I've recently emailed mazda about the absurd 0-60 automatic time and this is what they have to say


Dear Rich,

Thank you for contacting Mazda North American Operations. I appreciate
the opportunity to respond to you.

In regards to the order that you have placed for the automatic
transaxle RX-8, the specifications have not changed from the time that
you ordered it regarding this measurement. Typically, independent
performance ratings such as 0-60 will be lower for automatic vehicles
in general. The deadline for changes to your order has passed and can
not be modified any longer.

If you would rather have the manual transmission RX-8, I recommend
contacting the ordering dealership to inquire about any manual
transmission vehicles that they may have ordered as stock. They may
allow you to cancel your order and have your automatic changed to
dealer stock and then place an order with them for the next available
manual transmission vehicle. Please note that this is up to the
discretion of the ordering dealership.

Hate to be mean.. but I'm on a mean streak right now...

Who told you to get the AUTOMATIC in the first place!? Although easier to drive in traffic and such, you do suffer the consequence of less power. To me that another one of Mazda's cruel JOKES.

:mad: :mad:

yea man, if i'd get to choose, i'd go for the stick! but if you got people in ur family who are too lazy to learn how to drive a stick like mine, then the 4AT is preferable!

Well since i recently have turned 17 and my dad didnt want me to get manual to have a "safer" car. Not having much experience driving I didnt think automatic would be that horrific. I have now pursuaded my dad to get me the manual seeing that the automatic sucks. All this comes with a cost because i should be getting my car shortly(a couple weeks). I now have to order a new car. Hopefully i'll have it by the end of the summer, but if the rx8 was not such a beautiful car i would be going for the g35 or the sti.

Nova,

Sorry to hear that, but contact your dealer before you get too bummed.

If your dealer wont let you swap ordered you could always eat your deposit money you put down ($500?) and buy a manual from a different dealer.

In Denmark you can't get a driver's licence without driving stick - you take your test in a car with stick shift... I think the auto/manual ratio is around 1/20 here in Denmark - though this is just a qualified guess... Some things are just better "hands on" :D

Cheers

Eske

lol 95% of people on the UK's roads are driving manuals, its not that hard, and we prolly have more trafic problems than US as a nation.

great to hear everyone driving stick, this is gonna suck for me then! well my parents are moving onto their 50's, only my mom can't drive stick and she doesn't want to! :(

Yeah i contacted them and they are seeing what they can do. they'll give me a call back tomorrow to see if anyone wants my auto and trade for the manual :).




I got you beat ;)

Turning 18, am I gonna be the youngest RX-8 owner!?! (Car's under my mom's name cause they say I'm not old enough), but it's ALL mine, MINE!

Originally posted by NoVa
Yeah i contacted them and they are seeing what they can do. they'll give me a call back tomorrow to see if anyone wants my auto and trade for the manual :).




I got you beat ;)

:D hope everything works out sm00th for you Nova!

Let me check the sympathy-o-meter.... Nope, not reading anything here.

Daddy sounds like a bit of a hypocrite. What's more dangerous, an inexperienced driver with a manual transmisison or a 17 year old with a new sports car worrying over 0-60 times?

SGC

hehe...you can always convert it to a manual later. Like my many ricer friends.

0-60 in 9.5 seconds is not what you call a sports car. Whats the point in getting a sports car that has the performance of a kia. I personally drive around a mustang gt now and with 34,000 i better be getting my money's worth. It is a bit absurd and my dad realizes that, so i pleaded with him to get a manual.

Originally posted by NoVa
0-60 in 9.5 seconds is not what you call a sports car. Whats the point in getting a sports car that has the performance of a kia. I personally drive around a mustang gt now and with 34,000 i better be getting my money's worth. It is a bit absurd and my dad realizes that, so i pleaded with him to get a manual. Still amazes me that parents buy any car for their kids worth more than 5k. Specially their first car.

It's just irresponsible.

Just my $.02.

Ditto.

Look both ways, then look both ways again! :p

I'm glad Daddy got his priorities straight. I'd hate to think what a slow car would do to a young person's sense of entitlement.

SGC

Im going to say one thing and then put this to rest. My post was not about my age factor. I did not ask anyone to approve or even comment, but to say it is irresponsible for myself to get a sports car is just assuming you know me. Yes while some people my age drive around a sh*tbox i will be driving around a rx8. I dont need to be ridiculed for getting a new car. What you are saying is that you have to be 25+ to enjoy a sports car, but i too am a car enthusiast. You can say im inexperienced in driving stick. Okay thats fair, but ive been driving a sports car since ive started. I guess the saying is never judge a book by its cover.

No. I think its because we all remember how wild and crazy we were back then. :D

Seriously, be safe and smart.

Also because of your (and ours back then) lack of experience at that age, there are no doubts it CAN lead to a minor or major accident. Because of this you are much better off getting a <$5k car to start off which you can get experience in and not worry about potential damage then get what you want when you are 18 or more if you got the cash. Just makes sense, but then some people have more money then sense so there ya go. ;)

Don't be one of those who thinks its cool or fun or just a part of driving to drive fast in neighborhoods or parking lots. That goes for everyone. Big pet peeve of mine around here. People need to just cruise slow sometimes and be patient.

I was *definitely* an andrenalin junky back then. I won't go into all the laws I broke. Just be smart and safe about it. ;)

You are absolutely correct and i am by no means looking to race this car or drive around stupidly. The reason for getting 6 speed is the absurd 0-60 time in automatic..You can not fault me on that because the automatic..to be plain....sucks...I am by no means a speed junkie, but my thoughts are why should i waste 34,000 on an automatic that is horrible and is worse then your family car. In my mind the automatic is not worth the money...even if the rx8 is gorgeous. But, i thank you for your opinion and your kindness

Couple questions...

Why not go buy a cheap car in the mean time? Why don't you have a car now if the RX-8 is your first car. I guess they are arriving in a few months.

What is your "back up" plan in the event you get in an accident (minor or major) as your lack of experience greatly increases your chances of getting in an accident (proven by insurance industry). In our eyes, we already see a wrecked RX-8. :confused:

And if/when it happens don't come in here saying so cause we told you so! :D

You are right we don't know you and we are just speculating from the few facts (age+experience+car) that we know of. Sorry you didn't want it to turn into this, but it WAS inevitable.

No one meant any offense, just questioning the logic of the decision.

Anyone can learn how to drive a stick well. Doesn't take long.

Well as of right now i have the access to share the family cars.I havent really thought of a "back up" plan because i guess you can say no one plans to get into an accident. I have already realized the fact that i am not invisible in a car and driving excessively fast or stupidly has not even crossed my mind. I love cars and i guess you can say i get to drive a car ive been wanting ever since it first appeared at the NY auto show way back when.

I didn't say anything about your driving stick for a car, I'm sure you're fine at it.

Fact is, here's why I mentioned your age..

If it's your first car (as you mentioned yourself and in your signature), then it's likely that your experience on the road driving is not good at all PERIOD. Unless you've had your license for a few YEARS then I'll say you have time under your belt. In fact I think two years on the road is generally a good time to 'graduate' into a reasonable driver but of course... it may vary.

Second, young drivers are more prone to testosterone and hormonal bursts than older drivers. If your friends 'egg you on' about doing something (whatever that may be), statistically (and I'm not saying it's you) you are more likely to go along with what they say because of your young age.

And lastly, and most importantly -- nobody your age has earned the bucks to drive the car. I find it rather absurd as a parent to buy ANY kid a car that's worth that much money, even if I were rich. It does not teach responsibility, and giving things on a platter like that is just sad. You don't really appreciate something until you've worked your own ass off and gotten it. My parents won't be able to afford a car for my sister so I'm going to pitchin 5k and get her a Miata or something like that when she starts driving. My Millenia (which I also pay for) is going to my brother (and I will pay for that too), because he takes a lot of credits and has signifigant time driving a piece of crap.

Honestly if you didn't work a job to earn it yourself, and pay for insurance, then you shouldn't get the car. Just my $.02, and I know you'll disagree because you want that cool car. But when parents give you a handout for $30k+ it's just sad, and as a parent... I'd never do it. My kids would never learn responsibility and accountability should anything happen to the car.

Take it as you will.

Nova must think we're a right jealous bunch here, but in reality people are just remembering what happened to them. I remember crashing my dads 2 week old car when I'd just passed my test !

I also remember thinking what a great driver I was - and it was so not true. But the good thing was my first car was a 1.1L Nissan. It had NO GO at all ! But it was perfect looking back - there was no way I could drive stupidly, and as I had to drive slower any mistakes I made were less likely to result in a shunt.

Fast cars and young inexperienced drivers are just plain dangerous. Do yourself a favour Nova and work your way up to it - it'll be worth the wait.:)

Does anyone know what 'patronising' means. I'm having trouble finding it in my US dictionary.

Well if you really would want to know. I am paying for about half the car and the insurance is all me. The insurance alone is a lot of money, but ive been saving up money because i DO work. i just wanted to share that before you think im some spoiled kid.

Originally posted by NoVa
Well if you really would want to know. I am paying for about half the car and the insurance is all me. The insurance alone is a lot of money, but ive been saving up money because i DO work. i just wanted to share that before you think im some spoiled kid.

I think you've been treated unkindly and without respect. Good luck with your car, I hope you enjoy it.

Patronizing? We are only trying to bring people back to reality. :p I am well aware that this is not what some people want to hear. No one has been offensive or disrespectful.

I have to ask.. what kind of job does a 17 year old have that he can afford to put $15k down on a car? Oh I guess I read it wrong.

Must be nice.

don't worry about it Nova, play everything safe and u'll be fine! i took GLP here in Canada, they showed us tons of videos and gory scenes of car crashes , oh and they had this whole analysis of princess Diana's crash at the tunnel. I swear, some of that stuff is just nasty! but i'm glad i took it, learnt alot of good stuff, basic things like wat to do at a scene of a car accident, and mostly defensive driving skills! but all dat didn't stop me from getting into my first accident!:D
i understand what all the other guys are saying, i freaked out the first time i crashed!:p

No one has been offensive or disrespectful You have not been disrespectful, but sgc has.. Im not whining or crying about it, but i did not want this to end the way it has. I currently work at my high school managing and building the computer network. For a person my age i consider it "good money" enough to pay half of the monthly payments. Of course i dont have 15,000 to my name, but then again who really does have 15,000 lying around. I plan to pay for it like mostly everyone else.

Originally posted by NoVa
I guess the saying is never judge a book by its cover.

Don't you mean "Don't judge a book by the size of it's daddy's wallet?" :D Just kidding, but that's where a lot of the flak you're getting was coming from - maybe they'll ease up with your explanation of how you're earning a good portion of the payments yourself.

As for driving ability - plan on attending as many driving schools as you can, and take up autocrossing. That's where you'll really see if you can handle a car at the limit, or alternatively find out how much you don't know about driving.

For the auto - if you must get an auto, wait a year or two - that's when Mazda will have a 5 speed auto and also a 6 speed SMG (auto-manual) in the RX-8, both of which will be fitted to the 250 hp engine.

Regards,
Gordon

Originally posted by NoVa
You have not been disrespectful, but sgc has.. Im not whining or crying about it, but i did not want this to end the way it has. I currently work at my high school managing and building the computer network. For a person my age i consider it "good money" enough to pay half of the monthly payments. Of course i dont have 15,000 to my name, but then again who really does have 15,000 lying around. I plan to pay for it like mostly everyone else.

Good call Nova. I guess some people get irritated when a young person like yourself gets a nice car. I've been out of high school for over half a decade and am still driving the same car (89 Honda CRX. Finally going to let it go but still use it as a secondary daily beater). I am now doing network administration for gov't/military to pay for this car. You have a good work ethic working/earning money while still in high school. Most kids would just party.

I look back and see my high school and so many kids have nice cars not only that, fixed up ones with kits, performance mods, etc. and the funny thing is they are STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL. I'm thinking to myself how the heck do they afford a car let alone the mods and upgrades. I have a friend in the high school I went to and she says it's mommies and daddies money. Grrr! At least I know mine is hard earned. I've saved forever for a new car and now the wait will be DEFINITELY well worth it.

Congrats on the car and get a manual (you will have more fun driving it in one).

my first car was a brand new '99 protege. But i was 18 and i paid for the whole thing. Come to think of it im still paying off the damn thing....and will continue to for another 14 months. Thank god it was...er...is a weedwacker on wheels cuz if it were a fast car i'd be tearing up the town. But that's what friends' cars are for :D

4 speed auto....errr...they could have it made it 5 speed at least

Originally posted by Revival
4 speed auto....errr...they could have it made it 5 speed at least

Like I just said - wait a year or two. By the 2006 model RX-8, Mazda will have a 5 speed auto trans as well as a 6 speed sequential auto manual gearbox in the RX-8, both with the 250 hp engine.

Reality is that there was only so much money in the development budget for the RX-8, and with everything else being all-new a new auto transmission was out of the question for this year.

Regards,
Gordon

5 speed auto???? Never seen one. What other cars have 5 speed autos?

lets see i know that BMW has a 5 speed auto so do alot of other brands. Also i think that the Audi tip is 5 speed and so is the 350z auto trans. I mean the Auto trans in the Rx-8 is ancient.
I understand that a 5 speed auto or an SMG trans would cost more then the 4 speed auto but at the wholesale lvl it would only prob increase the cost by about 700-800 on the car and i would have no prob payin the extra to get the 250hp eng.
Mazda droped the ball on this one.
I guess i will have to wait for the 0-60 time on the auto and if they are above 8 sec i will either wait for a SMG or 5 speed Auto or get a diff car.

Originally posted by Calibus
Mazda droped the ball on this one.

I disagree - as mentioned, there was only so many dollars available for the RX-8 project. Developing a new rear-wheel drive auto transmission was a pretty low priority for a car which will not sell in huge volumes (in terms of overall vehicle production relative to their other vehicles), especially when an auto trans in a sports car traditionally is only ordered by fewer than 30% of the buyers. Mazda simply couldn't afford to develop everything all at once. As a lower priority, the auto trans had to wait a year or two to make it to production.

As for who uses 5 speed autos - you're right, BMW, Mercedes, Audi, VW, Jaguar, etc. etc. all have 5 speed autos available now. BMW and Jaguar also have 6 speed autos in production, and Mercedes just announced that the first 7 speed auto will go on the market later this year!

Regards,
Gordon

It is ashame that some people on this bored have to rip someone for getting a nice car that someone in their family is paying for. SOunds like jealousy to me. We all strive to give our kids better lives and I see nothing wrong with buying a car for your kid...as long as the kid's attitude remains good and does well in school. IF the kid starts to have a spoiled attitude and wants and wants and wants some more, then there is a problem. But for all of you that jumped on his back, just for getting the same car that you've saved up for years to get, then it's just too bad for you. You don't have to be so bitter.

Originally posted by Gord96BRG


Like I just said - wait a year or two. By the 2006 model RX-8, Mazda will have a 5 speed auto trans as well as a 6 speed sequential auto manual gearbox in the RX-8, both with the 250 hp engine.

Reality is that there was only so much money in the development budget for the RX-8, and with everything else being all-new a new auto transmission was out of the question for this year.

Regards,
Gordon

Are you 100% sure of this? Can you proove this someway? If they wanted good auto tranny , they probably would have put it on the first release of the car.

It is ashame that some people on this bored have to rip someone for getting a nice car that someone in their family is paying for. SOunds like jealousy to me. We all strive to give our kids better lives and I see nothing wrong with buying a car for your kid...as long as the kid's attitude remains good and does well in school. IF the kid starts to have a spoiled attitude and wants and wants and wants some more, then there is a problem. But for all of you that jumped on his back, just for getting the same car that you've saved up for years to get, then it's just too bad for you. You don't have to be so bitter.

Golden, I'm afraid you've missed the point entirely.

A kid could have good grades and attitude, but he still doesn't have the practical every day driving experience.

Like I said, we see a wrecked RX-8 in the hands of a minor simply because most of us (including the insurance companies) are familiar with inexperienced drivers getting themselves into fender benders or worse.

Apparently some parents are willing to ignore these facts and pay the price if/when the accident occurs.

Thats all there is to it. I'm done repeating myself.

I guess i will have to wait for the 0-60 time on the auto and if they are above 8 sec i will either wait for a SMG or 5 speed Auto or get a diff car.


Calibus, when i received my book about a week ago i read the specs sheet. 0-60 is 9.5 seconds with 210hp 4 speed automatic and manual is 6.6 seconds. Okay, so road and track got it at 5.9 seconds. Shave about 1 second off the actual time because some independent tests might get faster and you still have a 8.5 second car. I was a pre-order until i saw this horrific test.

Originally posted by Haris


Are you 100% sure of this? Can you proove this someway? If they wanted good auto tranny , they probably would have put it on the first release of the car.

while common sense tend to agree with you this is rarely the case. Because this is a new model, and i mean brand new, they really have no basis to test there parts as if it were a "parts bin" car. Therefore the first year of rx-8's will likely be the "test run" for mazda. They will listen to feedback and change things as they see fit. If a 5 speed auto truly is what the public wants and it is better and will not harm the cost or reliability of the car then it will prolly show up in a later model. i have a '99 protege. First year of the redesign and sooo many things should have been put in that car IMO that werent, but were then added to later models.

Hi guys

I drove a nippy (ish) BMW 318IS when I first passed my test (don't get me wrong, I was 22 before this happened, but still youung)

I thought I was a great driver, but looking back on it I was cr*p when I started. However, I was sensible and did not crash the car, or drive like an idiot, but i definitely had a few hairy moments due to lack of expereience. So, yeh, being careful/sensible is good, but it is difficult to be aware of your limitations without hindsight. That said, no one should be stopped from getting a great car just coz they are young.

By the way, i currently have mitsubishi FTO with 5 speed auto/tiptronic and it isn't bad, but i do sooooo want a manual again. :cool:

Stu in the UK

You guys are forgetting to realize that a 4 speed auto or 5 speed auto would not make a difference in the 0-60 time which is the whole question in this debate.

A 5 speed auto while probably a better choice, would also increase the cost of the car OVER the 6 speed. And if you think with a little common sense, why would Mazda want to have a 210 horsepower car that costs more than a 250 horsepower one?

Common sense people. I know most of you have it. Use it! :)

Ok. Common sense tells me someone needs to start a new thread cause this ones gone in a totally different direction.

Anyways.. It does have 40 less HP, maybe its a miss print, maybe its greatly underestimated. Common sense?

Well a new type of 5 Speed Auto can handle more power and more rpm so they can give us the 250 HP motor with the 5 speed auto or at least give us an SMG with an Auto mode .
i would shell out 1500 extra for an SMG with the 250hp eng.
it would be shift if i want or in traffic use it as an Auto saves ur left leg.

A kid could have good grades and attitude, but he still doesn't have the practical every day driving experience.

Like I said, we see a wrecked RX-8 in the hands of a minor simply because most of us (including the insurance companies) are familiar with inexperienced drivers getting themselves into fender benders or worse.

Apparently some parents are willing to ignore these facts and pay the price if/when the accident occurs.

No Crouzer, people on this board don't have any common sense, as proven by the safety of the sports cars v.s. SUV thread(s). However, people started bashing him because they thought that 'daddy' (as they put it) was paying for the car. Sport cars, with youngsters is a totally different issue and that definately was not the case when people started showing their jealousy and bashing him for getting this car at 17.

Originally posted by Hercules
Still amazes me that parents buy any car for their kids worth more than 5k. Specially their first car.

It's just irresponsible.

Just my $.02.

i've been working for a good year now and i mean working my ass off and im going to put a 10k down payment and pay each months note.. do you think its irresponsible for my parents to pay the insurance? after all the work i put into paying for it... btw im 16. and it will be my very first car.

PLEASE let this dead horse die!!!

They/he was "bashing" him because daddy makes the decision of which car Jr. will be risking his life in (and insurance policy). Even though Jr. is putting money towards the car it is being bought and final decision by Daddy. :p

We are arguing with the logic of this decision, nothing more. Lets use our heads people and think outside ourselves, I try.

I won't be replying to this topic anymore its ridiculously obvious.

Here's what I'll say about young people buying fast cars...

It's not smart. That's all. Statistically you are much (and I repeat, MUCH) more likely to get into an accident that's guess what... your fault.

That means that your first car, whatever it may be, is *much* higher of a risk to get wrecked.

On top of the statistics being against you, hormones are too. It's much more likely for a 15, 16, 17 year old being prone to peer pressure from friends to "BURN HIM" pointing to the kid your age in the car next to you revving his engine.

It's NOT TO SAY, that *everybody* will do this. I know lots of teenagers when I was younger that were very calm behind the wheel. But those people were also those that didn't care about what they drove.

The more 'into' cars you are, the more you will enjoy pushing them. And when you simply don't have the experience behind the wheel (regardless of what you experience *think* you have), couple that with your 'need for speed', then those statistics I was talking about before go up higher and higher.

I remember being 17 when I got my license and looking at a 1980s Camaro (rebuilt, bigger engine block, great deal), and I had enough cash to buy it on my own. But my parents in their infinite wisdom put their foot down and you can believe that I was upset about it. I didn't realize until after owning two other cars (one which got into a good accident, though not my fault but I could have avoided), that there was a method to their madness.

That's why I say that if parents are just bowing to the whim of their kids, money aside from this, then they are piss poor parents. It's not about being a 'friend' to your kids, it's about making the tough decisions they cannot clearly make, like I had a problem with when I was 17.

That said, I find it *very* hard to believe that any parent that would allow their kid to get into a 250 horsepower, 30k+ car as their FIRST car is doing a poor job at parenting. They just give in and give them what they want, instead of realizing the choices they make can truly affect their lives in the long run. I'm not 'jealous', I just think it's sad to see that parents keep getting easier and easier on kids because that's not the job they are meant to be doing.

Anyways, I've gotten quite off track. I will say in closing, that being an older brother and watching my sister get her liscense soon, that I too play a part in that 'adult' role in making sure she's learning how to drive properly for a few years, getting a reasonably safe and lower powered car, and graduating to whatever she wants. She doesn't share my enthusiasm for cars so I don't worry she will be 'egged on' by her friends; besides she's a girl so I think that she won't ever have that problem. But as an older brother I see that the tough choices that have to be made *need* to be made instead of letting kids have their way, regardless of whether 'you can afford it' comes to question.

So I'll end it there.

Originally posted by Haris
Are you 100% sure of this? Can you proove this someway? If they wanted good auto tranny , they probably would have put it on the first release of the car.

Yes, I'm 100% sure of this. No, I can't prove it - I was told by a confidential source within Mazda, and I can't/won't say any more than that.

And again, if they wanted a good auto tranny, they would have had to invested a few million dollars to develop it for the car - and they simply could not afford that development cost or effort at the same tiime as the rest of the development.

For Crouzer: It does have 40 less HP, maybe its a miss print, maybe its greatly underestimated. It has 40 less hp because the 4 speed auto trans can not handle engine revs higher than 7500 rpm, IIRC. The extra 40 hp of the manual trans engine is in the region from 7500 - 9000 rpm - at 7500 rpm, the manual trans engine only makes 210 hp also! So, the auto trans restricts the engine from revving high enough to make the extra hp. Blame the trans, not the engine. Because of this limitation, Mazda has eliminated the 3rd intake tract from the auto engine, since it only kicked in at over 7000 rpm. There's no way to "chip" the auto trans engine to raise the rev limiter and get the extra power - the intake systems are different, and you'll blow the trans.

Regards,
Gordon

Arent you being a little dramatic hercules. To call someone a bad parent because i get a nice car. You were grown up differently obviously, with a strict rule and many laws and regulations. My parents taught me right from wrong and they TRUST i will make the right decision. As you picture me as a little boy i do not need be told that it is idiotic for me to get a car that i want. All you are working on right now is stereotype and insurance "stats". I dont want to reply to this topic anymore because now you are just taking shots at my family just because your opinion is different. Before you judge me or whatever you are doing right now just remember you can say that you dont think its right for me to get a car, but DONT say its poor parenting. i know you would not like it if i was saying the things some of you have been. Surely you were GROWN up better then that. I have been nothing but respectful to you and i expected you would be the same.

HOW ABOUT SAFETY? WOULDNT YOU RATHER HAVE YOUR KID IN A SAFE CAR? THINK ABOUT IT. THE RX8 IS VERY SAFE CMPARED TO ANY POS 5K CAN BUY. IF I HAD A KID AND I HAD THE MONEY I WOULD MUCH RATHER MY KID DRIVE A SAFE CAR. THINK ABOUT IT. EITHER WAY THE KID WIL PROBABLY RACE AROUND. HELL IT SOUNDS LIKE 99% OF THE PEOPLE ON LINE ARE GOING TO RACE AROUND I MEAN I HAVE SEEN PEOLPLE BITCHNG BECAUSE THE CAR DOES A SLOW 0-60 SO DONT SAY YOUR NOT GOING TO BE DRIVING PAST THE SPEED LIMIT!! SO IF THE KID IS GOING TO CRASH HIS CAR AT LEAST HE WILL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF SURVIVING IN AN RX8 THAN A POS 5K CAR, ALSO BETTER CHANCE THE CAR WILL NOT BREAK DOWN AT 2:00AM REQUIRING HIM TO CALL HOME AND WAKING UP DAD! SO JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE WORKING YOUR ASS OFF, SO IS HIS DAD AND ITS HIS DAD'S MONEY MAYBE HE LIKES TO SPEND MONEY ON HIS SON! I AM WORKING MY ASS OFF JUST TRYING TO MAKE A DOWN PAYMENT! I DON'T CARE IF SOMEONE ELSE BUYS HIM A CAR. HELL I WISH SOMEONE WOULD PAY FOR MY RX8! SO LETS STOP BEING JEALOUS OVER SOME KID BECAUSE HIS PARENTS WANT HIM TO BE SAFE!!!!!

Ok, so I guess that 40HP downgrade as a result of the transmission capability is the cause of the high 0-60 number. I would also think if its an advertised number (not magazine) then it may be on the conservative side which may benefit your insurance. Thanks Gordon.

Poll started! :p

http://www.rx8forum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5117

They/he was "bashing" him because daddy makes the decision of which car Jr. will be risking his life in (and insurance policy). Even though Jr. is putting money towards the car it is being bought and final decision by Daddy

Crouzer, WTF are you reading? His dad didn't make his decision for him. He wants this car. His dad wanted him to get the auto. He'd rather have the manual etc.... I don't know where you're from but you got to get better at reading comprhension. What is it with SOME people on this board? Shesh.

Hahaha This is so lame. Please stop.

You really think he bosses his dad around? Haha

I can see it now. "Dad I want this car. Give me $15k." Maybe with some kids, but then why not go for a Porsche if you can do that with your dad.

Haha.. Get real.

Originally posted by ibfubar2000
HOW ABOUT SAFETY? WOULDNT YOU RATHER HAVE YOUR KID IN A SAFE CAR? THINK ABOUT IT. THE RX8 IS VERY SAFE CMPARED TO ANY POS 5K CAN BUY. IF I HAD A KID AND I HAD THE MONEY I WOULD MUCH RATHER MY KID DRIVE A SAFE CAR. THINK ABOUT IT. EITHER WAY THE KID WIL PROBABLY RACE AROUND. HELL IT SOUNDS LIKE 99% OF THE PEOPLE ON LINE ARE GOING TO RACE AROUND I MEAN I HAVE SEEN PEOLPLE BITCHNG BECAUSE THE CAR DOES A SLOW 0-60 SO DONT SAY YOUR NOT GOING TO BE DRIVING PAST THE SPEED LIMIT!! SO IF THE KID IS GOING TO CRASH HIS CAR AT LEAST HE WILL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF SURVIVING IN AN RX8 THAN A POS 5K CAR, ALSO BETTER CHANCE THE CAR WILL NOT BREAK DOWN AT 2:00AM REQUIRING HIM TO CALL HOME AND WAKING UP DAD! SO JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE WORKING YOUR ASS OFF, SO IS HIS DAD AND ITS HIS DAD'S MONEY MAYBE HE LIKES TO SPEND MONEY ON HIS SON! I AM WORKING MY ASS OFF JUST TRYING TO MAKE A DOWN PAYMENT! I DON'T CARE IF SOMEONE ELSE BUYS HIM A CAR. HELL I WISH SOMEONE WOULD PAY FOR MY RX8! SO LETS STOP BEING JEALOUS OVER SOME KID BECAUSE HIS PARENTS WANT HIM TO BE SAFE!!!!! How about you fix that caps lock key? :)

Originally posted by crouzer
Hahaha This is so lame. Please stop.

You really think he bosses his dad around? Haha

I can see it now. "Dad I want this car. Give me $15k." Maybe with some kids, but then why not go for a Porsche if you can do that with your dad.

Haha.. Get real. *grin*

Maybe not that easy... but some kids will get their way one way or another... just the method they use. I had been known a few years ago to do some games to get my parents to give me my way.... didn't work all the time, but sometimes.

Some parents flex easier than others. Mine were pretty strict on certain things though.

Originally posted by NoVa
Arent you being a little dramatic hercules. To call someone a bad parent because i get a nice car. You were grown up differently obviously, with a strict rule and many laws and regulations. My parents taught me right from wrong and they TRUST i will make the right decision. As you picture me as a little boy i do not need be told that it is idiotic for me to get a car that i want. All you are working on right now is stereotype and insurance "stats". I dont want to reply to this topic anymore because now you are just taking shots at my family just because your opinion is different. Before you judge me or whatever you are doing right now just remember you can say that you dont think its right for me to get a car, but DONT say its poor parenting. i know you would not like it if i was saying the things some of you have been. Surely you were GROWN up better then that. I have been nothing but respectful to you and i expected you would be the same.
If your parents weighed the options out there, and made the educated decision to get you the car, kudos. I'm just being rather broad in my statements, so don't take offense, I'm not criticising any one person.

Also let me add, 'right and wrong' have nothing to do with this debate. It's a matter of control that I admit, when I was 17, I didn't have in getting my first car either.

Like I said... if your dad went thru all the options, read the reviews, and hopefully knows you as well as he should, then he's going to be getting the car for a person that will hopefully be responsible with it. And I'll just assume that he did, and that you're responsible.

But for every one responsible person like yourself and your father, there are 100 fathers who are irresponsible and don't use precaution in lots of things -- buying a car is just the tip of the iceberg.

Like I said.. I am not singling anybody out. Just making a generalization which I suppose is a bad thing :p Anyhoo... when you get the car as with everybody else, we will expect...

PICTURES :)

And since you're still young... don't do anything stupid, regardless of your friends. That's not to say you will... but I have put my 'caution' sign up for you... now when the time comes hopefully you'll remember me bitching about it :p

Hahaha This is so lame. Please stop.

You really think he bosses his dad around? Haha

I can see it now. "Dad I want this car. Give me $15k." Maybe with some kids, but then why not go for a Porsche if you can do that with your dad.

Haha.. Get real.

Well...at least you're are making me laugh, with outlandish comments like that. I'm going to sleep now, although I would love to wait for your response. They are the epitomy of ignorance and proving that you don't have a clue. Where is Sputnik to close this thread?

so basically we've gone from "Automatic 0-60 time" to a pissing contest over who should own a car. I need an advil.

I haven't been here in a few days, so after reading through this tread I got my own opinions about this issue of having a 17 year old own a sports car. I think the kid who is worrying about 0-60 is already barking up the wrong tree, hell when I was 17 (back in 1998) I HAD to buy my OWN car, even though it was on my folks insurance, and their rule was it had to be a very cheap crap box, cause chances are since it is a first car it'd get beat to hell. After looking they gave their blessing on me buying a 1987 Ford Escort with well over 120K miles, good overall body condition except for the rusted through hole in the trunk by the tire well, the fact it overheated that whole summer after 20 miles of driving. It cost me $300, yep three hundred dollars. And yes it did get beat to hell, one thing I didn't learn in drivers ed was about dips until I tore out the entire exhaust after hitting one at 30 mph, which I was HAD to replace and pay for. But after showing my parents that I was responsible with the car with no accidents, tickets etc, they let ME purschase a brand new Kia Sephia using the money I saved up slaving 50+ hours a week at two part time jobs that whole summer as a downpayment. After 5 years of ownership and only 1 incident with a very minor bump from a idiot DUI driver I am ready for my third car this coming fall after I make the final finance payment. That car being either the RX-8 or a 2003/04 Mach 1 Mustang for point A to B purposes as well as showing off (not racing) parked next to my uncle's beefed up perfect mint condition Buick Grand National.

This kid should get his priorities strait cause he sounds like the type of person who is so obsessed with speed that he kills an innocent person because of his negligent aggressive driving attitude. That is just my two cents.

oh btw the Kia is 2 months from being 5 years old with 58K miles I racked up on the odometer and it looks like it did the day I drove it of the dealership back in late August 1998. No problems or hiccups for all of you whole think a Kia is such a piece of crap that it can't be even used as a daily commuter without problems. 5 year absolutely no problems encountered - thank you very much.

wow i am surprised at how many terrible drivers there are out there. i have been driveing for almost 20 years with never a accident,scratch or anything! i have had a few speeding tickets and i am sure i will get more especially with the rx8. but there are a lot of stupid people out there that do not know how to drive. i guess iom the only one who has never crashed or bumbed a car yet. hey i still say WHO CARES WHAT KIND OF CAR THE KID DRIVES! nobody has ever meet this kid, they have no idea how he drives, everybody is accusing him based on there horrible driving habits. maybe you guys shouldnt get a rx-8 either! you guys have no expereinece drivinbg an rx8, unless you are in japan and then you only have about 2 or 3 weeks experience driving. and already one is crashed and who knows how old that person was. maybe he or she was over 40? they obviously hit somebody or something! so nobody here is really experienced in driving an rx8. let the kid have his car and enjoy it. as long as you dont have to pay for it. what difference does it make, just get over it! and stop being so JEALOUS!! beacuse your daddy wouldnt buy you a car!!

I haven't been here in a few days, so after reading through this tread I got my own opinions about this issue of having a 17 year old own a sports car. I think the kid who is worrying about 0-60 is already barking up the wrong tree, hell when I was 17 (back in 1998) So you are 22 or 23 now. Big deal. A 22/23 year old doesn't need a $30K+ car to begin with. Face it...you're just jealous that he gets his car for nothing and you had to work your ass off. You know that is just the way it goes but you should be big enough not to care. If your parents made as much as his you wouldn't be having this arguement. EVERYBODY on this board is obsessed with speed. People are complaining over 0.1 secs 0-60 times. No one is going to drive this car to the limit on a daily basis, so when it comes down to it...does it matter? I'm getting this car because it looks good, has enough speed to make me happy, it's a very creative car and I have money lying around. When I was 22/23 I had an old beat up Lumina.

Originally posted by Goldenhue22
So you are 22 or 23 now. Big deal. A 22/23 year old doesn't need a $30K+ car to begin with. Face it...you're just jealous that he gets his car for nothing and you had to work your ass off. You know that is just the way it goes but you should be big enough not to care. If your parents made as much as his you wouldn't be having this arguement. EVERYBODY on this board is obsessed with speed. People are complaining over 0.1 secs 0-60 times. No one is going to drive this car to the limit on a daily basis, so when it comes down to it...does it matter? I'm getting this car because it looks good, has enough speed to make me happy, it's a very creative car and I have money lying around. When I was 22/23 I had an old beat up Lumina. I'm 22 now too :p

But I'm buying it on my own, insuring it on my own, and I've graduated past the irresponsibility I had in my younger (pre-college) years.

After college I've matured a lot and even though I still enjoy pushing my car (which at 170hp is tough!), I am much more sensible than I once was. That's the only point I was trying to get across. Most kids get maturity after or during college... not before it. Which is why when you watch on TV that some 'teen was driving and killed a pedestrian and hit a tree' or something to that effect... it just makes you think twice about handing the keys over to somebody younger regardless of how 'in control' you think they are.

It's not the kid that will be changed.. it's his friends that will do it. Egging you on with your friends in the car during a high school level was a near sure-way to make you do something stupid. And like I said... a few kids can stand up to that. Some things though, like drugs, alcohol, etc... that's easier to turn down than just hitting the gas on the car because of course you don't think... what's the worst that could happen?

It's also a note to parents on this forum lurking to think if this car is right for their kids. I'm not saying don't buy it... just think long and hard before you do. You are after all, going to be handing the keys over to kids that are much more hormonally imbalanced and immature than people older to them.

And with that... I'll shut up now. I am not 'dissing' anybody... it's just a public awareness comment. So take that as you will... either appreciate it or disregard it. I don't want to take the time to 'defend' my statements because you think they are directed at you personally.

I think 'GOD/MIKE' hit it on the head, you don't want the auto precisely because it won't win any stoplight races. Therefore your primary interest (0-60) is what is giving everyone here 'the willies'.
It is slower than your average Minivan, therefore not 'racing' material.
Buy a WRX Auto and you will be happier.
.
.
.
doc

Originally posted by ibfubar2000
wow i am surprised at how many terrible drivers there are out there. i have been driveing for almost 20 years with never a accident,scratch or anything! i have had a few speeding tickets and i am sure i will get more especially with the rx8. but there are a lot of stupid people out there that do not know how to drive. i guess iom the only one who has never crashed or bumbed a car yet. hey i still say WHO CARES WHAT KIND OF CAR THE KID DRIVES! nobody has ever meet this kid, they have no idea how he drives, everybody is accusing him based on there horrible driving habits. maybe you guys shouldnt get a rx-8 either! you guys have no expereinece drivinbg an rx8, unless you are in japan and then you only have about 2 or 3 weeks experience driving. and already one is crashed and who knows how old that person was. maybe he or she was over 40? they obviously hit somebody or something! so nobody here is really experienced in driving an rx8. let the kid have his car and enjoy it. as long as you dont have to pay for it. what difference does it make, just get over it! and stop being so JEALOUS!! beacuse your daddy wouldnt buy you a car!!
The only thing I'll say to that... if you've been driving for 20 years it's safe to say you are in mid thirties to forties (at least).

And at your age... you don't have any kids.

You will understand better when you have a few of your own and completely realize the whole situation. First cars in my opinion, should be beaters that teach a person to drive and be responsible. Sure the RX-8 is safe... but when the time comes and you're paying for every scrape your kid got from 'jumping' a speed bump, or the insurance premium because he lurched forward because the clutch disengaged and oops... hit a car or worse.. a person.

When you have kids, you will realize that these factors are important to consider. I don't have kids, but I am a big brother that's going to be responsible and get my sister a cheap first car that will teach her how to drive properly, and also properly drive a manual. I don't care if she never drives a manual in her life again... she should know how to drive it. And I'd rather let her put dents into a 5k car that I would NEVER get repaired and instead let it die its death while she drives it. I'd only take liability on the car so if anything happened to another car the insurance premium would be minimal to increase. No bank will finance you if you put liability on your RX-8. You need full coverage. And if you hit somebody or something... just *imagine* your premiums go up. Specially if you live in the tri-state area like I do, and like NoVa does.

Trust me when you have kids that you need to watch over, or *ahem* parent... you will sing a different tune. And if you aren't by then... I feel bad for your kids.

yes i am 37 years old and no i have no kids, and i dont want any kids! if i did have kids i would much rather have my son or daughter driving a car that will be safe and not break down. and who cares if they dent a new car or an old car it can be fixed. and they can just as easily hit somene or something in a pos car than a new car. why not let them be more safe. i think if a parent can afford a new car and stil makes their kid drive a pos than who is irresponsible the kid or the parent! i sure would hate to be the kid stuck out in the middle of no where because my dad would rather me learn a lesson in a pos instead of driving safely!

obvious nobody here has ever driven past hollywood high school in hollywood california. the students parking lots has more bmw, mercedes ,ferraris and porches than anything else. the only parking lot that has pos cars are the teachers!!!!
and they are not crashing there cars every 5 minutes like it sounds like all kids seem to be doing across the rest of the country, according to most people on this forum! also take a look at this thread! the biggest complaint is how hard someone has to work to get their car. this whole thing is all about jealousy. everybdy is so concieded they are jealous because some kid's father makes enough to buy his kid a nice car. hell it happens all the time in california.
and not all accidents out here are from kids right out of high school. recently someone just had a major accident where a man 23 years old was diving his mustang racing someone in a honda. the mustang swerved around a truck at 90+ miles an hour and hit another car head on. killing the peolpe in the other car. somebody already admitted this is not about safety, when i mentioned it earleir, so that makes no diference obviosly. somebdy else said this is about a kid damaging a 30k car. so what if somebody wants to take a hammer and smash up every fender on his car. who cares its his car. if he is dumb enough to drive over a dip at 30+ miles an hour and rip off his muffler so what. its the same thing with a 17 year old driving a rx8. its his car who cares. this is all about jealousy! people are so jealous someone even made a STUPID poll about how expensive somebodies first car should be. who cares how much someone spends and what they do with their own car. and if anybody here thinks experience is a must in driving and no one with experience wil ever get killed and that they are mortal should just ask Dale Earnhart. he was expereince in racing and look at him! so what difference does it make if someone wants to learn in a rx8? it is just a car, it doesnt matter if he learns in a rx8 or a pos 20 year old toyota!!! i am so amazed at how stupid people are and i agree with farsyde
"so basically we've gone from "Automatic 0-60 time" to a pissing contest over who should own a car. I need an advil"
we are not here to tell someone how to live their life. this forum is so people with the same interest can talk and get the latest news. and talk about how FUN it is to drive an rx8. remebr this is supposed to be FUN! i think everybody here just needs to grow up and enjoy their own rx-8 when they get it and just tell everybody about their own personal fun not tell someone they should not buy one until they turn a certain age. and just because someone goes to college doesnt mean they are mature!!

Originally posted by SGC
What's more dangerous, an inexperienced driver with a manual transmisison or a 17 year old with a new sports car worrying over 0-60 times?

SGC

Exactly. I can't believe some parents out there..geebus. My kid is getting a civic or another car of equal or lesser value, even if I am loaded.

This forum is *not* intended to tell anybody how to 'live their life.'

It's here to provide information and insight on a car that is soon to be released to both potential buyers and guess what... PARENTS of buyers.

As per 'maturing' in college... No, not everybody does. But it's obvious then that you haven't been to college either. Which is why I'm going to call BS on your "i've been driving for almost 20 years" comment. Not to mention, you have by your own account put your age at around 30, 35, maybe more. And then you mention high schoolers? My guess is that you're another high schooler that's simply in the same position as NoVa with convincing parents to get you the car that's faster.. and we aren't here giving you the insight in how to 'trick' your parents into doing it.

Hopefully your parents as well are responsible, and will think before buying you any car, nevermind being the RX-8.

It should be noted to all parents that the faster a car LOOKS, the more likely kids are going to try to go fast in it. I'm guilty of it myself, and I had a piece of crap Ford Taurus as my first car, the second being another piece of crap Chevy Lumina. But after nearly destroying the first (transmission and other things), and giving the second a damn good workout, I am in the Millenia which I've had for 4 years and for the last three years have kept in mint condition. The first year I got it, I did do a little bumping and scraping (the car was TOO low and I went a little *too* fast) but otherwise in mint condition.

Hopefully NoVa and your parents are also reading these forums trying to find information about this car and if it's right for their kids. And if they decide to get you the car then let's hope you use it in good practice and be safe yet still have fun in the right circumstances.

It's just been my experience that teens will act one way with their parents, and another with their friends. That's why a really flashy car of any sort is in my opinion (please keep in mind it's my opinion) is a bad idea, at least for a first car.

Like all things in life... graduate to that car. You don't start life being the entire way up the ladder.. Besides, it's likely you will appreciate it a lot more when you dish out the money all on your own and go to the dealer and negotiate the terms by yourself.. I know when I come home from the dealer... I will have a smile on my face that will take years to wipe off, and it's not because I have the RX-8... that will be only a small part.. it's because I put in my time, my effort, my blood and sweat, and also my experience from my past cars to get here.. and when I get there.. it will be sweeeeet :)

Originally posted by Lee Chun


Exactly. I can't believe some parents out there..geebus. My kid is getting a civic or another car of equal or lesser value, even if I am loaded. My sister too... but the first car has to be a manual just so she learns to drive it.

I could care less if she never drives one again but if she's part of my family... she *has* to learn it. Everybody including my mother can drive manual, and thus she must take part in that 'tradition.' Besides, I find it sad that more than half of America can't drive a manual.

Originally posted by Lee Chun


Exactly. I can't believe some parents out there..geebus. My kid is getting a civic or another car of equal or lesser value, even if I am loaded.

so you would rather have your son or daughter get stuck or break down or get into an accident than rather have them drive a safe car. and no matter what kind of car they get chances are they are going to race it. even a honda civic is capable of going way over the speed limit. so why not let your kid drive safely! my frist car was a 4 cylinder plymouth arrow and that thing could fly. i canm remmeber many times driving that thing over 100 miles an hour it took a few minutes to get there but it did! as i am sure most people here have raced their car too!

Originally posted by Hercules
My sister too... but the first car has to be a manual just so she learns to drive it.

I could care less if she never drives one again but if she's part of my family... she *has* to learn it. Everybody including my mother can drive manual, and thus she must take part in that 'tradition.' Besides, I find it sad that more than half of America can't drive a manual.

so why cant they learn in a rx8? why does it have to be a pos car? so what if they dent it. they should be able to learn in any car they want...

Originally posted by ibfubar2000


so you would rather have your son or daughter get stuck or break down or get into an accident than rather have them drive a safe car. and no matter what kind of car they get chances are they are going to race it. even a honda civic is capable of going way over the speed limit. so why not let your kid drive safely! my frist car was a 4 cylinder plymouth arrow and that thing could fly. i canm remmeber many times driving that thing over 100 miles an hour it took a few minutes to get there but it did! as i am sure most people here have raced their car too! Don't you know!?!?

It's impossible to get a reliable car for under 5k!

And sure, they will probably race any car they get (by your view of it anyway), so why not give them a car that will every time... LOSE THE RACE? That way they will concentrate on being a better driver and when time comes... can show off the skills they have learned by how to handle a car properly instead of pushing the pedal to the floor like any moron can do.

Originally posted by ibfubar2000


so you would rather have your son or daughter get stuck or break down or get into an accident than rather have them drive a safe car. and no matter what kind of car they get chances are they are going to race it. even a honda civic is capable of going way over the speed limit. so why not let your kid drive safely! my frist car was a 4 cylinder plymouth arrow and that thing could fly. i canm remmeber many times driving that thing over 100 miles an hour it took a few minutes to get there but it did! as i am sure most people here have raced their car too!

Wow, you are so right!! You are cool!! Just like the neon lights and the cool spoiler you're getting on the 8!!

Originally posted by Hercules


As per 'maturing' in college... No, not everybody does. But it's obvious then that you haven't been to college either. Which is why I'm going to call BS on your "i've been driving for almost 20 years" comment. Not to mention, you have by your own account put your age at around 30, 35, maybe more. And then you mention high schoolers? My guess is that you're another high schooler that's simply in the same position as NoVa with convincing parents to get you the car that's faster.. and we aren't here giving you the insight in how to 'trick' your parents into doing it.




no i didnt go to college. and yes i am 37 years old. and i mentioned high schoolers because that seems to be the age of your mentality! you seem so jealous over a 17 year old!!

Originally posted by Lee Chun


Wow, you are so right!! You are cool!! Just like the neon lights and the cool spoiler you're getting on the 8!!

hell ill probebly be the first person to post his speeding ticket on line too.

Originally posted by ibfubar2000


so why cant they learn in a rx8? why does it have to be a pos car? so what if they dent it. they should be able to learn in any car they want... It's really quite simple... I don't want to fix that first car.

I know the seen and UNSEEN damage I did to the first car I got (which was slow, ugly, and terrible) and had my parents tried to fix it they'd wind up paying more than the car was worth.

First car is always the crap car. Did your mother put you right onto the toilet bowl to potty train you? Or did she work you towards it? Small steps, learn first, then graduate to the big things.

This is also why when you go to a motorcycle training school, they teach you on slow, piece of crap bikes. It's the same with anything in life. You learn from the junkiest piece of crap... and work your way up.

It's not only the fact that the car will be cheaper to replace or insure... it's that my kid will not have earned it. My sister will have not earned a 30k car. Not a 20k car. 5k she hasn't even earned but she *will* need to learn to drive and I will make a minimal investment on her part to get her on that road.

If she wants a nice car... she can go out and earn it later on. That's why earlier on I mentioned about giving your kids things like an RX-8.. This idea of instant gratification to kids that haven't accomplished a damn thing in their life, have worked doing menial jobs to get a few bucks for the movies and hanging out with their friends, while you fill their pockets anyways will never appreciate something of value. Rich kids that get handed things to them have grown up by in large (Princeton study, so don't take *my* word for it, read about it in Psych class) have a much poorer attitude to people 'lower' than them.

And that is not the type of value I would like to instill into my sister, and into my kids. I want them to be hard working and appreciative like I have been. Just giving in does not accomplish those goals as a parent or a brother.

Originally posted by Hercules
If she wants a nice car... she can go out and earn it later on. That's why earlier on I mentioned about giving your kids things like an RX-8.. This idea of instant gratification to kids that haven't accomplished a damn thing in their life, have worked doing menial jobs to get a few bucks for the movies and hanging out with their friends, while you fill their pockets anyways will never appreciate something of value. Rich kids that get handed things to them have grown up by in large (Princeton study, so don't take *my* word for it, read about it in Psych class) have a much poorer attitude to people 'lower' than them.


hell hes 17 year old annd his dad is buying him a car chances are he never has had to earn anything or work for anything and chances are he never will. it is a diffrerent life style when you have money. the owner of the car dealership has so much money his kids never have to work and never will. and there first cars were brand new corvettes!! chances are if his dad can buy him an rx8 his dad can repair the dents or buy him another!

Wow what a simple minded flame war this has turned in to. Really sad that some have to repeat their point of view because of the thick headedness of others.

Makes you wonder how some people come to their conclusions such as this "jealously" thing. With this logic I guess the entire insurance industry is jealous of teenagers driving sports cars. Hahaha

And I thought car+inexperienced driver=potential accident was common sense. This thread has really shown the different levels of maturity of potential RX-8 owners. ;)

Its also obvious some haven't even bothered reading the entire thread.

Originally posted by crouzer
Wow what a simple minded flame war this has turned in to. Really sad that some have to repeat their point of view because of the thick headedness of others.

Makes you wonder how some people come to their conclusions such as this "jealously" thing. With this logic I guess the entire insurance industry is jealous of teenagers driving sports cars. Hahaha

And I thought car+inexperienced driver=potential accident was common sense. This thread has really shown the different levels of maturity of potential RX-8 owners. ;)


yeah but it is fun. besides there is nothing on tv to watch, so might as well start a flame war!:D

Originally posted by ibfubar2000


hell hes 17 year old annd his dad is buying him a car chances are he never has had to earn anything or work for anything and chances are he never will. it is a diffrerent life style when you have money. the owner of the car dealership has so much money his kids never have to work and never will. and there first cars were brand new corvettes!! chances are if his dad can buy him an rx8 his dad can repair the dents or buy him another! That's simply not true.

I know a girl that I went to school with me... her dad owns the largest car dealer in all of New Jersey.

She drives a Focus that *she* paid for from her dad's dealer. She works a job in addition to going to school. Her dad will not 'hand over' the dealer to her and instead decided to make sure she's working hard and earning her keep until the time comes when he either sells the dealers he owns, or whatever.

But I see in her a work ethic that I'm impressed by. The only thing she gets is her college tuition (and I didn't even get that, I took out loans and had scholarships). No shopping money. No food money. No 'going out' money. Nothing from her parents.

It's all a matter of the choices you make. If you want to spoil your kids... that's fine. But then you just leave them unprepared for the challenges that will likely manifest themselves in the future in any shape or form. Their entire lives being based on the complete dependance on their parents will be shattered and they won't be able to cope with the simplest of things.

Now you live in California... and it's likely a much richer area than Jersey. But I think in California (and I have an uncle that I've visited for a while there) people are much more full of themselves, pride themselves on outer appearance, which is why you see so many plastic surgeons and 'bling bling' rides in the area.

Just to keep things in perspective.. what's the MOST popular car driven by MULTI MILLIONAIRES?

A Ford F150 Pickup.

Life for your children is a series of learned lessons and choices made, and the goal as a parent is to help your kids make the right decisions early on, and challenge them to better themselves. Handing things on a silver platter to anybody doesn't build any type of character. It builds the people I hate in life... stuck up, snobbish, and very poorly mannered/vicious people.

I don't want my sister to turn out like that, nor would I want my kids to. In the end it's the choices you make and decide not to make that will ultimately influence a great deal of your child's behavior later on.

Since you aren't having kids though... this entire discussion is irrelevant to you because you will simply *never* understand.

Originally posted by crouzer
...

And I thought car+inexperienced driver=potential accident was common sense. This thread has really shown the different levels of maturity of potential RX-8 owners. ;)I wonder what end of the spectrum I've placed myself.. :D

Originally posted by Hercules
I wonder what end of the spectrum I've placed myself.. :D

hey maybe we should start a flaming poll....:D

i bet i get more votes than you...:D

Originally posted by ibfubar2000


hey maybe we should start a flaming poll....:D

i bet i get more votes than you...:D That's a bet I wouldn't take.

Originally posted by Hercules

But I see in her a work ethic that I'm impressed by. The only thing she gets is her college tuition (and I didn't even get that, I took out loans and had scholarships). No shopping money. No food money. No 'going out' money. Nothing from her parents.



see right there even you agree everybody is different. you are saying that this 17 year old should not have an rx8. hell let the kid have his rx8 for his first car. let him enjoy life. i am earning my rx8 just like you. i wish someone would buy me one. but if someone wants to buy his kid a car let him! dont make the kid feel like he is lower than life. hell i think we already pissed him off i havent even seen him post anything in a few days.

Originally posted by ibfubar2000


see right there even you agree everybody is different. you are saying that this 17 year old should not have an rx8. hell let the kid have his rx8 for his first car. let him enjoy life. i am earning my rx8 just like you. i wish someone would buy me one. but if someone wants to buy his kid a car let him! dont make the kid feel like he is lower than life. hell i think we already pissed him off i havent even seen him post anything in a few days.
I also said that parents stop need to giving in to their kids whims and really realize the decisions they make can affect their kid's lives in many, many ways.

Now if his dad did his homework and realizes that kids act differently with parents than with friends and STILL buys the car.. that's his choice. But the information is here and most people (aside from you, who does not have have kids and would not understand anyway) would agree that any flashy car as a *first* car is a bad idea.

Personally if the RX-8 had 120 horsepower in it... I would still not buy it for my sister. Flashy LOOKING cars are just as bad as powerful cars for teens to get egged on by their friends. But that's me. A crapmobile is required by me at least, for my sister to appreciate a good work ethic and earn something on her own. Though knowing her, she would likely not care what car she drives.

As per "you wouldn't mind" if somebody handed you an RX-8. If it were a contest that you won the car or something that's great.. but to even consider a handout like that I could not do it. It's also the reason you turn down money from relatives when you didn't deserve it but of course... you likely never had that problem.

Originally posted by Hercules

I
As per "you wouldn't mind" if somebody handed you an RX-8. If it were a contest that you won the car or something that's great.. but to even consider a handout like that I could not do it. It's also the reason you turn down money from relatives when you didn't deserve it but of course... you likely never had that problem.

hell ill take money from anybody that wants to give it to me. i have no ethics but at least i have an rx8 :).

see everybody is different. ill take money from anybody and you would rather earn it.

Originally posted by ibfubar2000


hell ill take money from anybody that wants to give it to me. i have no ethics but at least i have an rx8 :).

see everybody is different. ill take money from anybody and you would rather earn it. It's what separates the men from the boys, I spose.

I respect people that work hard a lot more than the losers who cruise by on coattails of others.

I would imagine though... you're probably in the latter portion of my example. Either way though... I don't really care.

Orig!inally posted by Hercules
I don't really care.

hey we both agree on somethng! NOBODY REALLY CARES!! lets just have fun and enjoy our cars!!.......zoom zoom!!

Originally posted by ibfubar2000


hey we both agree on somethng! NOBODY REALLY CARES!! lets just have fun and enjoy our cars!!.......zoom zoom!!
I actually meant that in response to pretty much anything you have to say.. I don't really care.

Either way it's a tired debate... nobody's going to 'win' so let's stop it here.

Originally posted by ibfubar2000
and not all accidents out here are from kids right out of high school. recently someone just had a major accident where a man 23 years old was diving his mustang racing someone in a honda. the mustang swerved around a truck at 90+ miles an hour and hit another car head on. killing the peolpe in the other car.

Out of curiosity, how old was the driver of the Honda? You imply that the 23-yr old Mustang driver bears complete responsibility for the deaths. As such, you also condone street racing by projecting blame on one driver (for swerving at 90) and not the other. Either that, or you told us only half of the details to slant the account in favor of your point.

Edit: P.S. I'm not even touching this topic, or it's undertopic rather, with a 10-foot pole. I've stated my opinion in previous threads, and simply don't have the time or desire to get into this.

Originally posted by B-Nez


Out of curiosity, how old was the driver of the Honda? You imply that the 23-yr old Mustang driver bears complete responsibility for the deaths. As such, you also condone street racing by projecting blame on one driver (for swerving at 90) and not the other. Either that, or you told us only half of the details to slant the account in favor of your point. B-Nez trust me after two pages now...

It's pointless arguing with a person that's not competent to bring valid points to an arguement.

I've already given up.

Originally posted by B-Nez


Out of curiosity, how old was the driver of the Honda? You imply that the 23-yr old Mustang driver bears complete responsibility for the deaths. As such, you also condone street racing by projecting blame on one driver (for swerving at 90) and not the other. Either that, or you told us only half of the details to slant the account in favor of your point.
dont know the honda driver took off. the news was looking for witnesses. it was a street race during the middle of the day. they were both racing on two lanes and the ford passed a truck by going into the oncoming traffic hitting an uncoming car. killing the driver and passenger. he survived, so it is up to the court to decide if he is fully responsible. but it sure sounds like it.

Originally posted by Hercules
B-Nez trust me after two pages now...

It's pointless arguing with a person that's not competent to bring valid points to an arguement.

I've already given up.

I hear you there, Herc. Wasn't even THINKIN of it! I skipped this thread all this time, because of the Thread title, decided to read it for S&Gs. Glad I missed out. :D

here is the msnbc thread about the accident if anybody is intersted.


http://www.msnbc.com/local/myoc/m292344.asp

Thanks for that link... just proved my point two times over:

Sept. 7, 2001: Steven Katzenberger, 16, was killed when he lost control of his car and struck a tree in Laguna Niguel while street racing with another teen-ager.

Nov. 26, 2001: Raymond Scott Shelly, 40, of San Clemente and Jose Valverde of Dana Point were killed when Shelly's Dodge Caravan was hit by a yellow Mustang that was racing a black Mustang on a busy street in Dana Point. Erin Lynn Gormley, 19, is scheduled to go to trial next month.

Originally posted by Hercules
Thanks for that link... just proved my point two times over:



yep it did. also proved it can happen in any car. be it 30k or not. price makes no difference. they will still race. if they have a 30k car or not. so if someone wants to let there kid drive a 30k car let them....


well before i piss off anybody else that i havent already pissed off. (sorry to bring this forum to this pissing contest i apologise to everyone who got stuck reading all this junk-even hercules) i am going to sleep. night all!!

OK i was stayin out of this but i will put my .02cents in.
1. If the parents want to endulge their kid with a brand new RX-8 thats their prob, I mean chances are yes that is not the smart thing to do. I think that people who buy their own cars and pay their OWN insurance become much better drivers. They will actually think before doin stupid stuff. Yes most people dont appreciate what they get if they dont work for it but thats not the main point.
I dont give a rats ass what kind of example they set to their kid or what kind of person he will turn out to be.

It is simple statistics Inexperienced drivers fast cars= trouble.
Why do u think insurance rates are astronomical for a young driver. The more flash and power a car has the more chance there is that a young person will get in an accident with it.
I dont even care if he wraps himself around a tree and dies not my kid and not my family what i do care about is
If he hits me or someone else while doin it and kills someone who was doin nothin wrong.
My first car was a 1981 1500cc Honda Civic with 120k miles had no AC and No power was a real beater. The car would not even go over 75. Though i did abuse it the lack of power and flash kept me out of alot of trouble. As i got older i bought several cars that i restored and since i put in my own money and time i am very carefull with my cars though they have a sick pwr potential "70 Chevelle SS 396 and 69 Camaro SS 350" I do take care of my cars and the point is that if someone gave me a M3 or RX-8 at 17 i prob would not be here to talk about it.
But the main thing is that his parents have no respect for other people letting a 17 year old on the road with a fast car what will they say to someone if he kills them "god forbid" sorry.

DIE THREAD DIE... :D

This thread has gone on so long, now Mercedes-Benz has a 7 speed automatic.

http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/index_e.htm?/news/top/2003/t30514_e.htm

damn...maybe they can pull off an 8 speed manual to beat it out!!

But won't this all end up with a perfected CV auto transmission ala Nissan Murano????

Originally posted by Cihuuy
DIE THREAD DIE... :D Maybe we can beat the RX-8 Wagon thread with this one. Old timers remember this one well. All you newbees should check this out.

http://www.rx8forum.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=15335

*knocks puppy in the head* STOP THAT PUPPY!:p

Ok I am gonna ask something that this thread was supposed to discuss but in 8 pages of posts addressed everything but the question at hand. My question as well as several other people around here: Is there any news out there about how the automatic RX-8 drives? Is there any automatic version test drives, stats anything? Why is Mazda safe guarding the automatic version so well for are there hidden evils with the automatic version that Mazda so wants to keep from the public (other than the loss of 2 gears and 40 hp)? Is the automatic tranny gonna be slow and jerky, is it gonna be smooth and quick during gear changes? Those are some of the questions people want to know about the automatic but have not really been addressed by anyone except for people like "Oh automatics stink get a manual" There are some people who are getting a automatic to better suit their needs, they just want to know if there are any hidden evils or pluses behind it.

I agree,

I have been looking on the net for some kind of info or tests done on the auto and I have had very little luck. I have ordered the the auto for numerous reason that I really don't want to get into a debate about that. I am just excited to get the car. the look, style and uniqueness of this car is why I am so excited. I just want to make sure the auto has tested well in terms of smoothness and cruising speeds. I don't know about the rest of you but buying this car is a huge deal to me and I am so excited.(my first truly new car) I just want to know as much as i can about the car!

Mathteacher

I am holding out until people start getting their cars around here to see how the automatic version is, my other choice, the 2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1 I have read a decent amount of test with the automatic versions and it does preform (minus the slightly lower redline and the lower top speed) really good they say for an automatic. Goodluck with your automatic man, when are you expecting to recieve yours?

Well guys, I can see the anticipation for the car is really revving everybody up. The reasons for getting an auto are various and I'm sure valid, so I won't bother going that route. But when you read reviews of course they are going to be heavily skewed towards the 250 6-speed manual... All the automatic folks are going to just have to wait and test drive the damn thing for yourself... if it sucks then walk away.. There are many sources all spewing the same information.. you have the very sluggish figures quoted in Mazda Token Hardcover book and the quicker figures quoted everywhere else. In all likelihood it while probably fall somewhere in the middle. Anyways, you are not gonna do 0-60 at every stop light, so don't worry about it. What counts is the ride, acceleration under normal circumstances and the feel of the auto gear shifting. Books and magazines aren't going to tell you squat about that for the auto. That is why we have 8 pages of rambling thread chalk full of hand wringing. Take a breath, wait for your car, drive it for yourself, then make your choice to buy.

well said. I agree. I am not going to race this car in fact I will probably baby it for a long time. I just want to make sure the auto is smooth and when I need that power it is there. The plan is first i am going to sit in it and make sure my head is not stuck against the sunroof, then I am going to drive her around on a test drive and if all is well I am out the door with a huge smile on my face! As far as when this is going to take place? We all now that is the million dollar question. End of july is what the dealer keeps saying but I currently have no vin :( and I think I know more info than he does so when it gets here it gets here.

Mathteacher

My advice remains the same - if you really want the auto, and especially if you're planning to keep the car a long time, be patient, wait a year (maybe even two) and get the forthcoming 5 speed auto or the SMG. It's going to be a much better transmission/engine combination, period.

Think 10 years down the road of resale value, someone is looking to buy an early RX-8 auto - which is worth more, the 2004 210hp 4 speed, or the 2005 250hp 5 speed auto? The difference in value will be big, and not just because of the 1 model year...

Regards,
Gordon