With everything else going on, I think I'd forgotten what good value the RX8 is.

I saw the ad in Evo for the new A3, so Ive just priced up the new 3.2 V6 S3 as a comparison.

Base price is £23,665 which I think is quite good, however add all the options to get to the same spec as the RX-8 and then look at the price.

It has 250ps but is a VERY lardy 1599kg and quotes 0-62 of 6.7 seconds, so on paper the RX-8 beats it anyway. And it only has two doors!

Here's the prices:

Base Car £23,655
Bose £620
6-CD £320
Leather £1060
Heated Seats £252
Foglamps £130
Headlamp Wash £198
Ski Hatch! £175
Xenon's £590
Interior Courtesy Lights £140
Metallic £385
Delivery and plates £520
I may have missed some others

This comes to a staggering total of £28,055, A total of £4560 more than my RX8 is costing!

 

The new S3 is 1600Kg ?

Damn, talk about your cars getting heavier and heavier by the minute.....

 

Ya, the R32 golf is 1500+kg's

"Base Car £23,655
Bose £620
6-CD £320
Leather £1060
Heated Seats £252
Foglamps £130
Headlamp Wash £198
Ski Hatch! £175
Xenon's £590
Interior Courtesy Lights £140
Metallic £385
Delivery and plates £520"

Well no one said Audi's were cheap. But would you need the 6-CD with the bose? Or the Headlamp wash with the Xenon pack?

 

Personally, I wont be needing ANY kind of in-car CD or MP3 player, since I have the Archos, which can be very easily attached to the Line-In of the head unit (probably just a radio+amp), and play GBs of MP3s songs directly of its hard disk

Not only that, but if I could find a decent radio+amp unit which also has a decent LCD screen with SVHS input, I can also stream AVIs directly from the Archos. Total in-car entertainment solution

 

clever marketing, make the base price cheap and kill em on the extra's.
I used to have an A3, and now having a TT would consider the S3, but not at that price spec'd up.

 

If you think AUDI are expensive then try loading a 330ci beemer, you'll come out around 35k a full 12k more expensive than the RX8!!!

And.............. The RX8 looks better

YES, THIS CAR IS EXCEPTIONAL VALUE!!!

Try and find a comparative package, it's not easy, I've looked.

Cheers
Oilman:D

 

I thought the S3 wasn't coming out until next year at the earliest with the 3.2 out of the golf but upped to 280bhp and the A3 3.2 quattro out september with 240bhp same as the golf.

Value wise the golf will be a much better buy concerning standard goodies as the R32 gets most of the list standard previosly mentioned by Mark, and a list price of £22,340. The only drawback is that the current one will be replaced by the MkV soon, this is why mine will go when the RX8 arrives, but I do fancy the S3 if they up it to 280bhp as it is a superb engine.

 

You may well be right. I must have assumed this was the S3, it is listed as the A3 3.2 V6 Sport Quattro. It does have 250ps though which is more than the golf.

280ps S3 sounds better, but will be even more expensive.

 

Ace I am thinking about getting an Ipod and was just wondering if the Bose sound system in the Mazda has a line in connection on the facia?

Surely it would have to be hardwaired into the car?

 

Hey, I have no idea about the stock Bose in the RX8.......I only know that the Aiwa that I have right now has a very convenient Line-In on the facet, and the Archos works like a charm

No need to do any -major- modifications. If there's no Line-In, you can make your own with a piece of wire and a female 3,5" jack-in from the AUX port in the back of the unit Just find a nice holder for the MP3 player, place it somewhere near the head unit, and you're good to go!!!

 

Don't bother with line in - just get an itrip - version for the new style ipod should be available soon.

 

They probably thought that the Audi has to have a bit more power because they charge a lot for it than VW or they are using the same exhaust system as the 3.2 TT because that produces 250ps because of the exhaust.

I recken the S3 will be pushing £30k but will have a higher spec as std. And the RS3 (twin turbo) will be £35k, thats around £100 for every horse.:D

That should make it the worlds most expensive "hot hatch"

 

Eventhough the 8 is great value, her indoors still wants me to get a Merc SL320, BMW 840ci or 330ci!

AnilS.

 

I am also thinking of an iPod and was wondering it it will connect via a hard-wired line in. If it won't the iTrip may not be the best FM transmitter for the iPod.

See http://www.envestco2.com/macwhispers...?id=P148_0_2_0

This review recommends the AudiaX FM transmitter.

If you hear anything about a line-in or try out an FM transmitter let me know!

Brush

 

AnilS - Maybe 'er indoors could hang out with your mates - they have BMWs !

You see - everything has a solution !

:D :D :D

 

Im the back of my mind.... however small this was the factor which keeps me coming back.


Everything else that could be an alternative to the 8, the s2000 TT 330ci etc etc (new that is) work out at about 5-10 grand dearer when you spec it up in the same way as the 8. Incidently ive put all options on mine which ramps the price up to 25k but never the less i still wouldnt get another car with the same versatility as the 8 for same money.


Credit to Mazda for finding a car that fits into a market which in this day in age is very very hard as most markets have been saturated to the nth degree. (by BMW he he he)

 

In the back of my mind there is however a small question being how does Mazda do this? This 2004 RX8 is no loss leader and is priced according to other Mazda models. Either Mazda is making less profit per car, others (ie BMW) are making more per car OR (and my concern) that Mazda have cut corner on quality or other yet to be discovered areas. I hope not but the economics just don't make sense, why sell a car at £22k when everybody is expecting it to be closer and it would sell at to £25K (base price)?

rael

 

Because they bet the company on the success of the RX-8 and it HAS to sell well in the UK. A lower price will assure that. Also, they wanted to undercut the price of the 350Z.

 

But the lower price seems to be a global thing, including in the States. Also, I keep reading that the 350 is not a competitor being a 2 seater (although IMHO it is).

rael

 

The Japanese do seem to be able to produce reasonably high quality cars much cheaper than Europeans or even Americans. Prices charged in the Japanese domestic market are extremely low, and yet the companies still make profits. The high power model sells for about 3M Yen in Japan which is £16K, so they can certainly afford to sell them to us at £22K.

It seems to me with the RX-8 they are just not marking it up as much as they normally would in Europe - no doubt because projected European sales are so low that the priority is to drive the volume up and establish Mazda as a player in the European market. But they will still be making more money per RX-8 sold here than anywhere else in the world.

Also, I would think that the rotary engine will be quite cheap to produce - it is small and has few parts. Of course it has cost Mazda lots to develop, but how quickly they want to pay that back is an accounting issue.