I am waiting for the rumored 2006 RX8s that may possibly feature an SMG or full-power auto tranny and it's becoming difficult to wait so long for something thats currently just a rumor. Does anyone know when Mazda will release the official details about the 2006 RX8? When will the 06's be available? How much will they be going for? Should I just buy an 05 Auto or learn manual? I'm going to the LA Auto Show and I thought maybe I could ask the Mazda reps if they know anything about this though I highly doubt it.

 

6 speed only way to go , and how would we know about the '06's when the 05's just came out ...plus the problem of the fire they had a couple of weeks ago .....05 with 6 speed , you won't regret ...

 

Learn manual. Then you're a real driver, not a "stomp it and hold on" type.

 

06 details should be released around sept05 and the car will be avilable end of 05... thats anohter 10 months away...

 

learning how to drive manual is only something you should do if you really want to. if you have to chat with people on a messageboard, and buy the manual version only because you were urged to do so by people you don't know, you aren't likely going to be happy or stick with it long enough to get good at it.

there is a big diff between leaning enough to shift and get moving, and properly driving stick, it does take time and it will initially be a lot more work than you are used to.

Also with the high end sports cars slowly moving away from manuals, who knows how long it will remain around. It also limits resale value as most don't know how to drive a standard. However the 4 speed auto rx-8 is pretty crappy, so you may find resale issues with that route too.

 

So please explain how 2005 RX-8s were on the dealer lots in September 2004? How about you stop guessing when you answer questions here? It doesn't do anybody any favours if you just make up that crap.

In 95% of cases, the new model year cars show up in September. In 4%, it's earlier than September (like July 2003 when the first 2004 RX-8s were delivered in the US and Canada).

co3 - you could expect details of the 2006 models to be made available just a few weeks before they are on the lots - ie sometime in August or September for specific info. It really is worth your while to learn to drive a manual, however - it's not difficult, 80% of cars in Europe have manual trans, and every old granny knows how to drive a manual trans.

Regards,
Gordon

 

According to recent Autoweek, manual transmission only make up 10% of annual sales in the US and is forecast to be under 6% by 2012. RX8 are running approximately 50/50 between manuals and autos.

Personally, I would not buy the auto until it is offered with full power.

 

Are you gonna take that Auto RX8 drivers? Or are you gonna let the manual patriots win?

Ight Gordon, I may just wait based on this info your giving me. Hope its accurate. Although I wish I had some idea on how much they are expected to cost.

 

I've always had auto or tiptronic cars and never regretted it but with the current RX-8, I regret not getting the stick. The Paddle shifters are great and most of the time, I have all the power I need (enough to get a speeding ticket the first week I had the car but if I were doing it again, I'd get the manual. Now, if next year, the auto has an extra gear, rev's higher and more power, different story all together.

 

This isnt a flame war between which transmission is better. The numbers show that the manual has more HP but a little less torque than its counterpart. Its a fact. Its all about personal preference, but the power edge goes slightly towards the manual.

 

Best piece of advice ever. Get a manual because you honestly want one and feel 100% confident you can learn it if you don't know how to drive one and follow through with the learning curve, not because a bunch of manual fanboys behind a computer screen tell you to. Keep in mind that this is a CAR you're talking about, something that costs $30k...this isn't something you can just go and return if it ends up not working out. It's a major investment, so make sure you can actually deal with driving a manual day in, day out before you start going down the "no stick = Th3 GAY!" line of thought that get's thrown around here.

 

no stick = th3...

Oh wait, sorry, we're making useful posts here

Honestly, I love the 8. But with the power difference, I just wouldn't buy an 8 auto. If you are looking for an auto, I would seriously consider a different car!

 

I wouldn't go that far. An automatic that makes less hp than the manual is still a great looking car. You can buy many cars that have more or less hp, more or less price tags. There is never one best for everyone. The world would be really boring.

If you wanted to talk about power and speed, the RX-8 would be the wrong choice to begin with. A neon SRT-4 is cheaper and faster. Oh, woops, a motorcycle would be far cheaper and far faster. See what I'm getting at? A motorcycle isn't for everyone. In fact, I'd venture to say it would be stupid for most people to get a motorcycle, same goes for the manual RX-8.

 

btw, the rx-8 is the second manual that i've driven. The first was a honda civic. The shifting patterns are very different. The rx-8 took a lot longer to get used to, and requires more attention. Even though I knew I enjoyed driving a manual, the rx-8 was wearing on me and somewhere around my second month of ownership, I was wondering if I had made a mistake with buying it.

I'm somewhere around 8 months of ownership now, and I'm completely at ease with driving it. If you can remember how it was like when you first learned how to drive - how your mind wasn't able to look for important events, so you had to scan everything, and a busy street appeared to be a formidable foe.. the same is true with learning a manual. It just takes time to adapt and get used to it. It's not worth it for everyone, and I would never claim that there is only one right choice in regards to buying an automatic or stick.

... but that doesn't change the fact that the manual rx-8 IS better than the automatic.

 

Where I live 95% of cars come with manual transmission. Only recently have people begun adopting auto transmission. Usually in high-powered luxury cars like BMW's and Merc's. A manual car still costs less than an automatic one.

To me the main reason for learning to drive manual is that when you travel, you get a wider choice of cars to drive/rent/borrow. Whenever we get visitors from N. America, it's often a hassle to find an automatic car for them. When I travel, I can drive any car I can get my hands on.

 

Geez- you make it sound like learning to drive a manual tranny is some sort of difficult, complicated process. It only takes a few hours to learn, and maybe a few days to become good at it... I don't think I've ever taught anyone that was unhappy or gave up on it because it was difficult.

I don't think for a minute you're limiting your resale value with a 6sp manual RX8 - it's a sports car! The target audience is people who still know how to shift and clutch... it's not a land yacht or muscle car.

As for this country turning into a bunch of cell phone talking auto-drivers, I think it's really sad. It's becoming a lost art over here, and it's creating worse drivers... they think they can focus even less on driving and more on everything else, including eating, playing with their ipod, talking on the phone, etc.

 

Oh, and the other benefit of driving stick is that if you have a pretty passenger next to you, you can occasionally let your hand slip off the gear **** onto the passenger's thigh when shifting, and blame it on the damn slippery ****. I've done it a few times and have not gotten smacked yet. Good way to break the ice too!

 

I have an auto 8. The only time I regret buying an auto is when I think about performance or someone tries to race me. But other than that I love the auto with the manual shifter. I didnt really want the 8 to be my first manual car. All I'm going to do is kill the car tho I know how to ride a bike. I drove my friend's stick 8 no doubt it felt a lot faster. Just need more mods to make my auto go faster.

 

They should just scrap the AT altogether and go with the smg, in my opinion. I chose the auto based on personal comfort for my worn out knee. Besides, acceleration wasn't a concern when I bought the car, even after test driving both versions, since the car I drove in to do the test drives was a high 11 sec 1/4 mile Camaro. If Mazda doesn't offer the smg, this car will probably become my second vehicle in the future. Mazda/Ford has a smg transmission that they use on low hp ero/asian market cars, that's been around for a couple of years (if I could remember the name of it, I'd Google up some links)

 

Hi guys,

I bought a manual 8 recently without ever having driven a manual before...

A day before I was going to take one for a test drive, I spent a few hours with a mate who taught me how to drive. Needless to say, I ended up stalling the 5 times on my test drive :o ..talk about embarrassing...but I did end up buying the car.

Today it's been over a month since I've been driving my 8 and I can honestly say I'm loving it. In the first couple of weeks I was in a state of depression and really didn't enjoy the car because I was struggling to drive it. I would absolutely **** myself when I got to a set of lights that were on a hill...it was tough! In the end, I just practised and it became habit. Today when I drive my wife’s car (auto) I keep looking for the clutch

Believe me...you won't go wrong with a manual. It takes time but it's all worth it!

 

co3,

I've owned manuals my entire adult life. I wouldn't have it any other way, but that's personal preference. A major factor to consider with the manual/auto decision is the type of driving environment. Heavy urban stop-and-go traffic is a lousy place to try to learn a manual transmission. You mentioned the LA auto show - do you live in downtown LA? It could be a nightmare trying to learn a stick if you do. OTOH, if you live in suburbia or rural CA then it's much easier. Personally, I enjoy driving a stick much more, but if I lived in downtown D.C., I'd seriously consider going auto instead.

 

Back on track with the original question about the '06's.

Someone, somewhere knows now how the '06 and more than likely the '07 RX8s will be configured. I think Gord was correct in implying this as well. It has changed but most auto cos start their next model year in the summer particularly for an existing model. (it might dffer for a new model)

The '06 model RX8 is likely to be planned for first production in July of '05 and I would bet my missing Hp on that. (although the fire may impact this somewhat...)

Oh BTW - co3, buy what you want just don't dismiss buying the 6 speed because you don't know how to drive one. Borrow a friends Honda and have him or her teach you

Craig

 

Yeah--even though I have an auto 8 (for me it was the deal I got on mine that got me into it) I test drove the 6 spd and loved it--next time around perhaps. I originally learned how to drive manual tranny on a friends MX6--since I hadn't driven a stick regularly in many years I refreshed on an Aunts Saturn. I say learn regardless whether or not you get a 6spd RX8 or not. Honestly, if would wait and see if the SMG comes to fruition--because if they use some type of launch system--it will be potentially faster than a 6spd (definately fas as one).

 

IMO, everyone should know how to drive a manual. Please note that I said KNOW how to. I didn't say buy or own.

Many years ago, I was part of a volunteer fire department/ambulance squad. In addition to the main duties, I was the driving instructor. Even though the heavy equipment was starting to go automatic, everyone had to know how to drive manual. You never know when you have to move a piece of equipment or clear vehicles out of an area.

I taught my wife to drive manual because all my cars were manual and you never know when you will need a backup driver. Big mistake. Had to sell her car and buy her a manual. She's been in manuals ever since.

 

Unless Mazda does something about the horsepower - the current 6spd manual willstill out perform SMG and 5speed auto Rx8s andwill probably cost less than either of the two. Why wouldthey release the same car next year w/two new transmissions and no power changes? Seemslike a waste of money to me.