Today was my first time sitting in an RX-8, my local Chevrolet dealer down here in Los Gatos has a Red 04 RX-8 for sale for around 30,000 and I just went by to see it and they let me sit in it and everything. I was really impressed about the car, and really wished I could have driven it but it was stick and I'm still learning stick (I'm too scared to drive a manual car on a test drive, scared of f'ing it up)

Maybe if I make the drive down, one of you would give me a ride in it and let me see how it rides and stuff. I am not getting a new car until another year, but it's never too early to start looking at cars.

 

HardHitter....DO NOT TEST DRIVE THIS CAR. When I decided to test drive, that was only my second time driving stick. I was honest with the dealer and told him, but he didn't mind. I didn't do too bad and only stalled once during the test drive. It's pretty easy to learn on, but trust me, you don't want to test drive this car, unless you are really ready to get it. It WILL end up on your insurance policy a week later. Just my 2 cents

 

lol yes I know, thats why I didn't want to test drive it cause I didn't want the "you broke it, you bought it" haha, no I'm not that bad at stick, I've been practicing in a old old Ford Ranger, but I've never tried on a sportscar/smaller car and I heard it's a lot different so I'm kind of scared. Same with trying to test drive a Mustang. I really want a manual, but I'm scared of getting nervous and screwing up the car.

 

If you want to compare driving a Mustang & the RX8, I'd have to say the Mustang has a steeper learning curve than the RX8. The clutch is much too long for me and it even took my husband who's a very experienced driver a couple days to figure it out. But with the RX8, the clutch is short and the gears are even shorter ... a true sportscar. I only died out once in the 8 and never again. Also, it's a bit tricky for me to remember that the reverse in the 8 isn't the same as the 'stang ... need to keep conscious because it'd be a pretty expensive mistake!

 

I agree with Ivy Rose...The RX-8 is a very good car to learn how to drive stick. When I first started a few lessons driving stick I drove my uncles civic, then my friend's sentra and I would stall many times. The RX is my first manual car and it was so easy to get into the "groove" of the car. Clutch was light, and the shifter was short, I was speed shifting in no time.

Every car after the 8 became easier to drive. In my experience the other car that feels like the 8 in terms of easiness to drive would be my friend's porsche 911. We test drove each other's cars and it's amazing to find out how similar they both are in handling and gearing.

Did I mentiong I love the 8's short throw shifter?

 

Yeah, well I'm still learning, on my friends old Ford Ranger. I have to push the clutch in mostly all the way down, shift, and then let it out about 1/2 way until it puts it into that gear. When I first started learning, I stalled so many times, and I actually made the "check engine" light on. After a couple of more times of practice I began getting the hang of it and now I do not stall at all, but sometimes I have a bad shift and get that jolt/bounces. I still need to work on driving on hills, I've only done it once from a stop sign on a very steep hill and my friend said give it a lot of gas and let out the clutch slowly, did that and I let the clutch out too fast and man, what a burnout that was. Stick is so fun to learn and drive once you get the hang of it, but I do not want to ruin a brand new car whenever I do get one.

The other thing is I don't have the knowledge of when to downshift for turns or things like that.

Still practicing.

 

So who is going do you have an updated running list, I am going to be working down in San Jose that day so expect me +1 non Rx-8 friend.

 

Ok a list of people going so far:

Sideswipe
Xyntax
Moostafa29
Silver RX_8
Zoom Zoom
Blksf8
SDfly
Loaded8
Equis
Hardhitter: Maybe

 

sjt works at Great Mall, but I assume he would be working that day since he hasn't posted any interest in this meet. If you see an RX-8 parked somewhere other than the meeting spot, that would likely be his.

 

Sounds like the meet will go good. I seen another 8 on the road this morning, so I'm going to invite her to this meet too. That makes 2 RX8 girls....

 

We had a thing going on at my Solaraguy crowd where we prepare flyers which contains an invitation to the forum. So every Solara we see parked, we would post these flyers to the car.

We could probably do the same with this meet or other upcoming meets.

 

Sounds good I have 2 other RX-8 in my neighborhood lately that I have seen parked. Suprising since I have never seen and 8 anywhere around here.

 

I might make it.
Blaaz

 

remember it's this saturday at 2pm

 

Hey guys and gals that are coming to this meet please sound off again.

 

i'm there

 

count me in

 

sounds like fun .. gotta miss D&B's ... I'll be at Cisco's volleyball court though .. kinda close to the Great Mall. How long is this meet gonna last?

alex

 

looking forward to it count me in for sure

 

Who knows how long...at least a hour pow wowing, and we are hungry then we walk into D and Bs or outback for some food.

 

* raises hand *

 

so what's the list look like now???

 

I will try to stop by, I'll be down that way earlier in the day. It really depends on if my face swelling goes down.. had oral surgery today... ugh!!!

 

List still looks decent and I will be there too! There maybe a few that haven't seen the posts to be able to raise thier hands again so my initial list is what i'm thinking it should average. Ok, top level parking lot at the great mall at 2PM. Take it easy driving up there too...I know hearing your exhaust in the garage sounds cool but it'll minimize "suspicion."

See you guys tomorrow.

 

Ok, I'm going to start a new thread for the pictures, so that it will get more attention. Since I'm no great photographer, please feel free to add to the collection.