Spin9k

The Toyotaisation of Mazda continues. While (gasp) Toyota is actually starting to get its mojo back with Akio Toyoda putting some zoom-zoom into its stale brand w/the FT-86, And now I read he has deemed that Lexus of all makes will be infused with some 'sport" in the future!

Mazda meanwhile is going in the other direction - disappearing off the radar of the majority of enthusiast new car buyers, refusing to design or offer anything more exciting (or powerful) than a FWD hatchback Mazda 3 and its iconic momentum machine, the MX-5. I guess long held aspirations of being able to mount BMW (or any other brand) luxury or performance competition have vaporized with lack of profits. Too bad.

ps. Can someone downsize these absurdly huge pictures?

pyropal188

iTrader: (4)

The Japanese always get the good stuff.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

This is no different than a "Civic Type-R" or "Civic SI" kind of car, which is almost the same as the "Regular" version except a few bells and whistles. so why bitch at Mazda and no one bitch at Honda?

actually I'm pretty excited right now, Cuz everytime Mazda release some "Sprit-R" or anything like that means ANOTHER Rotary engine powered car will be out shortly, O-Yea.

My wallet is ready to make the next "deposit", are you ?

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

Did you forget that Mazda is not the same size as Toyota?

Toyota can do it because they can, at least in terms of financial/company size.

We all want "yes make all cars super hot and sporty!" but majority of car buyers are stupid, they can't drive for ****, and they want "dull" looking cars.

Compare Mazda to Toyota, Mazda's line-up look 100% better, Mazda's sales is increasing almost everywhere.

With The RX-8 Ending. expect another Rotary car really soon.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

I'm pretty sure you can "buy" one of those Spirit-R badges ...

Mr.ThunderMakeR

Its just a repatinted R3 (even the wheels!). Oh well I'm sure it will sell in very limited numbers and be worth a bunch of money some day.

fyrstormer

You people bitch so much. I've never seen a car forum more excited to complain about the cars they willingly bought and the company they willingly bought them from. Did you expect them to design a twin-turbo system for the RX-8's final sendoff? Of course all they're going to do is cosmetic work at this point. Jesus Christ.

TALAN7

Bronze wheels...ugly. PASS!!!!!!
They should've at least put a special kit on it.

Spin9k

Yea we like to bitch... get over it. But specifically here's why I'm bitching, and why I'd say Mazda deserves nothing for this hollow "gesture".

When Mazda signed off with the RX-7 and made the "SPIRIT R" edition in March of
2002, it had some very respectable specs with nice performance extras thrown in
to sweeten the last call of the rotary icon that it was.

The RX-8 gets squat, a badge and no respect, IMHO. Thanks Mazda.

Limited-Production Model 'Spirit R' RX-7

- 276HP (!)
- Large drilled type bench rated disk brakes for all four wheels
- High rigid stainless mesh brake hoses
- Exclusive dampers manufactured by Bilstein
- Recaro lightweight full bucket seats
- Spirit R exclusive meters
- All the pretty ornamental stuff, wheels, leather, etc., and..
- the Spirit R exclusive ornament


To quote Mazda of the day...

"The RX-7 Type-A Spirit R is a two-seater model fitted with the Recaro-made
exclusive red full bucket seats. These lightweight seats reduce the overall
chassis weight of the vehicle by approximately 10 kg. Braking performance is
enhanced through the use of large drilled type ventilated disk brakes for all four
wheels and high rigid stainless mesh brake hoses. The Type-A Spirit R model is
the ultimate RX-7, boasting the most outstanding driving performance in its
history."

...which can't be said for this RX-8 edition.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

Rx-7 has been a strong seller (for a sports car that is) cuz most ppl can just up the boost and it will go over 350 hp (lots of them also blew their FDs like that, but that's whole different issue)

RX-8, you can't do that cuz it's NA, and honestly, 13B-MSP is really at it's max potential, yea yea I know you can port this and that and a tune can get another 20 or 30, but from a OEM point of view, this is the highest they would go without breaking their piggy bank.

and in Japan, people actually laughed about the "Spirit-R" cuz most people have already modded their car to the level that far surpassed the Spirit-R level, does that mean Mazda is "stupid" ? Nope.

Mazda is NOT the only manufacture that does these kind of "upgrades/limited edition" thing, but they get bitch at the most. Weird.

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

Mazda---why bother with this?
personally I dont think we are going to be blessed with another rotary engined car--UNLESS--some new systems prove to be better than expected. Perhaps like the laser spark plug?
I think direct injection on the rotary will end up being a nightmare for a variety of reasons, but I could be wrong.
Heck maybe one day a totally ceramic rotary engine will be made--who knows.

Lennart

I fully agree!!

Dj-Trippwire

Get over it guys. Its another Rx8 with Fancy add ons. Just enjoy that fact that some buster is going to spned EXTRA money on hit Spirit R and be like " I got a spirit R" Than you can laugh while your 04 6port blows him away because you spent more time making her better and faster. EOS

ASH8

Got to agree with RG, you will still be complaining about a 10%+ HP up..

Frankly, I am surprise how you can not see that Mazda just can not make the Rotary as we know it anymore....IT IS FINISHED.

Unless they can come up with a miracle working DI with at least a REAL 30%+ gain in Fuel Economy and an Emissions System to comply for the next 12 years..it is bye bye.
Every "larger" capacity Rotary over the 40 years has consumed more fuel or very questionable Mazda claims of gains..

Then there is the old "reliability" question with no "public motoring capital left" yet again thanks to a cheap *** penny pinching unreliable MOP system in Series 1...another new rotary generation of owners burnt...

There are just not enough of us (WE) enthusiasts left to warrant an all new model investment..

There are way too many negatives...sadly.

A rotary used as a range extender/charger or hybrid is a 'possible future', but not one I will be ever buying...think about it an even smaller market share than what the RX-8 had?...yeah right.

Just keep this in mind, the MMC CEO is a Car Salesman, they are not going to say that the Rotary is dead are they?, share price for one and they still have more RX-8's to sell.

Yeah, I really hope that 'someday' will happen someday....

hoss -05

iTrader: (4)

Is it bad that I already want the blacked out head and taillights for my car........

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

I like it and think it's cool to at least end the RX-8 production with SOME kind of limited edition car, unlike many other manufacturers who just abruptly end the run due to small sales and call it a day.

ASH8

Oh and don't forget it all comes down to money and at the moment the super strong lasting YEN continues to break ***** of all OE Japanese brands who export, and Mazda is the second largest exporter out of Japan.
Even Honda Japan is going to China to make batteries and a large % of their hybrid crap.

ASH8

Looks like everyone else is saying the Rotary is Dead..

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/...20117108.shtml

Geez, Mazda's PR on this is BS and handled VERY badly..WhyTF did J Barnes (MNAO) call it for the NA market and then a month later MMC say this..it is JUST MESSY!...amateurish.

Do these guys fecking work together or not...?

I know MA PR management here are not happy..in some countries orders are still being taken for the 8.

Spin9k

{rant}

Frankly, I could give a rats *** if Mazda never made another rotary... which is not
to say I might consider one if they did. What I DO want (from Mazda or someone)
is a new contemporary sports car, similar to smaller than an RX-8 but lighter weight,
reasonable cost, great handling .. and one I can afford (<$40K).... with a least
competitive HP (~250-300HP).

IOW I want the thrill of a replacement for my 8 yr old car, but with a considerable
power bump. I've done my training on the RX-8, I want more, I want power, I want
top end speed AND handling… and the prospect of waiting another unknown
number of years for only the “possibility of one” from Mazda wizards is &^%^*&!

Mazda simply seems to be stuck...apparently unable or unwilling to make a real
halo car. Seemingly it has to be the rotary or nothing. So nothing it is... and what
any sane person can see is no rotary in the future. It's pretty much toast - we all
realize that - why don’t they get of their high horse and get back to zoom-zoom?

That’s what irks me about … er.. eh … dressing up an RX-8, calling it a SPIRIT R –
then taking it out behind the barn and shooting it anyway. It’s a useless, wasteful endeavor!

Hells bells, put a nicely tuned turbo 4 cyc in a lightened RX-8 chassis! Put a rotary
in the MX-5! Sacrilege, smackrilege! Give me a new sports car Mazda. Failing that,
me and many others will simple move on while the studied insanity at Mazda
continues unabated.

Producing nostalgic 'memorial cars' like the SPIRIT R is ludicrous. They're a car
company that needs exciting cars to sell, not prettied up mementos to the past FCOL.

Yea I did forget to take my meds today… what of it?!
I just need to go and get to fuel cutoff a few times and I'll be alright for a while.... I hope.

{/rant}

Supernaut6

Complain all you want about the S-R 8 but I think that the Rx8 deserves a last limited edition run. The Rx8 exceeded all my expectations of it in the market and you all know that they will sell all the S-Rs. Kudos for going out with a bang and commemorating a great car. Mazda is the about the only company with any real ***** to do something different and make even "boring" cars fun to drive. I think they'll come out with something fun in the future.

ASH8

Agree...Supernaut6

Some just will NEVER get it..I suggest you go and buy a Hyundai Genesis..sounds more your style....all you have ever done is whine about your RX-8.

MAZDA are sticking to their 10 year production program for the 8...simple.

If you cant GET IT that Mazda can not do anymore with the Renny (13B) to comply with new car regs then you have learned little over the years.

There IS a new Mazda Sports Car coming...it is called an ND MX-5 with SA engine.

Their "new decade" of all new gen cars are in the pipeline and start with the CX-5..

Remember...Mazda do not do Normal!
Suggesting Mazda resembles Toyota or starting to is just BS.

Nemesis8

iTrader: (3)

... there was a complete ceramic piston engine built at the University of Missouri in Rolla, now call the Missouri School of Science and Technology or something like that. Grad of '85 from there with a BS in engineering.

These guys ran that ceramic block with ZERO oil in it, and it worked.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

(Friendly advice Ash, your post looks like you are suggesting all of that to supernaut, instead of to the nay-sayers, and I don't think that is your intention)

Supernaut6

Hahah I kind of thought that initially.

zoom44

Why bother producing a special edition in Japan ? thats your question?

They put out special editions every year of every other car in the line up, why would the RX-8 be different?