Hello All - First post here. I'm in the research, test-drive, ponder stage of possible RX8 acquisition. I've read just about all the threads here and found loads of valuable info.

I'm wondering if anyone here has explored the addition of a trailer hitch. While towing much with this car amounts to sacrilige, I'm only interested in mounting a bicycle rack.

I'm a very avid road and mountain biker - my wife and I haul bikes almost every few days. We currently have a supercharged Nissan Frontier crew cab for that, but I'm contemplating swapping it for the RX8. Needless to say, we still want to be able to take the bikes along, and stashing them in-car just isn't even an option. Keeping the truck would defer purchase of the RX8 for 18 months. Blah...

I'd be interested in just a discrete hitch receiver, not even a ball hitch installation. I've looked at several bike racks that mount with a clevis pin ararngement so the entire rack is removable in about a minute. These racks provide clearance so that bike and car contact is eliminated.

I gotta figure that RX8 owners like their thrill sports too, so I'd be anxious to read what other cyclists or personal watercraft owners and such are doing to tow their stuff.

Thanks in advance.

welcome - have a look at this thread

http://www.rx8forum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8835

It's an accessory here in the UK - and see the little red clip at the bottom - it's detachable - so it's not unsightly when not in use.

Dont know the price yet.

Hope that helps Russ
Russ.

Thanks for the info - I missed that one somehow. The one mentioned in the other thread doesn't look as if it would meet my specific needs, but the dealer assures me they can install a class II hitch receiver if I need one. I'll want to check to see how unobtrusive it is before having it installed.

However, in discussions with the missus, I think I have the bike hauling dilemma worked out where the RX8 wouldn't even need to be involved. :) We'd add a similar attachment to her car instead.

Now all that remains is to accumulate a respectable down payment. I have "issues" borrowing more than 25K on a toy, so I need to allocate about 6K + trade-in equity to get the debt to a level I'm more comfortable with.

Got my eye on a Ti / red-black - GT with the appearance package + spoiler, rotary accents and exhaust finishers. Dealer says they'll add the accessories at cost, and eat the install fees if I take delivery of the additions at the time of purchase. Sounds good to me.

I hadd a receiver custom welded behind the triangular design in the bumper. It took a long time to find a bike rack that fit. Most of them had tongues that were too short. The Thule fits fine.

It would have been easy to find a rack if I would allow the receiver to pertrude 1 1/2 inches.

With the Thule, there is no sign whatsoever that the car has a receiver behind the bumper.

Please post pictures/description of the receiver hitch installation.

Thank you.