Believe this or not. Here in our local paper and syndicated throughout UK via Newsquest?, is a report on the eagerly anticipated RX-8 and how it is set to take the company car market by storm. Key fleet decision makers have driven and seen the car and because of the tax laws relating to cars for company use are hailing the RX-8 as "tax effective for company car drivers and cost effective for fleet operators".

Quote, "Fleet chiefs predict that the 1,600 models destined for the UK in the last quarter of this year, ( earliest I can get a test drive is sometime in October ) and the 6,000 due for the showrooms in 2004 will be insufficient to meet demand. Already 75% of this years supply have been pre-ordered."

Remember this is sight unseen and few if any prospective drivers have ever seen the car, let alone driven it. Although, having read recent posts there seem to be the odd few cars available for test drives in and around Newbury/Midlands but not here in Essex.

Whilst I love the look of the RX-8 the thought of being associated with salesmen fills me with horror. Most in my trade are flash, brash and crass. OK! I know I should not generalise, but it does rather start to take the edge off of owning what is a fabulous looking car.

Also in the national press today, apart from Clarksons report on the RX-8 is another report on Jaguars new concept car and it's having been designed in just six months. Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week it is destined to be driven by a 2.7 litre deisel and compared in looks to the Lotus Elise, with a 0-62mph of less than 6.0 seconds. Named R-D6.

Where did they get their inspiration from in just six months???????? and if it does indeed looks like a Lotus Elise then I must have missed the launch of the Lotus and I have yet to see one like it on the road. But then maybe it's just my age?

Similar post by me to our friends over the pond todays date.

 

Vapourware concept.... I think we covered this last week. ?

 

Tax effective? Have they not seen the CO2 figures?

I thought Mazda had targetted 3000 cars a year for the UK not 6000. Does anyone know if this has been officially changed?

 

I think the very low purchase price offsets the tax - therefore you still get alot of car for your money.....

 

I dont think there has been anything official, but the 6000 figure was quoted in this months car buyer magazine as next years estimate from Mazda.

 

Sorry about the image of the Jaguar, it does not do justice to my point, but the shot in the Nudes of the World yesterday was taken from the rear quarter and made the Jag look amazingly RX-8 like.

 

Suicide doors (sorry, freestyle doors) are the new thing in design....

There was a GM concept with them , this concept Jag , a Subaru... suspect the list will grow.
You heard it here first.

 

nice freestyle doors.... one of the sweetest clone of RX-8 :-)

 

Is this the ba$t*rd child of a union between a Rx8 and a 350Z? :-)

 

Someone has a lot of time on their hands?

 

Re the Jaguar concept car - doesn't Mazda = Ford = Jaguar?