the scc mag article (posted in the media section) says the tires are not run flats. now i'm confused all over again

 

Not all RE040's are runflats. See the Notes column in this chart.

 

yeah i have seen that chart and did some research on my own. so i know that it comes both ways. SCC magazine says the car comes with reo40's that are not runflats hence the fixaflat kit in the trunk.

 

140 treadware!?!?! We'll be buying tires once a year.

S03's for sure!

 

Remember that manufacturers treadwear ratings cannot be compared directly. So a michelin 140 could be/is different than a Pirelli 140. Bottom line though, any high performance summer only rubber is soft and will wear out quickly, especially with extended doses of track and auto-x. :D

 

just tires eh? i hope by that you mean that tires can be replaced; probably by your parents, right?...

 

Well compared to the tires we were discussing (the S03 at 220 and RE040 at 140 are both Bridgestone products) it should be a direct comparison. I also don't believe that there would be much difference between companies that would negate the whole purpose of having a treadware number to begin with. Of course I could be wrong :D

This is the response I got from rx8orders today:
I am pleased you took the time to bring your suggestion regarding the RX-8 tire selection to our attention. Consumer feedback is always very important to Mazda. Certainly, we want to offer exciting vehicles, and comments such as yours help us to achieve that goal.

Rest assured I have documented your suggestion for our corporate record. These records are continuously being reviewed by our Product Planning Department in an effort to provide only the highest quality products to our customers. As requested, I have also forwarded a copy of your comments directly to those with decision-making authority.

If we really feel that the tire selection is just plain wrong, let's all write and express our feelings and opinions...BEFORE they start building the cars.

 

And what will Mazda do with that warehouse full of RE040s and that contract with Bridgestone for about 100,000 RE040s? Lead times and contracts with suppliers mean that there's NO way the initial tire choice can be changed at this point. Any change in OEM tire would be at least 9 months down the road.

Regards,
Gordon

 

Then nobody say anything because they won't listen.

So you think they keep 25,000 cars worth of tires in stock huh? And that would only be for the 18" wheels on the RX-8. So with your theory they have a warehouse of say 2-3 million tires to supply all of their models of cars and different sizes. Yeah they probably have stock of every part for every car they are going to build for the next year huh? Wow Mazda must have some huge warehouses.

 

That's not my theory - I only see you suggesting that. What I said was . See? contract. Legally binding document, not warehouse of 2 to 3 million tires. A few votes on an internet forum are not about to change that arrangement.

I don't disagree at all that a prefereable OEM tire would be the S-03, but reality is that it isn't that easy or quick to change.

Regards,
Gordon

 

Most companies these days do not keep large inventories of ANYTHING. It's called Just-in-time delivery. Mazda (or whoever) negotiates with a supplier ahead of time for anticipated demand/requirements. Their supplier then produces those items on a schedule to match mazda's. Keeping inventory is an expensive proposition.
So tires can be changed but through a renegotiated contract. They won't stick with a particular tire for inventory reasons but through contractural obligations which are easily changed. It's not that difficult to change the mold to make a different tire.

 

 

yup... JIT was a Japanese creation... 0% warehousing, 1000% more heart attacks, as eccles has so elequently illustrated with his Dilbert cartoon.

 

I stand corrected. So how many tires is a "warehouse full"?
Peace!

 

Some of the car companies are stocking things because of the war. Up to two weeks or more of stuff that can be delayed by shipment supply lines. This may or may not pertain to the tires on our RX-8's, but it's an interesting read non the less.

Click here to read

And yes I agree they do use JIT in most normal times.

 

Look, I'm not here to fight or argue. I just suggested that there are constraints to Mazda switching their OEM tires when they are on the verge of beginning production, and it's not as simple as saying "Hey Bridgestone, a bunch of guys on the RX8forum want us to switch tires - send over those S-03s instead of the RE040s".

You seem to be desperately looking for an argument - perhaps a Monty Python skit would serve you better? If you didn't insist on quoting half a sentence at a time to give a false impression of what I've said, you wouldn't have much of an argument!

As others have mentioned, just-in-time production is the norm for Japanese auto production. They would easily have several weeks worth of tires on hand at production startup, in their own mini-warehouse and production line to be mounted to wheels prior to being installed on the cars on the main production line. Meanwhile, Bridgestone will have their own mini-warehouse of RX-8 specific RE040s being produced prior to shipping to Mazda. Bridgestone will have production lines/molds, resources, and raw materials allocated to their RX-8 OEM tire contract. Again, these can't be re-arranged overnight. Also - most OEM tires these days are tuned specifically to a particular car, and are not the same as the seemingly identical tire model/size sold by Tire Rack etc. in the aftermarket. I don't know if that's the case with the RX-8 RE040 tires, but I certainly wouldn't be surprised. Tread compound, casing, and belts can all be different than the regular aftermarket versions.

Regards,
Gordon

 

The jap's use JIT us americans use MRP...one of the many reasons why american quality is so low. S03!!!

 

Is anyone getting the dealer-option spare? i don't like the idea of being without one in a car with low-profle 18" tires. My old Diamond-Star Laser Turbo (205-55/16) flatted all the time...

 

Not me.

Being that I get 24 hour roadside assistance as a part of getting the car, I can always call them. Besides having 18s on my car now (which soon will be removed) I've learned to drive more carefully and attentively. Besides the Millenia's suspension isn't meant to take thin tires.. the rims and tires will take all the abuse instead of the suspension like the RX-8 will. So I'll have better luck in the RX-8, undoubtedly.

 

Wow - what did you DO to your tires?

I had a 2001 Audi TT that had the exact same size tires as the RX-8 and never had flat one in 2.5 years and a bit under 30K miles...

 

Running 205/45/16 tires for almost 3 seasons now.. Alost 60K km.. no flats.. Knock on wood.

 

I dont know if it means anything, but in the current issue of "Mazda Fuel" (a magazine sent to dealers, don't know if it's available to the public) it shows a picture of the rx8 with s03's on it. It looks like they specifically positioned the car in the photo to show the s03 logo on the side wall. It was the first thing i noticed when i saw the picture