Automatic for the UK !
 

Yep - I kid you not.

Just spoken to my HP engineer - who told me he had seen an RX8 at the weekend and is now going to order.
So we got chatting etc about the doors , dash, public appeal etc etc... and he told me the one he drove was automatic.

"No way" says I , the UK only get 5sp low power manual or 6sp High(ish:)) power manual.
Seems the dealer he drove the car at (Letchworth) had an auto demonstrator , and told him that he could order automatic, and it would be about 6 months lead time.

So - You heard it here first. Auto RX8s for the UK.....

Morgan.

Do you think the car was over here just to guage customer reaction to an automatic.

Perhaps after lots of positive enquiries they have decided to bring it over. That will make us the only country with three models. Woot!

Norton Way Mazda in Letchworth had 2 demostrators for about 2-3 days, a silver and titanium one. Seeing them convinced the missus that we should have one, the front of the RX-8 is out of this world.

Anyway to get to the point I missed out on a test drive because I was too late (still ordered one anyway) but the silver one was definately not an automatic and I'm pretty sure the Titanium one wasn't aswell, only had a quick look through the window, but I might be wrong. Watched one blast away from the garage and oh god I had to have one. The MPG and oil business worry me a bit but oh well lifes for living and not worrying. Just to cheer you all up I probably won't get mine till March 2004!!

Why would anyone EVER want an automatic sports car ? (thats what Mazda calls the RX8 anyway) :o

Its like getting a 550 or a 911 Turbo with an 4-speed automatic gear box. OK, OK, the RX8 is not a 550 or a 911, but you get my meaning.......

Boy, you Brits and the US dudes, you are some laaaaazy folks.....:p

I should have trusted my instincts....

I too saw both the cars at Letchworth , and know that neither was an automatic... (as far as I knew there were no autos in the UK at all - who wants it?) anyway - on with the plot...

Turns out , he test drove a Mazda6 (which WAS an auto) and the RX8 that was a manual.
So - having gone in to look at a completely different car he is now ordering an RX8 !

Phew ! Sorry for the misinformation - I questioned it and questioned it at the time but he was insistant !

Morgan.

Automatics are useful for city driving, some folk do not have the luxury of country roads

Had a short 2nd test drive at TWWhites in Weybridge this weekend and spoke to the dealership owner. He said he was off to Japan this week to arrange import of some auto models, so they may well be available later this year, but not in official Mazda UK guise.

Drove another red 8 with about 5500 miles on the clock. Engine felt a little looser to me but I was probably just imagining it. Saw the silver in the showroom too and its nowhere near as nice as the Tit Grey IMO. They had a metallic blue 350Z too which looked better than the siilver one I saw at Milford, but I still wouldn't consider one.