How vulnerable are front & rear bumpers to touch parking?
 

Good day all,

My RX8 is on order and I am wondering how resiliant is the front and rear of the car against damage or marks, scratches, etc due to parking in the city (Big Apple).

To me the front seems at risk. Anyone have a thought here?

Additionally, as NYC has pot holes, am I asking for it on those 18" wheels. E.G. Am I kidding myself in believing that I can use the RX8 as a daily driver into NYC?

Thanks,

Claude H.

In the city people will find a way to pot-mark the bumpers. And since both front and rear bumper fascia are exposed I bet it will get beat up quickly.

The 18" wheel won't be a problem because the tire sidewall is a 45 series. The sidewall height is actually the same as on a 225/45R17 which is the tire size on the BMW 3 series sport, which is the same sidewall height as a 205/50 or about 102mm (4 in).

Which is plenty to protect the rim.

I sure hope so!

I don't see a problem.

Claude,

I live in manhattan, and am thinking about the RX-8. Did oyu get the 5 speed or auto?

SInec most of my driving is in the city after 8PM- I was thinking about the auto, but want to test drive both.

I currently have a '94 Probe GT auto (with K&N intake, Greddy catback exhaust, chipped) This car was a Mazda/Ford joint venture. I have never had a wheel alignment in the 9 years I have owned it- with 56K miles if hard city traffic/potholes.

I did hit a curb onetime and blow out a tire- and another time- the tires were about 5 years old and I hoit a pothole and blew one out.

I still love the car, but am thinking about an RX-8. Though it kills the appearance a little bit, I am thinking about bodyside molding, and molding for the front and/or rear bumpers.

I have had my bumpers resparayed a few times, and they still have gotten scrapped again. If my car didn't have bodyside mouldings (came from facctory), it would look like total shit right now- but the molding has totally protected it. The car still looks almost new (except for bumpers)

I wish the Rx-8 had composite door panels though.

more inportant than the front and rear bumpers is the aluminum hood i think. Ive had my 8 for almost a month now and already have a chip in the hood from a rock that was thrown at my car. I think that since the hood is so light and because of the pedestrian protection that was designed into the hood youll see more damage there than on the front and rear bumpers.

about the side moldings, i also have a probe gt with door moldings and i don't have any dings after 10 years. i think the probe is rare in that the doors are shaped so that there is one "edge" that entends further out than the rest of the door. So adding the molding to that part prevents other car doors from hitting any other part of the door. However, the 8, like most cars have relatively flat doors that can get dinged from other cars of varying heights. Molding will prevent some dings on the 8 but nothing comparable to the probe.

You'll better save up to repaint your front and back bumbers if you plan on parking in nyc, I got the gt package and have been going over pot holes they do fine I hardly feel em. hood does get nicked easily too, i alrdy got a small mark from a pebble. suggest gettting the hood cover, i just got mine.

Hi All,

Emailists, I have a Titanium 6MT, GT Black/Chaparral on order for a delivery of OCt/Nov.

I live in Long Island but drive to NYC frequently and haven't decided if I should keep my Infiniti G20 for the NYC commute or not.

Onix527, Are you refering to the black nose cover? if not what did you get? How do you like the look? AND how much$$$ did it cost?

Between worrying about 18" rims being damaged, wheels blowing out, Winter tire and rims for the few days we actually have snow in these here parts, I didn't realize that having a sports car was so complicated. I never would have considerd a 2-seater but the RX8's functionality (4-seater) and feature set and looks hits all my buttons too.

I can only hope that the joy of driving this car will make up for the extra "overhead"

I can't wait!

Oh, yes I am additcted to this site too.

Thanks for your input all.

Claude H.