Just thought I would drop a line and say I have moved on to other things. I gave Mazda back my 2005 RX8 GT last night. I had many good times with the car both roadtrips and tracking. But alas, my priorities have changed as my house is nearing completion.

I bought a 2008.5 Mazdaspeed3 to replace the 8. Black with tint and remote start (functions like a turbo timer too). I have put the only km's on it so far but find it a totally different drivign experience.

I'll still drop by some meets this summer.

Juergen

Juergen, i guess that means you still going to MOTM? :)

Nice! i got my buddy to hang out with...

Yeah I may still be going. Maybe not tracking though. And I have nothing modded to show off really.

Did you get rid of shocks / springs? PM me if you are selling them.

I was wondering what you were going to do with the 8. Good choice though!
I took a Speed 3 for a test drive last month. I liked it but I need another test drive because I went out during rush hour so I didn't get to open it up.

Let me know how you like your 3 after you log some more miles on it.
If I give my 8 back at lease end I have narrowed my decision to the Speed 3 and the VW GTI. Mazda has 0% financing right now compared to 4.9% for VW so that's a big factor.

The 2008.5 has the gun-metal rims instead of silver right?

spd frk is all about the boost!!

At least you decided to stay in the Mazda family.

The 2008.5 has piano black trim, lights in the vanity mirrors, and the black chrome style rims. Otherwise the same as a 2008 though.

After 350 km's in 2 days I actually quite like driving it. Vastly different than the 8 of course, but I appreciate the immeadiate torque. The stock exhaust is a bit boomy at speed, and the shifter is kind of stiff. I seem to be getting great mileage though despite pounding around on boost.

All my parts have already been sold, for those interested.

As a note I drove the GTI also and like the MS3 much more.

MS3 is a very good car for the money.
My only complaint is that it's based on an economy car. So you can't really expect the same level of performance as the 8. But for what it is, it's very good!
Hate torque steer!
RWD FTW! :)

I would really like to see the new rims on the black car. I've seen a red 2008.5 at Avante and liked them but just want to see how they look with a black car.

Let me know if you are going to any meets soon. I would love to chat about the Speed 3 some more. I think I am leaning towards the Mazda. I would have to chip the GTI to match the output of the 3 but I really liked the DSG transmission.

Do you miss the RWD though? That's one of my concerns.

Thanks for the input!

Cheers

I hear you Chad. I do miss RWD already quite a bit. it is definately a lot more fun. But for hte money (as I said I was on a budget) the MS3 has the highest performance of what is out there, the only cheap RWD competition new is a Mustang GT. Or of course if you want something a couple years old you can get a 350Z/G35.

I personally needed something new and worry free with the house. As well as something that had more space, and a bit better mileage. I wasn't willing to give up performance really and the MS3 was the best compromise for me.

So far I already took down a G35 sedan from a light. The car I find handles quite well still, and is of course much faster than the 8. It is a transition for me as I used to auto-x a FWD car earlier this century.

Give me a shout if you want to come see it sometime it looks real sharp with balck wheels, tint, and black paint.

J

Thanks Juergen - I sent you a PM.

I hear you Chad. I do miss RWD already quite a bit. it is definately a lot more fun. But for hte money (as I said I was on a budget) the MS3 has the highest performance of what is out there, the only cheap RWD competition new is a Mustang GT. Or of course if you want something a couple years old you can get a 350Z/G35.

J

Much cheaper and similarly quick in a straight line is the SRT4 Caliber (285hp), or even the new Cobalt SS has the 260hp turbo for under $25 large.

MS3 is only fun when you like to gun the gas pedal on a roll. It's an easier fun to achieve than clipping from apex to apex at a country road that only a well balanced chassis of a RWD coupe provides.
At the end of the day it's FWD-based. Much like the caliber srt4, neon srt4, cobalt ss.

I don't disagree with Delhi. I enjoyed track days in the 8 very much. But when it is your only daily driver, doing 42,000km a year, and you need to occassionally haul larger objects it just doesn't make sense. The MS3 is much more practical from that perspective.

Just to make you guys jealous I average 8.5L/100km on the highway going to Windsor last weekend doing 130 the whole way.

Just to make you guys jealous I average 8.5L/100km on the highway going to Windsor last weekend doing 130 the whole way.

What's there to be jealous? You are the one in a tarted-up entry level Mazda model and heading to Windsor. :)


























just teasing ya....except the Windsor part! :lol2:

Mean!

Acurate, but mean!

Hey Delhi.....how's that new 'green' carbon tax workin out for ya?
.....careful what you ask for - you may get it!


S:)

My personal opinion for what its worth....My favorite car Mazda has built since I started with the company in 1988 is the Mazdaspeed 6 hands down. The car is incredilbly fast, comfortable, and well balanced on the street or on the track. Many a 911 at Mosport cant figure out what passed them on the outside of a corner.....the stability control is fantastic and only becomes active when you are already passed the limit (not approaching it). Like I said hands down my favorite Mazda. Now if the Speed 3 had just been AWD.................

You didnt tell me that when you sold me the rx8 lol :P

But If you gonna go AWD, go AUDI!

Thats what the marketing ppl keeping feeding us...for the last 20 years haha

If The Mazdaspeed 3 were AWD I would have bought one instead of the rx8. It could have been the new 323GTX.

How does the MS6 compare to something like a Legacy?

I would have liked AWD too, but it adds cost and weight, and the MS3 is already heavy at 3100lbs.

Mean!

Acurate, but mean!

Hey Delhi.....how's that new 'green' carbon tax workin out for ya?
.....careful what you ask for - you may get it!


S:)

Actually it doesn't. My rx-8 is a pleasure car. And if gas cost was a problem, I'd look elsewhere ... like a Yaris? :) People are delusional to think that a sports car should offer gas mileage as that of a econo compact. Fuel economy is not the top priority in terms of designing a sports car. But you know that already right..... :scratchhe
I bet if the msp3 comes in AWD, it will really hurt the WRX sales.

MS3 is only fun when you like to gun the gas pedal on a roll. It's an easier fun to achieve than clipping from apex to apex at a country road that only a well balanced chassis of a RWD coupe provides.
At the end of the day it's FWD-based. Much like the caliber srt4, neon srt4, cobalt ss.

Btw... MS3 posted a 3 second better time than the 8 in C/D's Lightning Lap adventure:eyetwitch

3

Let's hear it for the MS3. I don't want to get into a big thing of MS3 vs. RX8, which is the way this thread has gone. Each one has different objectives, which appeal to different people at different times.