Help choosing between GT or R3
 

I am still deciding between a grand touring or an R3. I think I will like the GT for everyday driving, but I like the style/wheels of the R3. Is it possible to buy an R3 bodykit and wheels somewhere?

If not, are there comparable quality aftermarket options?

Anyone who owns an R3, I'd love to hear how you like the ride and seats in everyday use.

The big difference will be series one or series two. Series two is a radically better car. But doesn't have near the aftermarket. So do your research and drive the two. See what you like better.

Daily driver get GT. I've owned both.

depend oh how you drive it daily.
I drive mine pretty hard so I love the handling.
if you just want something to cruise alone, get a GT.

wheels you can get different wheels. I kinda want to sell mine and get something else.
you can get bumper, side skirts and wing and have them match the color.
nothing is impossible if you have money.

as for seats, again, they are not the most comfortable nor are they height adjustable, so if you are out of shape or overly tall/short or both, get the GT seats.

Yes, sorry I should have clarified that. They are both new, the GT is a 2010 leftover and the R3 is a 2011.

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Not true! Besides the ECU not allowing itself to be tuned for Aftermarket Turbo Apllications, all other aftermarket performance modifications are the same (except exhaust a tiny bit). Even if you do decide to run turbo, you can do a stand alone ECU.

There are body kits out there for the Series II (09+)

R3 would be nice but you can only get it in Black, Red, Blue. If you want another color in the U.S. You have to convert a color model that isn't. Its possible like we did to my nephews 09 Touring in the above pics.

I would go for the R3 over the GT because...

That's really nice. What side skirts are those?

Get the GT for the extra toys, then upgrade the suspension.

Pick the R3,if you or your passengers don’t fit the seats swap them out with gt seats.

Someone with a GT would love to have the seats out of a R3.

Its all MAZDA R3 trim pieces, the side skirts are R3 trim from MAZDA.

and me on the other hand i find my r3 seats more comfortable than other seats for everyday driver

they fit me so well.

6'1"
190 lbs

R3 if you see yourself with this car for a long time and plan to track it eventually.

Don't own one but I came >this< close to buying one (and therefore went on a bunch of test drives).

To me, the R3 didn't feel hard riding or harsh at all. I think the suspension is fine for a daily driver. By comparison, I think I would get tired of a Hyundai Genesis or Nissan Z pretty fast.

I prefer the seats of the R3 by a big margin (5"9' 160lbs)

R3. Newer and lesser issues.

My R3
 

I just bought an R3 in September. I immediately drove it from PA to SC, and I use it as a daily driver.

I can't say much about the GT, but the R3 is perfectly comfortable for me. I do have friends, however, that don't like the seats all that much. I would recommend taking it for a test drive and see for yourself. If the seats feel odd but comfortable when you first get in, you'll probably like them just fine. If the seats feel uncomfortable from the time you sit down, you should probably hit the GT.

i didnt go that far but weekend after i got mine drove from mid pa, to westchester (2.5-3 hrs) then immediatly to the top of NJ over 800 miles round trip and a smile the whole time.

leave for work 1/2 hour early every day to take the long way (im not joking either people think im retarded)

I drove my R3 20 hours straight last summer and had no issues with the seats.

I chose a GT for the color, extra trinkets, sun roof and freedom to style it how I wanted. After looking though I do like the R3 trim peices and wheels the best. Especially on a white GT.

What color were your options?

Only to the reality-challenged. "Slightly improved" is more like it. If that. Check the reviews and draw your own conclusion. (And the minor modifications to the oiling/cooling systems are just that. Minor. Minor to the point that auto journalists didn't even bother to mention them. "The SII is a radically better car" in just one place: the paranoid, sky-is-falling, Chicken Little world of RX8Club.com. You'll enjoy either model; relax and have fun!)


http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...take-road-test
"Meanwhile, the RX-8 gets a little stir to keep it green. Most obvious is the new front bumper that flares the grille and brake-duct openings for a more dangerous, grinning-cobra menace. Four glassy robot eyes now fill the taillight teardrops, the exhaust tips are bigger, and fresh wheel designs adorn the various trim levels. Underneath, Mazda adds chassis stiffeners to further tighten an already athletic platform, and tweaked rear-suspension geometry settles the back end and helps sharpen steering response. The prop shaft also has been strengthened to reduce driveline vibration and noise."


http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...-8-r3-page-3-1
"Nimble, however, takes you only so far, and the RX-8 enters its seventh year largely unchanged. Tweaks? Sure. Notably the R3 model ($5495 more than a basic RX-8), which includes a killer 300-watt Bose audio system, Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity, Recaro seats, traction and stability control, a rear wing, rocker-panel extensions, fog lights, xenon headlights, a stiffened front suspension crossmember, higher spring rates, firmer damping via Bilstein shocks, and 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels wearing Bridgestone Potenza RE050A 225/40-19 tires."

"The R3 enhancements, however, have provisos. Ride quality, already firm in other RX-8 versions, is firmer still, and there’s porpoising and expansion-joint whacking on patchy stretches of freeway. Plus, a lot of noise comes up through the suspension. Some of us like the turbinesque sounds of the rotary as it spools up and down, but the car can’t be called quiet. Another gripe: The bolstering of the Recaros is welcome on the track but becomes just short of oppressive, for some, on long freeway runs, putting relentless pressure on the hip bones."


http://www.motivemag.com/pub/feature..._RX-8_R3.shtml
"Having debuted in 2003, the RX-8 isn't ancient, but it's middle-aged in car years. Thankfully, it still looks like it's from the future with space-age curves and mini-doors that flip out backwards for rear passengers. A facelift also came for the 2009 model year, so this is a well-disguised old broad. The old grilles — a large center opening and two smaller flanks to the sides — have been photocopied at 120 percent and new headlights have a more intimidating glare. Around the corner, the car's tall, thin fender vents have been smashed into a small triangle that houses a relocated side turn indicator. The R3 model, a post-redesign addition, wears the new smile best. HID headlights and a front splitter distinguish its front end from lesser RX-8s, while side skirts and a deck wing carry the additions aft. Unique 19-inch wheels are some of the most attractive Mazda has ever made and draw their spoke designs from the car's rotary engine."


http://cars.about.com/od/mazda/fr/09_rx8r3.htm
"Hard to believe, but Mazda's RX-8 sports car made its debut in 2003 as a 2004 model, and Mazda has just now gotten around to giving it a mid-cycle refresh. Improvements include updated styling, an improved interior, modified suspension, new performance model... you know, all the usual stuff. "


http://www.roadandtrack.com/tests/up...-mazda-rx-8-r3
"The Mazda RX-8 has been laboring in a tough marketplace. The sporty-car market, as a whole, is off its usual pace, and Mazda's 4-door sports car has been scraping to get its small share of the pie against such cars as the Ford Mustang, Nissan 350Z, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Subaru Impreza WRX STI. Further complicating matters for Hiroshima's finest is the Renesis rotary engine, whose output is significantly less than its counterparts (at 232 bhp for the manual and 212 for the 6-speed automatic) while getting only so-so fuel economy (16/22 mpg). So what's Mazda to do?
Simple: improve the car's appearance and handling. For 2009, Mazda restyled the RX-8's front end, giving it a more elegant look. The vents in the front bumper mimic those of the Porsche 911 Turbo, while the head- and taillights have been slightly modified. Also, there's a new model in the lineup, called the R3, which gets, among other things, 19-in. forged alloy wheels, Bilstein shock absorbers, urethane foam-injected front suspension crossmembers and a sporty rear wing."


Motorweek 2009 Mazda RX-8 R3 Road Test:

You Tube

Hey, how much you wanna sell your wheels?