TheGreatRenesis

You can get ANY exterior with ANY interior (except cloth w/GT) but you just have to order it. The dealers only seem to carry certain interiors with certain exteriors.

These are the ones that you should be able to find at a dealership pretty easy... (plus any of them with all Black interior)

Red/Black Interior with Red exterior
Brown/Black Interior with Gray exterior
Brown/Black Interior with Green exterior
Red/Black Interior with Black exterior

More importantly, why in the world would you get red/black seats with the Titanium paintjob!? Blasphemy I say!

Robert

Whaddya mean?!! Red and black seats with Titanium is a fantastic combination!! I HATE the black and taupe (saddle) two-tone leather.

Here in Canada, these are the combinations listed in the brochure:

Winning Blue Metallic: Black Cloth / Black Leather
Brilliant Black: Black Cloth / Black-Taupe Leather
Velocity Red Metallic: Black Cloth / Black-Red Leather
Titanium Grey Metallic: Black Cloth / Black-Taupe Leather
Sunlight Silver Metallic: Black Cloth / Black Leather
Lightning Yellow: Black Cloth / Black Leather

Doctorr

Honest, he's a full size trunk-full!

And he has two legs as you can see.....

OK, maybe just one!
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doc

renesis13

hey guys!

Aussie 8 is fly-by-wire throttle so im guessin the yankee version is too!!!!

RX8_GT

Renesis13:

My mistake I do now believe.

John

RX8_GT

Doctorr

His leg and foot - I think not - ? Photoshop.

John

Sue Esponte

1) The Grand Prix has maintained the same basic design for almost a decade. Honda/Acura hasn't had an original design of its own in too many years. I'm the furthest thing from a GM fan, but Pontiac certainly didn't copy Acura's design.
2) If you read my message, I never questioned the quality of the Acura or pushed the quality of the Pontiac. I merely stated that the two resembled one another.
3) TSX is still a tarted up Euro-Accord and the TL is a gussied up Accord....both great cars in their own right.

So, again, aside from bang for the buck, I don't see what's so great about an Acura...boring, boring, boring with not a single individual thought.

-Eric

Robert

Aside from quality, reliability, features and performance equivalent to cars costing thousands more ("bang for the buck" as you said)...I guess nothing.

But, we've just listed some of the most important considerations in buying a car, haven't we?

And personally, I don't think the Pontiac much resembles the new TL, anyhow - only slightly from the angle you presented.

Robert

Robert

Aside from quality, reliability, features and performance equivalent to cars costing thousands more ("bang for the buck" as you said)...I guess nothing.

But, we've just listed some of the most important considerations in buying a car, haven't we?

And personally, I don't think the Pontiac much resembles the new TL, anyhow - only slightly from the angle you presented.

Robert

Robert

Anybody see a problem fitting the RX-8 with all-seasons? And do you think the wheel-well would accept going from 225 series tires to 235 series tires on the same OEM rims - just to give the car a slightly wider footprint?

Thanks,

Robert

MEGAREDS

I strongly recommend that anyone buying the car that wants to drive when the outside temperature is below 40F get the winter tires. At the cooler temperatures the rubber gets hard and won't grip the road, and the result is ugly. I recall seeing two accidents on this forum that resulted in serious damage (one death), and at least two people saying they were stuck on flat ground on icy roads. With the tires, no problem at all - none. Very sure footed.

The trunk is fine for me, without the spare.

Oil consumption is a non-issue. It conveys the wrong idea to say that the car "burns" oil. The rotaries simply work that way and you need to occassionally add a small amount of oil. Checking the oil gives you an excuse to raise the hood and do something constructive. You pay a lot for that engine... I enjoy looking at it occassionally. I've only had to add a quart before my first oil change, which was at 3,000 miles.

As most have said, you can avoid flooding by being careful. Once you flood, you're potentially in trouble since the emergency start procedure described in the manual will not always work. Consensus seems to be that a stronger battery would help get a flooded car started... my battery died before I could get it to turn over. The good news: they'll come get you, fix it for free and you're not likely to do it ever again.

My reaction is "Yes," you've done your homework. Now draw up a similar "benefits" list and then do the math.

Good luck.

Robert

My concern here is with the flooding and overall reliability issues. If you live in a large metropolitan area, great.

But let's say something happens when you're on a long trip, and in the middle of nowhere. You can call for a tow, but what if the nearest certified rotary mechanic is 200 miles or more away?! Then you're hooped in a way you wouldn't be with a conventional piston engine.

I've also read that the life span of a rotary is reduced more quickly than on conventional piston engines if you do a lot of stop and go city driving, and that overall life expectancy on a rotary is about 80,000 miles before a rebuild is required.

Any thoughts on any of this...

Robert

sferrett

I have over 140k miles on the original engine in my '90 rx7. The rotary isn't "prone" to failure... The '93-'95 cars had a bit of a reputation but that was mainly due to it being turbocharged and also owners modifying and subsequently blowing the engine up. In general a properly maintained normally aspirated rotary engine is going to last just as long as a properly maintained normally aspirated piston engine.

IMO the flooding issue is a non-issue, and my opinion on the subject (as well as many other people's opinions) are in numerous other threads, which you should search for and read. I think there's a lot of negative hype about it and it's really not as huge of an ogre as it has been made to seem.

Simon.

sferrett

I think there are some folks who have a real mechanical issue when it comes to chronic flooding and low mileage, however it looks more like isolated cases, in general I agree with your statement.

I often start my car up in the evening at work, drive 0.25 miles (maybe) to the gas station to file up. Typically if I'm gonna be filling with gas that's the scenario. I've yet to have even a hint of an issue restarting after filling it up. Usually the temp gauge has moved about one or two ticks up from dead cold (just so it's hovering over the C) when I get to the gas station.

Felix W.

Robert, you seem fixated on the 'flooding'. Don't buy the '8'.

You seem to think there are 'overall reliability issues'. Where this comes from, I don't know.

If you need -

1/ Massive trunk.
2/ Folding seats.
3/ Reliability problems.
4/ No flooding, ever.

Buy a Dodge Caravan. I hear the '05's have fold down back seats!

felix

Robert

Okay, so what I hear you saying is that the '8' is not reliable.

Robert

Felix W.

Read it again slowly Robert,
THERE IS NO RELIABILITY ISSUE.
there are no reliability issues
Where do you get reliability issues?

?

MEGAREDS

I simply can't understand this statement in light of the polls showing huge numbers for a car that's not been out for even a full year yet.

How many times have you flooded the 8? (19% at least once)

Yet Another New Twist on the Flooding Issue (15% - over 50% for AT owners!)

Have you flooded your Renesis? (20%)

How many times have you flooded your Renesis? (11%)

Robert

Well, you know, sarcasm begets sarcasm and all that.

And by the way, the post about flooding directly above would seem to refute your contention that there is no reliability issue. And as I pointed out before, what if this happens when you're on a long trip...hell and gone from anywhere? Right there, that belies reliability.

I ask these questions, not because I don't like the RX-8 (I really do like it) but because I need one daily driver that I will keep for the next eight to ten years. So I need to be able to count on it.

Robert

Nubo

It's been claimed that a push-start will invariably get a flooded rotary running again.

sferrett

"IMO" == "In my opinion"

The potential [of flooding] needs to be understood by the vehicle owner, and the proper precautions need to be undertaken. As far as I'm concerned though, that should be the end of it. As such, in my opinion, it's a non-issue.

Sounds like Robert's already made up his mind though, so one person (me) indicating that I've had no reliability, flooding or other concerns doesn't really matter.

I just hate to see people blanket the car as unreliable and prone-to-flooding, and come in with that concept off the get go (such as Robert seemed to). Seems to me (and again, this is my own personal subjective view, so feel free to not read it) that the relatively small number of bad experiences that have affected some people has been extrapolated out so that it seems like the normal experience. I just don't think it is.

Now I'll just wait until someone accuses me of defending my fatally-flawed car to the death because I'm a rotary advocate who can't see past his own blinkers.

Robert

What others are saying:

I might expect this from a POS Cavalier, but not a high-end Japanese sports car; Mazdas' flagship, in fact. It's an unacceptable liability in ANY car, never mind one of this caliber, and for me, a deal breaker.

It is often not practical to sit in one's car and let it idle for five minutes; waiting for the engine to "warm up" before you shut it down! Mazda should issue a statement describing whether or not this is a normal "function" of this car, or a defect that can - and will - be rectified at their expense. And exactly why is it the Auzzies don't seem to have this problem? Anybody asked Mazda...?

I can see it now: "Sorry there, fella, but we don't have a Mazda dealership here in Timbucktoo - closest one's about 300 miles over yonder...that'll be $1200.00 for the tow." And remember, Mazda doesn't offer roadside assist. Imagine if this scenario were to happen to 30 or 40 people. Can you say: Class Action Suit?

Hopefully, this problem will be corrected in the 2005 model - there's simply too much competition out there for Mazda to let this slide. The horrendous gas mileage is a bad enough liability to contend with, without this potential issue looming over one's head.

Robert

IKnowNot'ing

Dear Robert,

Turning off a cold engine is ALWAYS bad for the engine, whatever the engine type. I remember my V6 Audi would struggle to start (on 4 to 5 cylinders first) after such a mistreatment (bore washing, fuel puddles).

Talking about engine problems that are liabilities, here are some examples much worse than RX8s:
- Audi TT's 1.8T enigne blowing up (loads of them)
- Any VW-Audi PD diesel engine noise (clatter-clatter-clatter)
- Ford Fiesta engines suffering Pre-Ignition damages on 91 RON fuel (Sixt rentals)
- Seized injectors on diesel Mercedes engines
- Any diesel engine (haaa, my ears) in general safe I6s and V8s
- European 2.0L Focus 22MPG real life fuel economy (for 130hp).
- Throttle stuck open in Explorers
- ... (every brand has its own)

Aussies don't have that kind of problem because thay are on the other side of the globe and the fuel rest on the top of the rotor housing...

IKnowNot'ing

Robert

Agreed, turning off a cold engine IS bad. But guess what? I have a 1986 Toyota Celica GTS that I've taken exceptional care of - and it has 150,000 miles on its 3S-GE engine. I have NEVER, repeat NEVER had to worry about such things. Despite any abuse from me, that engine has always turned over and run without complaint in a variety of situations - and still runs and idles as smoothly as the day I bought it.

And by the way, all the brands you described above (sans Mercedes) are notorious for defective quality - and NONE of them are Japanese.

I expect more from a brand the caliber of Mazda, particularly in their flagship model. It's simply unacceptable in today's market.

Robert