iwantone

What is it, I don't know.

Obviously a very nice looking car, but it just has that quality to it.
Kind of like the audi TT.

Never really cared for any Mazda cars ever...Miata was butt ugly. Don't know why it ever sold so well.

Anyone else with same feelings.

I still want one though.

Rich

Do you mean from one angle it looks good and from other angles it doesn't? Or do you like it from one angle one day and dislike the same angle the second day? I think that from some sides the RX-8 looks good, and from others it looks horrible. The view from the front and front side looks terrible, IMHO, but the angle that's on this web site looks great. Actually, that's the only view I've seen that I think looks good at all.

I think the Miata's the best looking car ever made (especially the '99 and newer), so clearly you and I have different ideas on what good designs look like.

JGard18

If you think the Miata is ugly, then you're one in a million. I think it's a great lookin little car.

Styjan

I think the dead on side view is strange looking too, but when you get a little elevation and see the roof it looks very good.

KayakDaddy

I have always liked the styling of the rear, and I LOVE the suicide doors design. I hated the front end of the ugly orange colored Evolution concept car. It looked way to fat and chubby for such a small car. It didn't look like a sports car at all.

The newest show car (the yellow one) has a much cleaner look and the nose is much smaller and sleeker. I agree with the Road & Track article that says it almost looks Italian.

The worst angle to see it from is ground level from the front quarter panel. The side looks a little like the current crappy Ford Mustang. Especially the convertable version someone Photoshopped in another thread. It looks waaaaaaaay too Mustangy.

iwantone

It looks more along of the dodge line. Take away the badging and it could be mistaken for a dodge with saturn door.

ned_4_spd

I don't know how anyone couldn't like the styling. I think it's gorgeous!

ZoomZoom

After years of procrastination I was all set to buy my Miata (a yellow one), then I saw the rx8 at the car show - WOW!!!

Seven days latter I put down a $500.00 deposit to get on the waiting list for the rx8 (yellow naturally). I think that tells you what I think of the styling.

I also agree with Road & Track when they said that the rx8 was the best looking car to ever come out of Japan. :D

InBlackPlease

iwantone,

I guess I won't take offense to that.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I respect that. I guess you aren't a very big fan of the old British roadsters either considering the first gen Miata was made to resemble those cars but also include something called reliability.

zoom44

talk about butt ugly have you seen the rear end on the 350z?
now that is ugly. kinda droopy looking and fat. and whats with the rectangular white lenses which i guess are the reverse lights. they need to redo those before next year!!

Styjan

Flaming sucks.

zoom44

i was behind a newer porshe carrera yesterday and was struck by the resemblance to the 350z. the rear is just as droopy looking but not as fat as the z. i wonder if that's where nissan took the design from?

rxtreme

iTrader: (1)

Ahhhhh, I remember the days when the RX-7 was called "the poor man's Porsche". Now the title may be reserved for Nissan? I don't know, judging by what Car and Driver said about the driving characteristics of the 350Z (pretty fast in a straight line, kind of porky and sloppy in the corners), maybe it should be called the "Classy Camaro".

Immi

This article is a good read:

Car and Driver article on the Nissan 350Z

One of the counter points:

"At $35,000, I'm thinking I'd rather beg a Chevy dealer to cut me a sweetheart deal on a Vette. "

KayakDaddy

The author of the main article seemed high on the car, but the counterpoints were more realistic. I personally like the styling of the rear of the 350Z, I just think the front lacks character. The headlights and that big rectangular grille are the worst. Like Rxtreme alluded to, it doesn't sound like much of a drivers car. More like a red light to red light kind of thing. The base model sounds like a good deal, but by the time you add all of the "Track" options that any of us would probably want, it's price is way too high. It's kind of like the Jaguar X-type. They have a low base price that is good for advertisement purposes, but you can't find one that isn't loaded and about 8 grand high than base.

The more I read about other cars, the more the RX-8 sounds like the perfect car for me. Looks like it will be cheaper than the 350, better looking, more practical, and handle better. For all of that, I'll gladly sacrifice a couple of tenths on a drag strip.

rxtreme

iTrader: (1)

They introduce a car with a fabulous base price, but add in some options and the price quickly rises way above what you wanted to spend. The Infinity G35 is that way also. Other manufacturers are following suit with this gimmick, as well. Acura just introduced a "performance" package for their type s RSX's that includes a body kit, 17" wheels, new shift ****/pedals, better handling suspension, and maybe slotted rotors/better brake pads to bring the RSX to over 28k!!! To me that is way too much to pay for an RSX that's not a legitimate type r. I don't even know if I'd pay that much for a type r.