When I was recently in rxeighters home town, and drove his Winning Blue RX-8 for the second time, I noticed something a little different about it.

Not an obvious thing like being LHD, and something I wouldn't normally notice in the US. You see, I my driving over there, I am not as used to using the mirrors as I am am in RHD cars. The subtle, automatic things to do have to re-learned, and you get a slightly wierd sensation. Like the main rearview mirror - you have to glance up to the right to use it, instead of up the "natural" up to the left action I am used to. Even more so, I found I did not use the "off-side", or passengers side mirror as much.

But when I cam to back the RX-8 back into it's little home in rxeighters garage, I noticed something. I had difficulty using the mirror to judge if I was straight with the garage wall. Why? Because the US Spec "off-side" mirror is the "wide-angle" design - you know "Objects are closer than they appear", and the angles are all distorted.

Now, as far as I have seen, the AUS Spec RX-8's have a normal "true" mirror for the passenger side mirror. Interesting. It is not as though they are outlawed by ADR's or anything here - I mean my AUS built Commodore had such a wide-angle mirror.

Anyway - I thought you might be all interested in this little bit of trivia.

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Also, the top mounted radar detector kinda took you by surprise, if I remember correctly.

I am very mirror oriented, especially backing up. It is rare for me to look over my shoulder. The convex mirror is my friend.

 

Hymee you are just used to everything being backwards!

 

Rotary God
Hymee is positioning himself for the crown of rotary god , in his quest so far he has produced the Hymee grill and Exhaust , the scan tool to read the WDR , and is working on delivering the Twin screw supercharger , Next thing he will be after your avatar and title HA HA HA :D

cheers
michael

 

we have bigger heads overe here so we need that special mirror : )

 

You should know I'm too modest to self proclaim anything!

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Hymee

"The quiet achiever " BPwould be proud j/k

cheers
michael

 

Now i know why you guys are getting rear ended so readily that wide angled mirror is giving you a distorted idea of distance . :p

cheers
michael

 

LOL good one L&L....

 

I just look at the mirror myself.

Maybe you are right Hymee. But how come I still think they are smaller than my rear mirror.

My shitty old Camry have a very wide angle mirror and on it says "this mirror show images which is closer than it appears"... now I think it is a wide angle mirror.

 

WTF?? You should know better by now, Taka!

Yes, the ones with those words are not "flat" mirrors, but convex. I think I did mention the phrase originally.

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Well Hymee - look at the Avatar.

My eyes are very small. So every thing is small to me - I can't tell subtle differences! :D

 

Taka

Dont worry , hes having one of those days were he wants to pluck a few feathers j/k


cheers
michael

 

Must be the early cars Hymee....mine has a wide angle mirror on it. No disclaimer statement embossed on the glass, but it's a wide angle jobbie all the same.

Cheers, Gomez.

 

Hymee, they are outlawed by ADR's. I suspect holden must have had a dodgy 'dealer-fitted' workaround or something. Ask anyone who's been through the drama of having a personal import picked up for the mirrors not meeting ADR's.

 

Hmmm...

I know - Pete and Gomez enter the snake pit to work this one out between themselves.
:D

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

the americans have amber indicators while we get clear ones

 

They are outlawed on the drivers side....not the passengers....?

 

Apparently they aren't even indicators, they're only park lights.

 

You got it!

 

Yeah Pete, Hymee reckons he has a normal mirror on his left door....I have a wide angle one.....

Gomez.

 

I was talking specifically about the passenger's side ones!!

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

I started to wonder if it was a cloth/leather thing. But 'mez has the lightwight sports version like me :p

rxeighter's is the "GT" leather pack, with 'roof.

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Ah now I see. MY comprehension just caught up with me

Something to do with the build dates maybe?

 

That's what I'm tippin'....either that, or Hymee's dreamin'... :D

Gomez.