I have recently lost garage access due to a recent move and now I'm considering buying a car cover. I have no experience with them and have never used one before but have heard several stories about do not buy the cheap ones, they will scratch your paint etc. So I'm wondering what is a good brand or place to buy one that would protect my car from the elements while being kept outdoors? Just need to keep my car protected and looking good for as long as I can. Thanks guys.

 

get a OEM RX-8 cover
you can find them in the FS section sometimes for ~$120
do a quick search for "car cover" (titles only) and see what comes up

 

I have a Block-It 380... it's pretty nice, and is ~180 shipped. If it's going to be outside all the time, the next step up (Noah Cover) might be good as well. I haven't seen one, but the reviews are all fairly positive.

 

Do not buy the OEM cover. Since you don't have a garage, the OEM cover will be close to worthless.

As jsight mentioned, the Noah cover by Covercraft is outstanding. I have had one for my Formula, CTS-V, and now my RX8. I order mine from autoanything.com. The cover fits like a glove and is very high quality. They are made to order. You won't be disappointed.

**I would be happy to snap a pic of the cover on my car if you'd like so you can see how it fits.

 

^ MY EXACT THOUGHTS. Unless you have a completely closed off garage, the OEM cover is only good for VERY minuscule dust protection.

My previous cover was a Covercraft Noah, which is more than suitable for outdoors. It was about $220 when I bought it a few years back. Unfortunately, I forgot to tie it down and it got blown off during a record setting bad storm in NYC ...

I now have a Covercraft Techalon/Evolution. Very similar to the Noah and equally as good for outdoor protection. I believe I got it for ~200 shipped. I got it in tan, but you have a choice of grey also.

If you're going to pay $150 for a shitty OEM cover that is practically useless, might as well pay $50 more for something functional. Look on autoanything as said before or Amazon for custom RX8 covers.

Also keep in mind that you MUST, and I can't stress this enough... YOU MUST keep the surface of the car absolutely spotless before covering it. Though the under layer of quality covers are soft, it can still damage the paint if dirt is present. It is no different than applying sand paper on the car as the grit/dirt gets trapped under the cover and the wind turns it into an abrasive situation with constant movements. If the car is not completely clean, you do much more damage by covering it than leaving it uncovered.

Here is a pic of my cover. Perfect fit with an appearance package.

 

I purchased the cccc Noah car cover and it fit perfect and seemed very durable. After a short time I no longer needed it plus it didn't fit with the ms bumper on so I decided to sell it.

here's a link to the site I ordered it from

California Car Cover

 

+1000 for Covercraft.

I have a Noah for when I drive the 8 to work and the form fit for when in the garage. (yes, my car is pampered)

 

Go to the covercraft website; there's a detailed chart showing which cover is best for what conditions.

 

Car Cover Fabrics Comparison - Covercraft

 

I think Covercraft is a good choice. I never owned one, but I heard good reviews about it.