as i was picking up my new MX-5 SE at MAZDA HQ in Irvine i snooped my way over to the R&D garage to see what was going on..i managed to take a few shots of some of the cars there...there were a few MAZDA 3's there and there were also a couple of supercharged RX-8's..i couldn't take a pic of those though either...i also got a glimpse of the new MX-5 turbo...The mechanic said that they will be on display at the SEMA show this coming week...The mechanic also said that the supercharged 8's might make a debut over at the SEMA show...Hope you guys enjoy the pics...

 

the mazda3 and some 8

 

mazda3...

 

3 & 8

 

2 titanium mazdas

 

tit 8

 

mazdaspeeds' MPV...

 

mazdaspeed!

 

my new MX-5..for now...until RX-8 comes...

 

nice pix...

Did you actually get to see the supercharged 8 or did they just tell you?

 

the garage was halfway open...i couldn't go in cause you needed some kind of clearance to even go in..but the mechanic in the garage siad that they were indeed supercharged...the kit might make it out by late next year or early 2005...eeeeek!!

 

Now is it just me or would the 3 and 8 make great garage companions.

 

Yeah, the Mazda3 is definitely a sweet front-driver. I've been checking out the galleries on mazdausa repeatedly this past week. I did the same thing when the Mazda3 site first debuted. I used to tell my wife that if we couldn't have gotten the RX-8, the Mazda6 might've been my 2nd choice...scratch that - the Mazda3 would've been my 2nd choice. Too bad my wife likes driving her SUV...

I have to say, though, that I like the hatch over the sedan. Great car for Mazda. It's like a mini-RX-8, styling wise, which just might help it sell. People come to the showroom and gawk over the RX-8 (that's out of their price range), and go home with the Mazda3 that has some of the same neato features (i.e. the blackout gauges, the slick headlights, the steering wheel controls, etc.).

 

yea the 3 is pretty badass...hey BNEZ do you know what kind of power the 3 makes??

 

The 2.3L makes 160 HP, 150 lb.-ft torque. Curb weight is 2826 for the MT 2.3L. That's a similar power to weight ratio as a pre '89, non-turbo FC. Pretty cool for a $16K car.

I also wanted to say before that there is a massive variety of colors available on the car. All the same colors as the RX-8 (except lightning yellow) and more:

Black Mica
Sunlight Silver Metallic
Shimmering Sand Metallic
Solar Yellow Mica
Strato Blue Mica
Velocity Red Mica
Winning Blue Metallic
Nordic Green Mica
Lava Orange Mica
Starlight Green Mica
Titanium Grey Metallic
Rally White (solid)

That Strato Blue is the color many of us were hoping Winning Blue looked like on the RX-8.

 

how did the supercharger look like? big or small? mustang supercharger type?

 

dam i wish i had more information about it...i couldn't go in the garage cause of clearance issues..i guess they are trying to keep it secret for now...

 

How does Solar yellow on MZ3 differentiate from Lightning Yellow on RX8 or whatever RX8 yellow has?

 

Ohh... Nice pictures....

 

I am sorry but what exactly is a supercharger type for a Mustang? I believe 8 different companies make superchargers for Mustangs ranging from twin-screw to centrifugal.

 

the 3 is such a hot car.
________
Buy iolite vaporizer

 

i think he is talking about the stock supercharger the new cobra comes with...i guess...