We have been having difficulty hosting videos, so I put all the ones I have downloaded up on my webserver Here are links:

Make sure and right click and then click Save Target As... in order to download these puppies.

Mazda PR from an Auto Show (MPEG):
http://www.sickcylo.com/temp/Rx8MazdaShowPR.mpg

Best Motoring Intro (DivX):
http://www.sickcylo.com/temp/BM_Intro.avi

Best Motoring California Drive (DivX):
http://www.sickcylo.com/temp/BM_CaliforniaDrive.avi

Best Motoring Time Attack (DivX):
http://www.sickcylo.com/temp/BM_TimeAttack.avi

Best Motoring Laguna Seca (DivX):
http://www.sickcylo.com/temp/BM_LagunaSeca.avi

Car and Driver TV (MPE):
http://www.sickcylo.com/temp/CD_RX-8.mpeg

cool, thanks cylo! :cool:

did anyone notice the estimated weight in the best motoring intro? It states 1310 to 1340 kg. That's 2882 lb to 2948lb! :eek:

okie dokey, all uploaded.

Thanks Cylo! Just PM'ed you about the other files.

wtf, look at the BM time attack, its clearly a us spec model cause of the orange reflectors and left hand drive, but look at the speedo, at 1 point it actually hits 174!!! now the question is, is that km/hr or mph/hr? i really doubt the rx8 is capable of hitting 170+? buts its us spec, so wtf? anyone clearifly?

Another video courtesey of Gamera:

http://www.sickcylo.com/temp/BM_Intro.avi

Available in 12 minutes.

And the last for today:

http://www.sickcylo.com/temp/BM_CaliforniaDrive.avi

In 24 minutes.

OMFG, you guys are DESTROYING the bandwidth on the server. It is notmally DLing at 400k/s and it is down to 120k/s :D. Don't worry I have unlimited bandwidth... :D

there might be a switch on the dash to change the speed from displaying mph to km/h.

Hooooray for Cylo :D

the BM time attack speedo is definitely in km/h

as a rule of thumb, 100km/h is about 60mph.... Taking that conversion into account, then the numbers are very reasonable, actually very good for a production car on that track :)

Sweet! Thanks! When I get my fileserver back up, perhaps these will still be available for download.

hmm .... am i the only one having trouble viewing the best motoring videos ?? when i try to open them, i can only hear the sounds, and i see no video. can anyone help ?? thanks. =)

Originally posted by ZoomZoomH
the BM time attack speedo is definitely in km/h

as a rule of thumb, 100km/h is about 60mph.... Taking that conversion into account, then the numbers are very reasonable, actually very good for a production car on that track :)

but why??!?! why would they change the speedo to km on a us spec rx8

Originally posted by ZoomZoomH
the numbers are very reasonable, actually very good for a production car on that track :) Indeed, did anyone notice the caption over the scene of Kurasawa-san donning his helmet? I don't read Japanese, but I can make out enough Western numbers and letters to guess that it's saying that someone has previously clocked an NSX around Laguna Seca in 1'50", and some other vehicle (unfortunately all in Japanese) in 1'45.87". The RX-8 comes in at 1'50.70", which ain't too shabby at all. :D

Originally posted by tribal azn
why would they change the speedo to km on a us spec rx8 Umm... because the footage was shot for the Japanese market?

It'd be nice if the speedo and odo units can be switched by the driver (a la many European cars), but I suspect that it may require an OBDII hookup.

Originally posted by Efini
hmm .... am i the only one having trouble viewing the best motoring videos ?? when i try to open them, i can only hear the sounds, and i see no video. can anyone help ?? thanks. =)

the Best Motoring videos are in Divx codec. If you don't have that codec installed, all you will get when opening the files are the audios.

go to www.divx.com and download the latest Divx codec! for free!

good luck!

Originally posted by eccles
Indeed, did anyone notice the caption over the scene of Kurasawa-san donning his helmet? I don't read Japanese, but I can make out enough Western numbers and letters to guess that it's saying that someone has previously clocked an NSX around Laguna Seca in 1'50", and some other vehicle (unfortunately all in Japanese) in 1'45.87". The RX-8 comes in at 1'50.70", which ain't too shabby at all. :D

that 'some other' vehicle would be a North American market model car (I can read the last few characters, but not the name of the car), I wonder what it is...

so a $27000 RX-8 can run neck to neck with a $90000 supercar? nice! :D

thanks !! ... got the codec. ill ask my japanese friend if he can translate those =)

Originally posted by eccles
Umm... because the footage was shot for the Japanese market?



then why not use a japanese spec car in the first place?

Originally posted by eccles
Indeed, did anyone notice the caption over the scene of Kurasawa-san donning his helmet? I don't read Japanese, but I can make out enough Western numbers and letters to guess that it's saying that someone has previously clocked an NSX around Laguna Seca in 1'50", and some other vehicle (unfortunately all in Japanese) in 1'45.87". The RX-8 comes in at 1'50.70", which ain't too shabby at all. :D

those times dont make any since at all

http://www.car-videos.com/performance/track.asp?track=2

ok I did a little Japanese characters phonetics searching on Google, and here's what I think how to pronounce the name of the first car in the caption (the one with 1:45.87)

ready?

Su-(p/f)u-ra

Supra??? :confused:

Originally posted by tribal azn


then why not use a japanese spec car in the first place?

it could also be a non-UK, Euro-spec RX-8, which will be left hand drive AND in metric unit ;)

Originally posted by tribal azn


those times dont make any since at all

http://www.car-videos.com/performance/track.asp?track=2

read the paragraph on this page:

http://www.car-videos.com/performance/index.asp

"The performance numbers were calculated using the famous Cartest simulation software plus several other tools."

those numbers are SIMULATED numbers, the one in the video is an actual timed lap, so which one will you believe?

Originally posted by tribal azn
those times dont make any since at all

http://www.car-videos.com/performance/track.asp?track=2 No, those times don't make any sense - you can clock the RX-8 at 1'50" by watching the TimeAttack video yourself.

Either they changed the configuration of Laguna Seca recently, or the folks at car-videos.com couldn't drive a nail. ;)

just in case anyone would like to play "pronounce that Japanese word!" here's a link to a page that shows the english-equivalent pronounciation of the Katakana character set

http://www.zyx.com/chrisc/japanese/japanesea.html

this is how I came up with the "Su-(p/f)u-ra" pronounciation :)

and eccles, those car-video.com lap time numbers are SIMULATED numbers, using the (in)famous Cartest software, so they probably used some extremely conservative parameters to come up with those numbers

The posted times on that site had the Laguna Seca track at 2.21 miles. So I checked the official Laguna Seca map (http://www.laguna-seca.com/map2.htm).

From 86-94 the track is 2.214 mi with record time of 1:09.625. From 96 till now the track is 2.238 mi with record time of 1:07.722. But it hard to say if the improvement in record time is due to track layout changes or race car improvements.

Originally posted by ZoomZoomH


read the paragraph on this page:

http://www.car-videos.com/performance/index.asp

"The performance numbers were calculated using the famous Cartest simulation software plus several other tools."

those numbers are SIMULATED numbers, the one in the video is an actual timed lap, so which one will you believe?

awww i didnt read the paragraph

Originally posted by ZoomZoomH
http://www.zyx.com/chrisc/japanese/japanesea.html

this is how I came up with the "Su-(p/f)u-ra" pronounciation :)


the difference in the stressing (between the p and the f sound) is noted with a small tick on the upper right hand corner of the character... my god, i can't remember any of this stuff, i took a crash course in hirigana (and didn't even touch katakana) back last november...

thanks alot cylo for hosting the vids. got em all!:D :cool:

sure thing zoom! :D

Thanks, Cylo!

This was a really great video of the most interesting car of 2003. Thanks.

thank cylo i did really like the 2 videos u posted:)

ok i asked my friend abotu the translation. to sum it up, yes it was a supra that did 1:45. the tester criticized that grip was a little low and that you really have to whine the motor up to get power, but overall, he was very impressed with the chassis :D

I don't know about you guys but I am waiting for a Top Gear test by Tiff Niedel.

Nah, not old tiff, he drives the cars well, but he LOVES to slide them :D Better if the STIG drove the car to the limits. Hell the STIG proved that the FWD focus RS is bloody fast round that track (lotus designed track, no?), posting a time of 1min 32 (if i recall correctly).

Originally posted by sKy^WiNGzErO
Nah, not old tiff, he drives the cars well, but he LOVES to slide them :D Better if the STIG drove the car to the limits. Hell the STIG proved that the FWD focus RS is bloody fast round that track (lotus designed track, no?), posting a time of 1min 32 (if i recall correctly).
Tiff is a great driver, and he's also a smart guy in business.

He knows that in the TV business unless you're able to offer something that other program's dont... you won't get the ratings.

And thus, not the big bucks. Sliding is big fun for him to do not only as a driver, but I'm sure his pockets aren't hurting either.

Originally posted by stan11003
I don't know about you guys but I am waiting for a Top Gear test by Tiff Niedel. You'll be waiting a long time.

Tiff Needel, however... well he might test the car :)

tiff is awesome. he must have the best job ever. please please please post that test if you ever get it.

Originally posted by tribal azn


but why??!?! why would they change the speedo to km on a us spec rx8

Maybe, just maybe, it's a North American spec RX-8 that isn't a US spec???? Maybe, just maybe, it's a Canadian spec RX-8? You know, one of the 2 other North American countries, one that uses metric measurements???? ;) :D

Regards,
Gordon

Jeez, that Laguna run was awesome! I saw the front tire come about 3 inches off the ground on one curve (1:30 into the vid). I think I'da peed all over some two-tone leather.

The BM_Intro at the start has the dash with an engine turn over, if that is TRULY the sound of the engine at idle, I'm going to freak. It's PURE HEAVEN!

Cylo,

Any chance you have the Motorweek review and can host it as well?

I couldn't get it, my cable was out.

Thanks,

jtdwab

If anyone has time, please record any episodes of the RX8 from different medias, and transform into downloadable formats and upload into this site. MPEG and WMV formats are preferable!

MotorTrend
Car and Driver (already up)
Autoweek
Motorweek...........

Originally posted by jtdwab
Cylo,

Any chance you have the Motorweek review and can host it as well?

I couldn't get it, my cable was out.

Thanks,

jtdwab

Sorry, I don't have that one. If someone would email me the file I would be happy to upload it!

Originally posted by tribal azn


but why??!?! why would they change the speedo to km on a us spec rx8

Cuz eventually we are gonna have to give in and go metric..