With all the dealers I've seen with RX-8's still on their lots, it makes me think if the demand for the RX-8 has decreased upon initial release. I for one expected a shortage of RX-8's on the market, but this is not the case. I haven't seen a SINGLE RX-8 on the road, but I see quite a few sitting at the dealership. Since supply exceeds demand could this possibly mean that Mazda or the dealerships would lower the price of the 8?

This really is annoying, over here in the UK will are still waiting for the first production cars to arrive to forfill pre-orders, the latest guess is mid November.

Everyone with pre-orders knew they probably wouldn't be available at the end of July which was first mentioned, but the reason for at least 3 weeks of the additional delay was stated as additional production for the US market.

We are still waiting, and you've got them sitting around, lifes not fair is it.

Cheers
---Dave

I do not think so yet, but anything is possible.

Go see what they will do, let us now.

Anything is possible eh? Like 20+ on the lot, and a brand new 6MT RX-8 for under $25000, right? I thought you didn't believe that stuff? :D

From you, I do not. Frankly I do not think this guy is right either.

But he was polite enough in his post, so, i returned this politeness.

You do not get that same treatment, since you are scum.

Any questions?

Originally posted by Skyline Maniac
Anything is possible eh? Like 20+ on the lot, and a brand new 6MT RX-8 for under $25000, right? I thought you didn't believe that stuff? :D

Maybe it's just my area...a 300 mile radius around my town. Most all Mazda dealers seem to have RX-8's on their lot. Whether they are already sold and awating pick up, or yet to be sold I have no idea. BUT, they are still going for MSRP and plus some. My question was to simply ask, whether Mazda would take any actions to make the 8's more appealing, such as loweing MSRP. I doubt they will this year, but possibly for 2005?

Originally posted by klegg
From you, I do not. Frankly I do not think this guy is right either.

But he was polite enough in his post, so, i returned this politeness.

You do not get that same treatment, since you are scum.

Any questions?

I thinks it's all a matter of location I suppose. I do hope I am wrong, I for one would like to see the rotary do well, always have been, and always will be a supporter of the rotary.

Originally posted by Tronics
With all the dealers I've seen with RX-8's still on their lots, it makes me think if the demand for the RX-8 has decreased upon initial release. I for one expected a shortage of RX-8's on the market, but this is not the case. I haven't seen a SINGLE RX-8 on the road, but I see quite a few sitting at the dealership. Since supply exceeds demand could this possibly mean that Mazda or the dealerships would lower the price of the 8?

I've seen one. Titanium Gray, no exterior options. Adult male in the back seat. They said they were getting Ok MPG, but weren't specific.

I've been to 2 of the 3 close dealers (less than 15 miles). One had 7 RX-8's. One had 8. This was 7 and 6 days ago, respectively.

Well, one thing affecting sales is, at least from my latitude north (Louisville, KY), who wants to buy a nice new car in October. Weather only gets worse from here. A lot of people will wait and be looking in the spring.

Has anyone run into a dealer having to put off an order because they have more people wanting orders than slots with Mazda. Most people don't order, even if they are waiting till spring, so that may or may not add something to the picture.

The other thing affecting sales, I bet, is how innovative and unusual of a car it is. Both the positive and the negative can work against a buyer's nerve. No spare. Funny doors. Totally different engine. A HP controversy (blown out of proportion mostly the way I see it). Reports of low MPG that may yet be revealed to be some sort of defect or modification since the testing and reviews were done. And so on.

I, for one, am still feeling a bit hesitant because of the low MPG reports.

milo

Normally I just lurk but I have to agree with Skyline Maniac on this one. But I don't think prices are quite that low.

Local dealer has had one RX8 as a loss leader the last four weekends. For $25,998

1. auto base
2. manual base
3. auto sport
4. auto sport

Don't know if last two were the same car.

This weekend it's $3K off 6MT GT + nav for $30,100
Really wish I could justify the cash for this one.
(Of course does not say what they want for the other 21 RX8s)

I don't think it is just RX8. Sales of everything is down in this area.
If fact same add shows:
Mazda6 (4 cars), P5 (5 cars), and Protege (4 cars) at MSRP - $4.5K and MX5 (3 cars) as MSRP -$6K.

AND for the first time time a second local dealer
(who has been mentioned on this forum for extreme markups)
is advertising one RX8 at $25,999.

well the dealer where i got my 8 from said all the 8s they got in are awaiting delivery.

Tronics, well im in NY and sales are gonna goto hell at this moment, since winter is approaching. Time to get purchasing SUVs especially after last year winters i expect to see SUV sales in NY at a all time high

its not even 2004 yet, isnt it early to make these assumptions

Publicity issue, power issue and buy back issue aside, I don't think price speaks for demand, we need to see the sales volume for the RX-8. How many RX-8's have been sold so far?

Dealers will cut down prices for sure. Mazda will not reduce the MSRP, until way into next year (a hunch). But dealers will surely do to stay competitive with each other. Like in all wholesale and sale businesses, things get muddy pretty quick. Its enough to have only ONE dealer selling below MSRP to screw the entire line up for the rest. Which is good for us, consumers. Ahhhh, the beauty of America.

Skyline, ZIP IT.

FWIW, I think overall sales is down. not just for RX8s. I drove by Champion Ford/Mazda in Baytown, Texas yesterday and saw at least 7 RX-8s on the lot. one yellow, two blues, a black, and two reds, one silver...

i didn't have time to stop and ask what was up, but i wouldn't doubt that the truck-loving population in baytown doesn't rank the RX-8 as a desirable car.

as far as publicity... i'm sure i'm not the only one that got that mazda e-mail that says "your special invitation for a test drive is in the mail"... now that pre-orders are "filled" and dealers are finally acccumulating stock, the media blitz may intensify.

Originally posted by Shocka
well the dealer where i got my 8 from said all the 8s they got in are awaiting delivery.

Tronics, well im in NY and sales are gonna goto hell at this moment, since winter is approaching. Time to get purchasing SUVs especially after last year winters i expect to see SUV sales in NY at a all time high

Sitting on the other side of the Pacific, this winter thing is amusing. Do people in the US stop buying normal cars and start buying trucks because of snow and bad weather? Why would anyone in a location with weather so bad that an RX8 wasn't a viable year round car even buy one in summer?

Anyway, demand in Oz exceeds supply. No buy backs and no mislead buyers,. Oh and good RX8s and good weather to drive them in.

Originally posted by Skyline Maniac
Publicity issue, power issue and buy back issue aside, I don't think price speaks for demand, we need to see the sales volume for the RX-8. How many RX-8's have been sold so far?

Someone posted a link to Mazda's reported sales. If that doesn't satisfy you, contact MNAO and find out for us, will you?

Thanks!

RX8 September sales were 2,105 according to Mazda North American Operations with year to date total of 5,656.

MX5 sold 845 and 8,816 for same periods, but of course the YTD is for 9 months instead of 10 weeks.

Last year's numbers for the MX5 were 1,263 and 12,661.

Either Miata sales are down 30% or Mazda sports cars sales are up 14% versus last year.

Anyone know where numbers for the whole industry are?

I just spent 4 hours shopping for a new car and did not have much company at the different dealers. AS I stated earlier one Mazda dealer was advertising $4.5K off the Mazda6 and another Mazda dealer had no customers and stickers adding $2K "adjusted market value" to his Mazda6s. Acura dealer seemed to be the same situation. Other dealers were willing to talk.

Originally posted by Kev


Why would anyone in a location with weather so bad that an RX8 wasn't a viable year round car even buy one in summer?



It's not "so bad". NYC and Long Island winters (as well as nearby New Jersey and Connecticut) are relatively moderate due to our proximity to the Atlantic. We usually have 4 1/2 months of cold weather with many days where the streets are fairly dry. Typically we get only two, maybe three "major snowfalls"; sometimes we barely get one. The streets are often clear in a few days.

i've seen quite a few rx8's in the area here, however on the road not as many. i think it's just the probability of seeing a car parked vs on the road.

maybe like 10 total, different cars, all color ranges., except the green, i have yet to see that in person.

i know because i'm getting my rx8 from open road, that they have like 15+ cars on the lot, and i heard of around 20+ over on route 22 at crystal mazda (i believe thats the name)

i asked the salesman how many have rolled off the lot thusfar, i believe he said in the 60s (open road, edison)

i honestly hope the rx8 sales pick up, make a good showing, and the rotary makes the comeback we want.

-b

I stopped by a dealer in Long Island, NY (Not the one I have an 8 on order with) and they offered to let me test drive an 8 (Had 12 on the lot).

When I asked the guy about MSRP, he emmidiately said that was the case during pre=order but now he would worl with me for 1K below MSRP.

Mine is on order with another dealer at MSRP and as I have the free maint offer, I am sticking with where mine is on order for now.

Claude H.

http://www.quirkcars.com/specials/imports/mazda.pdf

Here is a printed ad in NE region. 128 Mazda is also offering RX-8 below $25k. For those of you who havn't picked up the car yet, you can try to negotiate a better deal with this ad. Good luck.

FWIW, here in CO, there are dealers with RX-8s on the lot but they all seem to fit into one or both categories:

1) GT models
2) Dealer is asking MSRP+

For example, one local dealer wants MSRP + $5K (and advertise they have "8 left!"), and another has a "low, no haggle price" of MSRP + $3K.

Finally the one dealer that sells at MSRP has two GTs configured almost identically. Want Touring, Sport or base? There's going to be a 12 week wait...

I have seen 2 in my area (northern VA). Yet at two dealers I have seen a total of about 10-12 sitting on the lot. (8 at one dealer).

The dealer with 8 of them wouldn't let me test drive one though. He said I had to sign a piece of paper saying I would pay MSRP for the car.

What a crock.

No way Mazda lowers MSRP even with the literally dozens sitting on the dealership lots here in the Austin area. What you WILL see if sales do not pick up soon is the dealerships advertising prices below MSRP and if that still does not do the trick then the manufacturer will begin to offer rebates on top of the lower dealership prices.

Usually it takes a couple of months for there to be enough critical mass of a particular car to start seeing them regularly on the roads. The G35 and 350Z took several weeks before they became somewhat common place on the streets. That has still not happened here for the RX8 though. I've seen 3 in a town with about 1 million people in the greater area. This car is simply not selling well. I think the fact that its not quite a true sports car and not quite a true 4-door is really working against it. My hope was that the Accord buyers of the world would switch over but there seems to be no evidence of this.

Well, you guys don't have to put up with BS from local dealerships. If local dealerships still have retarded add-ons or market-adjustment values, ditch them in a hurry. You can buy from another state or more distant dealership and have the car shipped to you. For example, buy from the NE area with $2400+ off, pay $700 shipping to your door step- You are still saving 1700+ off MSRP. That's the reason why I encourage everyone to post good deals around the country regardless of the area. Shipping isn't that expensive and paperwork can be done through the mail.

I think the RX-8 attracts mostly ex-Miata or NA RX-7 owners at this point. Accord owners are much more likely to buy a new Accord or Acura than RX-8. (handling is not a high priority for Accord owners)

Here is a link to a Mazda dealer about an hour from downtown Chicago (about 10 miles from Wisconsin, but still a chicago burb) The dealership itself is in a pretty crappy town... They have 21 laying around on the lot.. Whoever was complaining about it being hard to find a blue one has a valid point....no blues.... if all the lots in Chicago. the dealers will have to start dropping price.

http://nitra.mazdadealer.com/rosen/en_US/CombinedVehicleSearch_1.chtml

Most that have dealer stock are still selling at MSRP. They don't stay on the lot very long.

Even the one place someone mentioned selling them for below MSRP on EBAY....after calling them, they only had one available under MSRP and it had 500 miles on it (they used it as their dealer demo). In other words they only had one at the discounted price.

Originally posted by Skyline Maniac
Well, you guys don't have to put up with BS from local dealerships. If local dealerships still have retarded add-ons or market-adjustment values, ditch them in a hurry. You can buy from another state or more distant dealership and have the car shipped to you.


This man speaks the troof! You do not have to pay mark-up for this (or any) car. I originally went online for my car, and wound up buying through the dealer for 2k below MSRP. I got the car that I wanted with the packages that I wanted (plus the CD changer, cargo net, spolier, etc. for free).

Just tell the dealerships that you won't do business with anyone doing mark-ups (SF Bay Area is notorious for retarded mark-ups and add-ons) and if they are trying to shlep you a car with a bunch of crap you don't want, then tell them you don't want it and go back to the original internet deal. Eventually, they will give you the extra crap for free or give up and give you the internet deal. Either way you win.

I highly recommend walking into the dealship with a print out of exactly what you want and how much you'll pay in hand. And don't let them quote monthly payments to you, tell them to give you the FULL purchase price when you're negotiating.

- VoodooKhan

The dealer here in Des Moines keeps about 8-10 of them on the lot, but I always see them rotating out. They seem to actually be moving them fairly well, it's just that they got a lot in the FIRST place that makes it look like overstock. THIS IS NOT a limited production car like the STI or EVO. They're making LOTS of them. You'll also notice the dealer might have 30 mazda 6s on the lot! Does this mean they're not selling? Not really, it just means it's more of a high volume car. I think this is what mazda is shooting for. They want to make the 8 more mainstream than any of the previous rotary cars. NOT like the rx-7 ever was.

-Tresch

tresch...you're right....Mazda doesn't want this to be a limited availability car. Dealers are turning their stock over quickly. I think that's why there isn't much in the way of discounting going on....they sell them quickly.

Regarding add-ons and addtional dealer markup over MSRP is absurd. I won't do business with those dealers.

Originally posted by Skyline Maniac
http://www.quirkcars.com/specials/imports/mazda.pdf

Here is a printed ad in NE region. 128 Mazda is also offering RX-8 below $25k. For those of you who havn't picked up the car yet, you can try to negotiate a better deal with this ad. Good luck.

Well, I called them, and not as good as it looks.

The cars are base 6 speeds, no options at all, no sun, no radio upgrad. The deal is only offered for two secific cars, and they would not confirm if they are still avalable.

They do have a good number of upgraded cars, but said they are moving well. would not say they would deal on the other cars.

So, I guess this is still a grey area, as to what type of discounts are going to be out there for a optioned car.

My speculation is, Mazda/Ford will not offically lower MSRP, or offer any rebates this early after release. I want the rotary to do well, but with the $30k price tag and a skeptical consumer market, I doubt any real serious rotarty movement will take place unless Mazda decided to lower the price.

Originally posted by Skyline Maniac
Anything is possible eh? Like 20+ on the lot, and a brand new 6MT RX-8 for under $25000, right? I thought you didn't believe that stuff? :D

This guy? is as dishonest as they come. He is untruthful and one should not believe anything he reports and/or posts on this forum. He does not own a Skyline either! Check out info for yourself. No discounting is being offered where I live.

Originally posted by Tronics
With all the dealers I've seen with RX-8's still on their lots, it makes me think if the demand for the RX-8 has decreased upon initial release. I for one expected a shortage of RX-8's on the market, but this is not the case. I haven't seen a SINGLE RX-8 on the road, but I see quite a few sitting at the dealership. Since supply exceeds demand could this possibly mean that Mazda or the dealerships would lower the price of the 8?

my .02 cents...

Mazda has not done a media blitz (YET) on the RX-8. No PrimeTime Commercials or radio ads or full page ads in the daily papers... most of the advertising was low-key unless you subscribed to the Auto trade mags. Once this car gets more media attention in daily advertising i think you will see demand jump for this car. I had seen more Mazda 6 commercials in the few times i watched TV than the RX-8. but then again i don't watch much TV =P

But I agree, I see many RX-8s on American (California-specifically) lots and it doesnt seem like there is high demand. Before i bought mine i found 20+ at the Menlo Mazda Dealer in late September. Great selection but they still did NOT have the configuration i wanted. But they did find the options i wanted and delivered with minimal wait time. I love California for the selection and availability and Menlo Mazda for delivering without a 6+ month wait like all the other dealers were threatening...

My guess is that the folks at MAZDA wanted to measure the intensity of demand (ie - how many consumers are willing to pre-order, pay at MSRP, or above MSRP, etc...) before spending $Millions$ in advertising on the RX-8. then hit the American public with the saturation of advertising. When i signed my purchase papers at the dealer the Sales Manager walked in and stamped "INTERNET" on my purchase order documents. At the time i did not think much of it. I was too enthusiastic about my new toy. But now, I realize that this was to identify and track how many purchases were attributable to the "INTERNET" as there was no (NO) wide spread easily obtainable marketing material on the RX-8 in late September. If it were not for this particular forum, I would not have been as comfortable purchasing the RX-8 as it is a very new model.

cheers,
jimbo

Well, I haven't seen anything yet that would qualify as a "blitz", but I am seeing more commericals on tv for the 8 in the past week. Bear in mind that the Miata still sells several thousand cars annually with no advertising! But, I suspect the ads will pickup more in the near future.

I agree with jimbo on the fact that I haven't any commericals about the 8. I saw 2, in the same commerical break, at 4pm. Not prime time. I think if they lower, or offer lower than MSRP prices then they will sell better. When I test drove one, they have 4 sitting on the lot, with 1 in the show room, and the guy said they had 2 in the back fresh off the truck. The demand isn't the problem. I have an 83 rx7, that I paid $400 for. I love it. But the people that want one of these cars just can't afford ir. But will die trying to get one, like I will. If they advertise to the non-rotary community, ie America, then they will sell better.

John

I see a lot of 8 commercials, Speed and Espn play them all the time and they are on quite often during football on major networks. In addition I can hardly go to a car website anymore without getting the RX-8 popup add.

Ike

Originally posted by TybeeRX-8


This guy? is as dishonest as they come. He is untruthful and one should not believe anything he reports and/or posts on this forum. He does not own a Skyline either! Check out info for yourself. No discounting is being offered where I live.

TyBee....I agree....this guy will say anything to devalue the RX8...usually it's a half truth or out and out wrong. You know what they say about half truths....you never know which half you get.

Originally posted by OldCodger
I just spent 4 hours shopping for a new car and did not have much company at the different dealers. AS I stated earlier one Mazda dealer was advertising $4.5K off the Mazda6 and another Mazda dealer had no customers and stickers adding $2K "adjusted market value" to his Mazda6s. Acura dealer seemed to be the same situation. Other dealers were willing to talk


same where I bought mine.. a (2003) Mazda 6 marked down from ~$21700 to $17200

That dealership is around the corner from my house so I pass there all the time and I don't see much going on there.

Let's face it, the economy is bad and people might be reasonable, buy either a 2-year old used car or just hang on to their existing vehicle.

Originally posted by TybeeRX-8


This guy? is as dishonest as they come. He is untruthful and one should not believe anything he reports and/or posts on this forum. He does not own a Skyline either! Check out info for yourself. No discounting is being offered where I live.

Dishonest as they come? So I guess I fabricated that pdf link and lied about any possibility of discounts on the RX-8 along with several other forum members. Also, you and klegg better refresh your knowledge about the Nissan Skyline before getting your arse laughed off on the forum.

btw: klegg~ no need to sweat, apology accepted. Under $25k for base 6MT and CD player thrown in, I think that's a pretty good deal. Obviously if you do the math, under $25k for 6MT with $2400+ off means what? That's right - bare bone model. What were you expecting anyways? ;)

You do not get it....It is a bait and switch to get you on the lot.

They would not confirm that the cars were still there, only that it was for the 2 vins listed in the add..That is the point.

There will be markdowns someday, Just not yet.

That was actually what this was about..

I hope this car won't be a failure. :(

Originally posted by rx7 rage
I hope this car won't be a failure. :(

No worries.....it's already a success!

Isn't it funny that humans by nature are like sheep.

who cares if the demand is down. I dont want to be driving a car that everyone else drives.

To be honest, if i was worried about resale etc etc. I would have bought a 3 series BMW or a C class Mercedes (rock solid resale in Australia) but what would be the point of that.

I wanted to buy something different.

If people are worried about the rotary engine etc, they should just stay away and buy something safe (not necessarily not sporty but just conventional).

I love driving this car (my first rotary) and after 500km i find that i am loving it more and more and will forget about the cost in a few more weeks.

But I guess humans are like sheep, we dont want to stick out and do something different. If 90% of the rest of humanity do not agree with our decisions, then there must be something wrong....

Originally posted by vibec
Isn't it funny that humans by nature are like sheep.

who cares if the demand is down. I dont want to be driving a car that everyone else drives.

[..]

But I guess humans are like sheep, we dont want to stick out and do something different. If 90% of the rest of humanity do not agree with our decisions, then there must be something wrong....

um.. I think that the opposite is the case. Everyone believes that he/she is special. My ex once said it would be terrible if she would have to learn she was average.

Often, that's how advertising works. They tell you if you buy XYZ then you are special. The masses ..do this.. buy XYZ .. means prestige

I don't watch TV but I bought the RX-8 for the unconventional rotary engine and the reverse opening doors. Afterwards I learned that some Saturn has those doors too. Man was I disappointed :-|

back to the point of the thread -- is demand down? and/or will the MSRP be lowered?

no and no...


i think that Mazda wants to sell 30,000 of these units worldwide, which is a modest goal. consider that the BMW 3-series sold over 110,000 units last year.

why did i purchase this car?
1) unique looks
2) rotary engine (incredible power for 1.3 litre)
3) ergonomics
4) 4 seater

I considered the Mustang SVT Cobra/Saleen, BMW 330/M3, Lex IS300, Audi TT/S4, WRX STI, Lancer EVO but these cars failed my selection criteria in one way or another. the RX-8 passed or exceeded all of my expectations!!!

I'm actually glad there are few RX8 cars on the road today. but can't wait til the tuners and aftermarket goodies come out for this vehicle...which won't happen until demand goes up.

It's actually 30K in the US and 60k worldwide yearly, with Mazda aiming for 18K by the end of this year, it's not looking like they are even going to come close if it's short of 6k after 10 weeks. 12 weeks left and they have to sell twice what they have already with winter approaching and the 3k or so pre-sold cars no longer boosting the numbers. Who knows, maybe now that they are advertising pretty often they will get a big boost in sales.

Ike

IkeWRX,

I only have one thing to say to you.

http://www.wrxforum.com

oh....and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!

I doubt very seriously that Mazda is unhappy with the way the 8 is selling.

Last I checked, they sold almost 7,000 8s through August, with little advertising in a couple of trade rags. Since the car has only been on sale for a couple of months, that's great.

They only have to sell 11,000 for the next 4 months...and media is just kicking in.

My dealer said sales have picked up dramatically since the commercials have started. He's selling everyone of them he can get his hands on. He said he wishes he could get more of them. Average time an 8 stays at the dealership once it's unloaded from the truck is 48 hours.

He said people don't want the cheap base models either.

Originally posted by IkeWRX
It's actually 30K in the US and 60k worldwide yearly, with Mazda aiming for 18K by the end of this year, it's not looking like they are even going to come close if it's short of 6k after 10 weeks. 12 weeks left and they have to sell twice what they have already with winter approaching and the 3k or so pre-sold cars no longer boosting the numbers. Who knows, maybe now that they are advertising pretty often they will get a big boost in sales.

Ike

IKE - thanks for clarifying. even if they don't come close, it's interesting that the US is in a depressed world-wide economy and the RX-8 has sold the number of units we report in this thread. if you look at the anecdotal numbers we post here the gross income generated for Mazda are impressive.

the numbers are staggering...

30,000 units @ $26,000 (base only) = $780,000,000 USD
18,000 units @ $26,000 (base only) = $468,000,000 USD

if what Ike states is more or less accurate:
6,000 units @ $26,000 (base only) = $156,000,000 USD (conservatively)

versus GraphicGuys numbers above...
8,000 units @ $26,000 (base only) = $208,000,000 USD

the RX-8 market is worth a $1 BILLION USD to MAZDA +/- 5%...
outstanding for a company i would never have considered without the 8...

someone finally gave ike the wrx forum
good one

MSRP is alive & well at the dealership that I frequent. No stretch & no lie. They're pulling fast ones on the options too I think. Still selling very well @ that $.

Keep dreaming, losers.

Competition results are coming in now. MSRP + ?

Yup, seems like the car will be doing very well for mazda, which is a good thing.

I wonder what wrx and evo sales look like?
I also wonder how the hardtop TT is selling, at least in the US
For that matter, G35 sales.

Now, if we were to all add IKE to our ignore list, he could post to empty air. Just a thought.

Originally posted by jimbo_gixxer


IKE - thanks for clarifying. even if they don't come close, it's interesting that the US is in a depressed world-wide economy and the RX-8 has sold the number of units we report in this thread. if you look at the anecdotal numbers we post here the gross income generated for Mazda are impressive.

the numbers are staggering...

30,000 units @ $26,000 (base only) = $780,000,000 USD
18,000 units @ $26,000 (base only) = $468,000,000 USD

if what Ike states is more or less accurate:
6,000 units @ $26,000 (base only) = $156,000,000 USD (conservatively)

versus GraphicGuys numbers above...
8,000 units @ $26,000 (base only) = $208,000,000 USD

the RX-8 market is worth a $1 BILLION USD to MAZDA +/- 5%...
outstanding for a company i would never have considered without the 8...

Those are just #'s, not any real hard data or information that the RX-8 is doing/not doing well in the market. To get accurate data, much more work would have to be done such as, how many people came into the Mazda dealership, of those how many inquired about the RX-8, of those how many were looking for another car but was/was not intrested in the RX-8 after looking at it. How many people that were intrested buyers turned away, and what factors caused them to do so? By simply stating the profit margine does not mean the demand for a particular car/car company is high, nor does it state their popularity. Wasn't GM the highest grossing car manufacturer last year? (correct me if I'm mistaken) But to me, GM would not be my first choice of a car. But I like many others hope Mazda does something to keep the rotary alive...I'd give it another 6-8 months before one can really determine how influencial the 8 has had on the market. But I can assure you all of us on this board are strong believers in the rotary, otherwise we wouldn't be here. Unless your name is Ike.:D

I agree with you tronics, the fact that the 8 made it to market, and so much of it done so well, really makes you want to stand up for mazda.

One of the "little" companys that have done it a whole new way...

At the beginning of September, Mazda had a 57 day average inventory (cars on lot, at port, etc) of 8s at dealers, which for the traditionally slow months of August and September was fairly low. For comparison, Chrysler had a 81 day inventory of Crossfires. I'm still waiting to see results for all of September, but they're probably the same if not better. Especially if the gauge of new owners popping up on here is at all accurate.

Forgive me for actually posting real numbers with facts behind them, I'll be more biased towards the 8 from now on, I've seen the light! If someone can give me one good reason why what I posted was wrong and what is so bothersome about it I'll leave this forum on my own free will. All I was doing is repeating sales goals that mazda has released to every car publication in the country.

Klegg, if you must know the WRX more than doubled Subaru's sales goals for the US it's first year of production.

Ike

Originally posted by IkeWRX
Forgive me for actually posting real numbers with facts behind them, I'll be more biased towards the 8 from now on, I've seen the light! If someone can give me one good reason why what I posted was wrong and what is so bothersome about it I'll leave this forum on my own free will. All I was doing is repeating sales goals that mazda has released to every car publication in the country.

Klegg, if you must know the WRX more than doubled Subaru's sales goals for the US it's first year of production.

Ike

1 car, 1 car company. It's cheap (24k?) and has a stock turbo, to me it was the first AWD turbo car to be introduced to the American public. Hell, if I didnt have the cash to afford something nicer, I'd get a WRX too. :D

Originally posted by Tronics


1 car, 1 car company. It's cheap (24k?) and has a stock turbo, to me it was the first AWD turbo car to be introduced to the American public. Hell, if I didnt have the cash to afford something nicer, I'd get a WRX too. :D
I'm not a big fan of the wrx styling inside and out but to call Subaru a one car company is just plain ignorant.. unless you were joking? :confused:

I can get a 6MT for under $25k at my dealer.... but that is only because they are willing to let me use a Ford S-plan discount if I buy one. However, this is because I'm so near Detroit and employee discounts on any vehicle are pretty much expected.

Anyway, it seems the demand is pretty good, since people are generally paying MSRP for the car, and I see one almost everyday in my area.

now now...stop it with the tears...

rx-8 should do very well
yeah, they do have to sell a lot of cars during some of the slowest times of the year, but with advertising just picking up, and the fact that they are still flying off the lots (according to some salespeople) they should be able to come very close to that mark, if not exceeding it
________
THE CIGAR BOSS (http://thecigarboss.com/)

Originally posted by IkeWRX
Forgive me for actually posting real numbers with facts behind them, I'll be more biased towards the 8 from now on, I've seen the light! If someone can give me one good reason why what I posted was wrong and what is so bothersome about it I'll leave this forum on my own free will. All I was doing is repeating sales goals that mazda has released to every car publication in the country.

Klegg, if you must know the WRX more than doubled Subaru's sales goals for the US it's first year of production.

Ike

I hear ya Ike, if youre not biased towards the 8 on this board...you definitely won't feel welcome. Even if you post nothing but facts...

Originally posted by zthang


I hear ya Ike, if youre not biased towards the 8 on this board....


zthang,

DUH

http://www.rx8forum.com/hybrid/header_plasma_main_ls.jpg


Get It Now??

Originally posted by renotse



zthang,

DUH

http://www.rx8forum.com/hybrid/header_plasma_main_ls.jpg


Get It Now??

It doesn't have to be like that and it's not like that on all the other car forums I visit regularly. Sure you will get some bias for the car the board is about, but it doesn't come anywhere near what it's like here. Maybe it's because it's a new car and a new board, I also think the mods don't discourage it, and often join in the bashing of other cars and people that come here that don't own the RX-8. But don't get me wrong, a lot of the people here are great and know the limitations of the car, will not be so quick to call someone a troll or insult someone just because they have an oppinion that they don't like, or doesn't make the RX-8 sparkle.

Originally posted by Quick_lude

I'm not a big fan of the wrx styling inside and out but to call Subaru a one car company is just plain ignorant.. unless you were joking? :confused:

1 car 1 company = its only one car and one company that was able to sell double what they had projected. Not subaru is a 1 car company.

Originally posted by Tronics


1 car 1 company = its only one car and one company that was able to sell double what they had projected. Not subaru is a 1 car company.

My intention of saying that was not to rub it in or to say that's what the RX-8 should be. Someone asked a stupid question about the EVO and the WRX, so I answered. If you own the car there really isn't much need to worry about it's sales since you have little control oevr how many sell. It would be interesting to see how often carmakers meet or exceed their projected sales goals and how often they fall short.

Ike

hmmmm, now we should not worry about sales????????
Before you were pointing out your "opinion" that sales were down........ No further comment needed here...

I like Ike. He's in my top 5 for his avatar. Love it.:D

Y'all gotta stop bashing poor Ike. He's been here longer than any of the recent Ike bashers & he's probably more knowledgable than 90% of 'em.

I thought we had him seriously leaning towards buying an 8. Now we gotta start all over again. :mad:

Ike, why don't you come back as a girl. They'll take a whole month or more to catch on...:p (Just pm me to let me know if you do...hah!)

Originally posted by Racer X-8
I like Ike. He's in my top 5 for his avatar. Love it.:D

Y'all gotta stop bashing poor Ike. He's been here longer than any of the recent Ike bashers & he's probably more knowledgable than 90% of 'em.

I thought we had him seriously leaning towards buying an 8. Now we gotta start all over again. :mad:

Ike, why don't you come back as a girl. They'll take a whole month or more to catch on...:p (Just pm me to let me know if you do...hah!)

Do you like blondes, redheads, or brunettes? :eek:




Klegg, reading comprehension is a good thing. Exactly what have I said to lead you to believe RX-8 owners should worry about sales? I simply posted some numbers that Mazda released, you're reaching here, get a grip and stop trying to put words into my mouth! You contesting everything I say is getting very old and you're making yourself look dumb.


Ike

Originally posted by IkeWRX
Do you like blondes, redheads, or brunettes? :eek:
Blond, blue eyes & real young :p

Originally posted by IkeWRX


Do you like blondes, redheads, or brunettes? :eek:




Klegg, reading comprehension is a good thing. Exactly what have I said to lead you to believe RX-8 owners should worry about sales? I simply posted some numbers that Mazda released, you're reaching here, get a grip and stop trying to put words into my mouth! You contesting everything I say is getting very old and you're making yourself look dumb.


Ike

Gee Ike, I was simply pointing out that you are talking out of both sides of your mouth.....really you are getting very defensive......

Originally posted by Racer X-8
Blond, blue eyes & real young :p

If they're old enough to crawl they're.... oh god what am I saying... you are a sick sick man :p

Can some of us admit that we overreacted, and for once in a lifetime (hint hint....any dream theater fans??!) SHUT THE FxxK UP.

Discussions are GOOD.
Debates are PRODUCTIVE.
Talking shitz (like me right now!) is PLAIN STUPID.
And I'd pay to see Ike & Klegg huggin'!!

And can we go back to RX8 sales, and how do YOU think they'll do? - I believe there won't much more noise than what we had so far, until they really rock the media with Ads.

C'mon, even Subaru entered into the media blitz with a WRX commercial; down here in TX, not a second goes by without seeing a Fx50 truck ad; even Hyundai is on prime time. And MAZDA!???!!?....they are still advertising Proteges!!!!! (j/k)
They were more aggresive with the 6 than what they are showing with the RX8.

In all, I don't think they are trying to break any record anytime soon. This sounds more like a 'no comproise' market research-type of thing --and well, no compromise minus $500.00 + a couple millions for an angry mob of owners that want FREE MAINTENANCE + as many freebies as I can get! (j/k, again)

Chill! & cheers!

ROFL

I hit my limit on that one. OK, over the edge, maybe?

Title "How To Know If You've Failed As A Parent" :D

Not sure where graphicguy gets 7000 and someone else intepret it as 8000. Here are the facts.

RX-8 North America sales figure:

July: 1342
August: 2209
September: 2105
Total through September: 5456 (appx 10 weeks)


RX-8 Japanese market sales / production numbers:

April: 1791 / 2301
May: 2978 / 5151
June: 1911 / 6981
July: 2393 / 8044
August: 1302 / 6121
Sept: NA
(Production close to 30,000 for 6 month)
(sales close to 10375 in Japan)

The RX-8 seems to sell better in Japan than in the US.

klegg, I don't know about WRX or Evo sales, but the G35 sales I know. PM me if you really want to know.

Originally posted by Racer X-8
ROFL

I hit my limit on that one. OK, over the edge, maybe?

Title "How To Know If You've Failed As A Parent" :D

ROTFLMAO!!!!!

I've seen exactly one RX-8 on the road (other than the one I test drove). The day I drove it, Tustin Mazda had 8 or 9 on their lot, all lined up in a row out front. A few days later I drove by and they only had 3 left.

Those are my anecdotal data points. :)

In japan they also have no tarrifs on JAPANESE PRODUCED CARS. Anyone know how much the GOVERNMENT taxes the 8 in tarrifs?

If you noticed, after july production decreased, a sign there were more cars than people were willing and able to purchase. (concidering that the figures skyline showed is correct)

Production in Japan was down in August? I think they have some national week holiday or something in that month.

Read this :


RX-8 outsells Monaro
Mazda scores a coupe -- RX-8 outsells Monaro
By Joshua Dowling
The Sun-Herald
Monday September 22 2003

The sports car race was neck and neck between two unlikely rivals last month: the new Holden Monaro and the quirky RX-8.
The Holden Monaro has been overtaken for the first time since it went on sale three years ago. The Mazda RX-8 pipped the Monaro at the post in August after just three months on sale, figures from industry statistician VFACTS show.

Holden sold 240 Monaros last month, but Mazda sold 242 of its RX-8 coupes.

Holden's hero car was also narrowly beaten by one of its own, the Holden Astra convertible, which recorded 241 sales, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries data shows.

The Monaro's August tally is a drop of 12 percent on its monthly average for this year, but the car is still ahead of its yearly sales forecast. Holden expected to sell just 2000 Monaros this year, but has already recorded 2183 sales.

Even though the RX-8 and Monaro are both coupes and similarly priced, they are not classed as competitors by VFACTS. The Monaro is in the sports car category; the RX-8 is considered a prestige car. But the industry tends to ignore this technicality and compares like cars.

The RX-8's narrow lead might not last long. Mazda Australia is limited to 950 cars for the rest of this year.

"We ask Japan for more cars nearly every week but we can't get enough," Alastair Doak of Mazda Australia said.

"The world is supplied by the one factory so we have limited production capacity. If more cars become available, we'll take them."

The worldwide popularity of the Mazda RX-8, best known for its rear-hinged, so-called "suicide" rear doors, has surprised industry observers.

Sales of all new models are strongest in the first few months on sale as dealers register demonstrators and the car makers add the vehicles to their fleet. Pent-up customer demand also ensures strong performances out of the blocks.

This was the case for the Mazda RX-8, for which there were 400 orders before the car went on sale.

Of all the vehicle types, coupes are the most fickle and go in and out of vogue faster than any other type.

This is why Holden made conservative sales predictions. The previous king of coupes, for example, the Toyota Celica, is selling at a fraction of the rate it sold at when it was introduced four years ago. Sales of Honda's Integra, introduced two years ago, also settled after an initial burst of popularity.

The success of the Mazda RX-8 is believed to have prompted other makers to investigate the merits of coupes with rear-hinged rear doors, which enable easier access to the rear seats.

"Even if they don't carry four people in the car all the time, people want to have the flexibility to do so," Doak said.

Drive.com.au

If Australia cant get more than 950 cars its because mazda are selling all they can. They have months of pre-orders in the UK and Europe, which they are only going to start supply from next month (November) - 4 months late , Why? Because demand in Japan and US was higher than expected.

Originally posted by RobDickinson
"The world is supplied by the one factory so we have limited production capacity."
I like the sound of that. They are hardly going to build another factory, however great the demand now, with coupe demand being so "fickle" long term. This should mean good residuals for at least the next year or two

I think the biggest issue with this car that might prevent it from reaching the projected sales figures long term is the fuel economy. If it's as erratic as it is now with some people getting decent numbers but with a lot of people reporting rather terrible numbers then the word will get out eventually and Joe Public will stay away from a car that returns 15mpg and choose something else. Only die hard rotary enthusiasts and some car enthusiasts will put up with those numbers.. Heck I like the design and performance of this car but the fuel economy has me thinking of getting something else. Especially since I know I will be revving this puppy up as it should be :) , which by all accounts should return rather low fuel economy. :(

I agree the MPH is on the low side, and that is the worst thing about the car. I have about 2,000 miles, andI have finally hit 18 mpg my last two fills. That is still lower then the magic 20 mpg number in most peoples minds.

On the bright side, It is the cars only weakness.

[i] Klegg, I don't know about WRX or Evo sales, but the G35 sales I know. PM me if you really want to know. [/B]

I will be adult about this...I do want to know, but considering current events, it is best if you and I do not talk....last time we PM each other we exhausted every profanity known to man...

Or was that IKE and 350zj....I can not keep track...

I did give my word to the mod.....

Originally posted by klegg
I agree the MPH is on the low side, and that is the worst thing about the car. I have about 2,000 miles, andI have finally hit 18 mpg my last two fills. That is still lower then the magic 20 mpg number in most peoples minds.

On the bright side, It is the cars only weakness.


i would disagree with the "ONLY" weakness being the MPG ( ordid you mean MPH ?)

the 8 is not a powerhouse like the WRX sti or 350Z...

A lot of RX-8s on the dealer lot here in Richmond, VA. The only one I have seen on the street was a dealer car. The $2,500 ADP sticker has disappeared and a number of the cars on the lot are low-dollar ($25,000-$28,000) configurations.

Doesn't look good right now.

The car has kick-butt looks. I have not met a person yet who has not complemented me on the "beautiful car". The handling and smoothness is awesome, but you don't know that until you test drive. Unfortunately sports car purists (present company excepted) won't go near anything with a back seat and HP freaks are (understandably) underwhelmed by a 238HP 3000lb car.

Hell, in today's USA Today Acura was advertising a 4-door sedan with a 270HP engine that does 0-to-60 in 6.0 sec and Audi was pushing the new 250HP TT. Too many cars today have big HP numbers and low 0-to-60 times and still have half-decent mpg numbers. True, both cars advertised are uglier than sin, but over time I have test driven many ugly sports cars (like the original MR2) that seemed a lot less ugly after the test drive.

If Mazda wants to sell a car based on performance it needs to have OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE to offset the initial turn-offs (weight, rear seat, low mpg, etc). That is unless their goal is for the RX-8 simply to be a "cult" car (like the Miata, RX-7, Z-car, Z3/4, etc) that carves out a substantial niche but never takes over the sports car market.

Originally posted by jimbo_gixxer



i would disagree with the "ONLY" weakness being the MPG ( ordid you mean MPH ?)

the 8 is not a powerhouse like the WRX sti or 350Z...

Well, The performance is fine for me. I really do not care for the lookis of the wrx, or the evo, and way expensive.

Z is faster, but again, I hate the interior, and no back seats, which I need.

But, I do agree 250 hp would have been a better selling point.

Personal preference, but I hate the 350z looks, very underdesigned, overblown buble shape. Luckily if I was in the market for a 2 seater sportscar, I have a lot of different makes to choose from, most of them under half the wight of the 350z too :)

They have not banned you yet? Well, do us all a favor. Put me on your ignore list.

Best you and I do not talk.

bold statement 350
untrue IMO

Originally posted by msrecant
A lot of RX-8s on the dealer lot here in Richmond, VA. The only one I have seen on the street was a dealer car. The $2,500 ADP sticker has disappeared and a number of the cars on the lot are low-dollar ($25,000-$28,000) configurations.


Which dealer?

Capitol didn't have ANY but a Velocity red belonging to one of the sales managers' wives (or something like that, I forget what the internet manager told me) that they were still displaying and a few in the back on the lot until about three weeks ago, then they put all those out in front- there were three NGs, now there are none, and 1 blue that had yesterday grown to three. The colors of the cars keeps changing, leading me to believe that they're either selling them, or hiding them in the back. As they don't have all that much room in the back, I'm hoping they're selling. They also didn't have any dealer mark-up, if you went and asked for MSRP or lower.

I wonder if you're the red everyone keeps seeing? My husband's seen it twice, and one of his coworkers has seen it a couple times too. I've seen, besides mine, a silver, three reds (one on a test drive) and another NG, all in the West End.

Originally posted by Elara
They also didn't have any dealer mark-up, if you went and asked for MSRP or lower.


Do you know if they're selling for less than MSRP at Capitol? I drive by that dealership almost daily and see about 9 sitting out on the front lot.

Originally posted by Quick_lude
I think the biggest issue with this car that might prevent it from reaching the projected sales figures long term is the fuel economy. If it's as erratic as it is now with some people getting decent numbers but with a lot of people reporting rather terrible numbers then the word will get out eventually and Joe Public will stay away from a car that returns 15mpg and choose something else. Only die hard rotary enthusiasts and some car enthusiasts will put up with those numbers.. Heck I like the design and performance of this car but the fuel economy has me thinking of getting something else. Especially since I know I will be revving this puppy up as it should be :) , which by all accounts should return rather low fuel economy. :(

I couldn't agree with this more. This is an awesome car, but dealing with that kind of gas mileage is ridiculous.

I really don't know what the average Joe would say to that. On this board, you have a high percentage of enthusiasts, so most of them would be willing to overlook this. For this to break into the mainstream, I imagine that this would definitely be something an average person would ding the car on.

Who knows.

Originally posted by Yhippa
Do you know if they're selling for less than MSRP at Capitol? I drive by that dealership almost daily and see about 9 sitting out on the front lot.


I have no idea, since I haven't talked to anyone there since I bought the car 2 months ago. Couldn't hurt to ask, though. They were willing to deal a bunch on a Mazdaspeed Protege in the spring when I came in to discuss my 8, and showed interest in one of those.

Did you notice that they were there all of a sudden too? I drive by it everyday as well, and until three weeks ago, there were maybe 3 of them on the lot at a time.

This is an awesome car, but dealing with that kind of gas mileage is ridiculous.

Many of the enthusiasts are certainly anal about their approach to justifying a Sports Car purchase. I am no exception.

Well before taking ownership of my RX-8, I did a cost analysis based upon fuel useage. The parameter I used, based upon my driving habits were 20,000 miles / year average.

At the time, my ride averaged 26 mpg using regular ($1.50/gal) fuel. I planned on the RX-8 to average 20 mpg using premium ($1.70/gal) fuel.

Current (at that time) ride - 769 gallons x $ 1.50 = $ 1,154/yr
RX-8 - 1,000 gallons x $ 1.70 = $ 1,700/yr ($ 546 more/yr)

So, to drive the RX-8, it would cost me < $46 per month more.

My RX-8 has averaged between 21-22 mpg, so I am doing somewhat better than what I had planned.

But the icing on the cake was how much cheaper it was to insure the RX-8 compared to other Sports Cars that are similar in cost. I suggest if you are considering a purchase of any new vehicle, you need to look at the entire cost of ownership.

Oh, by the way, that $46 bucks a month extra the RX-8 was going to cost me, that is just one less time I go out to eat every month. Plus, the fun factor I get when I'm behind the wheel, revving to 9K, or pulling g's around a corner, and looking good while I am doing it, are worth every bit of that 46 bucks.

rxeightr
good points
good summary
nice calculations

Thanks for the comments mikeb, and let's sweeten how good of a deal the RX-8 really is.

My previous calculations were based upon using 91 or better octane for the RX-8. Since the owner's manual states that 87 octance is allowed --
1,000 gallons x $1.50/gal = $1,500, which is now only $ 346 more per year, or < $ 29 per month, based upon 20 mpg average.

And because I am averaging ~ 21.5 mpg instead of the 20 mpg I used for my comparison:
20,000 mi/yr * 21.5 = 930 gallons/yr
930 gallons x $1.50/gal = $1,395, which is now only $ 241 ($ 20/mo) more per year than my previous vehicle.


Anyone that is considering a G35 or 350Z or S2000 will be paying close to, if not more than $20/mo difference in insurance.

You know, about the insurance thing..

We all know that there are many factors which go into a insurance rating....age, gender, driving history, HP of car, cliams per car, ect.

Now, I have seen a number of 350zs, and most seem to be owned by younger men (20-27).

Now, when I was that age, I did not have that kind of disposable income, but that is another matter.....

My point is, younger males seem to have a much higher accident rate then older men and all age groups of women (aat least that is what the insurance co say)

If that is the case, might we see the 350z insurance rate go Threw the roof?

Just a thought...

Well, I'm at 2K+ miles now. One 250 mile road trip when the car had less than 600 miles returned 20.1 mpg. Since then, the low has been 16.3 and the usual now is 17.4 mpg. And I'm not driving like "granny" except to skip shift to 4th or 5th after I've wound out 1st and 2nd around town. Whenever I've been on a highway around here (2 lanes, no passing, 55mph limit) recently, I'll go to 6th at 65mph and leave it there. I suppose if you drive around in 3rd gear (which is not at all uncomfortable) at 5-6K rpm, you will get 12-13 mpg. But that's choice YOU make and the car can't be held responsible. The EPA numbers are for comparison purposes and don't necessarily mean you will experience that mileage, but I'd be a little surprised if I don't get 22-24mpg cruising on the interstate, in 6th at 75-80mph. I know, I know, it's so hard to do when revving the car up to 7-8K in 4th is so much fun, but again that's a decision we make, not EPA.

Originally posted by mikeb
rxeightr
good points
good summary
nice calculations

Yeah, definitely good points. I guess I could think of a lot of things I blow $50 on a month that are useless :)

I have not seen one 8 on the street yet either (I live in Long Island, New York where there are at least 3 Mazda dealers nearby) - I would have expected to see at least a few by now.

But I do see them moving off the lot at a local dealer. I wish I had one!

Well, I saw my VIN# assigned to my L.I. dealer up on mazdausa.com's site when I did a search for available cars.

So there w/b 1 new 8 roaming the streets and byways of Long Island soon enough.

Claude H.

Originally posted by rxeightr
Many of the enthusiasts are certainly anal about their approach to justifying a Sports Car purchase. I am no exception.

Well before taking ownership of my RX-8, I did a cost analysis based upon fuel useage.

I look at it this way: if I can afford to spend $35,000 on a sport car, I can certainly afford whatever the fuel cost is going to be, especially today when gasoline is cheaper (in inflation-adjusted dollars) than it has ever been.

I don't even know what kind of fuel economy my car gets, and frankly, I don't care - as long as the fuel gauge tells me when it's time to fill up so I'm not left stranded, I'm too busy enjoying my smiles per gallon to worry about how many miles per gallon I'm getting.

Of course, your mileage may vary. :D :D :D

Originally posted by Elara
Did you notice that they were there all of a sudden too? I drive by it everyday as well, and until three weeks ago, there were maybe 3 of them on the lot at a time.

Yes, all of a sudden, there were like nine in a row one day. I'm going to take a look at them later today too to see if they still have the blue ones out.

My dealer has at least 20 8s sitting on the lot. About 10 up front where they've always put the 8s, and at least 10 more in the middle of the lot. Saw the green for the first time tonight. It's nice. But they are selling them, someone about 15 houses down the street bought one the same color as mine and also with the appearance package and spoiler. Damn, the exclusivity is gone! LOL, I hope they enjoy theirs as much as I do mine.

Originally posted by red_rx8_red_int
My dealer has at least 20 8s sitting on the lot. About 10 up front where they've always put the 8s, and at least 10 more in the middle of the lot. Saw the green for the first time tonight. It's nice. But they are selling them, someone about 15 houses down the street bought one the same color as mine and also with the appearance package and spoiler. Damn, the exclusivity is gone! LOL, I hope they enjoy theirs as much as I do mine.

That sucks! I wish the 8 well but I hope it does not turn into your average Honda. I can see it already."the 8 is like an a**hole.... everybody has one." ha ha.

the 8 will never be as common as a honda

If Mazda has it's way the 8 will be about as common as the Z or the WRX since both og those cars sell arounf 30K a year. Thought they do have a bit of a head start.

Ike

thats ok with me -- but not as common as a honda, camry , etccc

Originally posted by mikeb
the 8 will never be as common as a honda

Well, it depends on which Honda. The S2000 will never be as common as the 8, they make far less, but the 8 will be less common than say a Civic or an Accord.

Originally posted by f1 tech
Well, it depends on which Honda. The S2000 will never be as common as the 8, they make far less, but the 8 will be less common than say a Civic or an Accord.

The s2000 has been on sale for years, there are 3 in my company car part (200-300cars).

It'll take a while for the rx-8 to get close to its numbers, especualy if the UK sticks at 2000 units per year. Worldwide production is max of 60000, probably 30000 for the first year. Dont know s2000 build numbes tho - it will sell less because its less practical.

Originally posted by IkeWRX
If Mazda has it's way the 8 will be about as common as the Z or the WRX since both og those cars sell arounf 30K a year. Thought they do have a bit of a head start.

Ike

If I have to be cool-headed about this: I would seriously like to see this car in the mainstream selling tons of units. Why? that would make maintenance much more reliable, and parts cheaper.

Resale value? well, if you have a car that has a very well established maintenance and parts market...it will improve. The car will never be an exotic (at least not in the next 20~25 years) so I don't care if Joe Smith buys 20 of them.

I went back to a dealer last weekend and got to sit in one. What a great car! I want to wait to buy one until after my current car is paid off (in another year), and wait until after winter (so that's going to be Spring of 2005).

Plus, some people do not like to buy the first year of anything. So I do expect that the RX-8 will sell a lot more as it evolves, and as people save their pennies. :)

Originally posted by RX8-TX
If I have to be cool-headed about this: I would seriously like to see this car in the mainstream selling tons of units. Why? that would make maintenance much more reliable, and parts cheaper.

Resale value? well, if you have a car that has a very well established maintenance and parts market...it will improve. The car will never be an exotic (at least not in the next 20~25 years) so I don't care if Joe Smith buys 20 of them.

Well, I see between 1 and 5 WRXs a week (if I don't got to autox or a meet) and maybe a couple Zs. So even though 30k seems like a big number it's really not. It's about enough to exchange a wave every now and then but not nearly enough to be pulling up next to one in on the highway or at a stoplight every time you hit the roads.

Ike

We still have lots of RX-8s here in Houston on the dealer's lots, I do think demand is down but its still the best looking car out there.

Originally posted by BADDCOMPLEX
We still have lots of RX-8s here in Houston on the dealer's lots, I do think demand is down but its still the best looking car out there.

Is demand down, or did they over-estimated the sales rate?

Just to put some perspective here:

I have some experience in production management, and the biggest dilema is 'What to do when introducing a brand new product?'

The questions that raise:
1. What chances does it have to sell?
2. How much can we expect it to sell in the first 6 months from release date?
3. If we under-produce we run the risk of losing the excitement wave and therefore losing potential customers. If we over-produce, we have to bear with initial production costs + R&D for an X period of time until sales catch up with costs.
4. And in most cases, if we over-do it, can we still sell at a profitable rate once the 'new' year arrives (that's the worst scenario for me...Im going through that, right now!!)

Originally posted by RX8-TX
Is demand down, or did they over-estimated the sales rate?


I think it's a little of both cases. Mazda might have over estimated the popularity of the rotary, or the people willing and able to purchanse a 30k car with the options available. Almost everyone who wanted a RX-8 has one. IMO people who have 30k to spend on a car will spend it on a BMW, or another equally priced/equiped car. Only the rotary enthusiests will be intrested in the 8, now seeing that they now have their 8's, the rest of them are sitting on the dealer lots. I expect sales for the 8 to be realitivlily slow from here on out, without any rebates or discounts. But I'm no expert, just my opinion.

The dealer near me is selling them between 1800-1000 off MSRP. They have at least a dozen sitting there. I'm waiting and hoping that Mazda will have a special financing rate before I get mine.

Some of us are waiting it out. I don't like 1st yr cars and every rotary I've had was one. And I don't like to take the 1st yr depreciation. I rather buy it used. Saved myself over $20k by waiting to buy my '93 RX-7. Also, some of us older folks think $30k is too much for a car. Hell I don't even want to spend $20k. I'll guess I'll just have to keep driving my 7 into the ground until the price of a used 8 comes down...

Don't drive it into the ground! How dare you say that about a 7!!!!!!!!!

he said that about his "twin turbo" 7 none the less

It's not a low mileage show piece anymore. 91,000 miles. Drove my '86 until it had 160,000. Driving it into the ground because I'm tired of putting money into it. Just having fun with it as it is. I don't intentionally abuse it. I just try not to have it be a garage queen. Now if it was a low mileage example then I'd be more inclined to fix every little thing.

Regarding the 8, I'm hesitant about 1st yr Mazda's. Take a look at the laundry list of TSB's on a '93 RX7. Then look at the 94/95. Many, many little problems with the '93. Same with my '86 although it had less problems. Same again with the '79. I'll wait until 2005 + 1yr for the RX8 to see how reliable it is in the 2nd yr and for someone else to take the 1st yr depreciation.

Driving a rotary into the ground is how I've driven all of them. 7,000+ rpm daily. Just keep up with the maintenance and don't beat it until it's warmed up. Have fun, anything which breaks you can just buy another! That's the beauty of no car payments:D

Actually it's hard to beat the '93. You're going sideways or ballistic before you get the chance to really push it;)

Originally posted by rotary-tt
You're going sideways or ballistic before you get the chance to really push it;)

Such a beautiful comment....

Originally posted by RX8-TX
Such a beautiful comment....

You live in Richardson? Isn't there a dealer in your town where they have shit loads of 7's for sale?

Originally posted by Tronics
You live in Richardson? Isn't there a dealer in your town where they have shit loads of 7's for sale?

I don't know their name, but I DO know that they were the first ones to buy an 8 and put it outside for display. They also have like 3 or 4 third gen. sitting outside. They are on Central Expressway between Spring Valley & Belt Line (I think..)

Why??

I have only seen one RX8 in my area in a month. He was filling his tank. I checked out the car in the flesh and it looked pretty cool. I dont know why I dont see more. after all this is LA and a everyone drives a hot car here. I see so many 350z's it be nice to see more RX8's n the road.

I had two first gen RX-7's, and the problems with each cars were a result of how the previous owners treated (or lets say abused) the cars. I will not buy another used sports car again. I always wished that I could have bought my '84 GSL-SE brand new. That was the best of the 1st gen RX-7. Not that I wouldn't have driven her hard, but I would have taken care of her as they should. :D