Matt RX8

Buying a new 2004 RX8 with 6 speed sport (don't want a sunroof because of helmet/head room issue). The dealer has two cars that fit my needs.

I can't decide between Brilliant Black or Winning Blue.

The black one has apperance package, spare tire kit.

The blue one has a spoiler.

I'm not too impressed with the OEM spoiler. It kinda messes up the beautfiul lines of the car IMHO. But the winnning blue would be easier to keep clean and less likely to shows swirl marks. On the other hand, I do like the appearance package, but I could live without it. I like having a spare tire kit but I can always get one from the dealer for the blue car.

I'll hand wash and wax the car religiously but I live near Chicago and I will probably use an automatic (touchless car wash) a few times per year when it dips below freezing for weeks on end. This car will be my daily driver including the winter so I'll want to get the salt off of it. I searched and read all the car wash threads against automatic washes but I really can't see myself hand washing in the middle of the winter. I also don't trust any local hand wash places to do a good job.

What color should I get? Does anyone with a black car use the touchless car wash? How hard is it to keep clean?

dazygirl415

Glad to hear that you've decided in favor of the 8. I think you'll be thrilled with the car.

I think your next decision boils down to color. You can always add appearance/spoiler later (and it's much cheaper afterwards). I used to have a black car and it was PAIN to keep clean. There's also tons of them on the road, so if I were you, I'd choose blue.

Oh, and drop the spare tire kit. The dealership charges an arm and leg anyway. You won't use it since you have to buy a new tire if you get a flat and you'll enjoy the extra room in the trunk (which pretty much disappears with the kit).

bigblockbeater

i have black and love it. it is a lot of work to keep it looking good though. the spare is extra but if you think you may need it. also i suggest going online and custum ordering your car. you can pick and choose some of the options and get it just the way you like it and maybe even get a better price. mazda can deliver the car to the dealer of your choosing.

Mr. Ed's rx-8

winning blue!

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

Black is always the most beautiful color for any car.
It is also the most demanding.

There are so many blues on the road (there are a dozen or so RX-8s I see around here; most are blue or silver - mine is the only black), I say go with black.

TODreamer

based on what you said.. black would be most optimal

MI_FamilyMan

If you will wash religiously and stay out of the automatic wash, I say go with black. If you are worried about resale, I am going to guess that black might be easier to unload. If it were me though, I would probably have gone with blue because I never planned on driving in winter and plan to keep my 8 for a very long time.

rotten42

Not quite right with the spare tire....you want the spare tire so you don't have to use that tire sealer. Using that is what makes you have to throw your tire away. I simple flat can ber fixed so problem as long as you don't use that crap in the bottle........Yes, the spare tire is extensive, but if you have a flat 30 miles out of town on a Sunday night, its worth it.

Have them tranfer the spare tire over to the other car....and make then throw it in.

Gambit

It sounds like you really want the black one, but you're trying to talk yourself out of it. Get it. You'll be happier

czr

iTrader: (3)

I'm a tit grey guy. I like it in black a lot, but it does get dirty easily. If you don't mind cleaning it go with black and tint it out- nice.

NomisR

Blue, everyone that's seen my car loved the color, could just be saying that in front of me but basically it's a great color and fits the car perfectly. Got plenty of people come up to me and gave complements about my car. Only person that said it was ugly is my dad but his taste on some things like cars and furniture is really questionable. so... :D

HERO

iTrader: (3)

It isn't called WINNING blue without a reason

oryas

Black is great only if you keep it shiny all the time. I have a black and it's a lot of work to keep clean even with all the stuff I have (zaino, CA car duster, car cover). I have really grown a liking to the blue color, that would be my second choice if I didn't want to do all the cleaning.

valpac

iTrader: (2)

Velocity Red! Oh, not a choice...


Winning Blue was my second choice as my last car was black. I echo the other posts about a pain in the *** to keep clean. But I love cleaning my new 8 so a black one probably wouldnt be that bad.

My other "complaint" with black is lack of contrast. From a distance the cars lines kinda disappear and it becomes just an outline silhouette. A nice outline though.

V_for_velocity

I suppose few people pick a color based on safety issues (e.g. nighttime visibiity), but if they did black would be a poor choice. But if it's just aesthetics we're talking about, I'll take blue. (Well, red, but that's not an option.)

SpinninAgain!

Winning Blue was my second choice also, after Lightning Yellow. As valpac said, bright colors show off all the great lines of this car.

So he and I agree. If you want the second best color get WB! :D

DukeGG1

Winning blue! Gets attention everywhere I go-if attention is what you want!

rocketrider2

Chicago here. Chose the Winning Blue because I am not going to deal with the issues of a black car, been there done that and got the t-shirt too prove it.
I get so many compliments on the blue its not even funny. But get what will make you happy.

salituro64

Velcoity Red was my first choice (which I got) and Winning Blue was 2nd. You know what they say about black cars (which I've owned before), Once you've owned one you will never buy another. They look amazing when clean, I will give it that, but it only lasts for about one day, two at best.

dragon james

BLACK all the way I have the black 8 and who cares about having to wash it all the time. When you drive a car as nice as ours you want to wash it all the time. Plus black looks the best!

trainoffools

I have black as well and love it. My two choices were between blue and black and I went with black because although blue looks good, blue cars are a bit of a trend right now. I've noticed a lot of high-end sports cars were appearing in blue lately and black is always a classic sleek look to me.

As for washing, my last four cars were black and I always hand-washed them and never had any swirls develop. As long as you go with a hand-wash and even better use the new Mr. Clean with the finishing rinse where you don't have to dry the vehicle, then swirls should never be a problem with black. I have used a couple touchless car washes in the winter and they worked fine, never left me with any issues. Once you go black...

Here is a pic I took of the Four Seasons hotel valet in Dana Point, CA. Look at that beautiful blue Ferrari and Mercedes.

Matt RX8

went to dealership for my second test drive. I still have the stupid grin on my face that the people on this forum keep telling me about.

I was looking at the black cars and even the one in the showroom which was freshly waxed was showing all kinds of swirl marks.

I think the spoiler is growing on me too, so the blue car is definitely livable. As for the blue car not having a spare, I think If I'm going on a really long drive, I'll just throw one of the snow tires in the back. For everyday driving, maybe I don't need the spare.

G-ReX

Exactly what SpinninAgain said, blue was second choice after yellow. This car deserves a standout color.