craigw1

don't know if something similar has happened where you guys are, but here in SA mazda has just released the mps....first in the 6, and next year the 3 will be launched. The technology is high spec...2.3litre 4-cylinder with direct injection and turbo charged. Then mate that to an all wheel drive transmission system. rated 191kw...and here's the rub..priced here cheaper than the rx8 !

i think mazda has let us down badly here...the rx8 is supposed to be the flagship, not some mps upstart !

come on mazda....let us have an rx8 mps or mazspeed or call it whatever you like. Don't even need to give us all wheel drive....just give us factory turbo to take us north of 200kw

rotary magic

agreed. the fact that a subcompact hatchback from the same company is faster than the flagship is BS.

at least the rx8 looks better and handles better. now if Mazda can make it faster.

rodrigo67

Mitsu did the samething when the supped up lancer was a better performer then thier sports cars, the eclipse or 3000GT, and we see what happened to the 3000, and we see where the eclipse comes in on the mitsu performance table (they turned it into a chick car)....

vapourit

The rx8 looks amazing, inside and out. I think some rx8 drivers forget that and just complain about the power. Have you driven another car lately?

Obviously, there are nicer cars that this, but my winter geo metro is making me want to shot myself in the face. Need rx8 back.

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

Is the RX8 Mazda's flagship car? They don't treat it as such. When was the last time you saw a 8 in a Mazda commercial? The last one I saw was back in August. It was a special one that only seemed to be run once. Mazda has made statements that they are committed to the rotary, but they haven't said the same about the RX8.

DjRx8

Agreed. The RX8 and its owners doesn't get the treatment it deserves from Mazda.

zenmoused

Meh, I don't think the 6 is all that great. Yeah, more power, but the 8's suspension and handling are far superior. The problem with the 6 is it's still a sedan. The interior is boring (albeit spacious), and the AWD system is pretty bad. I test drove one of those when I was looking for a replacement for my A4, and I was appalled at how much wheelspin I was getting with having two wheels in gravel.

The 8 is the most unique sports car out there, handles like a champ, looks gorgous, and is the only production car in the world that uses a rotary engine. If power is all you care about, then go buy a mustang for $8000 less.

mysql101

Keep in mind the rx-8 isn't a shared platform with cheap parts. The RX-8 isn't some sedan with a fast motor in it. It's a sports car and has a lot of very expensive parts inside. Consider the engine has to be hand made....

get a turbo kit and enjoy the car

Tirminyl

Wow, another "Why are x cars faster than the 8" threads.

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

It seem to be the way Mazda handles thing. When something is new, as now in the case of the CX7, they advertise the hell out of the vehicle. When was the last time you saw a ad for a 3, 6 or even a MX5? I can't even remember. I haven't even seen ads for MazdaSpeed versions. Just magazine writeups. We will probably start seeing MX5 ads now that it has the retractable hard top. We won't be seeing 8 ads until they make a revision or make a 2nd gen.

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

No, this is more of a "Why don't we get any love from Mazda" thread.

CarAndDriver

Cry me a river.

Raptor2k

Repost......x10?

alerx-8's

to answer zenmoused i have a mazda 6 their great cars but yet a sedan with a stylish look but u cant compare it to a sports car, and the intertior is not boring : )

Huskyfan23

As previously stated before, you shouldn't compare the mazdaspeed3 or mazdaspeed6 with an RX8. It's like comparing apples to oranges.


Sure, the two cars in the mazdaspeed line are faster, but are they as fun to drive? not by a long shot. They are sedans / station wagons, and can not handle nearly as well as the 8. The 8 is much better at cornering and giving you that "I love my car" fun feeling.

I've driven both the mazdaspeed3 and mazdaspeed6, and I would never in a hundred years trade in the 8 for either of them. They both seem rather soulless to me, and they are not , IMO, fun to drive, regardless of the 0 - 60 time. When, in real life, does that even matter anyways? Real roads have hairpin turns and traffic.

trusterotary307

I definitely agree the 8 needs more power.The "high end" mazda should be the fastest and nicest not one or the other.I mean c'mon its got th RX name to live up to if mazda started making all its vehicles faster then the RX-7 when it was out I think people would feel the same way.

rxtreme

iTrader: (1)

The RX-8 platform is shared...with the MX-5. While the rotary remains unique to the RX-8, I think that is part of the continued support towards the RX-8, besides the great handling and looks.

I had considered making the MPS 3 my next vehicle, but after the reviews I have read, the same characteristics that pushed me towards the 8 may not be the same as in the MPS 3. The reviews I have read suggest it does not handle as well as the 8, is only as fast (maybe slightly faster) in a straight line and the engine is not as pleasurable to rev thru - HP/torque fall off well before red line.

Mazda entire line up is pretty unique. I really would not define any car as being a flagship, either in performance or features. I believe sometimes they suffer from a identity problem by not offering an upscale version of their cars (Lexus to Toyota, Acura to Honda, Infinity to Nissan). Rather they produce a bunch of unique vehicles that seem to to pretty well as segment leaders: MX-5, MPS 3 (maybe the standard 3), and soon to be CX-7. The RX-8 has been difficult to fit into any category. If it is that difficult to categorize, how would Mazda define it as a flagship? Usually a flagship car has a technology or features that trickle down to other cars. The Acura NSX, for example, had an engine and technologies that trickled down the whole Acura line. The same type of approach can be said about other auto companies. Why have we not seen any comparo's with the RX-8 against other cars in its' "segment" other than one I can remember when the car was first launched - RX-8 vs BMW 330i vs 350Z (which the RX-8 won)? It still manages to make Car and Drivers Top 10, but again, we rarely see comparos between it and others in the segment.

Besides, we already know the next gen rotary is on the way: Most likely with better performance and efficiency. If you look at a timeline of the launch of Mazda models, didn't the 3 come before the RX-8? The 3, I believe, was due for the MPS treatment. Don't give up on a more powerful 8 coming in the near future.

mysql101

This is a direct quote from Tom Matano, who worked on the design of the RX-8.

They later adapted the platform for the MX-5, but that doesn't take away from the RX-8, as the platform was built specifically for this car.

jones75254

iTrader: (2)

(just my opinion fellas)
When it comes down to it, Mazda is a business, trying to sell as many cars as possible, so they tailor to the masses. Fact is, the masses arent buying the 8. People r so preoccupied with either power or gas mileage, so they go with the Z, the mustang gt or a civic-si or some BS like that. People see 18 mpg with a 0-60 in 6.7 and they immediately rule it out, without considering everything else about the car. Due to this, i think Mazda pretty much said fu** it and turned their backs on the 8 to push the grocery getters (ms 3, cx7) instead of refining the 8 and putting it back to what the RX symbol stands for.....BAD ***. Truth is, if we want the 8 to be the ****, we have to do it ourselves w/ aftermarket inlfuence, because Mazda is not going to do it with todays market. They would have to figure out a way to get a turbo/SC version in mainstream production around 30k with mileage no worse than it is now...not gonna happen. I am a new rx8 owner, but have always been a fan, and i wouldnt want any other car. We have bring back the "awe" that is associated with the RX symbol.

rxtreme

iTrader: (1)

To make the car still affordable to the masses (like me), I would hope that many of the features and parts - to include the platform - be shared with other cars in the Mazda (or, dare I say it) Ford line up. True, the platform had to be modified for use with the MX-5, but I am sure it saved Mazda a ton of money to go that route instead of a completely new platform for the MX-5.

I am not trying to take away from the RX-8, either, but most affordable cars these days are built on some sort of global platform (engines, too).

Just think about it, Ike will have the pleasure of sharing his next gen Mitsubishi Evo with the Dodge Caliber SRT-4!

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

The RX-8 is not a car for everyone. Mazda knows this and IMO markets it like that.

Get over it....if you don't like the car....sell it. If you do....drive it

These threads get to be too much!

Phantom Menace

Somebody QUICK! Call the "Whaambulance!" I'm not being pampered like I should because I bought the top of the line MAZDA! There's a car out there faster than mine! WHAAA! To top it off, it's another MAZDA! WHAA! But MY car has to be the best in the brochures! WHAA! How could this happen? WHAA! What am I gonna tell the guys when they hear that there's a car faster than mine?! WHAAAAA!

Dude. Sell your car...please.

mysql101

They were talking about using it for a Jaguar car too.

I don't care, as long as Mazda doesn't take a SUV platform and retrofit it to a sports car, like some other companies do...

craigw1

listen guys...don't get me wrong. I am a rotary convert. I just think mazda has short changed us with the RX8. Sure...they talk the talk....zoom zoom...unique platform....4 seater sports car....50-50 weight distribution.....but when it comes right down to it, its way short of current technology. i am going to upset a few people here, but mazda have been playing on nostalgia here....they developed a sub par car, and hoped that all the rotary lovers out there would go for it. And sure, many of us have taken the bait. I bet every second owner there in the US has had a rotary before. And I bet ALL of you are thinking...damn...i wish she had more power...but you put it aside, because she handles well...she's got nice seats....she looks good....she is a good wife in other words.
And I don't think mazda are going to improve it for us. What we've seen is what we're going to get. This is not some engineering research institute...its a company which needs profits for shareholders. It needs market share...it needs sales....new models.

And for some background, I have a first gen rx7 (13b, street port, 48 IDA). i luv old skool....no turbo for this baby. It is a great car, lots of fun and I love it to bits. I also have an e46 m3 with smg. this car needs no introduction. I am intrigued by the rx8. I love the shape...I love the feel....but it is just SO DAMN TAME.....my first gen would give it horns. So unfortunately i haven't taken the plunge yet in getting an 8.....but i will do so one day. Unfortunately the first gen will then have to go

Razz1

I just wish they would add the likttle thing that would refine the car and keep it at a fixed price of 33k. No discounting to keep the value up.

Like Memory seats, coat hanger tab. Better insulation in cabin.

We already have a thread on those little things.