bassik277
07-28-2003, 01:10 PM
I got a surprise phone call saturday morning and went to take delivery on my fully loaded titanium rx8. Sorry about being late with the review and all, its just that ive been driving it all Saturday and Sunday, (have about 95 miles so far)
EXTERIOR: As far as the car goes, it is a dream. IT WAS SOOOOO GORGEOUS. The titanium w/ the appearance package looked incredible, compared to all the other colors. And the chaparral interior is awesome!!!!! There was actually an old guy who owned a miata, and was looking at my car when I arrived. My salesperson was nice enough to lie and say that I already made a purchase on the vehicle, so he came up to me, and offered me 2000 over what I had paid, and I kindly (yet bluntly) refused. Honestly, I would not have given up this car even if I was offered 10 grand over. Seeing this car for the first time, after having followed it digitally for months was orgasmic, PICTURES DON’T DO IT JUSTICE FOLKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHEELS: I was initially planning to get aftermarket rims (19’s) right away, but I was actually quite pleased with the stock 18’s they look pretty good and are quite wide.
SOUND SYSTEM: I have the in dash 6 cd changer, and it actually works quickly, and in my opinion the bose system is actually extremely good in terms of sound reproduction and accuracy, and it plays pretty damn loud also (this is coming from a sound freak). I would say that it is as good as the Harmon Kardon system i sampled in an M3, and it is better then the is300 system, and FARRRR better then the bose in the g35, which has no midrange, and brassy highs.
COMFORT & ROOM: The seat comfort is great, im 6'2" my brother is 6' 4" and none of us had any problem with room in the front or back (in the back legroom was a slight issue) The trunk was pretty small, but it was small to the point of actually bothering me
NAVIGATION: This was one of my favorite parts, its was awesome it was easy to learn, and surprisingly only required one disc for the whole nation. I was really stunned when I went under the business search, and I entered a relatively obscure music store I go to, and it actually had it listed, and all I had to do was press enter and it would lead me there!!!
PERFORMANCE: Haven driven my friends s2000 really often, I have come to the conclusion (contrary to prior notion) that the RX8 is actually as fun to drive. And I let my friend drive it as well, and he was extremely impressed, though he would not go as far as to dethrone his precious Honda. My reasons for this are, that although the s2000 has a slightly better gearbox (SLIGHTLY) there is something about its ride that seems artificial, which is not present in the rx8. This is hard for me to explain, but the rx8 feels more “real” as it does and often seems as if it anticipates EXACTLY what you want it to do. In addition to this, while both engines are very willing to rev, the s2000’s 4 banger, seems like it has to work harder to achieve the high revs, while the RX8 revs sooooooo easily its absolutely intoxicating. And if its willingness to rev doesn’t astonish you, then its absolutely unique and incredible engine note will most definitely mesmerize you (I guess its because I have never driven a rotary before). As far as acceleration, I am completely fine with its acceleration (which is a huge compliment), never having experienced any desire for more torque, and I honestly think this car is way more fun to drive than a torque monster (at least for me) because you have to wind it up for its power. So ultimately, I think if you enjoy driving such cars as an s2000, you will most definitely be pleased with this car
THE NOTORIOUS AIR CONDITIONING: I picked up the car in 90 degree heat, and I turned on the fan at full blast, and it was blowing hot air!! I was sooo pissed off because I heard all the prior complaints that I completely neglected the fact that AC mode wasn’t even on!!!!!!!!!!! So I chuckled to myself and turned AC on and it was actually pretty cold. Honestly, I was very comfortable climate wise in the car, under the scorching sun at 90 degrees. One thing I noticed is that the AC is only mediocre if you turn the electronics on without the engine, but once you get the engine on, the AC gets as cold as a normal person would desire.
SHIFTER & PEDALS: The very fact that I have yet to stall or miss a gear in the 8 is testament to the straightforwardness of the system. The clutch has a easy pleasant modulation, as does the throttle, and the brakes are very powerful. In my opinion the shifter is accurate enough to garner respect from Honda fans who would never settle for anything short of an s2000 quality shifter.
RIDE: I went to the dealership expecting a car with a roadster-like harshness to the ride, and came back pleased that it had a very civilized yet firm ride. I took it around my community over some bumps and was pleased to report that the 8 soaked up the bumps like they were nothing, and ground clearance was not an issue despite the appearance package.
Well that’s about it folks, if you have any questions or comments feel free to post them. And let me just say this, despite the fact that my “pre-order” has become over the duration of the past few months somewhat of a mythical journey having an utter lack of concrete substance to fasten myself to, when I arrived at the and saw this car for the first time in a form outside the “pixels” all my frustration and uncertainty of the last few months were obliterated. And after driving it, I knew for sure that this machine was worth every millisecond of my time. I am constantly barraged and plagued with the inherent lack of inspiration in our societies’ arts, sciences, and most definitely the automobile industry. And upon examining every portion of the rx8, there was never a moment when my heart was devoid of inspiration which is quite possible the best compliment you can give to any car. Some magazine (I don’t remember which) said it perfectly when they said something to the effect of “ Mazda is the last car company with true engineers, they do with a dime, what any fool can do with a dollar “ Basically my point is that this car is $%&!ING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EXTERIOR: As far as the car goes, it is a dream. IT WAS SOOOOO GORGEOUS. The titanium w/ the appearance package looked incredible, compared to all the other colors. And the chaparral interior is awesome!!!!! There was actually an old guy who owned a miata, and was looking at my car when I arrived. My salesperson was nice enough to lie and say that I already made a purchase on the vehicle, so he came up to me, and offered me 2000 over what I had paid, and I kindly (yet bluntly) refused. Honestly, I would not have given up this car even if I was offered 10 grand over. Seeing this car for the first time, after having followed it digitally for months was orgasmic, PICTURES DON’T DO IT JUSTICE FOLKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHEELS: I was initially planning to get aftermarket rims (19’s) right away, but I was actually quite pleased with the stock 18’s they look pretty good and are quite wide.
SOUND SYSTEM: I have the in dash 6 cd changer, and it actually works quickly, and in my opinion the bose system is actually extremely good in terms of sound reproduction and accuracy, and it plays pretty damn loud also (this is coming from a sound freak). I would say that it is as good as the Harmon Kardon system i sampled in an M3, and it is better then the is300 system, and FARRRR better then the bose in the g35, which has no midrange, and brassy highs.
COMFORT & ROOM: The seat comfort is great, im 6'2" my brother is 6' 4" and none of us had any problem with room in the front or back (in the back legroom was a slight issue) The trunk was pretty small, but it was small to the point of actually bothering me
NAVIGATION: This was one of my favorite parts, its was awesome it was easy to learn, and surprisingly only required one disc for the whole nation. I was really stunned when I went under the business search, and I entered a relatively obscure music store I go to, and it actually had it listed, and all I had to do was press enter and it would lead me there!!!
PERFORMANCE: Haven driven my friends s2000 really often, I have come to the conclusion (contrary to prior notion) that the RX8 is actually as fun to drive. And I let my friend drive it as well, and he was extremely impressed, though he would not go as far as to dethrone his precious Honda. My reasons for this are, that although the s2000 has a slightly better gearbox (SLIGHTLY) there is something about its ride that seems artificial, which is not present in the rx8. This is hard for me to explain, but the rx8 feels more “real” as it does and often seems as if it anticipates EXACTLY what you want it to do. In addition to this, while both engines are very willing to rev, the s2000’s 4 banger, seems like it has to work harder to achieve the high revs, while the RX8 revs sooooooo easily its absolutely intoxicating. And if its willingness to rev doesn’t astonish you, then its absolutely unique and incredible engine note will most definitely mesmerize you (I guess its because I have never driven a rotary before). As far as acceleration, I am completely fine with its acceleration (which is a huge compliment), never having experienced any desire for more torque, and I honestly think this car is way more fun to drive than a torque monster (at least for me) because you have to wind it up for its power. So ultimately, I think if you enjoy driving such cars as an s2000, you will most definitely be pleased with this car
THE NOTORIOUS AIR CONDITIONING: I picked up the car in 90 degree heat, and I turned on the fan at full blast, and it was blowing hot air!! I was sooo pissed off because I heard all the prior complaints that I completely neglected the fact that AC mode wasn’t even on!!!!!!!!!!! So I chuckled to myself and turned AC on and it was actually pretty cold. Honestly, I was very comfortable climate wise in the car, under the scorching sun at 90 degrees. One thing I noticed is that the AC is only mediocre if you turn the electronics on without the engine, but once you get the engine on, the AC gets as cold as a normal person would desire.
SHIFTER & PEDALS: The very fact that I have yet to stall or miss a gear in the 8 is testament to the straightforwardness of the system. The clutch has a easy pleasant modulation, as does the throttle, and the brakes are very powerful. In my opinion the shifter is accurate enough to garner respect from Honda fans who would never settle for anything short of an s2000 quality shifter.
RIDE: I went to the dealership expecting a car with a roadster-like harshness to the ride, and came back pleased that it had a very civilized yet firm ride. I took it around my community over some bumps and was pleased to report that the 8 soaked up the bumps like they were nothing, and ground clearance was not an issue despite the appearance package.
Well that’s about it folks, if you have any questions or comments feel free to post them. And let me just say this, despite the fact that my “pre-order” has become over the duration of the past few months somewhat of a mythical journey having an utter lack of concrete substance to fasten myself to, when I arrived at the and saw this car for the first time in a form outside the “pixels” all my frustration and uncertainty of the last few months were obliterated. And after driving it, I knew for sure that this machine was worth every millisecond of my time. I am constantly barraged and plagued with the inherent lack of inspiration in our societies’ arts, sciences, and most definitely the automobile industry. And upon examining every portion of the rx8, there was never a moment when my heart was devoid of inspiration which is quite possible the best compliment you can give to any car. Some magazine (I don’t remember which) said it perfectly when they said something to the effect of “ Mazda is the last car company with true engineers, they do with a dime, what any fool can do with a dollar “ Basically my point is that this car is $%&!ING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!