Patrick

Hallo all,

First meeting of the "Low Countries" postponed until the 21th in
Harelbeke-Belgium.

regards
Patrick

rx-viper

hoi hilbert,

is jou kenteken soms 85-NL-ZH ?????????

Eric

Saw my car today for the second time. Must say, I could stare at it for hours, what a fantastic car this RX8 is.
Dealer was putting all the ordered extra's on to it, so the car will get more personal for me.
I can't wait untill wednesday next.

I am off now for my holidays and on the 21 I will meet Patrick in Belgium. Photo's will be made for this forum.

Kind regards to you all and have a very nice weekend.

Eric

fromcast

Today (12/12/2003) at 15u15 I spotted my first RX-8 in the flesh in Belgium.

Unfortunately I saw it only for a few seconds...but it was like forever.

It happened in the town Kortrijk and on the road Doorniksewijk. It was a red RX-8, but I couldn't get a look at the driver. He was standing in traffic at the lights, heading to town-center. I passed him, but was not able to get a close look. I guess his licence plate ended at an 8, but I'm not sure. It was not a garage plate, that I am sure of, because those ones have green caracters.

Patrick, you're the only one I can think of already cruising the car in the region. Could it have been you?
If so, I guess you have no second thoughts about the colour?
I really liked it, even more in open space than under the halo-lights of a showroom.

Greetings.

Patrick

Hi "fromcast"

Yes, that was me. My plate ends on 808, so you saw it right.
About the color : No, we are totaly satisfied, even more. Velocity Red (with mica-effect) is great and a bit sporty-aggresive. Except for yellow, I saw all other colors in flesh. I must admit that Silver, Gray and Blue are also fantastic, a bit more "classy" in combination with a black leather set. It is just a great car to look at you know, its even a greater car to drive with. A total experience and so easy to control the power in town.
A lot of reported "little things" seems to be strange, at least I do not experience them. No heavy trembling of the gearstick at iddle, not at all flooding-problemes, a excellent climatisation (best manualy used), great gripp on the road (even wet), precise stearing, great brakes and above a great relaxation-feeling while driving.
As my much younger wife (22) said : after 2 minutes of her first drive : I FEEL TOTALY CONFIDENT AND RELAXED. After 2 minutes !
As you see, you are completely right following this car and my believe is that this car will get other rewards as well (hopefully it will be sportscoupe of the year 2004).
We stay in touch.

regards
Patrick

Hilbert

rx-viper

Nee dat kenteken is niet van mij,
ik moet nog even wachten krijg hem 2 januari
moet nog even geduld hebben.


Groet Hilbert

Eric

At last ....

We collected our 8 today ...... During the first half hour we could not speak anymore, just staring at the car.
All details were explained by our dealer and we hit the road for a fun drive. I have never experienced anything like this engine. It is really unbelievable, that sound, the acceleration, increadable.

I will post a pic, but it will add nothing to what we allraedy know and have seen, but anyway ..........

Regards,

Eric

Eric

Here are the pics

Eric

Don't look at that little C3, the RX8 is much bigger (sorry)

Eric

First meeting of the lowlands was a very succesfull one.

Thanks to the kindness of Patrick and his family we enjoyed our stay in Belgium very much.

It was a great oppertunity also for our 8, which has done over 1100 km since last wednesday. Fuel consumption is ok until now.
11 liters / 100 km was the best.

Here are some pics of our meeting.

Hope to do it again in the near future.

Regards,

Eric

Patrick

Pic 1

Patrick

Pic 2

Patrick

Pic 3

Baphi

Patrick, Eric,

Well very nice ... RED and TIT next to each other !
I would have been nice with some snow on the ground ... :-)
I can't see from the pictures if these are 192 or 231 CV ?
On previous Pic I think that I saw Eric TIT had also Brown interior ?

I was not really interrested by the RED until I saw it saturday at a Mazda dealer ... my primary choice until now was the TIT/BROWN !

Do you have more detail on fuel consumption ?
Do you plan to purchase Winter tyres ?
If so which ones.

Baphi

Patrick

Hello Baphi,

Our 2 RX8's are both 192 HP's. It is a matter off taxes in both countries, so I think here you will see most 192's.

This morning I first drove it on snow (West-Vlaanderen !) and I think I don't need winter tyres, it stays very neutral. Just taking off whitout spinning isn't that easy. For the rest, driving is OK (in 2nd or 3th gear at 2500-3000 rpm.

Eric's car is indeed with black/brown interior, mine is black/red.
They have both their charms, mine is a bit younger and agressive, Eric's car has a classy style.

Eric must be a calmer driver than I am because his best was 11 l/100 km, mine 14l/100 km. Driving style is the factor here.

Glad to meet you on the forum. Did you already buy one if so when is delivery planed for you ?

regards,
Patrick

RenesisMsa

Hi All,

Happy to see that there are more and more people interested by the RX-8 in Belgium.

I have the tested the Rx-8 HP in Bornem on the 27/10. It was a black one with brown interior. I was really impressed and I decided to order one.

I choosed the HP (231 CV) in Velocity Red and Red/black interior.
It will arrive end-January, I am really becoming impatient.

My dealer in Tournai is driving a LP (192 CV) since two weeks, a black one with some accessories on it. It is also very nice in black.

From what I see, your consumption figures are not too bad. Patrick, when you say 14l, is it for mixte usage (city, highway) ?

Also congratulation for this first RX-8 Meeting.

Rgds
RenesisMsa

Patrick

Hi,

It was only running around in town, so I am happy that it is not so bad (can show your reply to my wife) hi hi

regards from Harelbeke

Patrick

RenesisMsa

I said it is not too bad regarding the consumption based on the figures I see they have in UK.

Here is a spreadsheet to measure your consumption (maybe usefull to your wife).

Rgds
RenesisMsa

Patrick

Hi,

Thanks RenesisMsa, I'll use it for a while and then publish the results on the forum.

In the meantime, a Merry Christmas for all and a Very Happy Year without accidents of all kind.

regards
Patrick

Baphi

Patrick,

Well about taxes ... I am STILL living in Belgium also .... I garantee you I have noticed !

So, If I am to buy one it will also be a 192CV/Revolution ...
The price of the car is not really the blocking factor in this case (except for the taxe TMC !), it more the daily usage (fuel, tyres, insurance, ...) I am worried about.
I don't want to go to gas station and each time kicking my head on the BANKCONTACT machine !

The magazine 'le moniteur automobile' tested both the 192 & the 231 CV but they didn't yet have the EURO/KM figures ...
The last 2 years, I only did 10.000KM/year with my car .... but 12.000KM/year on the motobike mostly on the weekends !
I don't need to draw you a graph to point where I find my FUN FACTOR !

Well I am still young :-) and I still want some fun ... so ...
But at the same time I don't want to throw money out the window in the governement pocket !!

RenesisMsa is going for the 231CV ... its going to drink more for sure !

I better decide soon or I have the bad feeling that I also be at the bottom of the waiting list !
Well that is why we have the 25 december day ... maybe a revelation ! Who knows.

The next problem if I am to buy one ... the color;
- I drove the BLUE 192CV at BORNEM
- and a Yellow one two weeks later ... too flashy but not that bad !
So except for the GREEN (never seen!)
The TIT/BROWN is still on top of my list, very discreet color.

The last time I was so interrested in a sports car, it was the HONDA S2000 two years aho, I also testdrive it ... but the Belgian taxes for a 241CV and small boot kill it for me !
And now the RX-8 just arrived at last in Belgium/Europe... it has the good looks + 4 seats / doors + a reasonable boot ... and to bad much more stuff !

I am drowning my self in my job, so I am not thinking about it.

Baphi

Patrick

Baphi,

I know taxes are much to high here, also on fuel. In the beginning I took 98+, now I filled up with 95+ and I do not notice any difference, so ...
You know the 192HP is more than enough here in Belgium. Just on rare occasions you can use the full power of it . And, in the "FILE" it's no problem.
As far as the tyres concerns the 2 versions come with 18", so there you have no difference, except for the fact that the 231HP can "eat" them more quickly.
Eric had the same TIT/BROWN version, and it is also very "classy" and distinguised. Very nice car. My dealer has a TIT/BLACK version and that's not bad at all. Perhaps you could look at that also.
I agree that the yellow one is to flashy, and for me to "flemmish".
Baphi, I can assure you that it is a wonderfull car in all aspects for a very moddest price. Price/quality ratio is skyhigh.

One little problem I had yesterday : on snow you can't get started whitout desactivating the DCS. Once going I reactivated the DCS to keep it straith. I think I will buy 2 snowchains instead of wintertyres. How many days could we use wintertyres ?

Will you let us know when you decided ?

Even having a lot off work, have a merry christmas and a happy new year.

Patrick

RenesisMsa

Hi Baphi,

For sure the 231CV will drink more. This and the TMC are the very bad side of it. I decided to go for this version because of my past experience.

I really like nice car and quite powerfull too (I followed a three days Performance driving course at Spa-Francorchamps at the Peugeot school), it is my passion to have some fun with cars on circuit (not on open roads for sure - I have two small children and don't want to injury somebody else, or even damage my car). My previous car was a 406 Coupé but not the V6. As soon as I had it, I felt like having a very nice car with a very good handling capacity but without the engine I wanted. It is why now I go for the most powerfull. Not that I think that the 192CV is not enough powerfull but in order to have the 6 speed gearbox and the Motor Rev's going to 9200 RPM, and also to keep it now for a while as the investment is quite big (agreement with my wife because I hold only the 406 for 18 months and sold it to go for the RX-8 - lost very stupidely some money in order to enjoy of my passion).

I tested also some months ago the S2000, very nice car !!! But only two seats ! Too bad to get the children with you somewhere.
I tested also BMW 330Ci and BMW 325ti. These are also fantastic cars but much more expensive than the RX-8 and the design is less good.
I tested recently also the 350Z, very good too but again only two seats.

The Rx-8 is the best compromise (4 seats, sport, nice look, quality, price ok) and furthermore it has a unique engine, and its handling capacity is incredible. We all agree on this I think.
So as you see, I go for the 231CV because it is my passion and I intend to keep it for a while (and why not never sell it and hold it).

Color choice is for sure difficult. I decided to go for red even if I never had a red car. Because it look very nice, it is also the preferred color of my daughter and I becoming personnaly feed up of cars always in grey or black. But for sure I think that TIT and Sunlight Silver are the most pratical colors. I was tempted to go for Sunlight Silver as usual but let's break monotony.

I hope you will join the RX-8 owner lists soon as you seems to have the same passion. I really have the feeling so far that RX-8 interested people have the same kind of wishes from their cars.

Patrick, yes it would be great to publish your figures.

Rgds
RenesisMsa

Patrick

RenesisMsa,

I fully understand your choice and I would liked also to buy the 231HP. But you know, I also had a wife to confince to this car, to the presumed (jan 03) long wait. I was afraid that she could possibly kill herself (22 years) with a bomb as the 231HP is.
Now I know that she mannage the 192HP very well but I decided in jan.

regards
Patrick

RenesisMsa

Patrick,

I think that the 192HP is globally better than the 231HP if you consider all aspects (Le moniteur automobile has the same opinion: 231CV receives 780 points and the 192CV receives 784 points). But as you know the passion push to have the most powerfull because of higher RPM capacity.

My wife doesn't want to drive it (she told this for the moment), but I definitly want that she tries at least (cars are for sure not her passion). I definitly understand you regarding your wife, as she is quite young, it is the danger for any usual driver, it is to get to confident with a car when the experience is not so big. Even more with the RX-8 which is already quite powerfull even in both versions and is a "rear wheels driving".

A question for you, is the red colour not giving the impression to come quickly dirty ? I don't want to have to wash it every week as it takes times and find time with children is difficult.

I don't know, if you noticed but in UK they seems to have sometimes the following problems, do you have them too ?
- Flooding
- misty rear lights (humidity issue)

I wish also already a Merry Christmas and a "zoom-zoom" 2004.

Rgds
RenesisMsa

Patrick

RenesisMsa,

I do have the impression that the "flooding problem" is taken out off proportion. I must first tell you that my first wife died 12 years ago and that after more than 8 years I remarried, so I am 52 years old. Before the RX8 we drove a rear wheels driving MGF, my wife to. As she is a bit passioned also, after 2 minutes off her first drive, she was reassured and confident, so ... that's OK.

My age makes that I drove wankel NSU a long time ago and BEFORE CUTTING THE ENGINE I ALWAYS REV UP TO 3000-4000rpm. I did that with the NSU as well AND I NEVER HAD FLOODING until this moment. The car is in a open carport and it has been very cold and wet lately. I even drove him backwards for some meter, cutted the engine, washed him and drove him under whitout flooding. So there's no worry about flooding.
The mysty rear lights didn't show up on my car.

As for Velocity Red, if I want to keep it brilliant, I have to clean the car every week. I will clean him today for the 2nd time this week because I don't like the SALT they use on the road. I just use clean water and high pressure cleaner, it takes me 15 min to clean him. I think that if the wetter would be not that wet, once in 2 weeks would be enough.

regards,
Patrick