stasis1

How would you rate RX8 if you didnt own one personally?

RXE16T

Care to elaborate on your question?

Performance?
Styling?
Reliability?
Value?

stasis1

as a whole ETC

RXE16T

Performance = adequate = 8/10
Styling = chicks love it = 10/10
Reliability = questionable (flooding,etc) = 6/10
Value = fully optioned for only $65K = 9/10

Joy of ownership = priceless

LOL

I can't speak for all of the unwashed masses who have yet to experience the allure of the 8, but the general consensus (at least from friends/family/colleagues) is GREAT CAR!

stasis1

i know i cant keep my leaded foot from the gas pedal when im driving i keep on wanting to rev up abouve 4000 rpm

Maestro

RX-8 = 9.0 out of 10

would be 10 with more grunt.

NickG

I can't really pretend I'm not an owner, so here are my personal comments after 8 months with the car:

Character: 10/10. RX-8 is a unique and characterful drive. Like an Alfa only infinitely better sorted.
Depth of Engineering: 9/10. A bold concept, well executed.
Fit and Finish: 7/10. Paint is a bit average and some interior plastics are well below the best from Europe and Japan.
Handling: 8.5/10. For its intended function, and on real world public roads, I think the handling is more or less spot on. Steering, brakes and gearbox are all outstanding. DSC is very well optimised. Low speed ride harshness is the only significant weakness.
Reliability: 8/10. Mine's been almost flawless, but others have experienced some problems.
Performance: 8/10. You have to work to get it, but the work is Fun with a capital "F".
Economy: 4/10. The RX-8's only significant achilles heel. Partly offset by:
Value: 9/10. There are very few cars that pack this much technology and features at anything like the price. If the Germans built it, it would cost $100k. Only they wouldn't.....because they're way too conservative. IMO the last German car that was this radical was coincidentally also a Wankel: the 1968 NSU Ro80 - a brilliant but underdeveloped concept that failed dismally in the marketplace. It's taken the Japanese to get this right....

Just my 2c.... :D

BVD

I'd agree with NickG pretty much all the way.

I don't mind the low speed ride though. It's certainly firm and you feel a few jolts on rougher patches, but I rather like that. It reminds me that I'm driving a sports car. I like a sports car to give a solid ride rather than to feel like a luxury car.

I'm also happy enough with the fuel economy. During the running in period I got what I thought were pretty good figures - certainly comparable with some of the other cars I've owned. But I didn't buy it looking for that feature. I only ever checked the kpl figure once, and now I just drive it for fun (i.e. a deal harder and less economically) and just put fuel in when it needs it.

I tend to do all the sweating about costs - fuel, maintenance, depreciation, insurance, etc before I buy a car, and if it fits the bill (which the RX8 did with ease) then I don't worry about it again. It just gets whatever it needs in the way of fuel, repairs, etc.

For me it's a great looking car that handles beautifully and is great fun to drive and own. The fact that's it's also reasonably practical is a bonus. It's good value for what it offers, compared to other cars. No matter how much grunt you get, after a couple of weeks you always want just a bit more, but the RX8 has plenty of speed and acceleration to keep me cheerful on the public roads that I actually get to drive on around here. :D

rotarenvy

if I wasn't an owner I might be a bit more picky and say the usual things people who haven't driven one would say; slow, expensive for leather and the few extras, uses to much fuel, unreliable. 6/10.

but having attended the mazda track day 10/10 :D having a sports car with a supple ride that can do lap after lap with out overheating, brakes going off, and being dam near uncrashable with the DSC on, is amazing.

DMRH

Performance = adequate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7/10
Styling . . . . = chick weapon *** psudo family car . . . .. . . . 10/10
Reliability . . = Excellent compared to previous Rx's . . . . . . . . 8/10
Value . . . . . = 60% price increase from same car in Japan . . . 3/10

RXP33D

I hear everyone saying value ain't so great as there is so much mark up against the Jap specs. But ideally, for the price your paying in Aus, its pretty good damn value against other cars you can get for level of features.

I mean what about an s2000 and 350z's in Japan? Is it a somewhere around a 60% markup?