At the car show in New York, I sat in the RX-8 and gave it a good look over.

The silver painted seatbacks had some of the paint peeling off from use at the show. And the console appeared to have the same quality painted silver, which was peeling, though to a lesser degree.

While the Mazda Rep at the show "mentioned" that the silver on the production car would not peel so easily, and that the peeling on the show car was because it was a pre production model.

I was wondering if there was a better way of preserving the silver while using the car normally. The whole point of having 4 seats is to use them, even if they get occasional use.

This is one of the peeves that I have with the car.

Otherwise, I love everything else.

cover them with clear acrylic. don't let people sit in the back and kick them. hurt people who kick the back to teach them through pain avoidence to not do it again. get the cloth seats- they don't have that plastic.

Originally posted by zoom44
cover them with clear acrylic.

...that might be in some cheesy dealer "protection package" which might actually be of some value (and not just a coat of freakin' wax on the outside, or tarring up the bottom of your car)

If they are supposed to be silver, the production backs will be made of that silver plastic that is so common on portable stereos; that way it will be impossible to scratch the color off......
However, I think they look AWFUL, and hope they ARE in fact painted silver over black plastic - off they come, a quick bead-blast and a coat of black - much better.
If they are solid silver plastic, the black would scratch to silver, so they could not be effectively painted..........DOH!
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Ray.

The 93 RX7'S had a problem with peeling interior panels, there was no fix for them other than to strip them and reapaint as necessary. Mazda fixed thi sin 94 but I would expect similar problems for the first model year Rx8.

maybe JSG can comment on this? are they painted or is the plastic actually silver?