rebelzx

I wonder where the license plate will be on the 8? It looks like it will be in the grill. I hope it doesnt take away too much from the front end. (I like it the way it is)

TonyTurboII

I just wont put it on.

RX - 8

I HAVE to put one on..i have gotten 3 tickets for not having a front license plate!!....can you imagine a FD WITH a front plate?

Jerome81

Heres something you might try....

Bolt your plate into the frame that the car will have. Then throw it on the ground and beat the snot out of it with a baseball bat.

When the police ask why you don't have one on, whip it out from underneath your seat and say that it recently fell off and was run over by several cars before you found it and that you haven't had the time to put it back on.

I've heard from many this works. Me, I've always just put the plates on my car. But looking at the photo, it looks as if the plate would block a large part of the intake and would detract a lot from the front end. I really wonder where Mazda plans to put the front plate.

And an even bigger question, is why do so many states require front plates in the first place. Nobody reads plates from the front, and if many states feel like they aren't necessary (Alabama, Arizona, Michigan, Indiana, etc) why do so many states require them.

As far as Idaho, we need the front plates, but something tells me the police here won't bother me if I didn't have it. They don't seem to care one ounce about dark tints or louder exhausts.

NOTA V6

Bah! There will be no front plate on mine. Ever.

I will pay their tickets for the privelege of having a clean looking grill.

I have never had front plates on my RX-7s either, and never will.

rebelzx

Good idea Jerome! I think I might try that. :D Of courrse there would still be the mounting brackets looking ugly on my grill. Or I can just wait for an aftermarket bumper, like the 99 spec for the FD with the plate shaved.

icebeast

anyone know if they require front plates in Ontario, Canada?

Johnny

If a car is designed without a front LP then you are not required to have one, just like an old 40's 50's car designed without seatbelts if you have an old car like that then you are not required to install seatbelts, i've gotten a ticket on my 1st gen because i didn't have a front lp, i took it to court and won, i explained the judge that my car was designed without a front lp mount and told him that i'm not going to screw my car up installing one.....come on! anyone here ever take law enforcement classes?

icebeast

I wonder what is the case in Ontario though, and I do not want to go through the hassle of going to court over it.

Immi

Ontario is like Quebec, front liscence plates aren't necessary. Although, according to the G1 book, it is 'recommended'.

DANNER

Front plates are gonna be tough to place. I hope Mazda come up with something inventive.

Front plates REALLY detract from the look of a car.

icebeast

cool, screw the front plate then =) now I'm just wondering what the final price is gonna be for the 250hp top model in Canada =)

KrisA

Front plates suck! I haven't had one on any of my cars for the past 6 years. In that time I've gotten 2 tickets worth $50 each... a small price to pay for not ruining the looks of your car imo.

Besides front plates are useless anyways, you can't read them very well at all when the vehical is in motion. Unfortunately photo radar can, and with more juristictions adopting photo radar they will likely get tougher on the front plate rules.

Toadman

Yep. Photo radar, regular radar, and LIDAR. Nice big reflective target to aim at when oncoming.

ZoomZoom

Just to set the record straight, you must have a front license plate permanently attached to your car.

icebeast

damn... where is the license plate going to go...!! It will block the grill... maybe the government will make an exception for such a fine car. =)

NOTA V6

D@mn! What?!? Do they want it welded on, or fused to the bumper?

Yeah yeah, they want front plates here too, but that doesn't mean I am putting one on. :D

icebeast

hope Mazda has a good solution to this... mmmmm stock digital LED license plate.. =)

ZoomZoom

I would be willing to pay extra (a couple of tickets a year) not to have a license plate on this baby.

Anyone in Ontario have any idea how many times a year you would be typically stopped for a missing plate and does anyone know how much the fine would be if you were caught?

icebeast

are you certain about the front plate deal, zoomzoom?

NOTA V6

I hope the solution is not anything like the latest FD RX-7s. For the other RX-7s, a cheap little set of brackets was adequate. Adequate to pull off and throw away.

In fact, if they put that **** on my bumper at the dealer, they can put a new bumper on. And if the plate bracket is molded into the bumper, they can keep the bumper. Mod #1 in case of stupid license plate arrangement: Air dam.

ZoomZoom

I am absolutely certain, I just don’t know how much it will cost you when you get caught.

FritzMan

I was pulled over in my FD when I didn't have a front plate on. I was surprised they noticed b/c I live in Ottawa (Ontario) which is bordering Quebec (which don't require front plates). Just got a warning though.

NOTA V6

I get pulled over and ticketed about twice per year, and they have NEVER mentioned not having a front plate, even when they nabbed me from the oncoming lane. :D

ZoomZoom

I think that I will try it without the front plate because it will really hurt the look of the car. If I can keep the number of tickets to fewer than three per year - I will keep it off.