dohon

Officially, I've been wanting the 8 for about 2 years, but I haven't been financially able to buy one until today!

As I have gotten approved for an auto loan, I am now itching to get my hands on an 8, but trying to be careful and make sure I get the "one"

It's been a week and its killing me!! How about you? How long did you have to wait and shop around until you found your one and only?

ultrataco

At least 5 years. I don't remember exactly when I decided I wanted an RX-8 but I always wanted a brand new one. Then at the end of 2009, I was finally able to get a new '09 R3 in blue. Well worth the wait.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Researched for 2 years before getting the green light from the wife to buy. Then spent 4 months watching online car listings for the right one. Found it though, 2 year old MT GT, everything I wanted, with 8,600 miles on it that the dealer thought was a base model, so priced it ~$7,000 under what it should have been. Saw it the same day it was posted, called up the dealer, got some more pictures, called the bank, got approved (all in that day), and the dealer had the check in hand the next day.2 weeks later re-routed the return flight on a business trip to Cincinatti, dealer picked me up the next morning early and opened the dealership ~2 hours early just for me so we could sign the paperwork and I could start my wonderful 2-day drive back.


Take the time and find the right one. You won't regret it

mesaboogie

iTrader: (1)

I waited about 4-5 years to be able to afford a used one. I ended up buying a very well taken care of 2004 GT with around 35,2xx miles on it. During those 4-5 years i tried to shop around for other cars too, something i could drive year round since i knew the 8 wasnt exactly the most practical/economical. But in the end, the 8 is the only thing that "felt right"/made me happy every sing time i saw it, sat in it, drove it, etc. I still feel like that today every i see my 8 or another 8 on the road. Like ultrataco said, its well worth the wait.

paimon.soror

iTrader: (15)

To be honest I was always an RX7 fan...big time. Heck the only reason I watched FnF (*hides from flames*) was to see that sexy FD. I used to drive a EM2 Civic which i babied to death with subtle mods to stay out of the rice zone. I was looking around for new cars, and was checking out some Accord coupes, WRX's, Z's. Then I test drove the 8 and instantly fell in love. I just couldn't believe how sexy this car was in person, and how well it drove. I think when you start getting older (i am 25 now) (by older i mean, not 16 where you were the cool kid on the block because your car was loud and may have been fast off the line) you start respecting cars that may not be super fast off the line, but drive insanely well. I could care less if my car can go 0-60 in 4 seconds ... if it was important to me i would invest in a crazy turbo and rebuilt internals etc etc .... the supurb handling is something that cannot really be reproduced

So to answer your question .... my wait for the 8 was 5 days ...... day 1 was the test drive nad purchast, and day 5 was the drive into my garage

dohon

OT:
Did an uber quick google search on sports & GT comparisons; How did you know it was a GT ? Maybe I can get lucky with these too! @ 8,600 & 2 yrs. old it's a steal!

OP:
I'll definitely wait for the right car! I can't get off my refresh button in craigslist, dears & other sites.. haha!

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

For 2004 there was only 1 trim option: Base
For 2005 there was 2 trim options: Base and Shinka.

For each of these years, the Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring were option packages.

2006 they made them actual trim levels instead.

The difference here is that the blue book values only list trim levels, not option packages. So the dealer I bought from thought it was a base because he knew it wasn't a Shinka. Being a Mercedes dealer, all the GT stuff wasn't abnormal or "loaded" for him. In the 2 weeks between me paying and me picking it up, he got 17(?) other offers for up to $9,000 more than I paid for it. It had more warranty as well, as it's date of first sell triggering the start of the warranties wasn't until Sept 2006. This was a 2005 in October of 2007, I paid $19,500 for it.

I was still upside down on the loan (although barely) about a year later, depreciation hit this car hard. I paid it off a few months ago though, 29/60 months into the loan.



From pictures, there is no clear way to tell between Base and Touring (Base and Sport became merged somewhere along the line). GT is easy to pick out though, just look for leather seats with the double switches just behind the stick shift for the heated seats. If it's not marketed as a Shinka (Black Cherry Mica exterior color for 2005, several colors for 2006, will have Shinka name plates on it) or 40th Anniversary (40th badge on the outside, a 1-off gray color exterior, and a brown/black interior), it's a GT.

If you see 16 inch wheels, you can instantly tell that it is a base model automatic without the upgraded brakes and suspension. Higher than that and lower than GT though, it's often hard to tell the difference, and there is quite a bit of confusion from the sellers/dealers about it.



If you haven't yet, read up on the first several posts in this thread:
https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/new-potential-owners-start-here-202454/

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

I waited six months to buy mine. I picked up my 2005 new the last day of March in '06. That wait, plus buying the last day of the month (dealer unit-sales incentive) just into Spring (still Winter slow sportscar buying mentality), paid off handsomely in about $4k of add'l savings.

SayNoToPistons

iTrader: (8)

6 years I would say. Originally wanted an RX7 but figured that I will not be able to afford the upkeep of an FD or the practicality of either FD or FC while I am in college. I acquired my RX8 almost exactly a year ago and most of the time it just sits on the driveway under a cover . So now I realized, I don't need practicality because I either take mass transportation or the daily driver SUV when I need the space.

Upkeep and payment is still a struggle being a full time college student at a private college. All the jobs, internships, and tight money management goes mostly into the car (or woman ), tuition/books, and very little into other enjoyments.

ken-x8

I guess mine was more of an impulse purchase...but a well thought out one. I'd been planning on a roadster, probably a Miata, for a year or two. Then I found I didn't fit. Tried a Z4, which was way too mushy. Depressed, I went home and combed through my "every car" issue of Motor Trend, and stumbled on the RX-8. Spent a few days researching it on line. Went to the "build one" area of Mazda's web site, figured what color and trim I'd want. Checked my local dealer's stock...and they had exactly what I wanted on the showroom floor. Test drove a demonstrator, and that was it.

So it was maybe two weeks from when I discovered that the RX-8 existed until I owned one.

Ken

Gripen

iTrader: (2)

Before the RX-8 went on sale I was happy to read in the various magazines the return of the rotary. I was on the fence about the styling of the car, but it grew on me. It was a Road & Track supplemental on the car that really got my heart racing, especially the picture of the car with the Mazdaspeed aero kit. Found a red '04 model in a local Dodge dealer used lot in early 2005, took it for a spin and loved it. Car had 900+ miles and the dealer priced it at MSRP like it was brand new ($29k).

Skip forward to 2009, a few job changes, and I finally convinced myself to purchase one. Did plenty of research and knew what I wanted. Had to be a 2006-2008 in white with no sunroof (or a 2006 in Winning Blue with no sunroof). Two months of daily searching netted me a white '07 in Las Vegas with 7500 miles. My brother and myself flew down, picked up the car and drove the car to its new home. Still my favorite memory of 2009 and best birthday gift to myself.

Roidz

My story is kind of like his. I don't even know what got me started on an rx8, but I did my research for about 2 weeks until I found the one I wanted. Then I took an 18 hour roadtrip to pick mine up.

FoxeyL8y

Wanted one since they were in production stages way back around 02, 03... got mine in 2008. So, that's a good 5 or 6 years

Kevin McMahon

I wanted one from day 0. But being a just graduated from high school, now a deli clerk with horrible credit, it was a pipe dream. Along the way I always loved the style, but got wrapped up in a 800 dollar 240sx that went no where but with the ex back to california. A 95 sl2 saturn followed that, with a jacked up exhaust and most likely 3 cylinders to boot, and it was junked right before that step onto the bus to basic. Out of basic, still not wanting a car payment, and having cash in my hand, i found some cheap speed and got myself a AWD modded 1g talon. All was well and good until the fuel tank mounts gave way and i was shafted.

With an approved loan and an established budget, i was carless for 5 days before driving 3 hours and paying 3 grand under blue book for my 05 with 41k on the clock. It also had a new engine at 26k per the warranty, GET A MAZDA DEALER TO INSPECT YOUR CAR, and i am happy as a clam.

All-in-all i have waited 7 years for the RX-8, and nearly ten for a car that would actually be considered nice. I havent regretted a moment of it either.

Rotary-RX8

iTrader: (1)

About 5 long years of drooling over them till i was able to afford one. Put money aside regularly and VOILA !!! I got my RX8

Kaiser bun

iTrader: (2)

I always assumed they were way out of my price range until i saw an 04 sport at a local gm dealer (was looking for a pontiac g5 gt) and realized it was only 11k :O the g5's i was looking at were around 21k new so i immediately read around and found a couple 06's in one of the nearest big cities to me (10 hours away) and my dream gt with the black and red leather sold 3 days before i planned to leave, but thats prob a good thing because i found my touring for 4k less at 14400. all in all it was probably a 1-2 months after realizing i could afford one to acctually getting one.

(i remember seeing the rx8 on the cover of juiced and was like oh my GAWD i wish i could have one)

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

I waited 5 months for it to arrive from Japan.

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

I think it was about 20 minutes. Maybe a bit longer.

yiksing

It never cross my mind to even get one until I got it.

Was looking to buy the right car for a whole year, wanted to get a TRD Altezza or S2000 or a MR-S and do a 2ZZGE swap (basically a rear wheel drive and N/A is a must, lighter the better).

Used car importer couldn't be bothered looking for the Toyotas, quote me a used S2K for 47k at that time, 44.5k for an Integra Type R.

Local Honda dealership was letting go a S2K with 5k miles on odo for 41k, went to have a look, wanted to buy it immediately but got rejected coz the owner think its cool to call up a previous interested buyer and jag up the price.

Got fed up , bought an 8 and call it a day. 3 months later Yen dropped big time

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

Since I seem to have completely missed the intent of the OP's question (although I believe I rendered good buying insight none the less), I'll augment that I assembled a Revell plastic model of a rotary engine circa 1965. So.... I guess I waited quite awhile.

I had lusted after the FD, so when the much more cost effective RX-8 became available I figured it was time to jump in [but I did further await the '05 Shinka].

04MT_JAC

it took me 2 weeks to find the perfect 8 and took 2 hours to get one hell of a deal on it

Gory Lobotomist

went and looked at a s2k, thought it was fun, the dealer had a rx8, I test drove the rx8 after the s2k and it was a no brainer for me. back seats, nicer looking, nicer interior, rare to my area, and Fully loaded. saved $5,000 by getting the rx8 over s2k and have been loving every second of the rx8!

Galen Darkmoon

LOL
Started looking at them in 05 then the misses saw the phantom blue color come out.
Ordered an 07 in August of 06 from japan and prayed every Sunday that this time the boat wouldn't sink.

b4yp

Hard to say. When they were first introduced, I thought they were really slick! However, I was married at the time and my ex-wife was like "you can't have anything but a family car until the kid goes to college".

I know I've wanted something LIKE the 8 for a long time -- probably since I was a little kid. I know that eventually, I want to build myself a Caterham 7 CSR but that'll be quite a few years from now.

Anyhow, I wound up getting a divorce and about a year later, I had enough money to put down a decent enough downpayment on that "sporty car" that I wanted. For about 6 months, I test drove a ton of cars -- Mustang, Camaro, Challenger, WRX, GTI, 350 and 370Z, etc.. nothing really wowed me until I drove the 8. Once I drove it, I knew it was the car for me. I had to get one.

I spent about 2 months researching the hell out of it and found the perfect one for me a few weeks ago. I have a huge smile on my face whenever I drive it. I don't regret it one bit. I knew I made the right choice.

dohon

lol <- jealous I'm still waiting for mine!