The little windows on the rear doors and the fact I can reach back and open them from the drivers seat while at a stop light.

 

i really like the little coin holder by the window controls

and the looks i get when people see my car.

 

I love that! I'm always noticing people curiously eyeing my car, and you can just tell they're wondering "what the hell IS that?!"

 

The following "Did ya know" txt is from the best thread on RX8's I've ever read gleaned from another site. Some of it may have changed due to model changes in the cars build.

 

I love the "turbine-like-whine" when the engine spins down from high revs.

 

I hope this makes sense, but I like how I can buy a zero-miles, never-sold 2 or 3-year old leftover 8 at a steeply discounted 2 or 3-year old leftover price for a car that's virtually identical to a new '07 or '08 model just off the boat. Usually, when you buy a leftover, yeah you save some bucks, but you're also getting an older version of the car.

 

I love the fact that even after almost 4 years of owning it, I still love driving it every day. Not such a "little thing."

 

I'm glad everyone enjoys their RX-8 so much.

I noticed this thread as I was scoping out all the postings. I joined this forum some time back but I really haven't been active here much at all.

I don't own an RX-8 but I did own two RX-7's over the years, first an '86 RX-7 GXL and I traded that for a '87 RX-7 Turbo II which I loved and drove till about three years ago when I concluded that there would be no two-seat replacement for my beloved Rotary Rocket.

So, the 'little things' thread might also apply to why I DIDN'T buy an RX-8 when they first came out, or even a little later, when they had been 'proven' a bit.

Why didn't I consider the RX-8?

The 'little things' that keep me from wanting an RX-8, even though I was a confirmed Rotor Head for many years and still miss my RX-7 every day are;

1. The Styling. I simply can't come to grips with the nose and the front fenders. Even if I could, I also don't like the lines of the roof and the 'Alteza' tail lights are also quite a bit out of line with my tastes in cars. I realize this is probably the current path Mazda is taking the entire line, even the latest MX-5/Miata has the look. It is only one of the little things that keeps me out of any Mazda these days, but it is an important one. I might even be able to tolerate the unwanted back seats if the car simply looked a little better.

2. The lack of a two-seat version is probably the second issue with me. If the car was a two seater, or at least didn't have a cab like an extended cab pickup, I might be able to tolerate it a bit more.

3. A larger trunk or, at least, a hatch back styled cargo area that could take adequate bags for two and still carry a full size spare tire. I realize the world is going to runflats. But, until they run at hiway speeds for 500 miles or longer if speeds are limited to 55 mph, I don't consider runflats a spare tire replacement for vehicles that are driven all over the USA, including to rural areas. Tires and wheels are simply not available in a timely manner. Mazda is not the only one who is pushing an uneeded and/or unwanted technology on us. But, I simply refuse to be forced to live with it if there are alternatives.

I currently get my sportscar fix from a pristeen '00 Mazda Special Edition MX-5 Miata. I will be the first to admit, it is certainly no RX-7. But, what it does have is styling more inline with what I like, it sorta looks like it has DNA from the FD (third gen) RX-7, easily the most beautiful Mazda ever turned into sheet metal, even if it wasn't the most reliable car Mazda ever sold. One thing I really like about the old Miata is that, on the hiway, with the six-speed box and the 3.91 torsen rear axle, I can make very high twenties and sometimes even hit thirty MPG on regular fuel. No Wankel is ever going to do that.

The Miata is fun, but as a long distance traveling machine, it lacks the long legs and comfort of the RX-7. I like the open top when I'm cruising about town on warm (not hot) summer days. I don't like that feature at all when cruising all day long at 75-80 MPH on the super slab, a typical use my sportscar gets when I travel. The RX-8 would be better there but, items 1 thru 3 are keeping that from happening.

I'm currently considering a Chevy C6 Corvette Coupe as an RX-7 replacement. The primary thing that keeps me from that much improved model is the huge runflat tires (which I think I can work around, there seems to be room for a spare tire-wheel the diameter of the rear tire in the hatch area and still leave room for a couple carry on bags. The Corvette can probably meet, if not beat the fuel burn of the RX-8 and, it certainly looks better than the Mazda, though I do agree the Mazda is probably screwed together a better. And, with the Chevrolet, there will never be any concern about available power or reliabilty. I love the turbine-like free-spinning smoothness of the Wankel. But, I still have a memory of how good the old small block Chevy feels when going through the gears too. Not the same, but just as good in some ways, even better in others. I suspect that, when driven with a little disipline, a 400 horsepower V-8 Corvette can make mileage closeer to the little Miata than the RX-8.

I've long ago given up hope that Mazda will ever build a two seat Wankel powered car again.

The mediocre sales of the current RX-8 (and corresponding glut of new (and used) RX-8's on the American market (at least) probably clinch that.

So, while I'm sure some of you will take this as a 'dis' of the RX-8, I hope you realise that is was really intended to explain why I don't own one, even though I love those Wankels.

 

Your problem with the RX-8… is that it's not the next RX-7!

 

^^Thanks for your comments which also belong in another thread. Please stay on topic. This thread is dedicated to all the little things we love about the 8. You're welcome to your opinion. It just doesn't belong here.

 

Well, I guess that could be one way to look at it. But, I'm not really saying that exactly.

I don't really require that my RX-7 replacement be called an RX-7.

I just want my RX-7 replacement to be a two seat sportscar that looks as good as my old one and has an engine that is as good as the Wankel.

That's not an easy task, apparently.

I thought the thread was called "the little things", not "the little things I like about my RX-8".

I suppose I wasn't reading enough into the title.

 

Pretty sure it was explained quite clearly in the first post...

 

I didn't realize the the first post was the only one that set the tone.

I did try to keep the thread title "little things" running along with my commentary.

In fact, the whole point of my post was to show how it was the 'little things' that kept me [I]away[I] from the RX-8, even though I was being hounded by the local Mazda dealer, first to drive one, then to get me to buy one when they first came out.

I told him to let me know when the two-seaters were available. I'd look hard at a two-seat RX-8, even if it still came with all the other 'little things'.

Sorry about the confusion.

 

My point was to say that this thread is intended to just be a simple posting of positive things about the 8.

Back to the topic: I love the fact that the best music to play when pushing it hard in the twisties is the exhaust. I'd rather turn the radio off and let the rotary sing to me!

 

sometimes i forget to turn the radio on, and simply enjoy the sound of my car.

 

^^+1!!!

 

to be honest, I think Rich's comments are perfectly in place where they are. to compare and contrast what we like/dislike about the 8, one would have to pour over hours of previous thread. At least now, some little detail concerns are on the same screen as the little detail perks. And are a quick comparison. oh well to each his own

just my $.02

 

When you have the window down and you use the windshield washer the water doesn't fly (or slide off of the windshield) into the cabin! Weird I know, but my other did just the opposite!

 

^ QFT - I love the sound of my car

 

Or intentially turn off the radio in order to listen to nothing but the engine.

 

Not weird at all. Just look at how deep the windshield is inset on the A pillar.

 

i completely disagree. this thread is about little things that you like about YOUR rx8. first of all, rich is not an rx8 owner so he wouldn't have noticed any of the little things we talk about in this thead. in addition, all the "little things"rich describes aren't so little at all, i.e., the styling of a car. it is not a "little thing" because it is the most defining factor when purchasing a car. this is a thread is dedicated to all the positives and not the negatives about the rx8. if we wanted to read about the negatives, we would've read other threads.


back to what this thread is about:
i love that i have a better appreciation for mountain roads.

 

Sometimes, another viewpoint is worth listing to.

As I said previosly, I am not a troll and I am a Mazda Rotary supporter.

When the RX-8 was first discussed and hinted at in the magazines, I was hoping it was the long awaited replacement for the RX-7.

Unfortunately, interesting and perhaps even good as the car is (as you say, I'm not a owner of one, I can only describetje points I admired and the ones I dislike based on the times I drove an RX-8 either at the dealer or one a relative owns.

But, as you have so eloquently indicated, there were definetly some negatives and these issues were enough to make me realize the car was not a replacement for an RX-7, even though its existence might hinder a true replacement from coming along.

 

I understand and agree that you need to hear all viewpoints on an issue to make educated decisions. There are a bunch of threads on this forum that point out many of the 8's shortcomings. We put this one up to specifically point out it's positives as a counterpoint. This thread is not intended to be a debate. There are plenty of others that are on this forum.

It's intended simply to be a celebration of the 8.

back on topic: I love that when I sit in the cockpit and rest my hand on the center tunnel the gear shift is exactly in the right spot in the palm of my hand. Perfectly sized for me.

 

we all know that already. no need to point it out in a thread that we like to visit so we can smile for a second or two. you should've posted in the "annoying little things" thread, then you would have gotten a couple of thumbs up or "+1"s. honestly, the griping about the styling is what got to me. we all know that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder but posting that you don't appreciate its styling, especially in a thread supposed to be for the little beauties of the car, is well misplaced as it is unnecessary. like previously stated by others, your post belongs to another thread, that's all. you don't give a toast to a wedding telling guests, "i remember when these two fought like drunken idiots, throwing things all over the place. i can't believe that jane forgave john after that time at the massage parlor in thailand...etc. etc."

oh yeah, i almost forgot:
love the response from old timers when they reminisce about their 1st gen rx7, and talking about their 7k redline that was superior back in their days. all while gazing at and 'petting' my rx8.