23109VC

Local mazda dealer has a 2008 RX8 for sale. It is USED. the dealer claims it can be titled as "new" because it only has 4500 miles on it. Whatever. their story is the GM of the dealership drove it as "his" car for several months, now it is for sale.

it has 40th anniversary edition badges on the car. it appears to be a black/black 6MT Grand touring to me. under the hood it does not have the two tone 40th anniv engine cover...like the real ones have. the sales guy said it WAS a 40th anniv edition and inside the car was some kind of invoice type of document that said "40th anniv edition package" with a price of around $5000 on it..i forget the exact number.

the car also has aftermarket 18" wheels that are kinda cool looking. it also has a Mazdaspeed exhaust and Mazdaspeed cold air intake on the car.

the window sticker is "red tagged" at $32000. they have a brand new REAL 40th anniversary edition marked down with big colroful numbers on the windshield advertising it for sale for $26995.

i test drove it. lots of fun. the intake and exhaust sound cool. having driven several other rx8s, mayhbe it's all in my head, but it did feel a bit faster in the upper rpms. it sure sounded cool.

not sure if this car has bone stock suspension like a regular GT or if somehow they actually were asble to really buy a 40th anniv "package" like the suspension stuff and put it in??? my gut tells me that this is just a GT with intake/exhaust/wheels and they added the badges to make it look cool.

anyway..since the car has about 5000 miles on it - as far as I'm concerned - it's used. I'm interested in making an offer on it -i like the intake/exhaust...and it would save me the hassle/time/expense of having to go buy it / install it later if I were to buy ac ar that didn't have it.

my big questiosn:

is it POSSIBLE to get some kind of 40th anniv "package" and add to a GT - the cross member, the shocks/etc? or am I probably right and this is just a GT with 40th anniv badges stuck on it?

2nd - WHAT woujld you offer on this car? it drove great. it's not brand new, but it's almost new. they have had it in their showroom for a month or two...probably wanting to get rid of it. they have several 09s now on the lot....

it also has the apearance package/spoiler on it. it also has sirius. it looks pretty much loaded except for nav.

so if this car has an MSRP NEW of roughly 33k or so - i'm thining if it wer eNEW it would be worth no more than 6-7k less than msrp..putting it down to around 26k or so. but it has 5k on it. what does that do to the "real" value?

i was kind of thinking of offering them 23k or so and see what happens.

any ideas?

XlYesterdaYlX

a black 40th edition? as far as i know.. American 40th editions are all metropolitan grey with black and a dark red interior. I think overseas version of 40th are white..never really heard of a Black 40th though...are you dead set on buying this one? sounds like a GT slapped with some 40th badges

ShinkaTeen

^^what he said. he just has the badges. thats not a 40th anniv

Detrich

does it have the cosmo brown seats?

BRGREEN8

its cheaper to buy the real 40th anni. edition and put exhaust, intake and wheels on it.

REsuperD

the salesman is TOTALLY lying his a** off to you. alternatively, he knows absolutely nothing

as for how much you can offer, it has 4500 miles on it, it ain't new. it may not have been titled, but 4500 is a lot of miles. so it's either a dealer demo or dealer company car, or the loaner car for the service department. keep in mind that many dealers are now offering 6 to 7.5k off msrp on the 2008's. so how much should you offer? maybe 20k. i don't think that's unreasonable. 20k might not even be that good of a deal given its miles

what i really don't like is how he's totally lying to you

REsuperD

and like someone already said, all us-spec 40th anniv cars came in metro gray w/ cosmo red interior and the new 18" rims. it's not a package, but its own model. the jdm 40th anniv cars are white

Revvittupp

I'd jsut walk away, you're probably nowhere near what they would sell the car for.

It IS a new car whether you or anyone wants to admit it. New VS used is a titling issue, nothign more, nothign less. It's possible to have a used car with 1 mile, and yes that's WORSE then a NEW car with 7499.

You can still get new car financing, and the warranty shouldn't have started.

As for a deal, they probably still have MUCH more in the car then they do in the completley new 40th next to it in the showroom. They may have depreciated it up to $4-500 a month from the GM driving it, but they put thousands into wheels, intake and exhaust. IF you don't REALLY like those mods then keep walking cuz you will STILL be paying for them. I'd be surprised if they sell it for under $25k.

BTW, nto a real 40th, jsut badges, wheels, intake and exhaust.

BTW, no offense, but I really hope you aren't in a hurry to buy a car. I have now spent 3-4 months looking at cars you want to buy and what you want to pay for them. I don't aniticipate anyone will fall off the turnip truck anytime soon. I don't think I have seen you make one offer that was over wholesale price.

23109VC

hey, if i can get a sweet car for a smokin deal - i'm gonna do my best to get it. i have no problem low balling a dealer. sometimes they bite. i HAVE accomplished amazing deals in the past..but you have to be willing to NOT get the car and walk if you can't get what youw ant.

if i decide i WANT the car and they won't go below 25k, then that's what i'd have to pay if i want THAT car.

my first main question/suspicsion that you all confirmed - is that the car is NOT a 4th anniv. i don't really car. is the 40th anniv really THAT much better of a handling car? i don't care for hte gray color and the brownish leathe rin the real 40th anniv cars..it's nice but not my cup of tea.

so since this is just a black GT with intake/exhaust - with 4500 miles - the next question is what is it worth?

if dealers are discounting cars 6500-7500 off MSRP and this car has an msrp of somewhere in the 33-34k range - than it should sell at 27-28k.

mayhbe 26k.

but since the car has 4500 miles i don't see how they can ask for and expect to get the same as a new 08. whether it is considered NEW because it's never been titled, it still has a bunch of miles on it.

i might be better off looking for a reallylow miled 07 that IS cheaper - and then just buy the intake/exhaust on my own. that's at most $1000 in parts or so...labor is not much for those parts.

the wheels/tires on the car are some kind of deep dish 18"...they look to be stock width...225/45/18 or somethign like that..i glanced at them but dind't write down the exact size. i didn't recognize the name on the wheels..they are some obvious name brand you'd all recognize. i am so-so on the wheels. the style is ok, the color is like a darkblack chrome and it does work well on the black car... overall the cars color scheme looks cool.

maybe 25k is a good deal? maybe i could do even better?

Revvittupp

You should buy a car when Value exceeds price. The value you are placing cars just so happenns to be a little less then the price that they are able to sell them for. That is certainly your perogative to wait for a situation when someone's price to drop below the value you attach on a car. That siad, i have a feeling when the 08's sell off more, and there is less choice, that yor value is going to drop right along with the prices. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with making sure you get a great deal, as long as you don't **** yourself off by waiting too long and missing on one you realy want.

That would be my BEST piece of advice, if you find a car YOU REALLY LIKE, don't be afraid to add a bit to the value you perceive it to have. It's better to pay $25k for a car that is PERFECT, then $20k for a car that is merely ok... In the long run, while you sit in the car every single day you will be happier then the difference you paid.

23109VC

revitup-

you are very correct. i am cleary trying to get it less than it's true value. can't knock me for trying to do that.

once i find the car i really like i may step up a bit in price.

this one i drove was nice. it has a very nice look to it. black on bloack with black chrome wheels fully loaded minus nav.

one real positive that came from the test drive was that i got a chance to drive a car with mazdaspeed intake/ehxaust. i have to say i liked it. even if i don't buy this car, i think i will eventually add these mods - even if they don't add much power at all - they sounded great. if i can get this car, with them already instaled, it would be easier/less hassle.

my only curiosity - was that since this car has 4500 miles on it - how i can use that to my advantage to get the price knocked down. since it is NOT 100% new.

tey will say the parts wheels/tires add value - but usaualloy in my experience, aftermarket parts don't do a lot to add $$$ to a used car. they will say it's "new" but in my opinion, it's not really 100% new.

if truly new cars are going for 7500 off msrp, this car's msrp would be about 34k. w/out taking into considerati the wheels and intake/exhaust.

minus 7500 and you get to 26500. since it has 4500 miles i figure maybe they woudl go down more.

25k would not be a BAD deal.

REsuperD

this might be more like heresy, but supposedly a dealer here in soCal recently was having 10k off '08s until they sold 'em all off. 25k would not be a bad deal if it's a fully loaded up car, but if it's not a car that you *REALLY* like, then it'd better be an irresistible deal. but it actually sounds like you like this car quite a bit

chrism

read my story and then you will know why you shouldnt buy demo model cars as used.....i guarantee you that car has had the warantee started already, it is not new with those miles, it is not a 40th anni, right now i know dealers have $3500 rebates on the car and they are selling it on average 1-2k below invoice on 08s....so in essence the invoice on a 31k car is around 27-28 minus another 1-2k and then another 3500....your looking at 21-23k at best for a brand spanking new one....on a 5k mile car i would hit them at another 2-3 less than that and guess what your car will be worth when you title it?...........

Revvittupp

No, can't say aI fault you at all... it's a tough market, money is hard to come by and it's your money to spend how you wish. All I am trying to do here is point out what you proobably already do know, and put as much additional knowledge as I can to help you make a well informed reasonable decision.

How can you use it to your advantage? Simple, they "wrote it back" while the GM was driving it. Use those words, you will sound "in the know"... In laymans term, at least 1-2% of the cost fo the vehicle was shaved off thier internal cost in every month in which it was in demo service. So, find your best deal possible elsewhere on a similar, stock, 100 mile or less car, and walk in armed. Take that number you have, and talk to the highest level person you can. Break it down simple for them.

Here is a good deal elsewhere, but I like this car here. Take this deal, show me your internal costs on the wheels, intake and exhaust, installed, and subtract the $2k you wrote it back for demo service and we have a deal. I know you can't dealer trade this car, it's not for everyone, and it's a tough one to sell. Time to cut your losses and free up your floorplan for some 09's. I bet they will bite.

Everything I said was 100% true. that car could EASILY sit there until after the new year. They put the gadgets on it so the GM would have more fun, and he got some use out of the vehicle for 4-5 months.

Revvittupp

Good point Chris, also MAKE SURE that he vehicle will be RDR'd in your name on the date of purchase. IF it has already been punched, it is worth even less.

Additionally, that is roughly where my $25k number came from, Chris's $23k rough estimate pluss wheels, Intake and Exhaust.

rddragoness

One of the main mechanical differences in the true 40th Anniversary edition and a "badged' one is the SUSPENSION...Look up the price of a SHINKA suspension..They are the same..and there is a clear difference in the two. My recommendation is drive both vehicles, HARD....curves, hard lane changes and see what you think. It is stiffer than the regular suspension.( sorry guys) but its true. I've had several people drive my Shinka up against a GT and they can tell a difference. Another thing you can do is drive the 09. That same suspension is standard now I believe... Don't let the salesman talk you into buying an exhaust and wheels when it sounds like what they have put into it, you could buy outright without financing that part, which you will....trust me..They will make their money back and then some on those parts alone.

There is no 40th anniversary package deal.. What you are buying is a knock off modded GT. Still interested? Price a GT...then consider the miles...then read this...

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...14#post2517714


Take the time to read that thread. It has to do with your situation in a way because of the fact the owner here got screwed.( demo car). Then search his threads and look at the time and effort he put into it over the last few years...and think to yourself.....do you want to CHANCE it?

Just my .02

rddragoness

You beat me too it Chris.........was just recommending he do the same thing! Glad you caught this too.

chrism

yup....im glad i caught it too....to be honest i would hit them at 21k OTD depending on the warantee....but thats just me...and i would have them take the bogus badges off.....wouldnt wanna look like a ricer out the box now

rddragoness

One more thing..IF you decide to buy this car, make sure that NO WHERE in the paperwork or invoices does it say 40th anniversary edition....but the real way to know for sure is to copy down the VIN and call MNAO.....if they give you any flack walk...no RUN........lolol to another dealer..

23109VC

lots of great advice!

in terms of suspension - I *may* at some point add mazdaspeed suspension anyway... is that "better" than what is on the 09s or the 40th anniv edition cars?

no point in paying for the 40th anniv to get better suspension only to change it later....

i agree 100%. thsi car is basically a nicely equipped black on black GT. it has all the options, even homelink - but NO nav. which is fine. i'd love to get nav - as i am directionally challenged.... but i'd rather save a few bucks and not have it...

i will find out of the car has a new warranty for the date of purchase or if the warranty has kickded in already. my gut is that this car has been in service and probaby has the warranty running on it already.

in my mind - regardless what they tell me - i'm considering that this car is a USED car. it's just a very very new USED car. 4500 miles vs a one yhear old one with 12-15k. if i can get a nice price savings on this one - being used, and get the cool mods at a discount - even better.

i should have taken a picture. the wheels are decent looking. i dont' think they are any large than stock - no wider either. they look kinda neat. dishes on the edges with crhome, that turns into dark chrome on the inside..it would look horrible on some colors, but on a black one, given some of the silver highlights on an rx8 - they look pretty cool.

i test drove this car pretty had and i was amazed at the handling. it's great. i woudl be VERY happy with the cornering ability for some time. i'm sure i'd get used to it eventually and that's when i'd do Mazdaspeed coilovers or sway bars, etc.

i have been calling local dealers within a hundred miles to see what 08s are around and how much they will deal on them. i am g uessing i can find people more tan happy to knock off 6-8k off msrp.

which means i should be able to find a new 08 GT with NO miles (under 100) for 26-27k max. then knock off something for the fact that it's used...

they may want a premium for the wheels and mods - but honestly, that stuff may have ben comped and they got labor done in house probably at no real effective cost to them. it's money on paper but not really out of pocket.

besides they got those parts at cost - not at retail. so to MOVE the car, they might just write that stuff off completely.

i amthining the car is a Great deal at 23-24k. 25k is the most i would consider going if i even offer that much.

another option for me to get the best bang for the buck, is to find a low low mileage 07 optioned exactly how i want sitting on some used car lot - one that someone traded in - and try to get that at an even larger discount. the money saved could be used to add the intake/exhaust AND suspension... and it would be slick! i'd still have quite a bit of warranty, even on an 07.

anyone here know whether the warranty on MS parts - like this intake/ehxaust is any different if it comes ON tyhe car at the time you buy it, VS taking the car to the dealer, buying it and having them install it on a car that you arlready have bought/titled?

the nice think about MS parts is i assume they will not void my warranty on a mechanicl problem if the car ONLY has mazdaspeedparts that were dealer installed.... correct?

thanks for the feedback. i'll have to see how bady they want to sell it. can't hurt to offer a bit on the low side and see what htey say. they can always say no. i can always offer more and i can always walk. it's kind of hard to offer 25, they say ok, then try to reneg and go lower..

i'll keep you all posted.

FTY - i had test driven an EVO X just a day or so ago and compared to this RX8 - the EVO sucked. i know it's a way faster car but honestly, the rx8 feels soooo much mor esporty than the evo it's not even funny. the rx sounds better, feels beter. eveything..

Revvittupp

Don't even bother, if this is what the vehicle is worth to you, jsut keep walking... $19,500? $15k off for a new, never titled vehicle with some money invested in mods? They probably won't even counter that number, it's silly.


They still had to buy the parts, and ther eis a cost to that. They still had to pay their technicisan to install them, and there is a cost to that, if you ask them to take them off there is a cost to that...

If you like it, Offer in the $23-24k range knowing that you will get moved or walked... I wouldn't be surprised if they took $25k or so after a bit of work, but I'd be very surprised if they moved much lower. Somoene else will walk in and pay $29k or more... it happens all the time.

FWIW, I have had dealers that would RDR a car that has no miles, and I have worked at delaers that wouldn't RDR their GM's demo's so you have no idea unless you ask. It matters less whether it was a demo, then it does if they had an MPA number they had to hit, and if they have a snake of a dealer principle.

23109VC

excuse my ignorance - what is "RDR"??

the same dealer called me up advising they just got in a 2006 pearl white, GT fully loaded. black leather, 6 MT, with nav. it has 19k miles. asking price is $19999. they said they got it at an auction.

of course it has no intake/ehxaust, but i could add that stuff easy.

oh, and as to that "40th anniv" black one - i pointed out that it was NOT a 4th anniv and the sales guy said that it had the bilstein suspension system put IN IT to make it handle like a 40th anniv..so he's claiming it has an upgraded suspension system. i didn't get on my hands and knees and look inside the wheel wells to see if i could see the shocks...but i guess it's possible they put in better shocks. when it est drove it and pushed it hard on a circular onramp it did seem to handle better than the last GT i drove.

if i went wihta slighly used one - like this used 06 thye took - odds are they would negotiate somewhat on this used 06..maybe take 18k or so..and i could buy the intake/exhaust and even do MS suspension - and still come in less than the black one... albeit on a slightly older car iwht a bit more miles.

any major differences on the 06 to an 08? assuming both are GTs? do 06s have that cool keyless entry?

i'm not so much dead set on an 08 vs an 07, but i want a clean car in good condition with SOME warranty left and not too high of miles. for a good price. i do like the pearl color - so i may like this white one they just got in. i may go look at it later today.

after having driven the black one with the intake/exhaust i can say that I want that stuff. i loved the sound. my gut is that if I don't get this black one that has the stuff on it i like, i'll wind up adding it to any Rx8 i buy... at least intake/exhaust and maybe suspension...

bang for the buck a used 06 might get more "more" for my money. plus this 06 has nav..which is not a must have but woudl be a cool option to have.

assuming they will sell the black one at 24-25 and they will sell the white 06 GT 19k for $17-18 (then I add MS intake/exhaust/suspension) - what is the better deal? anyone care to offer a suggerstion?

one thing i am afraid of is that if i look at them both, and wind up liking one more than the other -they may try to screw with me on the negotiating to push the one that has more profit in it... it woudl be better if these two cars were at DIFFERENT dealers and i c ould play one against the other...

i can always find somehing comparable somehwere else...and keep my optiosn open. i am not stuck with these peole adn i don't have to buy now. one ace in my hole is that this is a third / toy car and I have no probelm walking, waiting for a better deal somewhere else.

Revvittupp

RDR= retail delivery reporting.

That used one may be a good match for you. They didnt' start with a HIGHBALL, they started with a pretty reasonable deal. If you can get that for $17k you are doing real well.

Me personally, I'd sent the benchmarks at $25k and $18k. Whichever car you get as a better deal in comparison to those figures is a better DEAL, but whatever car fits your budgets and needs more, as well as appealing to you more is a good way to go.

23109VC

i went to the dealer. test drove the white one they had. it's an 06. fully loaded. even nav and homelink. 19k miles on itl. price is 19500.

it drove okay. compared to the 08 i drove, it felt soggy and soft. it did not have as much power. they were close but the 08 was faster. does the intake and exhaust REALLY add hp, because while some posts here i have read say the intake/exhasut doesn't add any power - to ME the 08 with the MS intake/exhaust had more top end power. i don't think the intake/exhaust equipped car was any faster down low..but from 7000-9000 it felt stronger.

the 08 also felt tighter and cornered better. the 06 i drove felt slightly looser.

the salesguy, while friendly, told me the 08 had upgraded suspension. when i talked to the GM who drove it and did the upgrades, he said the suspension was totally untouched. i also popped the hood and looked at the nuts around the suspension components and they all looked untouched confirmign what the GM Said. that 08 has nothign but an intake/exhaust and wheels. the window sticker was int eh glove box - it is a GT with an MSRP of 33000. he added whels.

the wheels are "Bigg" wheels. go to biggwheels.com they are the wheel called "Style" in black chrome. looks okay on a black car...

anyway... i offered them 23k on the 08. the finance guy came over and siad they would do 28900. I told them that there was no way I would even consider paying that much. i pointed out they had another 08 40th anniv edition with a window sticker asking only 26999 that had NO miles on it and he claimed that the car had 5000+ worth of upgrades.. the wheels/tires/fender strakes/chrome accents/blah blach. i reminded him it had 4500 miles on it and he said they considered it new. the finance guy was sort of a *****. i expected him to come back at 26 or something.. whatever...

i walked off. i told them i might be interested in the white used one if they would cu the price down enough to ledt me add some MS goodies.

when i drove the 06, it clearly had warped rotors and the tires were bad. it's gonna need some work. it needs tires, brakes, and to ME it would need
MS shocks/springs/sways/intake/exhaust.

how can a car with only 19k drive so much more sloppy than one with 4500 miles? does the rx8 loosen up THAT much in just 2 years / 15k?? the 08 drove much much tighter/better than the 06...and they supposedly have the exact same suspension setup.

only difference is tires. the white 06 has Dunlop SP8090 tires and the black one had potenza RE050 or somethign like that...

anyway, no deal on the black one. i can't imagine they really think they are goign to get almost 30k for that car. the finance guy tried to hammer on me that the MSRP was almost 40k and that i was asking them to take too mucho ff.

i politely told him that while he thinks the mods add value - to me they didn't and the car had 5k miles. i nicely told him i could find a new 08 GT with NO miles for 26k and add the intakie/ehxaust and be out the door for less than his car. i'm not sold on the wheels and honestly, now that i'm home, i'm not that bummed out that i didn't close a deal.

i'll find something else. honestly if i spent 30k on a car, i'm gonna bu a boxster...

SVgamer72

I picked up a 2008 40th with add-ons that stickered at $33,884 last night for $27,500+Lojack+TTL.

Maybe not the best deal out there, but one I am happy with.