Thank you all for the suggestions...

As a car freak, I was dying to see what the RX8 looked like in person. I didn't think I would get a freebie test drive at all as I walked into the Mazda dealership. Just as I was walking in I noticed a Metalic Grey pull off the lot with 4 people in it. I was thinking...maybe today it just my lucky day....WRONG!

After checking another one out in the show room, I was quite impressed with the initial build quality of the car. The fender flares were beautiful, and the interior was full of fun options and very very modern and refined compared to other similar cars.

Without having to even beg, I was able to convince the sales rep. for a quick spin around town. I was very very excited at this point. The nice family who just returned from the test drive told me the car was very smooth and drove very nice. If anything I though it would drive similar to my S2000, but didn't know what to expect.

The sales rep. pulled the car off the lot and drove about 100 feet down the road, we swap seats and off I was to my very first rotary experience. I was somewhat in awe when the sales rep. told me that the car had 4 cylinders......uh....it's a rotary engine? I'm think to myself that this guy don't know what he's trying to sell. Of course I don't fully blame him...:)

So off I am, the sales rep. giving me a general idea as into where I would be going. I take it easy on the local roads and imediatly notice that the car drove almost similar to the S. Slow to start but quick to pick up speed as the revs. climbed. However, without a Vtec cross over point the acceleration felt liniar and seamlessly smooth compared to my S. I didn't get to experience the full spectrum of the powerband, for I was shifting @ 7000+ at most times.

Now for the accident part, we are getting off a back road where there is a sharp hair-pin turn getting onto the freeway. The sales rep. urged that I give it some juice and possibly see if I could even "Break her Loose". I think to myself "DAYYUUUUM" is this my lucky day or what...so I enter the turn a little too fast, without knowing the road holding capabilities of the car, and as the car turned, I felt under steer, and then the tires eventually giving up, the car started to slide to the left, and I could tell that something was making love the the curb. The sales rep. makes me pull the car over, and I'm thinking, I'm screwed...I my heart goes crazy as I step out of the car, and I immediatly walk to the rear rim where I think the damage was done. Luckly, the tire was rubbed up against the curb and the rim looked fine, I was so relived to see this, and the sales rep. immediatly hopped back into the car, expecting me to drive back. I'm thinking to myself, at least there is no body damage, it can't be that bad...

I park the car back in the showroom, and the sales rep. kindly asks for me to wait while his manager comes out to asses the damge. I think to myself..."They want a new tire"?
As I was checking out the rest of the car to make sure there is no body damage I see the front rim and surely about 1/2 the rim have curb rash on the most outter edge. I nearly shat in my pants...F**KF**KF**KF**KF**KF**KF**KF**KF**KF**KF* *K

At this point the manager comes out and gives me 2 options...buy the car for a super hot deal or buy a new rim. I never even thought about buying the car, and even more so now after what has happened. The car is so new that even the manager doesn't know how much a new rim will cost and gave me a rough estimate of 500~700 USD. So out of urgency I asked fellow member of this board who might have some hook up to OEM Mazda parts or know of people that are parting out their car for whatever reason. I know it's a long shot trying to buy ONE rim, but I had to give it a shot.

Thank you for those who have kindly suggested ideas for what I can do, and in the worst case I'll be buying 1 new rim. IMO could have been worse....However, the manger mentioned that he would not be able to sell the car at the current price, which was MSRP 31,000 + 9,999 dealers markup.

Sigh***

Please let me know if anyone can help.

Admin. can you please add this post to the thread I originally started?

http://www.rx8forum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6993

My mistake...

I belive the wheels retail for about $450.00. Yo can try Trussville Mazda which sell stuff at good prices. 800-240-2121. Hope that helps. Sorry to hear about yoru missfortune.

Does the dealer not have insurance for this purpose? Id' try and argue that the sales guy encouraged you to drive like that thus indirectly causing the damage. It may not work but I'd give it a shot.

Had to break my silence on this one. This is one reason dealers are hesitant to allow test drives, but, since he did and had a rep from the company with you, I don't think there is anything legally he can do to you. If you want to do the right thing and replace the wheel, dealer cost on the stock 18" wheel is about $170 give or take a couple of dollars. Offer him that, and if he refuses, let him pay for it.

Originally posted by budaman
Had to break my silence on this one. This is one reason dealers are hesitant to allow test drives, but, since he did and had a rep from the company with you, I don't think there is anything legally he can do to you. If you want to do the right thing and replace the wheel, dealer cost on the stock 18" wheel is about $170 give or take a couple of dollars. Offer him that, and if he refuses, let him pay for it.

I second to that :D That's why car dealers have those insurance to cover this type of cases (policy might be different from dealers to dealers, but they should cover pretty much those little fender bender..). If they don't it's their lost :p

s2klurker: As long the dealer didn't trick you to sign some paper which you might not know the policy, but then again that can lead to a law suite, hehehe

I agree also. Sounds to me like the dealer pushed you to take the car to its limits on a public road, knowing full well it was your first drive in the car. There is inherent risk in doing this after only 10 mins behind the wheel, and the dealer was irresponsible. If anything, you should be telling him you are emotionally distressed at being pushed into such a situation.

Originally posted by s2klurker
I was somewhat in awe when the sales rep. told me that the car had 4 cylinders. :rolleyes: The car is so new that even the manager doesn't know how much a new rim will cost and gave me a rough estimate of 500~700 USD. :rolleyes: ***Sigh***Absolutely.

After a short chat with the GM at the Mazda dealership it looks like I will be fine. I will get final confimation on Monday. You guy have been great and thank you for your honest opinions and awsome feedback!

I'll keep you guys updated.

Of course the obvious statement is no matter what the sales guy says you shouldn't drive like a maniac on a test drive. I suppose if the salesperson told you to you would have revved it to 8500 RPM with 15 or so miles on the odometer, too.

It's test drives like this that are the reason I'll never buy an "in stock" car... :eek:

Originally posted by Rexor
I agree also. Sounds to me like the dealer pushed you to take the car to its limits on a public road, knowing full well it was your first drive in the car. There is inherent risk in doing this after only 10 mins behind the wheel, and the dealer was irresponsible. If anything, you should be telling him you are emotionally distressed at being pushed into such a situation. Please - if the salesman had told him to take it up to 100 MPH and he had then been stopped for speeding would it have been the dealer's fault too?

Yeah, the salesman was a clueless moron but one should exercise some self control and have some respect for a vehicle that, ultimately, someone else will probably buy as new unaware that it had been beaten on. It's not like it was a rental car. :D

That's why dealers have or should have a demo car. Set aside one car for this purpose and then sell it at a later time at a discount, like a rental car. I think dealers in other countries do this already.

Originally posted by BillK
Please - if the salesman had told him to take it up to 100 MPH and he had then been stopped for speeding would it have been the dealer's fault too?

Yeah, the salesman was a clueless moron but one should exercise some self control and have some respect for a vehicle that, ultimately, someone else will probably buy as new unaware that it had been beaten on. It's not like it was a rental car. :D

Agreed, the driver would be responsible for obeying the highway laws in the eyes of the police. But my point is that the person with the vested interest in the integrity of the vehicle, ie the dealer, is the one who apparently suggested this wreckless style of driving, and therefore should take responsibility for it. Similarly, if a uniformed cop had sat beside him and told him to take it to 100 MPH, then I don't think he'd have been ticketed for speeding either.

Whose insurance was he driving the car under? His or the dealer's? If it was the dealer's then shouldn't the dealership pay for this?

I agree with some of you who question "who's responsibility is it"?

However, the dealership never stated anything about who would be responsible in case of an accident.

At this time I have learned that most dealers have their own insurance to cover these kind of incidents.

In my case, they were not 100% sure if their policy would cover a wheel, for the policy states damage to body will be covered....but no specification about 1 scratched wheel. The GM even told me that he's had customers that have crashed vehicles previously but never a scratched rim. He was confused as much as I was.

I find out tomorrow.

Originally posted by Good Duck
That's why dealers have or should have a demo car. Set aside one car for this purpose and then sell it at a later time at a discount, like a rental car. I think dealers in other countries do this already. It's for this reason that every dealership in the country will be receiving a Velocity Red GT package RX-8 that they cannot sell until October.

Originally posted by eccles
It's for this reason that every dealership in the country will be receiving a Velocity Red GT package RX-8 that they cannot sell until October.

Really? Is it official? This is the first time I've heard of this. It's great news if true. Sorry, but I have hijacked this thread.

I believe that the laws governing comerce (federal laws) say that you are only responsible to compensate the dealer for his actual loss. That means the price he must pay to replace the rim.

FYI people, that also means that the whole "you broke it you bought it" in glass stores is unenforceable, even with the sign up. If you broke it, you don't have to buy it (ie pay full price). You must compensate the store for the price they paid for it, and then only once they provide you with documentation indicating their cost. The only exception is if the owner of the store made it himself. Even if an employee made it, you're only responsible for the cost of the employee's time, once the owner provides documentation of how long was spent in creation.

I spoke with the GM over at Mazda and he confirmed that everything was cool, and I wouldn't have to compensate for the damage.

Thank you everyone for the great advice.

Rev on!

Originally posted by Lensman
Whose insurance was he driving the car under? His or the dealer's? If it was the dealer's then shouldn't the dealership pay for this?

Usually the insurance goes with the car.. and not with the person.. For instance, if you are drunk and give your key to a friend to drive, and they get into to an accident.. your insurance will cover them.. And not their insurance.. Which will suck for you.. because your insurance will go up..

So, in this case, It should be covered by the dealers insurance.. Not, you... Unless you signed something before getting into the car.. as if your friend just takes your key with out your permission, your insurance will not cover the accident... and your friends will be at fault.. and im sure it will be complex and out come might be possibly at your fault..

I just purchased and received my factory 18" polished wheels. They are, drum roll, please, a whopping $552.50 each list price. Check with Trussville for their price. I do not know what a stock painted 18" wheel costs.

Originally posted by elliotshev
I just purchased and received my factory 18" polished wheels. They are, drum roll, please, a whopping $552.50 each list price. Check with Trussville for their price. I do not know what a stock painted 18" wheel costs.

Trussville... thats right near my house.. I was there yesterday looking at a red RX8..

Also Check with Malloy Mazda in Woodbridge, Virginia.. I know they give great pricing for RX7 guys, Beats even business pricings... They might have RX8 parts?? Ask for Ray Crowe..
1-888-533-3400.