I drive the RX-8 @ Laguna Seca
 

See me in the car.
http://www.rx8forum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1954

Wow congrats!

How did you get invited to such a beautiful event? Maybe in the future my site will pick up traffic and I too can be invited to beat on Mazda's future cars :)

How tall are you rxman720b? the backseat looks pretty cramped with you in there

Standing in shoes, 6'5". A tall person sitting behind me would have trouble. I was able to sit in the back seat fairly comfortably behind a normal person. :D The back seats have allot more room than you think.

Re: I drive the RX-8 @ Laguna Seca
 

BTW this was the only left hand driver there! I had to learn how to drive and shift on the other side! Pretty wild!

It looked like there were plenty of LHD cars there. Rotarynews posted pics of someone driving their test car, which was LHD... I can't imagine Mazda brought over all those cars to the United States just to put journalists in RHD vehicles. Was this the same event?

Your 3-rotor looks BAAAADDDD....

Is the pillar in the way?
 

In the above posted picture if the back door were closed would it interfere with line of sight? I'm 6'3" and usually all my seats are all the way back. If the back door is closed can you see out to the left? Thanks

The only cars on the tracks were RHD prototypes. They told please don't smash them into the wall! The cost about $250K a piece. There were a couple of LHD on display and the ones the Mazda exec.s were driving. It must of been a different day because I was there when all of the finance and banking people were there. I didn't see the folks from Rotarynews. They have been holding these "drives" for the past two weeks.

Thanks, I like to think it is BAAADDDD. But I won't get rid of the 3 rotor to get an RX-8 though. It all depends on what the new RX-7 looks like. (Oops did I say that?) :eek:

Re: Is the pillar in the way?
 

I don't remember having any trouble looking out the back or my vision being blocked. But I also had my helmet on.

rx8 or 350Z???
 

hey, rxman720b
have you driven a 350Z? if you have, can you please let me know your impression on these two cars? what would u pick, rx8 or 350Z? i'm thinking bout either one and prob gonna get it in a year or so. just want to know your driving impression of the 2 and what is better? the differences? thanx!

Re: rx8 or 350Z???
 

I have only sat in a 350z. Never really had desire to drive one. It looks nice on the outside, but the Z looks really cheap and plastic
inside. A big turnoff in my opinion compared to how nice the RX-8 looks in side. The RX-8 looks much more expensive inside than the 350z. I am a true rotorhead so I would pick the RX-8.

What did you think of the leather? I have heard conflicting reports about it so I opted for cloth... but jeez, does that two-tone look good! Nice pic!

i'm just curious, how come the engine "START" button didnt' make it to the production car? u know, like the one on S2K...i thoght it's cool...anyone know where it went???

The two-tone is way cool! I thought the leather was fine. Can't judge it entirely because these were hand built prototypes. The production models may differ slightly. The leather was plush and soft. Not stiff and tight. I liked it. I would like to see it soft and supple in the production models.

rxman720b

Thanks for posting man. Your the first person that I have seen to provide some acutal correspondence on the Leguna Seca event.

Thanks again!!!

-Quick

Glad to help!

Here is a link to my pix!
http://www.3rotorrx7.com/RX-8%20@%20Laguna%20Seca.htm

Great pics! :D
Is the RX-8 with a spoiler in the titanium color? How light/dark is this paint? (More grey or silver?)
Have seen many pictures of the titanium but never any descriptions of the color other than "it looks great".

The silver one in your pics looks so light, almost white?

Hey, how does the headroom in the RX-8 compare to an FD? Is it the same, or more? I'm 6' tall, and I have plenty of headroom in my R2, even with a helmet.

If I order an RX-8, I want a sunroof, but I'm worried that there won't be enough room when I'm wearing a helmet....

I think that is a white one in his pics. Remember japan gets white as well, and these were pre-production versions for all the different markets. (The silver is certainly quite light though. If it wasn't there wouldn't be anything much distinguishing it from the titanium)

Thanks! It is darker silver/grey metalic. Yes the one with the ground effects was the Titanium color.

There is more room than the FD. I drove the white one w/o a sunroof. I fit fine with a helmet on. I am 6ft 5in. there is a little less room with the sunroof. rode in that one, but didnt drive it.

this is the closest i've been to an rx-8 , talking to a person who drove it, lol

Anyone else notice that the PIC of the interior Ti/Brown leather, the seating sides do not seem to have the ridges that the cars in Detroit had???

I noticed that also -- I like it better without the ridges -- think it looks higher quality.

I agree, it gives it a much better look and finish. The "ribs" make it look cheap; and made it feel like vinyl. A good reason to wait and see what the final cars look like, but I hope they come rib less – she don’t need no extra pleasure.