How do you guys as future RX-8 owners feel about joining existing RX-7 Club around the nation.

There are currently many local metropolitan RX-7 clubs in existance.

see the clubfinder for locations :
Clubfinder (http://www.houston-rx7.net/clubfinder)

I am excited about the RX-8 and looking forward to owning one early in 2004. (05 model)

The Houston RX-7 Club as it is now known, is contemplating a format change to follow suit of several other large clubs in the nation to envelope all of our rotary brethren, some even go so far as to accept all Mazda Sportscars equally.

Anyhow.. I just want to hear your opinions and seewhat you have to say.

Thanks

Keith W. Hanna
Houston RX-7 Club (http://www.houston-rx7.net) ~ President
Mazda Sportscar Stampede (http://www.mazdasportscarstampede.com) ~ Founder

How about just having RX clubs. Who knows we may have more RX's in the future (RX-5 Miata maybe). I used to belong to an RX-7 club when I had my '79 RX-7 and it was a lot of fun - hope the RX-8 can either join its older brothers or develop an enthusiast club of its own.

yeah.. a thought I had was just to drop the '7' from the name... but then that seems to bring a certain amount of vagueness to the title.

>still searching for an answer<

I would think that a combination club would be better, personally. I think that others would feel similarly, since alot of us owned RX7s previously.

Of course, there will be those who would rather have an RX8 only club. This happened with the MR2 clubs when the MR2-Spyder came out. The majority of the Spyder owners who wanted to be a part of a club, wanted nothing to do with the "older" MR2 clubs. Most had a preconception that those who owned the older MR2s were kids and/or "ricers". Frankly, if that's the way they thought, it's just as well that they kept to themselves, ya know?

---jps

Keith

Thanks for your depressing news about the diverting of the RX-8 from the Houston auto show to some other show. Do you have any more news about a possible replacement for Houston?

I think a combined RX-7 and RX-8 club would be a terrific idea. Where better for rotary newbies (I speak for myself) to get knowledge and experience about these engines/vehicles/history than from people who have kept the flame alive all these years. Dropping the 7 from the name might be ambigous (imagine RX300 owner turning en masse). Perhaps Mazda RX Club or something similar.

I dunno. There's a lot of animosity towards the '8, being touted as a 'rotary sports car with room for 4' and the compromises that were made even though they have a "other rotary" forum. You can see it on the rx7forum. Even though every car comes from the same heritage, I think there is some reluctance to welcome it to the fold a performance rotary sports car.

>pelucidor - your welcome.. I will let you know about the Houston RX-8 appearance as soon as I find out. : )


I understand about the animosity you speak of.. but I don't see that it would be that differnet from the way a FD owner feels about a 1986 Base model FC... or how a 1979 "Custom" owner feels that while the FD is a beautiful and capable car.. that it "sold" its soul in the process...

Luckily my club here in Houston is a rather "adult" club.. we don't go out street racing.. we don't get together and get wasted or do the "kid" stuff that some of the other clubs might do... usually our meetings are rather informal and about knowing each other as professionals and just having a relaxing educating time.

Sure some kids show up here and there.. and yeah sometimes people might do a lil' burn out leaving a meeting.. but that is to be expected.. for the most part we are boys with big rotary toys.. and you know what they say "boys will be boys" hehehe... (all apologies to the women out there)

As far as the forum.... I think that refelcts a very small cross section of actual "club" folks.. a similar post I placed there got jeers as far as responses... of course the illiterates over there thought I was talking about combining the forums.. and not the actual "local" clubs... the problems is they can't or don't want to look into things.. they are as you might know close minded... I estimate the forum over there only about 10% are true local club members...

I know less than ten of my 90+ club members post there on a regular basis..

I am strongly in the opinion of actually migrating my clubs direction as a Mazda Sportscar Club... seeing the downturn of the Miata club locally into 2 clubs somewhat.. a. a old fogie club, and b. an enthusiasts club. there seems to be room to attract "sportscar" owners there... and giving the Mazda6 and MAZDASPEED Protege's and other "modified" Protege's a home... our only club rule should be.. "you have to be able to keep up"!!!...

>*takes a breath* back to you guys<

Originally posted by DrKillJoY
...As far as the forum.... I think that refelcts a very small cross section of actual "club" folks.. a similar post I placed there got jeers as far as responses... of course the illiterates over there thought I was talking about combining the forums.. and not the actual "local" clubs... the problems is they can't or don't want to look into things.. they are as you might know close minded... I estimate the forum over there only about 10% are true local club members... That has been my experience too. There are several who just "talk" online, some of whom don't even own the car, and there are several who are rarely on the boards, but show up to most meets. ...seeing the downturn of the Miata club locally into 2 clubs somewhat.. a. a old fogie club, and b. an enthusiasts club. there seems to be room to attract "sportscar" owners there... Yeah, what the heck is up with that? That's the same way it is here in DFW. And the division seems to be rooted a little deeper than just a difference of interests too. I have never seen that before, and it's a sad commentary when one Miata owner gets "snobbish" towards another Miata owner. Wierd...

---jps

*shrug* you got me....

anyone else have any views?