Just bought a 2009 RX-8 R3
07-06-2008, 02:12 PM
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07-06-2008, 07:37 PM
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I read about the R3 and was curious about the Recarro seats and 4.77 differential. Heard there was one in Oakville, so I checked it out. No biggie really, just a minor spruce up prior to 2011 model.
07-07-2008, 12:34 AM
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the LED rear lights and the seats are WICKED tho!
07-07-2008, 05:05 AM
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You can order it for about $700 but it takes about 6 months to get here. You need a transmission shop that really knows what it's doing to install. Looking into the cost of that.
07-07-2008, 05:08 AM
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Other than the seats, nothing is of my liking. Even the 4.77 differential was offset by the larger wheel weight... I was thinking about it but I really hate the new miata-me-too steering wheel and the black plastic up front...
the LED rear lights and the seats are WICKED tho!
the LED rear lights and the seats are WICKED tho!
07-07-2008, 04:32 PM
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We will sell the ring and pinion for $450.00 not sure about the delivery time, can check tomorrow if your interested
07-07-2008, 06:08 PM
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07-15-2008, 10:17 PM
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Update: I took delivery of the R3 last Wednesday and have been enjoying it very much. I haven't had a chance to really thrash it yet - I'm still taking it easy and following Racing Beat's progressive rotary engine break-in recommendations which means keeping the revs below 4000rpm for a while. However, my initial impressions, comparing it to my track-tuned Miata, is that everything on the RX-8 is much smoother - ride, acceleration, you name it.
This tends to confirm my growing suspicions that my Miata is no longer the most suitable car for daily driving. All of the modifying I have done has certainly embodied the Miata with wonderfully instant response (acceleration, turning, stopping), all of which provides lots of fun on tracks and autocross courses. But in it's present state, the car has become a bit of a ball-buster for day to day driving. The suspension that works so well on the track feels rock hard on the street. Just hitting frost heaves at 80 kph can be punishing. The steering that turns in so sharply for the apex is positively darty out on the highway. Lots of driving fun for sure, but also more demanding than I need for my morning commute to work.
The R3 is being marketed as a vehicle for "enthusiast drivers". I've been thinking of getting an RX-8 for a while now, but I was frustrated because I was interested in the GT and yet every one being imported into Canada was factory-equipped with the supposedly "optional" moonroof. To me, a moonroof just takes up valuable head space that I would prefer to have when wearing a helmet!
While there are a number of technical gizmos that are missing from the R3 compared to the GT (e.g., no navigation system, no heated electric seats, etc.), all of which I won't miss, the R3 still has a lot more gizmos than I need for my enthusiastic driving. I certainly don't need a 6-CD changer with a 9-speaker BOSE sound system, the admittedly sophisticated Intelligent Key System , automatic headlight leveling system, automatic climate control, built in garage door opener or Bluetooth cell phone capability.
To me, all these do-dads just add unnecessary weight and complexity. For those who complain about poor gas mileage - consider the weight of all the electronics your car is carrying and the extra load on your engine just to supply all the electricity needed to run everything. In that respect, my 2000 Miata is a true lightweight and it shows in its handling and responsiveness (and gas mileage). I wish I could had deleted a lot of stuff from the R3.
A couple of people in this forum have asked about the price for the car. What I can say is that I got the car for the agreed price negotiated by the APA (Automobile Protection Association) under their new car purchace program. For those not aware, for the price of a membership ($60 per year) the APA negotiates set, no-haggle, car prices with dealerships that can save members thousands over the MSRP. For that reason alone the APA membership is worthwhile.
As far as my plans for a make-over, the very same afternoon that I picked up the car, I took it over to the paint shop that will be doing my custom paint job. I've been forced to reconsider my earlier plan to "wrap" the car (a la NASCAR) because the wrapping folks could not guarantee that they could accurately align the stripes that my design calls for from one body panel to another. So, back to the low tech option. The painting will start in August, after I return from a 3-week road trip with the car. No pics till the car has its new look. Sorry.
This tends to confirm my growing suspicions that my Miata is no longer the most suitable car for daily driving. All of the modifying I have done has certainly embodied the Miata with wonderfully instant response (acceleration, turning, stopping), all of which provides lots of fun on tracks and autocross courses. But in it's present state, the car has become a bit of a ball-buster for day to day driving. The suspension that works so well on the track feels rock hard on the street. Just hitting frost heaves at 80 kph can be punishing. The steering that turns in so sharply for the apex is positively darty out on the highway. Lots of driving fun for sure, but also more demanding than I need for my morning commute to work.
The R3 is being marketed as a vehicle for "enthusiast drivers". I've been thinking of getting an RX-8 for a while now, but I was frustrated because I was interested in the GT and yet every one being imported into Canada was factory-equipped with the supposedly "optional" moonroof. To me, a moonroof just takes up valuable head space that I would prefer to have when wearing a helmet!
While there are a number of technical gizmos that are missing from the R3 compared to the GT (e.g., no navigation system, no heated electric seats, etc.), all of which I won't miss, the R3 still has a lot more gizmos than I need for my enthusiastic driving. I certainly don't need a 6-CD changer with a 9-speaker BOSE sound system, the admittedly sophisticated Intelligent Key System , automatic headlight leveling system, automatic climate control, built in garage door opener or Bluetooth cell phone capability.
To me, all these do-dads just add unnecessary weight and complexity. For those who complain about poor gas mileage - consider the weight of all the electronics your car is carrying and the extra load on your engine just to supply all the electricity needed to run everything. In that respect, my 2000 Miata is a true lightweight and it shows in its handling and responsiveness (and gas mileage). I wish I could had deleted a lot of stuff from the R3.
A couple of people in this forum have asked about the price for the car. What I can say is that I got the car for the agreed price negotiated by the APA (Automobile Protection Association) under their new car purchace program. For those not aware, for the price of a membership ($60 per year) the APA negotiates set, no-haggle, car prices with dealerships that can save members thousands over the MSRP. For that reason alone the APA membership is worthwhile.
As far as my plans for a make-over, the very same afternoon that I picked up the car, I took it over to the paint shop that will be doing my custom paint job. I've been forced to reconsider my earlier plan to "wrap" the car (a la NASCAR) because the wrapping folks could not guarantee that they could accurately align the stripes that my design calls for from one body panel to another. So, back to the low tech option. The painting will start in August, after I return from a 3-week road trip with the car. No pics till the car has its new look. Sorry.
07-18-2008, 05:54 PM
#39
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However, my initial impressions, comparing it to my track-tuned Miata, is that everything on the RX-8 is much smoother - ride, acceleration, you name it.
This tends to confirm my growing suspicions that my Miata is no longer the most suitable car for daily driving. All of the modifying I have done has certainly embodied the Miata with wonderfully instant response (acceleration, turning, stopping), all of which provides lots of fun on tracks and autocross courses. But in it's present state, the car has become a bit of a ball-buster for day to day driving. The suspension that works so well on the track feels rock hard on the street. Just hitting frost heaves at 80 kph can be punishing. The steering that turns in so sharply for the apex is positively darty out on the highway. Lots of driving fun for sure, but also more demanding than I need for my morning commute to work.
This tends to confirm my growing suspicions that my Miata is no longer the most suitable car for daily driving. All of the modifying I have done has certainly embodied the Miata with wonderfully instant response (acceleration, turning, stopping), all of which provides lots of fun on tracks and autocross courses. But in it's present state, the car has become a bit of a ball-buster for day to day driving. The suspension that works so well on the track feels rock hard on the street. Just hitting frost heaves at 80 kph can be punishing. The steering that turns in so sharply for the apex is positively darty out on the highway. Lots of driving fun for sure, but also more demanding than I need for my morning commute to work.
07-18-2008, 06:57 PM
#40
Grand Chancellor
As a fellow owner of both a Miata and an RX-8, I have to disagree a little bit. My morning 'mountain' commute is more fun with my lightened Miata (6.5 lb wheels, 2100 lbs) and modified suspension. As much as I love my 8, there's just no subsitute for 900 lbs less weight when launcing over hills and careening around corners. Highway, no question, I prefer the refinement of the 8, especially when I want to take colleagues or clients to lunch, but by myself flying through the air and needing to turn upon landing, there's just no substitute for light weight. Isaac Newton would drive a Miata.
07-19-2008, 07:04 AM
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Actually, I'm starting to really like the colour of the car, enough that I've worked it into the design of my custom paint job. The point is that I had my heart set on getting the car in blue, but was told that the first blue R3s would not come off the production line until later in the summer (too late for my specific needs). When I learned that, I started re-thinking my purchase plans and decided to make lemonaid out of the lemons I had been dealt. I've been driving a very distinctive Miata for the past 8 years and I've enjoyed the attention and compliments it has received. I thought: if I couldn't get the colour I wanted, why not make it a colour (or design) I did want? Now, I'm planning something completely unique for the car. Hopefully, it will be well executed by the painters and my design will be tasteful. We'll see... sometime around the end of August.
In response to the comments about the Miata being unsuited for daily driving, I have to emphasize that I was referring to MY Miata and MY daily commute (no mountain roads unfortunately). I LOVE my Miata and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Miata as a daily driver car, just not one as stiff and twitchy as mine, at least not for the stop and go commuting that I face each day.
In response to the comments about the Miata being unsuited for daily driving, I have to emphasize that I was referring to MY Miata and MY daily commute (no mountain roads unfortunately). I LOVE my Miata and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Miata as a daily driver car, just not one as stiff and twitchy as mine, at least not for the stop and go commuting that I face each day.
