Hi, i just decided to join up rx8club as i feel in love with the car when i got to see it up close and test drive it. And now i wantone :D What i liked most about it was the build quality compared to the 350z and s2k interior design.

My 1st car i wanted was a 02 s2000 then a 03 Track 350z, and now a Rx8. But i really cant make up my mind. If i were to get an rx8 i would be getting a New Special edition model from the dealer. But the fuel consumption in the 8 is really putting me off as this will be my daily driver to uni. I know many of you will say, 'if you can afford an 8, you can afford petrol' but the car is a gift.

Any tips or advice anybody recommend or would like to share before or to look out for when buying a RX8? Im sure many of you have considered the s2k, 350z too while before buying the 8.
(other cars i have considered are - BMW M3 E36, Mini Cooper S, Golf R32...all NA cars)
And what are your opinions on the new special edition 8 ?
http://rotarynews.com/node/view/472

Thanks in advance.

ps. anyone in adelaide with an 8, they like to show? dealer didnt really fang it around for me lol

 

lol you sound rich. go buy a m3. i'd sell my 8 for a m3 anyday...

 

**EDIT** Was a harsh post before the coffee was had....**EDIT**

Depends on what you want from a car, if it is performance then go the GTR, if it is the complete unique package then I would definately go the 8, however I would ask whoever is paying for the car to throw in a petrol card too, because you are right it is a little thirsty.

 

i agree get an m3...or a BNR34 GTR V-Spec II...:p

 

Wow. Tough room.

Drive each car you're interested in. Then measure the pros and cons of owning each. Visit several forums, read and search for known problems. Find out what people like about the vehicles as well (especially after owning it for a little while). Do a search for the "little things" thread to see what I mean.

I really don't get when people ask what kind of car they should buy. You should buy whichever vehicle satisfies most of your needs at the lowest price. If that happens to be the RX-8, you won't be dissapointed. Enjoy your gift, whatever it is, and realize that while you may be happy with it, true appreciation and satisfaction come with spending your own hard-earned money on something.

 

Driving to uni everyday? Like a student? I thought there was a law about that saying uni students had to drive a Dato 1600 or a clapped out Volvo or something.

As well as the fuel card, get them to throw in a grill kit, and an exhaust, and a supercharger :D :D :D

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Yeah, that's right. Or, for performance, a HQ Holden ute with 5L V8 (and it carries the beer!)

Well, as you've come to this forum for advice, there only is one recommendation I can offer: the RX-8 -- the best, most perfectly balanced and stylish car for the money.... :p

 

Plerx8

The Shinka special edition model of the RX8 coming to Australia is going to be a low volume model not because its rare but because they wont be able to sell more than 100 of them .
The upgrades are mostly superficial and the interior is a bit Gay in my opinion but i hear GOMEZ a senior forum member loves the concept , MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK TO HIM .

If honda had the S 2000 2.2 HERE IN AUSTRALIA ID BE A HARD CALL BUT out of the cars you have mentioned the RX8 WINS HANDS DOWN BUT ....................... PLEASE............RECONSIDER YOUR CHOICE OF THE SHINKA MODEL UNLESS YOU ARE A diva or a raving poof or both . :D

cheers
michael

 

Ooooooo... Agree:D

The special edition is only for blond ladies with big butt and long leather boots :p

Hey I have driven all the car you mention before I got the 8.... I have faith that there will be turbo/supercharge reliable enough to do that and then .... everyone will want one :p

It is still very special when it is NA, I beat all the crap drivers in Porsches, M3s, Boxsters and Ford FPVs. Power is not the only thing, handling is most cruicial for a part timer on the track.

 

If it's a gift, ask them to give you the cash instead, invest wisely and when you finish uni you can buy a porsche instead.

Hope you aren't going to park behind Adelaide Uni....too much vandelism and car theft especially for such a pretty car!

Which dealer do you hope to buy from?

 

Thanks for your opinions,keep them coming.
i will reconsider the Special edition as i should be able to see it up close before buying if i end up getting a rx8

Hope you guys realise i said the E36 M3 (1995?-1999), not the E46 which is over $100k and the GT-R is turbo so i can't have that.
I have joined other forums to compare cars and opinions so thats why im asking for your reasons why you picked the rx8. So far the 350z forum are most supportive and m3 forum are just a bunch of jelous men thinking they know everything and try to make you feel dumb.

I don't think there are any laws about students driving high performance cars here in adelaide. As far as i know, you can be 16.5 years old, on your Ps and drive a V8, and the police won't do anything. Im on my fulls anyway.

AMG- i am planning to park on Vic drive for short hrs, but if i have to park for the whole day, i will park in the indoor carpark at target ($7 for students, full day).
There is a nice black 8 there sometimes when i walk pass so THAT car made me consider the Rx8 and join up this forum. :D

Im not sure what dealer yet but i went to Paradise Mazda for the test drive.

 

Hey - it was a joke! We do that all the time here. Sorry if you missed it and got scared away.

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Another thing is how many seats do you want. 4 in the rx8 or 2 in the 350z.

If you feel you may need to carry more than 1 passenger at times then the 350z does not look that suitable. Nothing better than driving to the city in your rx8 with 3 young attracive female passengers and seeing all the looks you get from those all around... Priceless :D

In regards to the M3 they can get very expensive to service as they do more and more km and you would not have a new car warranty with it!

In my opinion the rx8 is sex on wheels. It has killer looks, great performance and superb handling while retaining a comfortable ride, the ability to carry 4 and an air of class!

 

Listen to AMG!!!

On the other hand your parents prob have setup a nice trust fund for you already.

I was in a M3 last night.. Was driving it all last night (Love it when mates get drunk and have to drive their cars ) Buy a NEW M3 for stronger build but dont expect to go around corners like an rx8

If you buy an old m3 dont expect to still have the same good build quality as a new rx8.

Regards
Phillip

 

phil, what u say is interesting. Some months ago I was going through the hills when i stumbled across a new M3 in front of me. At the start the driving was quite lightly spirited but when the M3 saw I remained close to him he decided to go for more of a fang, still unable to shake me except when the straights were straight and not slightly windy, when the real winds came I was right on his tail again!

ILIV48

I have too many recollections of friends having their cars vandalised ( one twice in one week) broken into and stolen from my Uni days. Unfortunately your 8 will be a target. And it takes far less than a few short hours for the damage to be done.

If my parents were to spend 60+K on me when I was young and at Uni I guess I'd ask them to put it towards a deposit for a commercial property or invest in divi/growth stocks. In fact, I bought my first commercial property when i was at Uni ( property was relatively cheap then) The property in 14 years has gone up 200%, good yield, good tennant. Glad I didn't buy a car!

 

Good advice AMG... even just get your first management fund when you are young. Property is good when you have good eyes. But when I was in Uni, I was too busy reading my text book rather than the market. So I used management fund, and now earning enough to buy a RX-8 as I don't have to do much saving. The fund (with regular contribution) is project to be very handy when I am 70 - the year that I am retiring. See be a Pathologist if you want to bump around for a quar mil a year without doing much

In terms of car.... I have tested all the above and wrote it up

www.step-hen.com/testdrive.htm

Chose the RX-8 because of my new baby ... Hence i need a 4 seater. Otherwise, I will go for s2000 over the 350Z , then the RX-8.

 

is it possible for you to TEST DRIVE all the cars you are considering?
its your car, and you should decide for yourself after a test drive
but if i had to make that decision, i would...
for jap car = RX8
for euro = VW R32

btw, have you checked the insurance thingy yet

 

I'd buy the Special Edition. Mazda are only bringing in 110, you know. Get in early, Adelaide won't be allocated many. But as AMG said, I'd be loathe to drive it to Uni. A car as rare and special as this will attract undue attention. Get a beater to park at school, and keep the 8 garaged during the day. You'll save on insurance too, if you don't have it as a daily driver. Might even pull a further discount for only taking it out at night!

All the best, Gomez.

 

PLERX8

At your age i would have wiped myself out in a car like the RX8 , however you seem to be the cautious sensible type , so go for whatever your heart feels is right , plenty of time for realestate and other investments later in life .

You could always place this billboard above your parking spot at your university.......j/k

 

Forget property, get a nice car! Plenty of time to be old and responsible when you are old!

For me the biggest advantage of the RX-8 over the 350z and s2000 is having four seats. You mightn't carry more than one passenger very often, but when you are in a situation where you want to or need to, you'll be glad you have the extra seats. It still performs like a 2 seater.

Performance of all three is more or less on par I think. My mate has a 350z and he can't keep up with the rx-8 on twisty roads. Going fast in a straight line isn't nearly as fun. This car has awesome balance and cornering ability. And oh, that engine. Nothing beats that constant smooth pull all the way to 9000rpm.

Having driven the 350z, there are a lot of other things I don't like about it either, but sitting in one for yourself or test driving one should make them obvious, so wont rant on here.

Welcome to the forum.

 

well if you're a student and you're keen on spending that sort of money on a car (which i personally wouldn't - buy a house lol) i'd personally get myself an spec-r s15 and turn it into a sleeper and keep the rest of the money to spare.

 

Ok here's my two cents worth:
I would buy the RX-8 for the handling, the look, the performance, the whole package.......however the biggest advantage is:

When you go out you rarely would go alone, often you would take a mate. If you go out and both pick up you need to be able to fit two girls in as well. Whilst this may not be the case all the time it is certainly a big advantage.

Also how often do you see people stare at an M3 or an S2000, I can tell you that I have lost count the number of times valets, strangers and other people in cars have just come up to me and said "nice car mate".

I can tell you, you wont get that in any other car.

 

Good luck trying to the Shinka model 8 since supply is non-existent......... afterall the plant caught on fire recently and all RX8s are in limited supply until June.

BTW, when did Gomez approve of the Shinka?

 

When he discovered this guy lived in Adelaide..... :p

 

hey 'Mez, still hung up over Port power winning the cup!!!! just to rub it in, an Adelaide horse also took the MELBOURNE cup....2nd time running.....LOL!