Finally!!
 

After 2+ years of yearning, bought one of the last of the 05 White RX-8's on Saturday... pics eventually (not like it's anything we haven't seen before...)

Now if I can just learn to drive stick before the car gets tired of it and tosses me out of the drivers' seat.

Congrats on the purchase :)

Congrats. I've had my 05 whitewater for about a month and a half. There's nothing like it!

keep it up, u'll get it in no time.

good luck with your 8 - don't worry, clutch & tranny's can be replaced. :cwm27:

Congrats most of all for stepping up to the plate and learning to drive stick!

Congrats, especially for not settlin on a AT. It's a world of difference.

Congrats mate and enjoy you car, I think the stick is a more logical choice for this sort of car. (although sometimes in traffic jams, I do miss that auto!)

welcome to the cult....

I've been driving it to work the past two days - while I'm still nowhere near smooth today was much better than yesterday - I even made a proper start in first going up a hill with a stupid mini-van riding my butt. Not to mention the fun of fairly easily going from 40 to 60 when needed.

I never realized how crappy / inconsiderate most people are when it comes to driving.

I always look in my rearview mirror when I'm stopped on a hill, there's usually some idiot about 2 inches away from my rear bumper. but if you hit him it's his fault for tailgating you.

Glad to hear you're getting the hang of it. But how could you have missed how inconsiderate other drivers can be? Is it just a little more obvious b/c of the MT, or was your previous commute through country roads w/o any traffic?

As bitter as I am, some idiot shows me a new low in the stupidity dept. every few days. :cussing:

Took me about 2 weeks to get used to my MT, so I'd guess it would take about the same or less (I was a newbie to stick too). It's so much more fun than AT :D

Glad you're making improvements. Congrats on the new car!

Starting on a hill with traffic behind you is the real test. There was a particular parking lot exit that got the best of my high school buddy (who learned to drive stick the same time I did). The exit was a steep up-hill into busy traffic and someone pulled up right behind him. He stalled, then shut his car off, pulled the e-brake and got out to let his dad drive it out. At least that made the dip who'd pulled up too close behind him back off.

I never had such a low in my driving, but it was quite a while that he and I would ask each other, "okay, can you make the car *drive* now or does it still *hop*?"

Fortunately, the RX-8 is a pretty generous transmission. Back ~1988 I learned to drive a stubborn, worn-out, bucking `76 Honda Civic, then my uncle let me drive his `86 Honda Accord. I remember being amazed: "Oh, okay, it's not me, that Civic is just a piece of cr*p!" My uncle thought it was funny.

....and if you think the inconsiderate drivers a great, wait until you get the insecure, competitive twits trying to race you. Whole new driving experience.

Oh man, especially in a small town.

Generic: truck pulls up revs engine, takes off, you make a left turn.... every....freaking....weekend.

oh well, they are fun. and good luck with the clutch, I remember learning on a pretty forgiving jeep wrangler, but the rx-8 is even more so, so you should get it pretty quick.

congrats

When I drive a stick, I try and make it obvious on a hill with traffic by inching up a little and letting it fall back a little. If you do this continuously, upcoming traffic will notice. This was just a recommendation when I was learning and it sorta stuck even if it's not the best method. At least it helps you learn the point where the clutch catches.

Not a bad idea, but me thinks you give other drivers too much credit. Chances are the dumbass behind you is one the phone, applying chapstick, drinking a coffee & picking their nose. Be happy they're paying enough attn. to not hit you.

I guess other drivers are just a little more noticeable in the MT than in my Liberty before. I love the stereo (have the GT Package) but I haven't even been using until I get a feel for the sound / feel of the engine. Instead it's as described with everyone else on cell phones, makeup being applied, or (my favorite from another thread) counting fat rolls...

Congratulations on the new car! Drivers not experienced with manual transmissions find some difficulty when stopped on a hill, facing upward. If you apply your emergency brake and let it out as you release the clutch and press the accelerator you will not slip backward. Just a thought...

^^^ Yeah

Use the E brake, its really not hard with this car. I had to use it on a doward sloping parking spot, would of hit the bumper if I hadn't.