I thought about typing up a huge why I'm dissapointed post, but then it would be a repeated post of what people said already..

I'm just gonna leave it short and say that this car has many short commings compared to the rest of the similarly fashioned cars out there. Although being the best looking car IMHO ever built which I can afford, that just don't cut it...

I like acceleration, high rev, and all those other features which make driving fun...

comfort, interior quality, all those other opinionated qualities are for old people looking for a car they can sleep in...

If you can't measure it, it shouldn't be a feature... Many of you say the interior is nice, while some can't seem to accept it the way it is.. While everyone can clearly see 250 HP is 250 HP and 3000 lbs is 3000 lbs, 50 / 50 weight distribution is 50 / 50 and so on...

what that says is that, the 8 has many quality features, but none you can put a point on. Then on the features which you can put a point on, it dosen't suffice compared to the close competion.

I had a thrill with my WRX and the interior didn't bother me a bit. It had one of THE most comfortable driver seats and that is the ONLY seat I care about since thats where I sit. The only thing that sucked about the car was the stupid tires it came with which lead to my crashing the damned thing... RE92 sucks ass

After drooling over the RX-8 for a year or two, it's just not as sexy as a production car... If Mazda styling was put onto a STi I would jump on the bandwagon on the spot, but hell, the Subaru line of cars are just butt ugly, with the exception of the B4...

With each new post of short commings I keep reading the loyal fan's reply with sympathy to the car's short comming, I'm fully sympathetic myself, but if it ain't there it ain't there...

edit: I am still very fond of the car though, as a side note I bought the newest addition of motoring which features the RX-8 at Leguna Seca. This is on DVD and I will enjoy watching it a lot even tho everything is in Japanese and I can't understand a single word...

Hmmm. Am I the only one that thinks this guy talks a lot but doesn't actually SAY anything?! I think there's a genuine opinion in there somewhere but I'm not sure what (or where) it is...

Originally posted by Lensman
Hmmm. Am I the only one that thinks this guy talks a lot but doesn't actually SAY anything?! I think there's a genuine opinion in there somewhere but I'm not sure what (or where) it is...

Yeah, I think you have a point there.

I don't even think he knows what his point is. I sure as heck don't.

Originally posted by KAuss
The only thing that sucked about the car was the stupid tires it came with which lead to my crashing the damned thing... RE92 sucks

Remids me of an old R&T PS where a guy is standing over a Ferrari wrecked up against a tree in a ditch, "Good tires, Bob mused, but not GREAT tires."

What happened to cause you to wreck the WRX?

I think what the author is saying, he is voicing a sense of frustration, why he can't have the look and feel of RX-8 with a kick-ass engine like STi.

Once I dated a girl who was gorges, everyone envied me, but this girl was like dead couldn't keep up in bed, I was always frustrated with tha. Then I met another girl, who was ugly as hell, couldn't take her anywhere (cause people would laugh at me), but a great contender in bed. THAT also drove me crazy.

Finally I came across another one, who was beautiful, great in bed, BUT super expensive to keep and she wanted to be with everyone else too.

I guess sometimes you can't win in life...

comfort, interior quality, all those other opinionated qualities are for old people looking for a car they can sleep in...

Well........... this old man just wants to use that comfort for the 1-1/2 + hours I spend every day doing the work thing. Never thought about the possibility of sleeping in it too.

Thanks KAuss for another reason to buy the RX-8 !

Originally posted by rxeightr


Well........... this old man just wants to use that comfort for the 1-1/2 + hours I spend every day doing the work thing. Never thought about the possibility of sleeping in it too.

Thanks KAuss for another reason to buy the RX-8 !


You're only just now thinking about the possiblilty of sleeping in it? I don't plan to let it out of my sight for the first month I've got it, at least!

The very first car that I owned, many years ago, I slept in many times in my driveway, for the sheer pleasure of sleeping in it. I've already planned to sleep in my RX-8 when I get it. My wife can join me if she want's, it does seat 4 after all.

The "complaint"about the RX-8 having too little power does not affect me. I would not want a Subaru flat 4 in my "8". Part of the pleasure of the RX-8 is the ROTARY ENGINE. I would not be so enthused about owning one if it had a piston engine. This is, after all, the most advanced engine in production in the world. Remember, it is only a 1300 cc capacity engine.

The style is right on target. The interior is beautiful (except for the digital speedo). The suicide doors and the front pontoon like fenders drive me crazy.

Get the damned thing arready!!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Donny Boy
[ Part of the pleasure of the RX-8 is the ROTARY ENGINE. I would not be so enthused about owning one if it had a piston engine. This is, after all, the most advanced engine in production in the world. Remember, it is only a 1300 cc capacity engine.

The style is right on target. The interior is beautiful (except for the digital speedo). The suicide doors and the front pontoon like fenders drive me crazy.



I second the above quote. I have been driving a 1985 RX-7 GSL SE for 17 years and the RX-8 is the first new car that I wanted.
The engine and overall design came together for me.

People need to quit whining about the numbers, or the "shortcomings" of a car based on that supposedly unimpeachable empirical data. "If you can't measure it, it shouldn't be a feature"? What a crock of s**t!

Tell you what: go get yourself a copy of Sports Car International, read the editorial, then read the Boxter vs. Z4 comparison. AN ENTIRE COMPARO ARTICLE AND NOT A SINGLE MEASURED VALUE IS QUOTED!!!! And it is the most meaningful, real world comparo I have read! You will find an equally compelling article on the RX8 in that same mag.

In fact, here is the editorial. And stop looking for all the best numbers! For the real world,number comparisons often amount to nothing more than a stupid PENIS WAR!

So how can you be dissapointed with a car you've never seen in person and never driven? It's like saying you're dissapointed with Chocolate after seeing some photos and reading an in-depth review. Until you taste the stuff, you'll never really know if you like it! Numbers won't help tell you that.

Driving a car is all about the senses... how the car looks from across the parking lot. How the door feels when you open it. How the seat holds you when you sit down. How easy it is to reach all of the controls. How the engine sounds when you start it. How the steering, shifter, clutch, brakes, and accelerator work together for you. Whether or not you find yourself smiling as you carve up some corners.

I find numbers interesting to give me a general sense of how I think a car will feel. But I find automotive journalist's impressions even more interesting. If a car can make these guys, who've driven everything from Ferraris to Kias, smile and have a good time, it's sure to be something special. But, I will never really know until I go check it out myself.

The RX-8 is not the end-all be-all perfect sports car for everyone. Some people like stump-pulling torque and don't care so much how a car handles around the twisties. The RX-8 will not impress these types. Some will say that the RX-8 is too much of a compromise, which can go either way. A lot of things can be said about a car... if you are a real enthusiast, you will listen to all of these things with interest, but in the end, the only opinion that will matter will be your own, after having experienced it yourself. So please, let us know what you think after that happens.

about the only person that got the point to my post was BenHayat


I just said I was frustrated with the car being the way it is compared to what is availible now... (to my standards)

I still enjoy the car a lot, but it's just missing some of the features I take more into priority to make it the perfect car.

As to how someone can hate / dislike / get frustrated (in my case) about a car is the same very reason why someone can put money down on pre orders or pay way over sitcker price near MSRP or even over (stupid people) for a car they also have never driven / sat in / based their opinion on pictures and reviews of others who write for magazines...

I still love the 8, just probably not gonna own one...

The thing is, this car is bueatiful, but you can't judge it with a value... The interior quality also, some people hate leather, some people hate wooden trim, some hate plastic, and some hate stupid stereos that can't be swapped out with conventional equiptment... Some people hate power locks / power windows, some even hate automatcis for what they're worth.. For those that say "well the RX-8 isn't a powerhouse but it makes up in bueaty and interior quality and FUN TO DRIVE characteristics" where in the world did they get that idea from without owning one?

Well, there are those that think this car is hidious, but still we all can agree upon that 250 hp is 250 hp and a rotary is still a rotary...

But I mean really, for as light as this car is, or can be, it's pretty dissapointing that it weights almost as much as those AWD cars people been talking about... AWD is a hell of a lot more parts, along with a piston engine...

As to numbers.. I really don't care for I probably won't and can't remember numbers for most any car you name... (I can't even remember what a WRX have) The thing I know is this, for EVERYDAY driving, torque is good, you can't really say 500 lbs of torque is good by itself, nor anything, but I know for damn sure the WRX won't turn like the 8, and the 8 won't pull like the WRX, and I like pull more than turn for I won't have many chances to heel toe outta stop sign corner in San Francisco...

I crashed the WRX because I tried to slide a turn too fast and after downshift the car just slipped tires and fish tailed into the wall, those tires woudnl't hold that car even if you eased it into the turn, I've screeched those tires more than any other car I've driven, maybe due to torque, but I know those tires suck major..

If someone gave me a RX-8 for free I'd be ultra happy and accept it with nothing less than a :D :D :D but for me to pay for one, I rather get more pull for the dollar and a stereo I can swap out..

" I crashed the WRX because I tried to slide a turn too fast and after downshift the car just slipped tires and fish tailed into the wall"

Well all-seasons are known to some of us as 'no-seasons'; a dirty compromise at best. But you did find the handling limits of the things. ;-) I had a set of Firerocks that lost all wet grip at about 30K miles. Oddest thing to be driving with the traction control hauling the car down from 80 to 55 because of hydroplaning.

BTW, the Sports Car International piece is right on the money. The longer/more you deal with cars the less prominent the numbers become. They're important but they can't answer things that you see in the real world.

I had a chance to go to the long lead of the SVT Focus and they let us run a 1.8T GTI, an RSX (not a Type-S unfortunately) and an SVT Focus around the "Streets of Willow Springs" and what's strange is how some cars, by the way the do several things well, inspire confidence.

The GTI was quickest down the front straight, but with a bit more body roll and less positive brake feel, it just didn't add up to the feeling of the other cars.

On the other hand, the GTI had the classiest interior of the bunch (with the Focus being dead last in that regard).

My desire for an RX-8 stems from my ownership of a Miata and my hope that some of the 'feel' that makes the Miata such a delight translates to the RX-8.

Originally posted by KAuss

But I mean really, for as light as this car is, or can be, it's pretty dissapointing that it weights almost as much as those AWD cars people been talking about... AWD is a hell of a lot more parts, along with a piston engine...



You see, its a statement like like this that really burns my a$$. Buddy, what is the point of light weight? HANDLING!

EVERY review has loved the way this car handles. So, would it handle BETTER if it were LIGHTER? Who knows? Who CARES! They love the way it handles AS IT IS, so what difference does it make if it weighs almost as much, as much, or more than those AWD cars? Why is it disappointing to you, or anybody, what the weight is?

And, on that point: it weighs as much as it does, guy, because it has NO B PILLAR! So the rest of the structure needs to be STIFFER.

Originally posted by KAuss
But I mean really, for as light as this car is, or can be, it's pretty dissapointing that it weights almost as much as those AWD cars people been talking about... AWD is a hell of a lot more parts, along with a piston engine...

ahhh, I see you've been reading the Curb Weight thread. Well go read it again. The RX-8 does not weight as much as those AWD cars. Go check the mitsu site (sub hasn't come out with weight yet i think).

If you really want power, think about it in terms of cost. You get a base RX-8 (since you are satisfied with the WRX interior i assume you'll be satisfied with the base RX-8) which will cost you less then getting the STi, Evo, G35c, 350Z whatever. Take the money saved and mod the thing reasonably (within reliablity threshold) and you will have what you want.

If the V-8 crazed staff of Car and Driver can rate the RX-8 above the Mustang SVT and the G35C, that says something about the worth of the elusive 'fun factor.' Mazda cars have always been more than the sum of their statistics, and the RX-8 is turning out no different. If you don't get it, buy something else. The rotary community will be better off without you.

Oh, and the tires on your WRX didn't make you crash. You just can't drive.

Originally posted by SA22C
the tires on your WRX didn't make you crash.

precisely what i was thinking: it's not like you drove the car perfectly, and because of some grave fault of the tyres (delaminated, spontaneously shredded/deflated/whatever) they made you lose control of the Scoob despite your herculean effort to save it, and crash. you just tried to drive over the limit of the tyres and hit something, which is only your fault... i'm not gonna say you're a bad driver :) everyone makes mistakes, but yeah, not the tyres this time....


aaaaaanyways, i'd say it's okay to not like the RX-8 because it's not high performance enough, because performance isn't the only thing the RX-8 is about. if you don't like the comprimises, that's alright, you shouldn't get something that you don't want. the STi is smokin.

I can see both sides of the discussion here, and I don't think the original poster should be brow-beaten for his thoughts/comments. We don't want to be one of those forums that flog members/visitors as soon as they have an opposing thought. ;)

Anyway, I must admit I was kind of dissapointed when the 0-60 and hp/toque numbers came out. I kind of felt the way you do. Sports cars should have gobs of torque/hp. While this may be true for some, but I choose to think of some other cars I have driven and I compare them to what I think the 8 will be.

I most fun cars I have ever driven are as follows with the first one being the most fun:

1)My father's 2000 Porsche Boxter
2)My sister's 2002 Acura RSX-TypeS
3)My friend's 2002 Chevy Corvette Z06

While all of these cars are a blast to drive, the two that really made an impression on me were the Boxter and RSX. The Vette was fast as hell and handled well, but I felt like I really connected with the Boxter and RSX. When you sit in the driver seat you just feel at one with the machine. They both seemed to know what you wanted to do before you did it. These things, my friend, are what makes a fun car for me. While I like HP and torque as much as the next guy, you sometimes have to think long term; what is left of cars like the STi and Evo8 after the sheer speed gets boring?

Somebody on this forum said it best... the Evo and STi are just applications for speed. I'd agree with that.

Fast as they are, they're not very livable and personally if I'd not like to tool around driving inside the worst interiors made :p The interior was a major afterthought as these cars are mainly performance.

I need a harmony of everything in my car, which is why I love BMW, and why I fell in love with the RX-8.

Well, I didn't pay my 3K for racing school yet, and AWD slipping is a hell of a lot different than FWD or RWD, obviously most any crash that didn't come to a mechanical failure is driver fault, and obviously I could of driven slower...

But thing is, those tires didn't do that car justice.. You don't go putting big wheel type plastic tires on a car with that much torque and the only thing I can admit on being stupid on was driving with thoughts in my head.. I was doing a little stress release and just released a bit too much..

While back to the subject, I just feel that the car isn't my type of fun... I don't have the funds to learn to tail slide correctly nor have the funds to practice it enough times on a track to master it.. Buying a RWD car for track applications would be a very sensable thing to do, and rarely would we ever reach the limit of most any "sports" oriented car in our normal everday usage. If you do, then you're being really arrogant, if not, then you wouldn't worry much about car handle... To a novice driver, a RX-8 or a WRX for instance might have little or no difference in handling due to their lack of driving skills. But in straight line / normal everday driving, you can use the extra torque to pass other cars or merge onto the freeway with ease.

I don't question why people like the car, I know there is a whole mass of people that would drive a bucket as long as theres a rotary in it, and there are those who including myself that thinks this car is the most bueatiful car ever produced, and there are those who are gonna take it to the track where they can really put the "magzine reviewed" aspects to the test. There are a lot of things this car can provide, but it just lacks the few bits that would make ME <-- I think you guys are forgetting this part, buy this car for myself to apply to my everyday use.

If you're fine with what you see, then thats good, but don't change my views on my dissapointments of the car...

I want to ask one last thing... How many car magazines take the car out for real world tests? Like they test every car to their limits on the track, but how often do they take the car out to the roads which we drive to work everyday, dealing with stop signs, dealing with parking in parralle spaces, dealing with maintenece in mind? I've read a few magazines where they did articles on some cars where they sorta raced a train along the east coast and compared the train ride to the rigorious traffic of the road. Those are some real life comparisons which leads to real world driving.. The car I think was the Honda EV car.. The enjoyed both for what they were worth if anyone cared... I just find that most magazines are biased as to how the car handles on the track and the way it performs thusly, they are concerned about comfort and such too, but all praises, or short commings would be in comparison to track driving situations, I have never once heard about the good torque does in street driving where during rush hour if you're the first at the light, you can zoom 4 lanes to get to your turn lane without having to drop clutch just to make it there.

Well, depending on how this car checks out when poeple actually own the thing, maybe my views will change... But until then everyone is guessing... loving / hating something that don't even exsist yet.. (in our garage / parking spaces at least)

The rotary community will be better off without you.
Well, if everyone that bought the car was buying it just because it's rotary, you won't have no RX-7 and pretty soon won't even have parts to fix your RX-8.. I think any car forum would be better off without comments like this...

I just thought of another situation too, I'm actually on vacation in Hong Kong, and seeing how the traffic is here, power don't do you any good nor does handling.. Any review of cars would be trashed out the window if you're in the market of buying a car here.

You would soley have to base it on the looks of the car to your liking, and the ammount of space for passengers / cargo to suit your needs. You rarely get to drive above 35 mph and there are barely any passing lanes.

But buying a car in the US would be different, there are passing lanes and there are chances where you can do up to 3 digits on the speedo, but hell, I wish my friend buy this car so I can have a little fun with it :)

While I'm not going to comment about your driving skills...

AWD is easier to drive than RWD.

There's a saying about this... AWD makes a bad driver look good. RWD can make a good driver look bad.

That said, car dynamics are the same when countering tail slide, etc... lay off the gas, countersteer into the skid, brake intermittently to regain traction and as soon as you do you can give it a bit more gas.

Sure it's simplified version but there's no substitute for 'feeling out' a slide, which is what makes sliding the car fun :)

As per the "I know people who'd drive a bucket if there was a rotary on it"... well I think you know some stupid people.

Per the rest... about the car magazines explaining real world driving conditions.

Let's get one thing straight here... Track driving is the most demanding type of driving there is. Taking constant hard turns, hard braking really tests the fade on the brakes. Heel and Toeing to downshift in order to get the most RPMs out of a curve...

And I appreciate that magazines test cars that way. It means that in my limited knowledge my car will handle up to par with all the others in the most extreme situations. And since I *do* intend to track the car it's a nice comfort in that.

Lastly you mentioned that people in HK need to base decisions on looks.. that won't happen. People want the best there is regardless of how useable it is. Example is easy... why would anybody buy a Ferrari just to drive 5 miles to look cool?

Only in the US and probably Japan do people look more at spec numbers and 0-60 times than anywhere else in the world. Europe in this regard is great, because they buy the cars that handle the best and have good power. You won't see too many Mustangs, Camaros, etc on those roads.

The WRX is a nice car but for most of the people on this forum's use, it's not well suited. The top end of the WRX stinks, it's not as willing as a rotary. It's also not as inviting an interior or exterior. The power is there but AWD is to some people (myself being one) is just not as fun as RWD and does place a few limitations on you that RWD does not. It also upsets the balance of the car so if you want to wind out your car on some back roads... it wouldn't be as much fun. The Miata was for a long time, the only car I could afford that would allow me to have my thirst quenched for driving the back roads, but now that the RX-8 has come along... I'm a happy camper.

If you're not that's fine. Nobody is putting a gun to your head to buy the car. But as I said before, nobody is going to take your complaints about the car all too seriously, especially after reading your entire post.... it just comes down to the fact you want Subaru straight line power in the RX-8.

Sorry, you are on the wrong forum buddy.

Originally posted by Hercules
"I know people who'd drive a bucket if there was a rotary on it"... well I think you know some stupid people.

i'd be stupid enough to want a rotary powered rusty bucket. ;) at least i'd be able to afford it.

Originally posted by wakeech


i'd be stupid enough to want a rotary powered rusty bucket. ;) at least i'd be able to afford it.
Touche :)

So I want to learn more about the RX8 but I'm on the wrong forum?

I like the driving characteristics of the WRX but can't enjoy a rotary powered RWD car made by Mazda?

I still think you don't get my point...

"I LIKE THE CAR"

but I won't buy it cause it just don't have what I think is worth my 26K

You turn a lot of people off of this forum Herc... And I don't know what people say about not buying a ferrari and driving it 5 miles just to look cool... I see more expensive cars here than anywhere else I've been around in the states, I've already seen about a few dozen ferraries and these weren't parked anywhere specific where rich people live, they just happened to be on the road driving. Also, poeple in japan don't even like japanese cars, they're hot over the low riders and huge V8's, everyone here perfer huge engines too (here as in HK) Just that in the states, we're semi blessed and take huge displacement engines for granted. I for one don't like domestics because they're too inefficient. I like FI 4 bangers over a huge V8, but after the WRX, I found the the turbo really isn't fun for local driving. But as long as you're in 2nd gear it's mad fun. I only keep talking about this car because that is the most powerful car I've driven to date. If I had a chance to size up a 8, then I'd have gobs more emotion about it, but that just has to wait.

I follow a lot of wakeech's posts and he understands a lot of views over what people say, and he is a true rotary lover... It's not what the car is on the outside / inside, but the sheer mechanics of a rotary which makes his blood race... These are the people who will go out on the limb to prove that a rotary is more reliable than a piston engine in which sadly the FDs didn't prove... I do know tons of people that would much rather drive a rotary bucket than a fancy piston if the chance arose, but these are also the same type of people that rip cars apart and put them together again part by part bolt by bolt and so forth.. I wouldn't say they don't know their cars from one another..

The reason why I crashed my WRX was because when I gased out of a turn all 4 tires started to slip and once that started to happen, instead of doing a spin out like you would in a RWD car, the car fishtaled and the thing whipped across 4 lanes because the front tires didn't have rolling traction... RWD will make you spin out more, but if you gas too hard with it thats most likely the case, the WRX was gassed too hard and all 4 tires slipped giving me NO traction on any tire, but anywho, it was my fault and I've already gone through rehab :)

Hopefully the Mazda speed version of the RX8 would prove to be a better contender... (or maybe I should goto i-Club to find that out *rolls eyes*)

KAuss, in any forum of enthusiasts where someone starts posting "I like this car but..." threads, you've got to expect some people are going to get a little annoyed. Most of us are here because we love and have been waiting for this car, in some cases for years. It's not that anyone has anything against you- but what did you expect? You're not going to convince most people here your viewpoints are correct, and they aren't going to convince you that theirs are either. However, try this on most 350Z forums or WRX forums, and I'll bet the replies will be a less polite than they are here.

In any case, I would suggest, before you start making generalizations about a car you haven't driven, you do what the rest of us are doing and wait to make any final calls until you've driven it. Numbers on paper are all well and good, but they don't mean anything in the real world.

Originally posted by KAuss

The reason why I crashed my WRX was because when I gased out of a turn all 4 tires started to slip and once that started to happen, instead of doing a spin out like you would in a RWD car, the car fishtaled and the thing whipped across 4 lanes because the front tires didn't have rolling traction... RWD will make you spin out more, but if you gas too hard with it thats most likely the case, the WRX was gassed too hard and all 4 tires slipped giving me NO traction on any tire, but anywho, it was my fault and I've already gone through rehab :)

Hopefully the Mazda speed version of the RX8 would prove to be a better contender... (or maybe I should goto i-Club to find that out *rolls eyes*)

First of all, the RX-8 has a very good traction control system. If you were to buy the car, I'd suggest leaving it on after reading the paragraph above. However it seems clear that you don't get it. The RX-8 is not about mAd spEEd y0! It's a compromise car that offers the best mix of power, handling, and interior room for anything in it's price range. You want to be able to mash the accelerator and pass people without touching the shifter. The RX-8 is not the car for you.

I hope the RX-8 succeeds more than anyone. But if people buy it under false pretenses, that only serves to damage its reputation.

Oh, and it doesn't take racing school to drive your car responsibly. Buy a $50 membership to your local SCCA chapter and try some Solo II. For the amateur, Solo II is the most humbling experience you can have. I thought I could drive, but after my first Solo event, I learned just how clueless I was. I'm getting better, but I still have alot to learn. Solo II will teach you how to drive your car to its potential safely and within the laws of the road.

So to sum up, if you are interesting in handling, the RX-8 is the best car in its price range, hands down. If it's massive neck snapping power you're after, you're looking at the wrong car. At any rate, driving an enthusiast car requires some discipline and respect for the machine you hope to control. If you aren't willing to learn, there are some nice Hondas with your name on them waiting at the dealership.

Originally posted by chenpin


ahhh, I see you've been reading the Curb Weight thread. Well go read it again. The RX-8 does not weight as much as those AWD cars. Go check the mitsu site (sub hasn't come out with weight yet i think).


The EVO weighs more but Subaru list the weight of a regular WRX sedan as 3085 lbs. No weight as of yet for the STi.

I think one thing that KAuss is trying to say is that straight line speed is something that everyone can feel and test the limits (within reason...keeping speed below 120 mph) without serious consequence but cornering is totally different. You lose control when going around a tight turn and your going to have a very bad day. Like in the case of KAuss wrecking his WRX.

Personally I don't care if the RX-8 didn't hit .91g (which it did in C&D) because I know that I'm going to put performance spings and struts on. I'm more concerned about the driving dynamics and that it's a near 50/50 weight distribution. I share KAuss's dissapointment because the power to weight ratio isn't what I expected.

I see the RX-8 like the Celica GTS with the areo package...all looks and no go ("go" as in straight line performance). I'm not saying that the RX-8 will be slow but....street starts (5-60) of 7.5 seconds is slow(at the 30K price range) and no one is going to do 8K drops to get the 5.9 0-60. I'm not flaming the car...I love the RX-8 but I'm being objective. This is not a stop light racer...it's a driver vs road type of car. I think this will be a fun car in the backroads but humbling at the stop light. And you will get a lot of stop light races because it looks soooooo sweet. And it's going to suck losing to the Neon SRT-4, Mustangs, GM crap (Firebird/Camero), chipped GTIs, WRXs...etc. because you can't pull over and say..."yeah...well lets race on a track" or "look at my interior" or "I can fit 4 full size adults". They'll all know that your ride is sweet looking and it handles like it's on rails but they won't give you respect straight line.

Luckily I'm not in the market to get a car for the next couple of years. So I'll be able to see if Mazda brings over a more powerful RX-8 or not.

I see the RX-8 like the Celica GTS with the areo package...all looks and no go ("go" as in straight line performance). I'm not saying that the RX-8 will be slow but....street starts (5-60) of 7.5 seconds is slow(at the 30K price range) and no one is going to do 8K drops to get the 5.9 0-60. I'm not flaming the car...I love the RX-8 but I'm being objective. This is not a stop light racer...it's a driver vs road type of car. I think this will be a fun car in the backroads but humbling at the stop light. And you will get a lot of stop light races because it looks soooooo sweet. And it's going to suck losing to the Neon SRT-4, Mustangs, GM crap (Firebird/Camero), chipped GTIs, WRXs...etc. because you can't pull over and say..."yeah...well lets race on a track" or "look at my interior" or "I can fit 4 full size adults". They'll all know that your ride is sweet looking and it handles like it's on rails but they won't give you respect straight line.
Hmmm, good thing I don't care what other people think about my car.

It's my car, and if I'm happy, that's all that matters!!!

Originally posted by jonalan

Hmmm, good thing I don't care what other people think about my car.

It's my car, and if I'm happy, that's all that matters!!!

If it sounded bad I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I think the Celica GTS with the aero package is the most eye catching, beautiful car that Toyota makes (including Lexus). It has the power to keep up with the other sport compacts (RSX-S, Prelude, Civic Si,...) but in my opinion it looks much faster than it is. It's not a dig on your car.

I like the look of the Celica too though I think the Supra was the nicest looking car they made.

Originally posted by Hercules
I like the look of the Celica too though I think the Supra was the nicest looking car they made.

i'll definitely second THAT :)

but let's not overlook the MR2 ;)

Originally posted by SA22C


At any rate, driving an enthusiast car requires some discipline and respect for the machine you hope to control. If you aren't willing to learn, there are some nice Hondas with your name on them waiting at the dealership.
You were doing so well and then you had to type the last sentence.. which made you look snobbish, generalizing and ignorant.. sigh... :(

I do agree with Kauss that RE92's are terrible tires to be put on a high performance car like the WRX, BUT if you are such a great driver ( mmm, not really ) you should have checked what kind of tires were on the car BEFORE you try powering out of a corner like a mad man.. shrug... Either way it wasn't the tires that were at fault, you were. End of story.

I guess I should clarify my comment: The Celica GTS with the areo package is the most beautiful car Toyota/Lexus CURRENTLY make...I have to say that the Supra and the MR2 both are a notch above IMO.

You were doing so well and then you had to type the last sentence.. which made you look snobbish, generalizing and ignorant.. sigh...

You know what, you're right. That was snobbish, and fairly ignorant sounding. I formally retract that last Honda statement.

Thank you, friends again? :)

Thank you, friends again?

Of course. :D

Actually I'm a closet Prelude lover. I've always liked the shape of that car, especially the rear lights. Going back to my AutoX fixation, I actually gained a new respect for Hondas after watching every CRX hand my ass to me on the course. Of course, I didn't spend nearly as much cash on my car as those guys did, but even if I did, the CRX is such a good platform, so very compact and nimble that it would probably still give me a solid thrashing. ;)

Yup, CRX's are great at auto-x, just like the Miata's.. If only Honda brought it back with a rwd platform. I wish Honda made more sporty/sports cars with rwd, alas that is not going to happen.. When my lease is up the RX-8 is tops on my list of affordable rwd fun cars. At least the 8 comes with proper summer only high performance tires, not like the no-season RE92's on the Prelude and WRX.. I could never understand that..

I dont really want to revive an old thread, but here's another reason to buy an RX-8 :D

Originally posted by chenpin
I dont really want to revive an old thread, but here's another reason to buy an RX-8 :D Ah, seatcovers!

Now you know why that parking brake is so... uhmmm.... 'alert'! ;)

Originally posted by Lensman
Now you know why that parking brake is so... uhmmm.... 'alert'! ;)

ROFL!! I just noticed that! :D

lol i just caught that too :p

Well, I'm no newbie to forums, I've been around the WRX, Matrix, RX7 (lurked), and RX8 now.. And I can agree there are people everywhere that are gonna be more vocal about their opinions.

I've also noticed that maybe I wasn't fair in my posts either in how I state a few things about me loving the RX8 but never giving any reasons as to why. Although they are most obvious to the people here already I'll just name them so you guys see where exactly I'm also comming from and why I'm dissapoitned.. (some of you do already ;))

Pros

50 / 50 weight (I do know what this does for corners)
the newly redesigned power plant making 250 hp even with N/A
damn looks!! (it won't snap your neck but when you drive by it'll snap the necks of the bystanders!!)
can seat 4
Best price RWD car with the ammount of power / accomendations in its class
18" stock (but I also hate it for the very same reason)
It's a rotary

These are just the very reasons I can think of off the top of my head if someone asked me about the RX8, and these are the very topics I disscuss with my friends at work or at play about it... I rarely talk about the ocns, but I did here because I feel best that this is the place to do it. For all the good that this car does, it's just missing the final piece of the element that would make me chuck out the 26K of my hard earn money to pay for this wonderful machine.

I don't take things too personal, and I've already taken my flame training from forums past :) But to shed a few things on the subject too, I get a free I think one year membership so SCCA but didn't put it to use because I was still breaking in the car at the time. I wrecked it with only 4500 Miles on it :(

Anywho, I love Toyota for what they are but they aren't too power happy either. Which is why I currently drive a bucket 90 Teggy LS. It's good for what it is in power for a 90 car, and it's SUPER fuel efficient for what it is either, I get at LEAST 23 mpg even under hard accleration and ALL local driving. I would say that the 90 LS is mad fun to drive, and I know for sure the 8 would surpass that with flying colors, which is why it's still a top of the list of cars I'm planning to get to replace my beloved WRX.

Well, with al this said, you guys know why I rarely type :) cause when I do I don't stop. But you all have been very open and with enough time you guys seen my point :D But I can't wait till you guys get the car and give some personal experience feedback. Well, dispite the recent dissapointment about the car, I've gained a few positive thoughts about its forum...