Petrus

6 weeks ago I became a lucky owner of an 8 and I didnīt get more than 6 weeks of 8-fun before the winter and snow came along. So I thought Iīd share some of my thoughts around the car and whatīs great and whatīs not.
This was the fastest car buy I have ever done. I went to my local Mazda dealer on a saturday, after reviewing a recorded episode of Top Gear where Clarkson compared the 8 to the 350z. I had no plans of buying one, just check it out. My first impression was how big the car was... it certanly looked smaller on the tv and all the pictures I had seen. This was quite a suprise - but a good one. Second; I have always found the car beautiful. Really nice lines and every part of the body match each other. After 2 hours in the showroom I took it for a drive. Just a 5 minute ride cause it was already past closingtime... I went home empty handed this day cause I wanted to think about it. This was on a saturday...
On monday morning I called the dealer again to come by for a better testdrive. This time I took it out for almost 2 hours! I simply couldnīt let it go, so when I got back I signed the paper. 5 days later I picked up the car! Best car I have ever driven!!!

The things that makes this a great car (in my oppinion) is first of all the balance in it. You can defenatley feel the 50/50 weight ratio when driving it. Itīs just so forgiven... it feels like a $30.000 playstation2. :D Then thereīs the look of it... Oh my God! you get attention in this car... if you donīt get it driving you get it when opening the back doors. Then thereīs 1000īs of more small things that makes this the greatest car I have ever owned. The speed of the power windows, the fact that the bose system comes as OEM, the aluminium details in the interior, the spare tire kit, the fact that it is a Renesis engine (I looooove that turbine-sounding engine). Well Mazda surtenly didnīt do a bad job developing this car. It shows and feels that the owner of Mazda used to race cars. :D :p

The sad part is that Iīve had it for 6 weeks and now I had to park it in my garage over the winter. I donīt feel this car is meant to be driven in this Swedish winterconditions... I should have waited to buy one until the spring - but I guess you all know how hard it is to resist owning one after testdriving it. I just HAD to get it at once! Lyckily this gives me the opportunity to do some work on it without sacrifising any driving days.

Canīt wait til springtime comes along,,, then itīs off to the Blackrace competitions... Hopefully thereīs a turbo on the market until then. :D

Riccio

Welcome to the addiction - now you have a BIG reason to look forward to the Spring!

P.S. Loved your review - my situation is like yours - went to look, came home with an 8 - haven't regretted it for a nano-second.

Tayninh

You could put M/S tires on it but then you get to deal with whatever is put on the streets to melt snow being thrown on your new 8. Its snowing here in CO right now and even my Accord is having a time of it getting through this stuff. Meanwhile, like you my 8 sits in the garage waiting for better days.

Petrus

I DID actually drive in the snow (about 1/2") when parking it for the winter, and thatīs something I donīt look forward to again. =) The swedish winters arenīt made for 8īs I guess...=) Luckily my girlfriend has a car for the winter... at least a few more weeks, then sheīs getting a cab... :D *LOL*