sac22223

OK guys here is the latest. I went to a reputable Mazda dealership today and recieved some surprising information our dream car. I went there to see if they had any brochures on the RX8 yet. They didn't but the gentleman said that he expects some news and information (could be just brochures) by the end of July. He went on to say that there will be a RX8 on the showroom by Setemper. Surprised by his comments, I asked him if that was just a limited release in September, he said no, that it is when mazda will officailly release the RX8 and he expects a full production release by then. Now I don't really believe a dealers word, but it does raise a bit of hope for us. The Rx8 might actually be here this year.

Ok guys, I did however stop by the Nissan dealership as well and got a brochure on the new 350Z which is set to be released in August. Nice brochure, I suggust you guys take a look at this, it might show you what to expect with the Rx8. The main reason for my trip to the Nissan dealership was to gather as much info on the Z, afterall the Z is the main competitor of the Rx8. I found out that the 350Z will be on sale for 26K base and 32K fully loaded. Sounds kinda like the Road & track article and the prediction of the price for the Rx8. I also found out that there will be a dealer mark up of 5k on both the 26k and 32k, you do the math. You can expect similar prices for the RX8 because it is a competitor. The september release of the RX8 sound more and mroe reasonable if you think about it, mazda might not want to wait until next year and let the 350z steal the limelight.

I just don't know... mazda better get its act together and release some information on the RX8 soon otherwise I might just get the 350Z instead, even though i like the Rx8 better. The Z does sound like a faster and more powerful car. I'll have to give the Z a test drive in August.

Tell me what you guys think about the 350Z???
It does have more HP (280+) and more torgue then the Rx8.

JGard18

I've heard that the 350Z is a big disappointment in performance...

cromine

I also went to a dealership in Florida and was told that a showroom car would be there in September/October. But I was also told that the car would'nt be released until early next year-January-March sometime. The showroom car would be there this year to spark interest and attention. The Z is a completely different car (engine, looks/styling, concept) and not worth comparing except that they are both Japanese. If you want a new car and cant wait then get a Z, seems like a great car.

Styjan

Nissan's goal was to have the 350z produce over 300hp. I agree with the above post. It is not a good comparison to the RX-8 because they are totally different kind of cars. I would compare the Z to a due to be released RX-7. That said I think the 350z will be a great car. The blue one looks very tight. I'm sure they will sell very well, but I'm still waiting for the next RX-7 (After I buy my RX-8 of course!).

red_base 95

I believe the primary competitor to the RX-8 is going to be the new Inifiniti G35 coupe - a slightly streched Z with a back seat. But it will probably be priced in the low to mid 30's.

Other cars that will likely be cross-shopped with the RX-8 are the BMW 3 series, Nissan Altima, WRX, EVO VII, etc...virtually anything priced from 24k (buyers stepping up a bit) to 32k. The RX-8 crosses the line back and forth between a coupe and a sedan, so the group of people who ulitmately buy this car will have been looking at a variety of different cars.

Styjan

Very well said! I agree completely.

Immi

At my school, Mazda has placed poster's all around campus of the new RX-8 . Its for some promotion where undergrads and grads get a $750 to $1000 discount on a purchase of a new mazda.

I stole like around 5, and they are pretty big. I'll take a picture and post it.

sac22223

The people in the Z forum are getting excited by the latest inside news that the new 350Z will come with 315HP. Now that sound impressive. This could be true because Nissan listed the car as a 280+ horsepower car, but 315HP is quite a bit more. So we'll just have to see.

Styjan

I believe that in Japan manufactures are not allowed to list a hp rating over 280. Thats why you will never see a spec that is more then 280+ (which means it's over 280ph) from a manufacturer. That is probably why the first RX-Evolv spec was 280hp.


sac22223 ---
What dealers did you talk to? I also live in Sac.

Teej

Actually the latest info on www.my350z.com and www.zcar.com has the 350Z making 286 HP, with a 0-60 time of 5.2-5.5 from two different sources. Look for the final specs in the next issue of Car and Driver (most probably) and Road. Thats the word floating around at least...

I really don't think the RX-8 will be able to match the Z's performance in a straight line, but we'll have to wait and see how the handling compares. In any case, I would buy a RX-8 over a 350Z cuz I can't really have a pure 2-seater, and I do like the 8's styling more. The G35 coupe though may be a different story... I'm beginning to like it more and more day after day... and seeing it in person at the NY auto show was awesome! Its one sexy beast!!!

sac22223

I went to the Mazda dealership on Fulton Ave, I believe its called Great Valley Mazda. Thats where I got the info.

And as far as the 315HP mark for the 350z... the site I went to was automotiveforums.com and somewhere inside that site someone got the inside scoupe from some Executive of Sales and Marketing and she told him that 315 is the new HP mark for the Z. I guess that why Nissan didn't release the true HP on the Z yet because they are still working on it. Thats why they listed it at 280+ in their brochure.

I tend to agree with the previous reply, that we will have to wait for the latest from ROAD & TRACK or something like it to get a final answer on this matter.

Personally I prefer the RX8, but if the Z is faster and there is already talk of being able to put a twin turbo on it very easily, the Z is sounding alot nicer. Again having 4 seats is crucial, so I just don't know yet. I have an MX6 right now and I didn't like the way it performed, very slow.... so I really want a fast car this time.

sac22223

from what you guys are saying about the Rotary engine, I really want to test drive one and see for myself. Some of you guys give lots of praise to the rotary and personally I haven't been able to drive one before. First of all, I couldn't fit in the RX7 before, THe damn thing was too small. I am almost 6'4" tall and my head was touching the roof and my knees were in the dash, it was an ugly site. Hopefully with this car things will be better for a tall guy like me. I have driven a Ferrari, a Porche, and even a small metro...hehe... but the RX7 was the tightest fit of them all.

I just hope I don't get stuck with an SUV in the future, because I love speed....

red_base 95

That was always a "gentlemans agreement" amongst the manufacturers, but there are several companies that are looking to abandon that (nissan with the Z, Subaru WRX STi, Mits Evo VII, Infiniti "skyline" - not sure what they want to call it, next gen Acura NSX).

Within the next 18-24 months, I think you'll be seeing a lot of Japanese vehicles being marketed in excess of that 280 ceiling. Please indulge my artsy side:

We are in the midst of a horsepower war,
but unlike the muscle car days of yore,
cars from the east and cars from the west,
and even a few from down-under,
will strive to pass the performance test,
and set our hearts a-flutter.

alear

$5000 over MSRP is wrong. Of the thousands of 350z preorders no one has said their purchase price was over MSRP. I don't think the RX-8 will be over either.

Toadman

Us performance auto enthusiasts don't think the general populace SUV "sheep" have grasped the reality that sub-$35k import sports/GT cars and performance sedans are making a resurgence just yet, even with the Altima/G35 slam-dunk. They don't read Autoweek nor visit auto shows, but rely on word of mouth. Snatching up one you want for MSRP is not a real bad idea right now. Dealer profit margins are low with everyone "testing the waters again" after the early-90's SUV shift. Looks like Nissan beat everyone to the punch, but it's still a dedicated 2-seat coupe. If Mazda dealers don't price-gouge, they'll grab a nice piece of the pie and if the RX-8 performs as touted, it will be a game-winning 3-pointer for the 4-door crowd being weaned away from SUV's with aging little ones. Let us hope...

InBlackPlease

IMHO the hp ratings don't mean a whole lot if the car isn't an all around performer. Look at the Maxima. For it's class it has a tremendous hp rating but does it ever win a sedan comparo? Nope. But the 200 hp "old" Honda Accord V6 is still at the top because it is a great all around car. I'm not bashing Nissan, I think they make good cars but high hp output does not make a whole car.

I own a 1991 Mazda Miata and love every minute of my driving time in it even with it's low hp. I think the RX-8 is going to be a blast to drive. I was thinking about looking at the Audi A4 cabriolet until I saw that it is going to weigh even more than the sedan. I would much rather have the RX-8 with it's 250 hp and weight under 3000 lbs. I understand these are two entirely different cars but both would be fun to drive it's just the Mazda will truly be a driver's car. I can't wait!!