Virgil

Wow, did monkey even see my post?

Also, DMP, bite me I am an in the Army, I leave the 16th of June....

Anyway, Monkey, at 15 (and yes I am alluding the the Private message I sent you...) you seem to be going through the "I am a teen and I know everything" faze of things and thats something everyone seems to go through. Hell, I am 18 and still catch myself doing it. My little brother seems be in it right not and it annoys the **** out of me, possibley what has a lot of people perturbed here. I know that post you made a while back about bloody street racing sort of condemned you in the eyes of many here, my opinion of you sort of went down a peg in respects to that but I don't know you personally so i can't really say.

Anyway, the point being is that I have no qualms about you getting an 8, but the posts you have made about being responsible got pretty much were nullified by that post. Also, you mentioned maturity is stating an opinion... WEll, I know a lot of teens that have opinions and most are not in the least educated ones. If you having an attitude from people who are older/more experianced then you then you really can't make the case for being "mature" about things.

I have no problem with you getting an 8, but once you mentioned street racing it was a done deal as far as many were concerned. I can see were they are coming from, a kid that condons street racing is just another crash statisitic waiting to happen or in thier eyes more insurance costs coming there way. Just be responsible, follow your own advice and us that "maturity" you think you have to make the right decision for you and you parents.

I recommend getting a a Turbo Izuzi Impulse with the facotry Lotus tuned suspension. If you don't know what lotus is then I suggest don't get the 8...

rotten42

Why is this post still ....hey monkeyboy, close it!

graphicguy

plugot....I just don't see it happening for him. We keep hearing the "maturity" and "trust". Reading the posts, I don't see those as traits that he emboddies. NOt a slam. He's 15. I don't expect those traits to be evident.

The mere fact that he states he's going to test the limits, if he ever gets an RX8, tells me he'll put it in the weeds before he gets enough experience to appreciate what the car is meant to do.

He also hasn't had any experience to get into any good driving habits, either.

I'm a long time bracket racer.....and an an autox'er (you can find me driving a mini Cooper at Mid-Ohio when the weather's good). I've always been more fearful on the regular roads than I ever was in a controlled track scenario. So, all the advanced driving courses in the world (and I've participated in more than a few) aren't going to prepare him for the day-in/day-out driving on regular roads. That only comes with experience. The best way to get that experience is to get some years driving is something that has lower thresholds.

Not to say that advanced driving courses aren't a good idea. They are a great idea. That won't begin to make up for driving experience.

Monkey....you want a performance driving "fix"? That Elantra lends itself to being modded. Master that.....take it to autoX events. Every city has them if you look for them. Learn about driving smoothly. Learn about loading/unloading and weight transfer on the Hyundai in a controlled setting. Learn about different suspension settings and modifications. You'll appreciate the RX8's capabilities that much more when/if you ever get your hands on one.

Take a few years and master that Elantra first before you head to the Mazda store.

It's just plain silly how some think a ground effects package and a coffee can exhaust makes their car somehow faster or better handling. I see it all the time. I also see the injuries such naivete causes to the inexperienced driver and those on the road with him.

Nordic RX-8

I remember having a RWD car as a first ride with alot more Horsepower and alot less safety devices - no such things as stability control, air bags or anti-lock brakes. I did find the limits to her on a back road and remember the money it took to get her out of the ditch. Every teen will try to push the limits - just try keep from killing yourself or anyone in your way...

InvisibleMonkey

now when did i say that? i said that i'd put visual things on the car, but not any performance stuff

InvisibleMonkey

i'll admit, i AM going to test it's limits...what person wouldn't test the limit of any car? but i'm not going to be stupid enough to do it on a crowded road...i'll do it on an empty one where i can see everything in front of me...there's actually a pretty long one in near my neighborhood, and there aren't any houses or anywhere anyone could pull out...i want to live a long life & not get hurt doing something as stupid as driving a car, and it's not like i'll do it every night...i'll just do it when the time comes

graphicguy

Did I quote you as saying as such? Easy there fella.....

InvisibleMonkey

muh bad

Elara

Guys, that's enough. I didn't realize this was a thread dedicated to flaming a kid. Quit it.
InvisibleMonkey, the car is as dependable as pretty much anything out there. Anything you've heard otherwise is a load of crap.

graphicguy

OK....let me get this straight. You don't have a license yet, but, when you do, you'll be driving an Elantra. So far, so good! Magically, with little forethought, your parents are going to move you from a $10K Elantra (if new) to buy you a $30K RX8 when you turn 17 for reasons I've yet to understand....OK, if you say so!

When you get the RX8, you're going to test its limits on deserted roads coming off your 1 year of driving experience with the Elantra. And you say you won't put it in a ditch hurting yourself or other people's property? Awrighty, then!

graphicguy

Elara....no flames. It's just that I don't come in here that often. When I do, it's populated either by trash talking from someone with a V8 this, turbo that (pick one)! Or, someone, who has little in the way of experience, let alone a license, who wants to tell us he/she is oing to buy an RX8 with little in the way of a reasonable hope of doing so for whatever reason.

But, you're right, there's better use of my time.

RCMarquis

Look man, if you don't want to listen to anyone in this forum then don't. Noone is going to change your mind about this car. You simply fell in love with this car just like the rest of us, but it would be wise to listen to some people who have been where you are before. First of all for the majority of us the car is dependable, but not true in my case. I have owned my 8 for a little over three months. Twice it would not start for me due to a bad spark plug (in both cases). I have had it at the dealer's three times for warranty repairs already. I'm sure that this is just an isolated case and I still love the car. When I was 16 I got my father's old car which I took care of like a brand new one, althogh it was an 89 Grand Marquis. Not too stylish for a 16 year old (maybe for a 60 year old). When I was 18 my dad helped me buy a 91 Dodge stealth TT. What a beautiful car, but I actually regret getting the car now. The amount of time and money that goes into taking care of a sports car is sometimes not worth it. especially at an age where you are trying to finish school and work as well (at least for my case). So it would be wise to consider long and hard if this car is really worth it to you. The people you will be impressing at school are likely to not even be around after high school anyways, so what's the point? If you are just trying to get laid, you might be better off spending your money on a gym membership, lol.

MrH

Though I am a firm believer that it depends on the person, it's blatantly obvious after seeing his few posts he's not mature enough to own an RX-8. I bet he'd wrap it around a tree within a few weeks. He thinks his friend, who supposedly has a 500+ whp Focus (I definitely call the BS flag on that one, but that's beside the point), and street races, is perfectly fine. If you think street racing is fine, you shouldn't be allowed to even drive on the street, regardless of your car.

Granted I'm 17, so of course I'm in favor of it being based on the maturity of the individual. I personally don't own an RX-8, but I like to keep the flame burning by fooling myself into thinking I'm mature enough to own one, if that damn lottery ticket ever came out to be the right numbers. :p

In all seriousness though, I highly doubt I'd actually get an RX-8 at my age, even if my parents offered.

This is all about reputation. The kid said it himself. You know what? Reputation means nothing. Nothing at all. If kids are forming opinions of you and others based on the car you drive, perhaps you need to make some new friends. And when you get out in the real world, you'll be in for a reality check, when your reputation will not mean anything, but your grades will.

rx-7~rx-8

GET THE CAR... and ENJOY...

I went to Panoz Racing School and SHYT still happens... not that it happened to me.. but 16 or 25 shyt happens.. in a slow car or fast car. (MY BEST FRIEND FLIPPED HIS TOYOTA SUPRA AND TOTALLED IT.. got ANOTHER one.. still rolling in a MKIV)

I am 17 yeard old now.. i drove my moms volvo c70 turbo coupe for one year 16 to 17. Now i drive a 1996 Honda Accord. My sisters took it when she got married so she gave me her car. Its all good.

I went 120 on a ramp, because it was my birthday and i just got my license like 30 minutes ago. NO ONE was on my ramp still, i am stupid for doing that. But it was fun, i would of done it in a civic, accord, minivan (probably 90 mph), etc.

I recieved no tickets or involved in any accidents. After attending Panoz Racing School I am more mature driver and do not drive like an idiot, i save that for the race track and drag strips.

Having a RX-8 as a first car is an excellent choice. It handles extremely well and brakes better than majority of the cars, shyt i would feel more comfortable and safe in RX-8 then I would in a civic. Doing all those random stupid acts of a teenager. GET THE CAR. ENJOY.

MrH

No, you are an idiot for going 120 mph on public roads. Period. It's people like you who give teenagers at our age a bad reputation.

Rhawb

Wow, and I thought my friends and I did some stupid crap in our cars during our earlier years...The fact that the people are doing this on public roads (not even desolate roads, we're talking about interstates here!) and that they have valid drivers licenses is simply amazing and proves that we need to adopt more stringent licensing requirements. Now I know why cops are all about making driving miserable for young people. Ugh.

Virgil

Tell me about it, I have no tickets or accidents to my name and I have been driving 2 years. Only 18 so you have to cut me some slack on that. Just like everyone here I love the 8, but don't want one now... would rather have a bike. I have a lot of plans for after school and won't need anything more then a motorcycle for about a year and a half... Probably won't get anything else afterwards...

Invs. Monkey-

Hey, would appreciate a reply when someone in your age group is giving you sound advice... aka my last post, thanks. Think about it, if people in your own age group are saying (and people who are my age or older who have racing experiance) the same thing maybe it is time to take a hint. I am not trying to flame you, just give you constructive critisim. I don't blame your hostility, however, i do beleive your repeatedly sticking your foot in your mouth every time you post in regards to maturity and responsibility, then say something about condoning street racing... those two are night and day. I say go find your local autocross group or go have your parents enroll you in a race school or even find out when your local track day is, who cars if its an elantra, it has 4 wheels and an engine remember?

Also, 350-400hp focus is pretty out there, considering the car has been in production for roughly 3 years (give or take a year for "troubleshooting" by ford). I bet, unless he has a turbo that is boosted around 20-25 psi, is running race fuel or high octane, and has a solid built race motor and transmission I doubt he is making that much power. It takes a LOT to get a 4 cylinder motor around that power range and keep it street legal, espcielly a car that doesn't have as big of a base of aftermarket parts (it takes a while on a completely new car/engine, just look at the slow development of RX-8 parts). Also, I doubt he has a job that he can afford to pump easily 30 grand in to a car like that. Yes, to get a car to that lvl of hp it takes quite a bit of money. To get an 8 to were I want it I will most likley spend at least 20-25 grand total on everything.

My suggestion is to start reading up on anything with two or four wheels that has a motor attached to it, it really helps when formulating opinions on cars.

Rhawb

Hey Virgil - nice to see another young guy who seems to have his head screwed on about as straight as they go at our age...anyway, I'd say be careful about buying that bike. For one, I got both my tickets when I was 18 (I'm 20 now and one of the tickets was bogus, but that's not the point) so you're not out of the woods of "young guy driving" yet. Hell, I'm not either.
Aside from the legal side of things, make sure you don't just dive into that motorcycle decision. I really don't think I would ever get a motorcycle as a daily driver. On top of them being horribly inconvenient for transporting anything but yourself, they're also incredibly dangerous. I have a friend I'm going to school with here and one of his best friends had been riding since he was a kid and he was very responsible with it. Despite all this, he just got killed last fall by a driver who didn't see him rounding a corner when he was out riding one night.
Anyway, whatever decision you make, make sure it's the right one for you, but I strongly advise against going the motorcycle-only route.

nomopistons

Hey MonkeyChild, you gonna let your parents read this thread?

VikingDJ

We need to accept that this is the way the world is. The days of respect are fading and in reality many of us older people just cannot grasp something like this. I believe it's the way your parents raise you, that determines who you become. I'd hate to think how I'd turn out if I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but that's just my way of thinking. From now until he turns 17, he may likely be more aware of the responsibility. It's not really about buying your child an expensive sports car, it's about teaching them that what they have is a privilege, not a right. Letting them know that they are getting something they don't really deserve, but feel they must do for their child. Giving them responsibility. Grounding them if they get a ticket or do something stupid. Teaching them respect. We know nothing accept for the fact that his parents spoil him. He's one of millions of spoiled kids. I have read some good contsructive advice, and definitely some jealousy. Hell, I'm jealous. There's also been some immature rebuttles (what do you expect he's 15 for christ's sake), and people that can't resist striking back due to their own trouble they have with our new generation. If we are really bothered about this, we need to attack the parents not the kids. They are the ones to blame. The kids are just taking what they can get, which is human nature. It's not his fault he's spoiled. It's the responsibility of the parents to raise their child the way they see fit. Some parents don't get it. Some think they get it but don't. Some learn as they go along, and some know what they are doing even if we think they don't know what they doing. Who are we to judge? However, it doesn't take a genius to figure out this is a risky move on the parents part. I just hope and pray parents like this know what they are doing, and are willing to accept some of the responsibility and put forth the effort if they do chose to buy their child a $30k+ sports car. Time will tell.

Virgil

I beg to differ on some level, I think the recent war really has opened up a lot of kids eyes to how useful adults are these days and how little they have to go off of when it comes to making decisions in life. Although it is always a good thing to have a health fear of god when it comes to parents and I respect mine. Most of the bad stuff that is available to kids out there I have stayed clear from, including alchohol which a lot of my peers won't buy in to.

In regards to the parents thing I whole heartedly agree. Take for example violent of suggestive video games. A 17 year old kid kills his 14 year old buddy after supposedly being influenced by the game Manhunt-- with a hammer. Now, thats what the news reports say, they don't mention that in the article his parents blame the game for his actions. How pathetic is that? The parents need to be held accountable in part for thier childs actions. Some may thing that is harsh and to some degree 17 is really when kids get thier own free will in a sense but there needs to be some sort of incentive to be a good parent. Grantide it is tough with many parents who must both work and be away from the house a lot (empty hands are the devils play ground).

For example, latley there have been a lot of sportbikes showing up around school. Now, I have wanted one for the past 6 years so this is torture, anyway, the guy I LEAST expect to get on a motorcycle gets a brand spanking new GSXR 750... Now, a little backround; this kid has no motorcycle experiance or car experiance, in fact he just got his license. His parents gave him the limit of 15k for transportation and he bought JUST a bike. Mind you I live in western Washington state whihc rains 3/4ths of the year. Turns our he spent almost all of that money on the bike, gear, dealer mark-ups (if you know what your doing going in to a dealer, those can EASILY be waved off the price) and most likely an extended warranty on the thing... Now, it is common knowledge that a 600cc sportbike is way to much for most beginners, but a 750 is almost unimaginalbe and a 1000cc is pretty much a death sentence for all but the strangest exceptions to the rule (aka very, very few). I have been looking at SV650S models for a while as a beginner bike, simply because it is easy to learn on and the more I grow in skill the more I can stretch my legs. Anyway, this kid always talks about how he is kicking himself for not buying the 1000, this is after of course he says the comments "torque is better for riding in the rain" which I just about lost it. He says he feels like his out growing the 750... now, mind you that hte GSXR 750 is probably one of the best tract bikes money can buy next to a 600 and is the favorite of many reviewers... I think you guys get the idea, I could write three more pages about this shmuck of a rider who gives all teen riders a bad name...

Yes, I will admit there is a measure of jealousy I have for any kid who has a sports car at 15... espcieally the kids that I know don't appreciate waht they have.

Monkey, like I said, get a used Izuzu Impulse Turbo. They come with a factory tuned Lotus suspension and are cool looking cars, or at least I think they look good. But then again I like stuff like the Corrado SLC, older gen RX-7's (80's era), Dodge Omni GLHS (Goes Like Hell Somemore, by Carol Shelby) and the like. I like oddball stuff and those are a bit of the oddball, don't look like much but there a kick in the pants on the twisties and would make GREAT autocrossers. Think about it, you could change out the rims (i would go with some bronze TE37 Volk rims, they came with gold ones stock), leave the suspension the way it is, put strut bar in the front, roll cage in the back (no ones gonna want to sit back there anyway) and you have a kick *** track car/autocrosser that is very unsuspecting. Trust me, if you show up in a car like that all of the real car guys will go "that kid knows his ****" not "that kid is a spoiled brat" because sad to say that is what the first impression will be. Some of the best car guys started with very, very little to work with.

Virgil

Oh yeah, and its RWD, so no worries if you don't like FWD...

Nubo

.

Virgil

lol

Hear is the impulse I was talking about. May not look like much and the color it was painted doesn't grab me but it is a great car and cheap to.






Also, don't think this isn't modifieable, this one is about as modified as I have ever seen for the impulse... THis guys sunk 20k in this sucker.

graphicguy

RCMarquis.....you are wise beyond your years. Best of luck to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!