not sure if anyone else got this email from Mazda but i think it is interesting in that it clearly states it is a 2004 model. maybe this is old news but i thought i would forward it.

attached is a gif from the email and below is the text:

We know it's hard waiting for the all-new Mazda RX-8 to launch. Really hard. And that cover story in this month's Road & Track probably isn't helping. Now to make matters worse, here we are suggesting you whet your appetite even further by tuning into The History Channel's Modern Marvels. But we know you would kick yourself if you missed it, since they're doing a short segment on the origin of the legendary rotary engine. So watch, enjoy, and try to remember that good things come to those who wait. Or in this case, one particularly great thing.

The History Channel's Modern Marvels
Air Date: March 19 at 10pm est/pst (9pm cst/8pm mst).

No, I got the e-mail too. 2004?!

I had to pick up my heart from underneath the floorboards. Maybe SPRING 2003 as a 2004 model is the explanation?

At least we get more time to save money, I was having a hard time deciding which kid to sell...:D

I was told december 2002 at the latest, i'll stick to that date

yeah, I think they will have final vesion announced, presented in Dec 02 but not really avail until March 03 which makes it just right for 2004 model name

Remember that the PT cruiser came out with all the 200 cars as a 2001 model.

dammit, i have to work that night, ohhh well..thank god for Tivo

I thought it would hit the dealers in March 2003 but be called a 2004. It used to be that the car companies waited until September to come out with their new model year cars. That is no longer the case anymore. The manufacturers bring out the new cars whenever they want now and call them whatever year they want.

I remember a few years ago that Dodge came out with their "new year" turbo diesel truck in January. They did this because they had sold all their allotted trucks under CAFE for the current year. If they where to sell anymore of that "current year" trucks they would have had to pay penalties on each truck because they would not make their CAFE corporate numbers. Dodge avoided the penelties by selling them as "new year" model trucks.

This is why Dodge got the EPA to classify the PT Cruiser as a truck. It is so the higher MPG of the cruiser is averaged with their poor MPG trucks. This allows Dodge to sell more higher profit poor MPG trucks without incuring a penalty under CAFE.