'm just glad the 8 didn't get last place, considering how old it is (and how little advertising dollars Mazda spends in C&D).

I mean, the current engine is basically unchanged since 1995 when Mazda was considering producing the RX-01, and even that is just a minor upgrade to the same 13B that has been around since the 70's.

Really looking forward to the RX-9(?) in 2011-2012 with the first major update to the rotary in decades.

 

BIG repost.

 

intresting way of rating the review. mazda just needs to add some HP now, i mean now!

 

who gives a ****,

 

I *still* hate the eyesore of a door handle on the Z... Keeps me from even considering one.

 

well my dealer offered me the deal of a lifetime (again) - signed up for the R3

 

One big negative about the 370 that I think many overlook because it is a really good sports car is its impracticality. A two seater with hardly any trunk space. So one is essentially just buying it for sporting purposes. I'm just kind of shocked that a car with a fat *** like that can only manage 7 cu ft (probably more like 5 with the way the trunk is designed).

This is where the RX8 deserves a TON of credit. It's 300 pounds lighter, has a real back seat, four doors, and a bigger trunk.

 

unfortunately at 3060 lbs the '09 R3 model is porky compared to the earlier RX-8s, which offsets any advantage the revised trans/diff gearing and engine mods may have provided

 

Are you sure it is heavier? There are several things that should make the R3 lighter than the other trims. No moonroof and mechanicals, lighter wheels, lighter seats and no mechanicals.

 

interesting