fasdude

Speaking on behalf of people that use wheelchairs, this car is awesome! I currently drive a 96 Acura Integra that is paid for. It has never given cause to complain. In fact, it's is the best car I have owned or driven. I haven't put a dime over regular maintenance (other than front brakes at the last scheduled maintenance) even though I drive it very hard. The only way it could be improved would be if they could integrate a third or 4th door like the RX-8 has done. When I tried the Saturn 3 door model, it was so much easier to get my wheelchair in the back seat than any car I have ever driven. The problem is, I wouldn't be caught dead driving a Saturn. (I have had problems with cars made by the "Big 3", Volkswagen and Hyundai.) So I would only drive newer Honda, Toyota, Nissan or Mazda products because around here these brands have the best reputations for reliability. So far, I can only drive sports cars because of their wide doors. I use a rigid wheelchair which I have to pop off the rear tires and fold the back down. Then, to get these parts in the back passengers' seat, I have to recline the driver's seat as much as I can, and drag the parts over my body. The problem is, in the winter time or when its muddy outside, I end up getting all dirty because the wheelchair parts drip on or brush my body as I'm putting them in the back seat. On top of that, I can't have a baby seat in the back, because my seat would not be able to recline enough for me to pass the wheelchair parts between me, the steering wheel and the ceiling.

So I applaud the designers at Mazda with taking a good concept further and applying it to a practical vehicle that people would want to drive. The 250 hp engine, automatic transmission(it's impossible for me to drive a stick), sports car specs/performance and cool looks of the RX8 are just icing on the cake. The only barrier I can see, is price. I will only be able to afford this car here in New Brunswick, Canada if they sell it for under 30K.