ive been thinking about this so just want to get my thoughts down. A face lift is coming in 2008 for probably the USA MY 2009 RX-8 here is where im thinking is going. first these pics

CX-7 MS6 MS3 and Kabura front

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/il/news/2005/0509/mazda.crossport.500.jpg

http://photocdn.sohu.com/20060125/Img241600532.jpg

http://news.chinacars.com/images_dbxnxb/sy/2006/2/15/2714.jpg

http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71216&stc=1

now MS3 Rear and Kabura Rear

http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/6758/mazda22wr.jpg

http://faimg1.forum-auto.com/mesimages/47198/mazda-kabura-concept-761186.jpg

so im thinking that its pretty obvious we are seeing a new style for the Mazda corporate grill. and that lower tail area of the MS3 and Kabura have similar design with the sort of trapezoid center with horizontal "wings".

so my point is i believe we are seeing a foreshadowing of the face lift for the rx-8- versions of this grill and lower rear valance.

Very insteresting, i hope they don't create a center grill up where the hood is, I love the clean and simple look.

interesting...i guess it'll have to grow on me. thanks for the pics.

any chop artists want to take a shot at putting that kabura front bumper on a red 8?

Wow, that looks kinda weird. But I guess it'll have to grow on me too.

here's a crude attempt
http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71217&stc=1
:puke: let's hope my attempt just sucked

Looks like a good bird catcher!!! My mom's 2000 MPV has much smaller indents in the bumper down low than that car does and I swear it must just eat birds. We have found so many of them dead inside the cut out/indent looking things.

Uh... Ummm... Uh.. Damn.... That would be a shame (Thanks for giving it a try cjkim)...

Middle pointed grills MUST go. I hate the Cadillac pointed nose.. yuck.

That's front's damn ugly... sortof like a 3 or a 6 I guess

... things that turn me off big time about some car makers decoration... is how some... want to stick they freaking huge badges (like a ribbon on a pkg) smack in the front of every freaking vehicle (#) thay produce. Not naming names, and corporate identity is fine, but IMHO it just should be kept (very) low key and rather let the 'design profile' highlight the unique design and ID the manufacturer for the consumer (like our beloved RX-8 (#)) rather than blatant logo badging.

interesting, I like the center exhaust, the headlights are a bit much and the rear is too narrow.

Nice picture cjkim, I just hope your wrong. :fingersx:

looks like a pontiac solstice now..hahaha

If it ain't broke... why fix it?

I like the looks of the RX8 even after 3 years. Seriously... it has "aged" very well. Most other manufacturers change minute details just to freshen up the car in their yearly new model changes. Mazda RX8 doesn't need much change in the 3 years it has been out due to it's uniqueness in design. <--- It kind of makes you feel good as you know in the 3 years... your car still looks like the current model.

If the changes are coming... I hope they don't hit it with the "ugly stick".

Mechanically... is where I am hoping the changes are to a greater effect!

^ 3 rotors, Brembo 6 pot (front) and 4 pot (rear) brakes.

Imagine... would they ever call an RX8 slow??? (Dreaming is not a crime.)

^agreed. Just like the S2000s, minor changes are acceptable, but I don't see why or how they should change the major looks of the rx8.

Btw, people need to stop dreaming about Mazda giving us 3 rotors. It's not going to happen until 3 rotor engines can pass emission standards.

Btw, people need to stop dreaming about Mazda giving us 3 rotors. It's not going to happen until 3 rotor engines can pass emission standards....and until they figure out how to make it not to guzzle fuel :p:

Btw, people need to stop dreaming about Mazda giving us 3 rotors. It's not going to happen until 3 rotor engines can pass emission standards.

WAAAAAA!!!! I know! We are probably stuck with 2 rotors.

Btw, people need to stop dreaming about Mazda giving us 3 rotors. It's not going to happen until 3 rotor engines can pass emission standards.

and until they figure out how to make it not to guzzle fuel

So basically never....

They haven't figured out how to get the 2 rotor not to guzzle fuel. EPA anyone?

OT: And now my sunroof just started rattling today while it's open and there's fog in my left taillight after washing my car yesterday. Dammit :wallbash:

http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71237&stc=1
MORE likely chop... still pretty bad

cjkim, youve got some pretty darn good photoshop skills.... that second one looks especially clean. i dont like the change, but you made it look real.... I ENVY YOU. congratulations.

cjkim can you make the openigns larger reaching from the top red line in my pic to the bottom one? also would you make the mesh more out front and prominent like on the cx-7? thanks heaps- i tried to do it in paint- and i have no skill. uggh;)

edit: actually the top line now that i think of it should be about right thru the mazda emblem. thanks again

ok for everyones enjoyment here is my horrible paint version. let the ridicule begin :hahano:

ok for everyones enjoyment here is my horrible paint version. let the ridicule begin :hahano:

OH MY GOD! Haha, just kidding, its not that bad really for paint. Anyways, looks just like the mazdaspeed kit now just with an indent in the middle of the grille. Pretty nice, you probably do better than i can though. haha.

EDIT: Also want to add that yeah, the bigger opening for the oil coolers are a number one for me and i like the picture. and the way you made the front look. Just a little freshening up and it'll look clean.

yeah in my pic it is like the mazdspeed but i think it will be a little different, more aston martinish - especially when you have the grilles really out front like with the other models.

we'll have to work on the back next;)

so get rid of that lower lip damn thingy outlined in the picture?
http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71268&stc=1

yeah!

Zoom will be heading Mazda's new Oregon Design Studio :D:

ok for everyones enjoyment here is my horrible paint version. let the ridicule begin :hahano:
http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71267
LOL. Somwhere on some other forum, someone will post this pic and ask if anyone has seen this spy shot of the new facelift.

brillo- i could use thejob:)

and LOL if some one finds that on another site you have got to tell me:D:

http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71270&stc=1
that was pretty tough. i think the dams aren't proportional though

hmm, forgot the mesh

based off the cx7 and the 3 & 6, i think the facelift could go in this direction...

i put current and my speculation together for easier comparison.

based off the cx7 and the 3 & 6, i think the facelift could go in this direction...

i put current and my speculation together for easier comparison.
interesting, but i hope not :mdrmed:

definetly liking CJ's now and liking the direction that glyphons is headed also. just a little refinement

interesting, but i hope not :mdrmed:

haha, that's how i feel about the mazda emblem holder on your versions :mdrmed:

v2.

http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71278&stc=1
added mesh and fogs in two different styles.
personally, i don't like the second one.

added mesh and fogs in two different styles.
personally, i don't like the second one.

i don't see a difference between the two... :confused:

haha, that's how i feel about the mazda emblem holder on your versions :mdrmed:

v2.
hehe, never said i like the kabura emblem holders either. don't think its too bad though.

something about yours though. is that shadowed part supposed to be like the CX-7's grill thingy? see picture
http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71279&stc=1

cjkim, i cant stop drooling over your skills... any tricks of the trade you would like to share? its just so real....!!!

hehe, never said i like the kabura emblem holders either. don't think its too bad though.

something about yours though. is that shadowed part supposed to be like the CX-7's grill thingy? see picture
http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71279&stc=1

yup...i tried it with the double opening, like on the ms6 picture on the first page, and it was waaaay too busy, so stuck with the single opening.

http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71280&stc=1

oooooooooooooooooooooooh. yeah, i don't really care for the non-lip version either.

haha, that's how i feel about the mazda emblem holder on your versions :mdrmed:

v2.
i like that actually. just a couple criticisms
your grill doesn't look too much like a grill.. looks kind of like the hood isn't closed fully. and i also doubt there will be a grill there for one reason. if you look at the nose shapes of the mazda car's that do have a grill/double grill, the noses on them are relatively flatter and longer, whereas in the 8, the hood draws farther into the nose with a more gradual slope. hard to explain, see picture
http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71281&stc=1

i see what you're saying, but there isn't a reason why there couldn't be a scoop-grill there.

i redid the manip so that it looked like a design element rather than a funked up hood that doesn't close right.

still not perfect, but better. since i'm still at work, manips have to rather quick and somewhat dirty.

http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71278&stc=1


http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71282

yep this is the direction i think they'll go. they've done the black bar on the other cars an mazdaspeed 8 kit to hide the crash bar, i think the emblem holder looks better for that . i kinda like the no lip for the center and then let the mesh for the oil coolers be recessed. but i like elements of all of these. thank you gentlemen:D:

and don't forget you're take on it zoom!!
http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71267
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
now the back!!

I think the side intakes should be a bit smaller and they won't have mesh. My reasoning? Well, if the side intakes do have mesh, they'd have to make two different versions; one without foglight holes and the other with. That would drive production costs up for such a minor thing, so I don't see them doing it. In that case, such a big side intake would not match with the center, so I see the size being smaller. Anyway, this is complete speculation, I have no idea how (if) the facelift will look like!

I think the side intakes should be a bit smaller and they won't have mesh. My reasoning? Well, if the side intakes do have mesh, they'd have to make two different versions; one without foglight holes and the other with. That would drive production costs up for such a minor thing, so I don't see them doing it. In that case, such a big side intake would not match with the center, so I see the size being smaller. Anyway, this is complete speculation, I have no idea how (if) the facelift will look like!
good point, but they COULD do something like they did with the msp 6. see picture, hard to see, but i brightened it up so you could see it.
http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71297&stc=1
still, this was just my image of what zoom requested sooooo :bootyshak
:mdrmed: :mdrmed: :mdrmed: :mdrmed:

Damn Charlie, that made me bust our loud laughing! :lol:

these are all intresting and of course speculation but look what toyota has been up to. Very similar front bumber for the 2007 camry. I like the MS look better.

Not really similar at all.

Damn Charlie, that made me bust our loud laughing! :lol:


which part Kev:)?

here's one inspired by the msp6 front grill.

looks a bit like a honda to me

Hey, just for fun, can you make one with an Edsel front end? :)

which part Kev:)?Your Paintchop :hahano:

Actually, I'm no better. But that was a classic one you posted.

its my best work yet:D:

Hey, just for fun, can you make one with an Edsel front end? :)
wow would that be hideous :Eyecrazy: |
maybe later :mdrmed:

Nothing personal....I hope you guys don't go work for Mazda... you'll likely turn our attractive car's front into looking like an SUV or an Audi... not sure which is worse ...but IMHO both are pretty damn fugly awful. Stop:nono:!!!

what would you like to see Spin? What direction do you think they wiil go?

Oh No! It finally dawned on me why I started to feel ill when looking at those last pics!

Can it be? :Eyecrazy:

this is waht the 2006 will look like. see the pic below

what would you like to see Spin? What direction do you think they wiil go?
lol prob some direction I don't want! I don't like the 'stuck out' fronts w/badge on many of the latest gen cars. Unfortunately, Mazda seems to be following (or leading) the crowd, i.e., the 3 and 6 in particular have this trait. Many Japanese car's styling seem to be coming together in front end style, they're getting too the same. The dif w/Mazda's version is them putting the RX-8ish opening under the grill. Don't like that either ... looks too busy..messy..like two sets of grills.

What would I like....? Since the 8 is so unique and rare already... why not make it more so by adopting some existing style, like the MazdaSpeed kit or Autoexe style kit? Build it into the car, standard. Save everyone a bunch..they'd already have a pretty decently good bodykit w/purchase.

These pics as a possible face lift, look pretty ugly imo.
The only face lift that would be good was a photo chop some1 made of a blue rx8 a lil while ago.
I think it was a combination of the mazda 6 front.
That thing looked dope.

Honestly, I like the angry guppy styling of the RX-8 just fine.

wow, harsh crowd
i feel a bit sinful by saying this, but i see a resemblance of the ms kit in my chop :| besides the logo holder(which i'm not too fond of myself, but at this point, it seems to have a chance to make it into production) i don't think it's that bad... but then again, i chopped it -_-
mazda would never release a kit too similiar to the ms kit stock, it would make the ms kit worthless!

Hey, just for fun, can you make one with an Edsel front end? :)

wow would that be hideous :Eyecrazy: |
maybe later :mdrmed:

Ok, it's later! Now can we have an RX-Edsel? :mdrmed:

bump

I think if they do a restyling it will most likely be the front of the prototype mazdaspeed like we have seen at tokyo autosalon2006

I'd like to see them make it a little less busy. Smooth it out a bit more. That goes for the interior as well. I'm shopping the 8 now after having lusted after it since it came out, and i think it's starting to age. I hope i can hold out on buying till i at least see the refresh, but the ones here are making me want to buy now!

Make it in a wide body style so that the front fenders don't look so much wider than the rear.

Thanks guys for the work on making the pic's look so real...but I hope you all are wrong. I don't like any of them that much, the yellow ones aint so bad but I'd rather have an aftermarket front end then those.

Mazda...just give me the dang Mazdaspeed Version II front end, where is ITTTTTT????? I hope Mazda does not mess things up...

My 50 cents worth...

Zoom, I tend to think, and going on the very subtle changes to the 2006/7 Mazda 3 and 6, the 2008 RX-8 changes will also be very minor, change of rear tail lamps, perhaps more aggressive (larger) headlamps, new mags, suspension upgrades, trim changes and new paint...then there is the engine issue, UMmm, slight fuel and HP improvements, but don't expect too much here, and YES, a MAZDASPEED 8.

Maybe the upcoming changes are going to be along the lines of the MS Concept 8...

JDM mags have been showing photochops of a Kabura-faced 8 ever since the Kabura was shown.... saying that is going to be along the lines of the facelift.

I agree with the feeling ill part. A little voice in the back of my mind is screaming, "SOMEONE MAKE THEM STOP, f-ing up my car!!!"

I love the 8 just the way it is, except for clear corners and maybe the rear rotary accent :)

Just add Zaino and it's Perrrrfect :)

bumpity bumptiy bump

You know what Mazda will do. They did it with the first 7, we're ready for our Special Edition one, the end of the model cycle, just before our next Rotary Refresh. The one like when the 13B came out and you don't want to shift out of 3rd gear at Red line....why it still had more to give. Thats the one I'm all in for(16X) the new one. I know the SE(whatever it will be) will be a great improvement. The GSL-SE is a Great Car.

Amazing how old threads can come back to "haunt" us. When I first looked at this thread last year, I wouldnt have imagined that today, it's ringing true---even the speculated pics are looking like the real thing!!

Moar speculation:

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/24/rendered-speculation-mazda-rx-8-refresh/

For the lazies:
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/12/mazda_rx8_scan_450-op.jpg

I am liking the fogs, but not liking the tail light housing.

and don't forget you're take on it zoom!!
http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71267
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
now the back!!

Dude... the first thing I thought when I saw that was the stay pufft marshmallow man from ghostbusters when he's smiling!

He's a sailor, he's in... wherever the hell that is... and he's back and he's pissed off!

Moar speculation:

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/24/rendered-speculation-mazda-rx-8-refresh/

For the lazies:
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/12/mazda_rx8_scan_450-op.jpg

I am liking the fogs, but not liking the tail light housing.

I'm not sure what to think of the tail either. Although, from what I can gather from the picture, the taillights look much like the rsx's... :icon_no2:

I think your all on crack and the designs you're coming up with are fugly.. and speaking of fugly.. the Kabura is puke.

i like the fogs right under the headlights. that looks hot.

anyone see the autobahn kit'd rx8 with the audi a6 lights as fogs? that looks hot.

Hmm, seems quite plausible..

I'm sort of undecided if I like it better or not.. I suppose I'll need to see some better pics if it turns out to be accurate.

I'm not sure what to think of the tail either. Although, from what I can gather from the picture, the taillights look much like the rsx's... :icon_no2:

saturn sky, anyone?

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii214/restiller/guess.jpg
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii214/restiller/guess02.jpg
...from another thread.

I'm not asking anyone to like it, but Zoom says it could be pretty accurate. And his version always puts a smile on my face :)

I still like the current face.

Still waiting for the new 16X

The autoblog one is the nearest to accurate... a new style bar across the front, like the CX-7 and a new side vents and a tweaked tail & taillights and new full length running boards.

the spyshot from the autoblog post, the repositioned fog lights look like flash-to-pass/city lights from the FD...

those arent spyshots. they are photochopped.

just an fyi. :)