oilman

I know we've covered this one before but did anyone see the pics of EAST MOON's brand spanking new RX8 in yellow on the main forum????

It's great to see a forum member get their car but I'm not too sure about the front numberplate in the picture. IMHO, it spoils the looks.

It maybe because it's white instead of black against the grille.

Anyone else feel the same?

Cheers
Oilman

Lensman

I'm rapidly starting to think that a wider and thinner plate (as on your avatar) suits it better. It obscures more of the grille but it seems to fit the front end more.

rael

Rather large and ugly I agree and I think one should try to get the smallest one allowed under UK law. Are those bonnet pasted one allowed in this country?

rael.

MarkW

I think the std UK plate (longer and thinner) will look better than the one on East Moons car (sort and fat), as the japanese one didnt look like it fitted properly.

I dont think the stick on ones are legal any more but I may be wrong.

EAST MOON

Would you spare me a few minutes?
In Japan, the rumor which changes the size of a license plate was before for about one year.
...to European style, long and narrow. ( of course I like it too.)
But Japanese "Bureaucrat" is...............Maybe, they are the owner of Toyota of 50 years ago.

Thank you for your time.

mac

Hi East Moon

Great looking car. In one of your pictures, you have the license plate off to the side instead of the middle. I think it looks better on the side but is that a standard place to mount the plate or did you just place it there for the picture?

In Canada, we also have big square plates that must go in the front of the car. I would rather put it on the side if it is possible.

EAST MOON

Hi mac
The picture which shifted the license plate is one of the "plan" of mine.
(It's my just "Photoshop" wark)
a standard place of the license plate in japan is the central of a car. (front, and rear )
But
I think, Some Japanese parts maker will make the parts for it, that's The parts for changing(shifts) the position of a license plate.

Was your question cleared? ...in my English.
If you want more inf, Please stand a post on Far East Asia forum.
Some member who lives in Japan will reply to you in "perfect English".

thanks for your reply

mac

Hi East Moon,

Yes, you answered my question very well, thank you very much.

I really hope that someone will makes such a kit by the time I get my car because that would be my first modification too.

We drive vicariously through you until we get our own RX-8:p

PS I also prefer the look of the European license plate over our square one but at least we don't have to pay $2 per litre for the petrol

rael

Is that supposed to be funny mac? Petrol costs are a serious issue here.

However, irrespective of petrol costs, in Europe at least I can legally drive the car at top speed to get the full thrill, something not possible in the US (I'm presumimg that's your location). What is the point of buying a fast car in the US?

rael.

mac

Hi Rael

Hmmm, there is nothing funny about paying $2 per litre for petrol. The smily I used is the EEK as in "horror" not the "laugh". I guess that even these little emoticons can be mis-interpreted.

Not only are we envious of your license plates (number plate), we are even more envious of the autobahn. The closest thing we have is the 401. The police will often tolerate speeding whithin reason (ie 130-140 kph) although some will go far faster and usually pay severe fines if they are caught. We must find solace in the few days a month that they open the local track to the SoloII series track events.

BTW, I'm not from the US, as my first post stated, I'm from Canada.:D

edit: in regards to "what is the point of a fast car"? Owning a performance car isn't simply about achieving top speed. Driving in the Gatineau hills is a blast even if the speed limit is 90 kph (way more fun then driving the 401).

morganrogers

...Assuming you are brave enough to try for top speed in a TT.... Isn't that what caused all the recalls in the first place ?

I'll take the RX in the hills *anytime*....

RobDickinson

Didnt they fix that with that natty little eyesore spoiler that ruins the lines? kudos to Audi for designing a high-perf sports car with negative downforce...

rael

Nothing wrong with the TT in the first place, so they say. If you talk to those 'inside' they will tell you those accidents were a result of drivers not being able to drive the car properly and expecting too much from the 4 wheel drive. To make the public happy Audi did a quick fix initially and then afterwards all production car had the rear spoiler and tigher suspension.

Top speed no problem. Drove the car in Germany quite few times with 145mph on the clock being touched no trouble at all. The car is solid as a rock.

Some do not like the spoiler, I actually did.

rael

maverikk

I just wanted to say: Come over to Germany (I know these t-shirts: "I survived German autobahns" taken home by the G.I.s when going back home :D ). I think it is the ONLY legal place in Europe where you have NO speed limit....?! BTW: There was some change in U.S.A. interstates to go unlimited, at least during daylight??? Pls somebody HELP here (was it in Montana, North Dakota or so?).

Re. licence plate: I'd rather live in FLORIDA. They used to have no front plate at all!!!! Can u imagine this?

B-Nez

We STILL have no front plate, and no emissions inspections either (except for certain self-imposing counties).

Sputnik

Even before the speed limits in the freeways in the Colonies was raised from 55 to 65 in the late 80's, Montana had very low fines for speedling, and even then it was for "abusing natural resources" (or some sort of thing), so it didn't count as speeding on your driving record. In the early '90s, when the states were allowed to set their own limits, Montana had no number limit during daylight hours. But, you could be given a ticket for going too fast for conditions. Whether it was around a corner, or through other traffic, or faster than a particular car should be going, they could and would still be ticketed. Many leadfeet drove through thinking they had a "free ride", and found themselves getting pulled over for driving too fast.

The problem with that was that it was very ambiguous. Even a driver who knew that they could be pulled over for driving too fast had no idea what a particular trooper would think was too fast. It was waaay to ambiguous and unfair, and so a couple of years after they had an unlimited limit, they had to impose one after all (75, I believe).

In short, it was Montana, but they've had to impose a speed limit after all.

---jps

OrangeBingo

Yeah, and according to the National Motorists Foundation, fatalities doubled during the first year.

maverikk

Cool ****. In 1992 I was doing some tour through the States and went 22.000 miles in all. I was in MANY different states and I only now realize that it was sheer luck that I did have only very few problems -- I heard about different states having different rules BUT THIS is ridicoulous....

I was actually going on a interstate (I believe it WAS Montana) and I wanted to see what this nice little Nissan Sentra was doing (hey, I am used to going over 200 km/h over here if conditions allow... ). I was following some sports car doing just 100 mph which was not too bad for my car. I thought "he might have a radar warner on board, so if he slows down I will be warned... "

For me travelling the U.S.A. this way was a really BIG TOUR and it still is THE country for me! Take care, Norberto (Maverikk).

morganrogers

"Nothing wrong with the TT in the first place, so they say. If you talk to those 'inside' they will tell you those accidents were a result of drivers not being able to drive the car properly "

Rubbish ! Car manufacturers do not spend millions recalling a car just because the customer is a naff driver !
The car was fundamentally flawed and needed to be fixed.

The first TTs were duffers , the first A-classes were duffers.

To get the whole thing back on track , what we need to be worried about is whether the 'v1.0' RX8s are duffers ! Lets hope they are sorted straight out of the box !

Morgan.

wakeech

aerodynamically, the RX-8 appears, well, rather capable.

...the problem with the TT was that stupid style... it's obvious to anyone who knows a thing or two that a nicely sloped curve down the back of the car will lift it quite nicely at high speeds (the unmodified VW Beetle is even worse in that regard).

heh heh, let's just cross our fingers for the rest of the things we can't really see so well

BlueAdept

I've spoken to the DVLA about those type of plates, although I didn't mention this car... the answer was that they don't believe that a stick on place can meet the specification for a UK plate.

I am particularly concearned about airflow into the front grille, plus obviously the look, and will be sorely tempted to use one of those smaller plates as seen on so many motorbikes... risking slapped wrists of course, but there simply is nowhere on this car to put a plate without really spoiling it.

Lensman

Most of that grille is cosmetic. The airflow is through the lower third and the intake in the front skirt. A number plate of any size will not impede cooling.

BlueAdept

Agreed...

There is a road near me that is barely wide enough to pass oncoming traffic and in some places not wide enough... and twisty enough that you have to _know_ which direction the tarmac goes next if you plan to go at any speed... but the limit there is 100Kph. It's completely lethal to drive fast in daylight, but at night it comes alive because you can see another car a mile away due to the lights!.. I often drive home that way at 2am just for the fun!

You've really got to be careful though becasue the hedges are often concealing oak trees... I once saw an inexperienced driver get intimidated by an oncoming car, he was tempted to edge into the hedge, only to colide with a tree and get thrown into the path of the oncoming car!

Still, I've been driving there for years and I know the road really well... it's really quite fun watching the kids in hot hatches disappear behind me after a few bends in the dark (And that's even in my Landrover.. LOL) because they don't know which bits you can drive fast on without risking an accident ;-)

zoom44

Blue the "grill" is solid in the area the plate mounts. there won't be any .......... never mind i see lensman beat me to it

BlueAdept

That's reasuring... but it's still ugly...