UK's Ultimate Supergroup Test:

Mazda RX-8, Nissan 350Z, Mitsubishi Evolution VIII, Subaru Impreza STi, Ford Focus RS and Vauxhall Monaro

Here is the link#1 (http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/?news/ae_news_story.php?id=33615)



Here is the link#2 (http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/?previews/previews_story.php?id=33591)

here it is

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???
:mad:
We dont get the blue interior and they do??
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/picture_library/dir_16/car_portal_pic_8359.jpg?42

Originally posted by miata35
???
:mad:
We dont get the blue interior and they do??


maybe

you like blue more???

Originally posted by miata35
???
:mad:
We dont get the blue interior and they do??


Rumor has it that we in europe gets grey inserts too! :D

I'm pretty sure the '05 RX-8 models will have more color choices.

OOOOOOOO The U.S. better get Blue inserts or your going to see one angry Polak. As long as its buy the 04 and 1/2 models ill be happy.

Notice the red HSV GTS 300 in the background of the first pic? It'd poop all over the 8 and all the others aswell.

Blue inserts are interesting

Let's see it this way:

You (Americans) don't get the blue interior, but we (European) get that stupid licenseplate in the grille!! http://www.smilies.nl/screams.gif

Vauxhall Monaro my arse, that is 100% Australian Holden Special Vehicles GTS Coupe' 300kw, also the Monaro is also know in another country as a Cheverolet GTO, the bastards at Chev. also deemed it necessary to butcher the beautiful car and made it as ugly as a micra.


The Bastards!!!

Also, I think that everyone will get the license plate in the grille, it does look crappy but hey, what are you gonna do?

The normal Holden Monaro looks much better! That Vauxhall looks more like a ordinary tuned car
Also, I think that everyone will get the license plate in the grille, it does look crappy but hey, what are you gonna do
Rip it off and hope no cop will see you..

If that is the only RX8 in the UK -

a) Why is it Blue ? We are not getting blue - (leather inserts or otherwise!)

b) Why does the steering wheel change sides between photos... ?

c) Why dont they invite me to come test drive it !

:)

As I sead on the other Autoexpress-thread:

After a second look on the pictures of the car, I found out that the blue inserts are only photoshopped
On all the other pictures the inserts are black, and on the only blue/black pic the approaches are not in a matching colour like it is with the tan or red inserts. If you have a close look at the picture you see it's worked over with photoshop
http://www.rx8forum.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=25230


I WANT GREY OR BLUE INSERTS!

Stefan Janssen
Germany

Well, maybe it is... But do you notice that this is a different car from the one they where testing??
I did not see it until now, but the steering wheel are on the left (normal) side on the car with the blue inserts.
On the blue RX-8 they test the steering are on the right (english and japaneese cars)...

Hm...... :confused: :confused: :confused:

It doesn't look photoshopped to me. The blue reflection tinge on the black leather parts and the general unaltered lighting lead me to believe that the blue insert is real.

what car is to the right of the 8?

Originally posted by Good Duck
It doesn't look photoshopped to me. The blue reflection tinge on the black leather parts and the general unaltered lighting lead me to believe that the blue insert is real.

Look at the arrows: Those parts are looking not real for me...

To compare:

Originally posted by RX-3_13B_Tommo
...the Monaro is also know in another country as a Cheverolet GTO, the bastards at Chev. also deemed it necessary to butcher the beautiful car and made it as ugly as a micra.It is a PONTIAC GTO in the U.S.

I've not seen. Looks pretty wide in the rear end.

Originally posted by elisemk1
As I sead on the other Autoexpress-thread:

After a second look on the pictures of the car, I found out that the blue inserts are only photoshopped
http://www.rx8forum.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=25230


I WANT GREY OR BLUE INSERTS!

Stefan Janssen
Germany

i dont think its photoshoped
i think it is blue

did smbd mentioned that transmition is automatic ???

Originally posted by elisemk1
Look at the arrows: Those parts are looking not real for me... I think the biggest tell tale sign that the picture is a fake is the reflection on the center of the steering wheel of a red interior!!!:p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p

definitely photoshopped IMO

This picture also shows it isn't blue inside

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/picture_library/dir_16/car_portal_pic_8332.jpg?1223

The blue RX-8 test car is an Automatic!

:confused:

Well even if we do get blue inserts in the future they are compensation for the lower Hp version the Europeans get.

The car to the right is a Nissan 350Z (my personal fav).

Apparently in some US states, they don't need a front license plate, only a rear.

The "Monaro" in the picture is just a monaro with a body kit and a bigger engine, think the Mazdaspeed RX-8. It's produced by Holden Special Vehicles (Think STi) for those who want to spend $20,000Aus more for a better car.:cool:

Good detective work to the guy who picked up on the seams on the seats.

I think the biggest tell-tale sign that the picture is a fake is the reflection on the center of the steering wheel of a red interior.

Yeah, me thinks that this may be due to the little light in the corner! Sorry to rain on you parade.:p :p :p :p :p :p :p

Damn, the RX8 looks so much better than the Z. Simply gorgeous car. I'd definitely get the blue and have the interior retrimmed to match. Amazing!

Can't wait to see the real Mazdaspeed version.

Originally posted by RX-3_13B_Tommo
Yeah, me thinks that this may be due to the little light in the corner! Sorry to rain on you parade.:I disagree. The light is not red. It appears reddish because the AUTO EXPRESS logo has been stamped over the picture. The light is "white" and is angled down toward the seat. The light would bounce back up and be reflected on the steering wheel in blue if the seats were actually blue.:o

Originally posted by RX8-Rob
Damn, the RX8 looks so much better than the Z. Simply gorgeous car.I finally went to the Nissan dealer this weekend and sat in a Z. Boy talk about cheap plastic AND cramped. I know I was one of the original people who sighted the 8's plastic interior as being a negative after seeing it in person at the L.A. show. But compared to the Z, the 8 is a Rolls Royce.

Aww man, that blue is sweeet! I definitely made the right choice. :D

Actually if you all look at the picture of the blue RX-8 showing the suicide doors open, you can see that the seats and interior have neither blue nor red...an obvious photoshop.

Originally posted by RX8Lover
Actually if you all look at the picture of the blue RX-8 showing the suicide doors open, you can see that the seats and interior have neither blue nor red...an obvious photoshop. If you go back and look a the blue interior photos you will see that it is a SILVER left hand drive model. They did not use the Blue car's interior for the faked shots. Check out the SILVER door frames. :)

They probably went on the assumption that all the interiors would color match the exteriors and ps/ed the blue.

Looks like that way to me at least.

Originally posted by Puppy1
If you go back and look ath the blue interior photos you will see that it is a SILVER left hand drive model. They did not use the Blue car's interior for the faked shots. Check out the SILVER door frames. :)

And the circled A pillar in the above photo has to date only been seen in gray cloth regardless of the interior color or material. I commented on this in a thread about the interior quality of the red car shown at the LA auto show.

That's the colo(u)r combination I want on my RX-8:

http://galleries.wheels24.co.za/cars/mazda/MXsportif/images/12.jpg

For those of us who live here in the US, you could get a customize blue leather interior aftermarket, by going to http://www.katzkin.com
They make custom leather interiors for any car any year, cost from my snooping around will be about $1200 to $1500 and it will also be installed professionally as well as the door trims too.

r there any reviews of the automatic version of the RX8? i'm getting one so i wanna no how it feels like to drive one.....

OK I am planning on getting the Automatic, yes I know there is a drop in HP and yes Mazda is only making it a 4 speed (grumble grumble), but I want the paddle shifter - that looks insane, like a $30K mini Maserati, or a Ferrari, but kinda resembles in a way on the road from side profile a mini Maserati. Paddle shifter seem like a ton of fun and it's a really cool concept. I am guessing a 5 speed or 6 speed paddle transmission w/ more hp would be more fun, maybe in the few years ahead Mazda will make one (hint hint Mazda people).

As for reviews, I seen only one thus far for the Automatic version in Consumer Reports. They like the shifts with the paddle shifters but they gave it's acceleration a score of 7 and the manual tranny a score of 8. I heard speculation that it will do 0-60 somewhere in the mid to high 7 second range. How true this is, I dunno, as I said it is speculation. I am hoping that since it has more torgue than the manual, I know it's only a difference of a few lb feet, but I am being optimistic that it'll help keep the AT version closer to the 0-60 times that the manual version has. Well I guess only time shall tell. It's a damn shame that they didn't make the AT version w/ more horsepower, or make a Paddle Shifter version that has an auto mode if the driver decides to select it while having more than the 210 hp the Mazda people detuned the automatic version to.

Man, the 8 is sweet.

I was suprised to see a Monaro in that Comparo especially as its only a Test Mule HSV. I've read that Vauxhall will get the standard Monaro CV8, but going by that article and that picture Vauxhalll may end up getting the HSV version as well. I wonder if it will be around long enough for the standard Monaro to get the HFV6?

By the way, love the RX-8 in that colour, Titanium still my fav.:)

ohh man i love that interior..i wish that was real =(

I work professionally as a designer, and just reading from the above comments I can tell you the interior is not blue. It seems that the saturation of the scans are off, you would actually think it is blue, but unfortunately it is not. If anyone has doubts I can edit it to its almost original ccolors