I have been advised by Mazda that the Prodrive Live event will be in our own cars.

You either can go to Prodrive or have an instructor come to you.

This will obviously be after you have taken delivery of your car.

Cheers
Mark

That's not entirely good. Will they be supplying new tyres after the event?

erm thats all together bollocks....


I for one am not about to chuck my new car round a race track destroying a perfectly good set of tyres that dont come cheap.


Plus god knows what other "potential" problems it could cause.

Id rather knacker engine parts on my own without some git telling me.

This does seem a little odd as the cars will still need running in and a track is not exactly the best place for a gentle exercise of a new vehicle. On the other hand, I've done a couple of trackdays in my MX5 and haven't wrecked my tyres or brakes, and before anyone says it YES I was trying! Obviously the RX8 is higher performance than my MX5 but I don't think the damage would be much greater than to my car. Instructors will obviously be teaching you the best way to drive, not the way to wreck your vehicle.

Perhaps the Track Driving section will be in Mazda's car and the road driving section will be in our own cars.

The website does mention the two parts to the day.

It would make sense if this was the case as the Prodrive instructor that visited you at home (if you choose this option) will just be doing the road section in your car.

Chris

This does seem a little odd as the cars will still need running in and a track is not exactly the best place for a gentle exercise of a new vehicle. On the other hand, I've done a couple of trackdays in my MX5 and haven't wrecked my tyres or brakes, and before anyone says it YES I was trying! Obviously the RX8 is higher performance than my MX5 but I don't think the damage would be much greater than to my car. Instructors will obviously be teaching you the best way to drive, not the way to wreck your vehicle.

The reply I got from Mazda clearly states we will have to use our own cars, so I believe that applies to both the track and road part.

God there's some grumpy sods on here sometimes!

It's a trackday with instruction to introduce you to your new car - not a competition to see who can do the most donuts, or drive through their passenger window!

Sorry but the wear on the tyres and brakes is going to be negligable, and anyway, it'll still be up to you how hard you drive your car.

I can't believe people are moaning at a *FREE* chance to get some instruction from a professional driver on a closed circuit.

I guess you all bought your nice new RX-8 *SPORTS* cars (since that IS what everyone keeps referring to them as) to pootle back and forth to Tescos... :rollseyes:


If you're not going to be using your day, please let me know. I will gladly take your place.

:)



-andy-

I think Andy is right in that this is a Free opportunity and you dont have to go if you dont want to. Many people do pay good money to do this experience in their own cars.

I have always been concerned about using my own car for a track day, but this is more to do with driver training and not just blasting around as quick as you can.

I think tyres and brakes shoud be OK (after all it is up to you how you drive).

My only concerns will be you will have to wait until the car is run in (how many miles?) and what about insurance?

Mark

Originally posted by sixspeed
God there's some grumpy sods on here sometimes!

Well that's me told then....;)

I'm not worried about wear and tear to the tyres etc. It is supposed to be a sports car after all.

A day on track with a professional instructor sounds great, no matter who's car. I wont be pushing it far enough to endanger me or the car.

Insurance will be a worry tho, have to find out who/what is covered.

my old dear wants to come along, bummer (girlfriend doesn't drive)

I just know that she'll be far better than I am (she's an ex touring car racer)

just watched the stig fly off the track in a mid engined clio, have to make sure i don't try that one.

insurance?!? surely that would be covered under the track's policy, i'll ask around and find out what my mate's have to do for track days. (any scooby owners out there already tried out their cars?)

irrespective of any of the above points, this sounds like a great day out,
hell coming from glasgow my car would practically be run in if i went straight from the dealership.

I would have much preferred to use someone else car and tyres for this but I'm not going to turn down this chance for that reason alone.

I am definately with sixspeed on this one.

If you don't like it, you don't have to go.

If the car comes with Bridgestone RE040's, then this prodrive event will be the perfect opportunity for me to scrub the tyres and speed up the arrival of some decent tyres! :D

Shahpor

Originally posted by shahpor
I am definately with sixspeed on this one.

If you don't like it, you don't have to go.

If the car comes with Bridgestone RE040's, then this prodrive event will be the perfect opportunity for me to scrub the tyres and speed up the arrival of some decent tyres! :D

Shahpor

I asked the guys at MotorExpo what tyres will be fitted as standard and they said that they had been told that the ones fitted to the car there would be standard. These were Bridgestone Potenza S03's IIRC. Are these any better?

Originally posted by AndyPearce


I asked the guys at MotorExpo what tyres will be fitted as standard and they said that they had been told that the ones fitted to the car there would be standard. These were Bridgestone Potenza S03's IIRC. Are these any better?

Yeah, the S03's are quite good tyres.

I also asked the people there and they said that the S03's come with the Japanese spec cars, but they weren't sure about the UK.

If it does come with S03's, then these definately don't get scrubbed quickly! :)

Shahpor

Think this is getting a bit silly...

Given previous track experience , I would say it is a fairly safe bet that you will not be insured.
Some things in this life still happen for 'fun' and 'at your own risk'.
The risks are really naff all -

There seems to be a misunderstanding on what is a 'track day' and what is a 'race'. It is merely enjoying your car in a manner that is not suitable to the public highway. There are strict rules about overtaking, session time etc etc.
There will be no diving down the inside into a corner on opposite lock etc... :)

This is a free day to learn about your car , meet other owners , have a laugh and (only if you want to) get some track time in an environment where you can concentrate fully on the car and not on what the truck/scooter/BMW is doing in front/behind etc etc...

Take it for what it is and enjoy it !

M.

PS - If you are really that bothered about it , there are specialist companies that will insure you for the day - but expect to pay for it.

Here here,

I for one am looking forward to the day, be it my car or otherwise.

Chris :D

Agree with Mr Rogers. This is a free £500 value driving lesson which we newbies without rotary experience really need. They will teach us how nimble the car is and how best to utilise the engine to get max enjoyment, grip etc.,

This is not a race day. The reason that it is off-road is to enable you to reach higher speeds if you wish and have a larger playing field without other traffic.

I for one would be happy to use my car BUT presume that this would be after the 1000K settling-in period.

rael.

Originally posted by morganrogers
Think this is getting a bit silly...



I don't think people are unreasonable to prefer to use Mazda supplied cars rather than our own. Don't get me wrong, I'm really looking forward to the day regardless of whose car I'm in, it's just that I'd be happier using their tyres, fuel, insurance etc.

It'll only take me a week to run mine in if it's only 1000 miles to do that.:p

Agreed - we would all rather use someone elses consumables !

Just pointing out this is a £500 freebie that they were under no obligation to give us (given the bargain of the car in the first place) and people should be a bit more grateful...

Personally I am looking forward to actually meeting some of you virtual chaps. :)

I too am looking forward to this, BUT free! I'm sure the interest earned on the deposits we've all paid whilst waiting for our cars goes someway to pay for this ?



AnilS.

lol where will they earn £500 interest on £1000 in 3-6 months, I;d love to know.

Prolly only cost Mazda half the £500 for the day. Track days are usualy £100-150ish tops, throw in an instructor or two per group etc etc.

Looking at those 'day at a racetrack' type gifts in Wh smiths/boots n stuff there similar price and use someone elses car.

Yeah will be good and some of you think that you have to go screeching round a track to have fun.

I will be more than happy to use my car as long as the engine has run in and I have track day insurance.

It would be even better if we were all invited on the same day, a local hotel for the evening and no posts to to forum that day!!

See you there

Cheers
Oilman

Preorder money

lowest possible - 1000 preorders
max possible - 2200 preorders (from the numbers on the list)

duration of money held to accrue interest

lowest possible - 5 months
max possible - 9 months

so lowest monies = 1000 * 1000 = £1million * 5 months @ 4.5% (see moneyfacts.co.uk) roughly £1.2 million - interest 20k

highest monies = 1000 * 2200 * 9 months @ 4.5% roughly £2.285 million = 85k profit

so I'm sure its not burning TOO big a hole in their pocket by doing these days.

BTW Im just pissed because according to Sarinda @ T W Whites in now last week in September or first week in October. He called me today.

Phew...

At least some people seem grateful for it! :)


Sorry about the slight outburst, but it was really beginning to wind me up! Especially with the rest of the moaning that goes on elsewhere in these forums about this car! It does make me wonder why some people are buying the car when you see some of the posts on here...


Anyway - look forward to meeting some of you at these days when we get our cars!


-andy-

sixspeed -

I have been wondering for *ages* why some people on these forums have ordered this car at all....

M.

PS - Worrying comment above about early October.... !

Originally posted by sixspeed
Phew...

At least some people seem grateful for it! :)


Sorry about the slight outburst, but it was really beginning to wind me up! Especially with the rest of the moaning that goes on elsewhere in these forums about this car! It does make me wonder why some people are buying the car when you see some of the posts on here...


Anyway - look forward to meeting some of you at these days when we get our cars!


-andy-

I can understand why some people are upset each time some 'bad' news comes to light like the delays in arrival or the reduction in bhp etc. For many of us the decision to buy the RX8 without ever having seen the car was a big one that wasn't taken lightly.

For me there was a serious financial decision to be made plus I was taking a risk on the car being big enough for my purposes. I really want to own the RX8 but it is not hte most sensible car purchase I could make by any stretch of the imagination.

When the decision to buy was in balance in the first place, each negative turn in the RX8 saga makes you feel like you made the wrong decision (something most people hate doing.) I think this fuels the negativity that many express on this forum.

I still really want the RX8 , especially after seeing it in the flesh, but even the most upbeat of you must admit that the buying experience for the RX8 could have been better.

I'm sure hte day that I first drive an RX8 all of this will be forgotten in an instant!:)

True enough - but it could have been that they had no pre-order process at all and you have to wait until release.

At least you all know you have got one...

M.

Completely agree. Thats why I said about ignoring me - when you get another bit of bad news regarding dates, it really affects your psyche. Howver, I'd rather know the ACTUAL date, even if it was october (tempt fate!) and be 100% sure that it was coming rather than thinking it was end June/Start July as on my invoice, then the start of september, now end september/start october etc.

why? Well I sold my Eunos (to my best mans wife!) so she could use it for the summer as I had promised her she could have it - she took in on June 1st. I was going to advertise it, as it had to go as my wife is expecting our second in october and I need a car to go back and forth to our power stations which are in Grimsby, Cumbia, Wales etc - so not all close to sunny (!) Slough. I have a mondeo S24 (no flaming - its fast at least) that she uses to take the little one around in (plus the ones she childminds) and I use this when I visit the stations, leaving her with the Eunos. Obviously cant do this with 2 little ones, and to be honest I've been lucky to get away with it this long. I bought a replacement, I thought to get something cheap as it was to only last a month or so - a Honda Accord Aerodeck 1987 - for £250 inc 12 months MOT and 6 months tax (ebay bargain!), and its great for the money, as I was thinking that way I wouldn't lose out on much money in the meantime in depreciation. Well, now I will have to drive it for 4 months, which had I known about it beforehand, maybe I'd have paid a little more for a run around. I only travel 10 miles to work each day btw, so its not as though it goes too far.
I DO appreciate the prodrive day, and I'm sure its not Mazda UKs fault that the Japs have swiped our cars, but if they don't process the orders in the right order and they dont feed us the information as it comes available then I get miffed.

Whats the point of a secure area on the website when it doesnt show us ANYTHING. No updates, no nothing. I wouldn't mind, but if I didn't call the dealer, they wouldn't call me either.

IF someone is waiting for something, surely they should be updated. Thats the comment.

Originally posted by morganrogers
True enough - but it could have been that they had no pre-order process at all and you have to wait until release.

At least you all know you have got one...

M.

Whist I appreciate the opportunity to be on of the first 1000 people to own an RX8 in the UK I also believe that the pre-order process is what has caused the anxiety by setting expectations.

When everyone pre-ordered they were looking at a 241bps car which would be with us in July. Both of these things have changed for the worse and the main thing that attracts many of us to the car besides the looks (the handling) is something we still have no idea about because the car has been delayed so badly.

The anticipation for owning this car increases every day but I'm still have a small concern that I may end up with a sheep in wolves clothing!

I don't want to fall on the side of those who moan at everything about the 8 but I'm never going to be someone who puts blind faith in Mazda or the RX8.

Andy - agree with you and I think most of us, with some exceptions who see the 8 as some sort of 2nd coming, are a little disappointed in the way this has been handled and that bit by bit the initial image of this car has been chipped away with limited colour choice, delayed delivery dates, lower power etc...the latest negative being the report of real track comparisons on the media news where the 8 was seemingly beaten in a number of categories by cars we thought as it's peers.

Ultimately, if you can wait, you have £100 at risk. Take the test drive and then make the call, that is only way you will really know.

rael