Ever since I received my CD-ROM many months ago I've seen a problem that's been nagging at me.

Just look at the yellow 8 in the upper corner of this website.

It seems like when the front and rear doors are open, there is not enough room for a lot of folks to walk between the doors to get into the rear seat especially if they are carrying much of anything.

I'm sure I for one would fit (though far more likely I'd be driving!). But while I'm pretty lean and tall I'd probably have to turn sideways a tad or make some other contortion or allowance to 'walk up' to the opening through those outswung doors.

If you drew imaginary horizontal plumb lines from the outermost lower corner of the rear door and the uppermost corner of the front door I bet the dimensino might be as little as 18 or 20 inches". ?

If so this puts a bit of a pragmatic damper on an otherwise nifty arrangement at first glance.

Thoughts?

I don't think both doors are fully open. I think if they both were fully open and with the angle the camera would see the doors edge-on. This would be a less interesting shot with the doors not being as clearly delineated.

In particular, the front door looks like it is open to its first detent. Opened fully, I would expect the door to be almost at a 90 degree angle to the car. The back door looks like it already is at 90 degrees but I wouldn't be surprised if it opens even furthur.

I see your point - I hadn't noticed that before. But would you have much more room opening the back door of a typical four-door car? I haven't measured, buy I'm guessing you don't have much more than 24 inches. I'd like to think that Mazda would design this car with approximately the same amount of entry space you'd get in the 626 or 6 (maybe a bit less).
By the way, which CD are you referring to?

Remember it's a sports car with added seating for two more, like a more convenient 2+2, and definitely not a sedan. If we get in the mindframe that it IS a sports car first, it's intended audience becomes clearer. It's not truly the best of both worlds. It's not marketed as the "Return of the Rotary Sedan". It's not a practical car to take business clients around in. The rear door glass is fixed, and visibility from the rear is not that good. But at the same time, it defines a new hybrid class, with nearly all emphasis on Sport.

are you certain toady that the rear door glass is fixed? look at the pics of the of the silver one on the road. this was discussed in another thead but it looks like there is hardware attached to make it a pop out window.

This picture shows the doors open wider.

That silver pic is more like it!

However, depending on the length of the front door, in practical applications like your garage or a typical parking lot, you may not get it close to opening that far. This potentially brings us back to the original issue. This is something I'll specifically be looking at before I'd consider jumping into one.

Personally I think (or hope) the rear door arrangement places this beyond the traditional 2+2 stuff of the 70s and such. Specifically this is one of the more intriguing aspects of the car that attracts me to it. No more lengthy 2-doors, no more fumbling w/ a slider seat and no more sqeezing past a tilted seat/BPiller to 'climb' in.

Purportedly this car is to have real rear seats that can seat adults.

I know some are interested in this car as a 2 seater sports car but other cars on my list include 4 door sports sedans so that's where I'm coming from. If it returns to the 2+2 sardine cans of the past I may pass on it or consider it in another light.

Can't wait to check it out in person!

I don't think his concern is with the doors fully open, in the middle of an open lot, as depicted by that picture of the silver RX8. It's when you are in your garage, or in a parking spot, or things like that. I've ridden in the back seat with buddies in their pick'em-up trucks with a similar suicide door setup (I live in Dallas, so...), and we did have to "choreograph" our entrance/exit of the vehicle, especially in a parking lot. We found that closing the front door (it doesn't latch, but you get the idea of where the door was) made for ingress/egress similar to what you had when the vehicle was in an open area.

---jps

That's a little better pic. We've seen an imprint for either a window hand-crank or a speaker on the door trim also. In a week and a half at Sevenstock we'll know hopefully. Just a rumor that the 8 will be INSIDE the design center where photography or any recording is prohibited. Remember full magazine road-tests/images have not been published yet, other than the Road &Track Sneak-Peek.

Oh I received a multi-media CD-ROM in the mail a long long time ago featuring the same yellow car w/ pix and video and such along with the zoom zoom song.

I thought those were common knowledge.

I presume they have my name left over from the many years I was a member of the Mazda Comp Parts Program.

Speaking of which (and I say this as someone who has owned Rx7s for 20 years and wracked up 100s of K of miles) things like the car itself and Mazda Comp are what inspired what little loyalty I have for Mazda. I find their dealers so utterly bad that it would take an AWFULLY good car to coax me into buying from those people. This may be the one. I hope so as I do enjoy rotaries.

Hears another pic, this time in yellow. The front door is not completely open, but it looks like there is plenty of room for either passenger to enter/exit.

However, I think a good point has been raised. Looking at this picture, think about how a front and back passenger would exit in a garage with the doors facing a side wall. If the front passenger gets out first, and exits, he can't close his door because the back door needs to open for the rear guy. I suppose he could leave the front door open, the rear guy gets out and closes the rear then front doors.

If the rear guy gets out first, obviously the front door has to be open too. (Can't open the rear door otherwise). When the rear guy exits, he shuts the back door then the front guy exits who shuts the front door.

I think both passengers trying to get out at the same time may be a problem, unless they don't mind touching each other.

Well we need to remember that this still is a sports car. With any coupe/two door if you have rear passenger it is tricky. I'm interested if the person behind the driver will be able to get in/out without the driver having to get out of the car or move the seat up.

Originally posted by kwolfman
...However, I think a good point has been raised. Looking at this picture, think about how a front and back passenger would exit in a garage with the doors facing a side wall. If the front passenger gets out first, and exits, he can't close his door because the back door needs to open for the rear guy. I suppose he could leave the front door open, the rear guy gets out and closes the rear then front doors... Yeah, that's the "choreography" (sp?) I was talking about. We had to do it in this fashion:

1) Front occupant opens front door.
2) Front occupant exits, stands next to back door.
3) Rear occupant opens rear door a few inches (don't knock over front occupant), so that front door can swing shut.
4) Front occupant closes front door, with help of rear occupant.
5) Front occupant gets out of way of the rear door.
6) Rear occupant fully opens rear door.
7) Rear occupant exits.
8) Rear occupant opens front door so that rear door can clear.
9) Rear occupant closes rear door.
10) Rear occupant closes front door.

Of course, it all turned into a three stooges routine when the vehicles driver kept arming the alarm before we had the darn doors closed in the right order.

---jps

Originally posted by Sputnik
Yeah, that's the "choreography" (sp?) I was talking about.

Yur spelin is exelint.

I was wondering, however: I thought that I read in another thread that the picture of the silver car was in fact the RX EVOLV. The car looks fabulous in that picture, which is I guess why I'm curious.

I don't agree - at least I hope it's not a sports car. Way too 1 dimensional. If that's all it turns out to be in reality I'll probably pass.

For me, ingress and egress to the rear needs to be simple straightforward function for all passengers. If not, this car looses lots of points for this potential buyer. I always understood the front door had to be open but in tight parking I'm concerned there just flat out may not be enough room. What started out for me to be a major attraction - I'm now concerned may be a hindrance in the end. Well I'll just have to wait and see one in person and try it out in tight qtrs to see how this is going to work out. Should be interesting. I'm sure the salesman will be entertained.

-T

I saw the Yellow prototype at the Toronto car show when it was on the revolving turntable and the driver side of the car had both doors open to show the interior. :D

Trust me when I say there is plenty of room to get in and out of the front or the back seats. People’s mouths will drop when they see the doors open on this baby. :eek: :eek: :eek:

I have a question about this door choreography...

Does anything stop the rear door being accidentally closed against the (already shut) front door? Or does the inside of the rear door have a soft buffer to prevent damage to the exterior of the front door?

Also, has anyone seen photos or have dimensions of the boot (trunk) size? One of the reasons I'm so keen on the RX-8 is I have a young baby, and lifting (soon to be wrestling) him into a child seat is much easier with four doors. An Audi TT would have me doing my back in for sure! This puts the RX-8 in a class of its own for me. But I need to carry a pram/pushchair/stroller, and still have room for other stuff.

Apologies if these questions have already been answered. I did have a quick search of this forum, but couldn't find anything.

There were some pics of an early protoype with a custom child seat, but it won't make it to production.

There should be enough room for a shild seat back there. I have seen pics and recent video of an adult in the rear seat. This shouldn't be an issue.

Bulkhead:
Good question about the doors. I've often wondered the same thing myself, since knowing my friends, one of them will screw-up the opening/closing order of the doors within the first week of ownership... I don't have an answer for you though, nothing has been said by Mazda about this. Anyone know what the full-size trucks with the extended cabs and similar door arrangements do?
As for the trunk size, if you go to Mazda's website and to the section on the RX-8, there is a picture of the trunk open with 2 golf bags in it. Also, the rear seat doesn't fold down, but there is a pass through for carrying long objects. Hope this helps.

Originally posted by Grimace

As for the trunk size, if you go to Mazda's website and to the section on the RX-8, there is a picture of the trunk open with 2 golf bags in it. Also, the rear seat doesn't fold down, but there is a pass through for carrying long objects. Hope this helps.
Thanks. I was looking at the UK website, which doesn't have this photo. I certainly wouldn't get the pram in there (it fills the boot of my Ford Puma :eek:!), but at least it looks wide enough for a folded pushchair.

Any ideas what the cubic capacity of the boot is anyone?

Originally posted by bulkhead



Any ideas what the cubic capacity of the boot is anyone?
some where, awhile ago, i thought i saw it listed at 11 cu. ft. i could be wrong as it was a brief mention.

Originally posted by kwolfman


I think both passengers trying to get out at the same time may be a problem, unless they don't mind touching each other.

Hey guys.....remember its a sports cars. Most people will talk about the RX8. The awkward routine of opening and closing both doors is just anothing thing for them to talk about, when you and your passenger are stuck in the middle of the open doors :eek:

Having been an owner of a Saturn 2001 SC2 3-door coupe for some time now, I can say that I would imagine the RX-8 to be very similar to it, at least in the door department. :D

I never had any problems with the premature door closing scenario. There is a bit of a routine as to how the rear passenger gets out, but it is pretty much just a matter of getting out of each other's way. (driver first, open rear door, wait behind rear door, etc.)

not that I've seen the 8 I do have a Toyota Tundra Access Cab with the rear doors. The only thing my boys have done is try to shut the front door before the rear is closed...no harm it just bounces back open a bit. The four years we have had I don't think we have ever tried to close the rear onto the front.

...Does anything stop the rear door being accidentally closed against the (already shut) front door? Or does the inside of the rear door have a soft buffer to prevent damage to the exterior of the front door? Sitting in the pre-production model at the LA Auto show, I tried to shut the front door while the back door was open, and the front door wouldn't latch. It just bounced off the door frame with a soft thump and started swinging open again. There wasn't enough time to examine the mechanics of it, but it seemed to be part of the design, because when I shut the back door first, the front shut properly.

As for the back door banging against the front door, I remember someone mentioning that it ends up being a soft vs soft impact, rather than the back door chipping the front door, though I can't visualize the mechanics of how that would work.

I made the Mazda rep at our auto show in St. Louis demonstrate for me what would happen in this front door shut/rear door open situation. If the front door is shut and the back door attempt to close happens, the padded door panel on the back door just bumps into the edge of the closed front door.

ggreen29 is correct too. The front door does not latch, which if the front door is not all the way up against the door frame, it gives a little more than if it were latched into place....providing even less of an impact.

She (Mazda rep) shut the door pretty hard and it just bounced off of the front door with a quiet thud. No damage to the front door, or the rear door interior panel.

Just make it a point to let your rear passengers know when they get out that the back door needs to be shut first.

Don't see this as being a big deal.

guys... wait a second!! did any1 realize this?!?

that first pix wiv the silver 8 is the Rx-evolv and the second pix is the not the production model...

Therefore you can not rely on these pix... i say this is because the production model has a different angle on how the rear door opens!

Check the attachment...

As you can see, the angle of the rear door is what prevents it from being damaged...

this is the old yellow rx8, not the production model...

I still say in a tight parking lot - this is problematic unless everyone is skinny, flexible and/or well reheared in the choreography. :)

Many a parking spot will allow less than 35" to the car or whatever obstacle next to you. You might be able to open the rear door all the way but not the front door - it may only barely open to the 1st detent on the spring cam.

Unlike a truck you are also 'climbing up' out of the car w/ bucket sets instead of plopping off a flattish bench seat in many cases - which slightly complicates things.

I think the adjustment to the coreography is that the front passenger upon exit, must 'almost' close the door and walk around to be on the 'outside' of it to hold it open while the rear passenger exits, and closes the door.

I can just see taking a bunch of folks from work out to lunch at a popular restaurant w/ a typically crowded parking lot. That will be a fun one!

---

And no, I don't agree, it's not a pure sports car - it's got hybrid qualities about it.

thanks,
-T

Has anyone checked out the video in the Mazda Japan web site? There's a scene which a girl enters the car and closes the rear door.

http://special.rx-8.mazda.co.jp/asx/conceptimage_300k.asx

is there any way to exit this car like a coupe and ignore the 2 freestyle doors? just wonderin, not saying i wouldn't use the back doors, but if i ever wanted to, you think it's possible? the front seats do flip forward i believe so...

Originally posted by hikoboy
the front seats do flip forward i believe...

um, i thought the intial reports from the autoshows was that the front seats DIDN'T fold forward...??

let the passegers out before you park, and move out of the space before you let them in. :)

Here's one better, let everyone out in front of where your going, and then go park, that way other people can see how cool the car really is plus you get bonus points for not making your friends walk. Then be polite and tell them you'll come pick them up in front with the car, again let people praise the beauty and style of the car. That's of course if you not going to a quickie mart or something.

Originally posted by wakeech


um, i thought the intial reports from the autoshows was that the front seats DIDN'T fold forward...??


i swear i saw a picture with the seat folded forward...i don't think i was hallucinating....i'll try to find it

I read somewhere that only the passenger side front seat can fold forward, while the driver's side can't. Is that correct?

All that choreography becomes vastly more interesting if you just want to drop off a rear occupant - you open your drivers door, so that he can swing open his rear door - neatly decapitating you with a zip of the seatbelt ! Your (drivers) seatbelt is attached to the rear door, but still firmly buckled, and now has you by the neck ! It becomes even funnier if it is someone who is used to 'two-door' cars, where you just bound thru the belt obstacle, and work out the tangles when you're out - not so in the '8' - he just extends the belt fully and takes up the only slack you were using to breathe..... and he's not fully out yet! / and you can't speak....it gets funnier every time it runs thru my imagination.
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doc

I found a pic in the Mazda JP site.
http://www.rx-8.mazda.co.jp/img/pack01_photo3.jpg

Guys remember that the rear door is shorter then the front door. So your buddies can get out of the way by going between the rear door and parked car next to you.

Hi hikoboy, sava ur time... Here's the pic. However, I don't know if it's standard or option or driver's seat or both or whatever. Sorry.

hey maverikk, thanks for finding it. :) i'm talking with east moon (not real-time, just pm) to reconfirm that the front seats do fold foward. i'll get back with a full reply, if east moon doesn't post here himself.

Originally posted by wakeech


um, i thought the intial reports from the autoshows was that the front seats DIDN'T fold forward...??


ok, i asked east moon and both the driver and the passenger seats DO fold forward. and you can do that while in the back seat as well. i asked him also whether it's possible to get out without opening the rear door, and he said he doesn't think so, but he'll try and see. but when i think about it, it's probably not possible...and probably unnecessary.
oh well. but the seats fold forward. so that's that.

Cool, hikoboy many thanks for this info..... Many greetings, also to East Moon and his lovely goggy! :)

Originally posted by hikoboy



ok, i asked east moon and both the driver and the passenger seats DO fold forward. and you can do that while in the back seat as well. i asked him also whether it's possible to get out without opening the rear door, and he said he doesn't think so, but he'll try and see. but when i think about it, it's probably not possible...and probably unnecessary.
oh well. but the seats fold forward. so that's that.

But we still don't know if the Powered leather driver seat folds forward (easy, or at all). East Moon has the cloth seats that are not powered so that still remains a mystery for us to find out.

Although it doesn't matter to me because I'm getting the Sports package and will have cloth seats so mine will fold down so I can ride with my forehead rubbing on the stearing wheel :D

When you get the powered seat it doesn't fold but the passenger seat does as it's not powered. So getting in and out of the back is much easier on the passenger side. That's the way it was set up on pre-production ... I'll update when I check a real one!