tallguylehigh

I was over on the Car and Driver forums and I came across a Mazda dealer who said that he got to sit in a new Mazda RX-8 in Las Vegas a while ago. He said the two tone interior will only come in the red and yellow cars. He also said that the base model will start at 29000 dollars, and that for those who are curious, the automatic will have buttons on the wheel for shifting. Can anybody confirm or deny these statements?

bwayout

I remember seeing this a short time ago and did a search to find the thread:

http://www.rx8forum.com/showthread.p...ht=seat+insert

Sorry, no yellow inserts on black seats.

There might be other posibilities ...

http://www.rx8forum.com/showthread.php?threadid=1242

Sorry, don't know any real hard cost on MSRP or having buttons on the wheel for shifting...

Anyone else out there?

trekkerz-06

i dunno but $29,000 is a bit scary hopefuly its just a bit of price gouging on the dealers part

tallguylehigh

I know, the 29000 sticker kind of gave me a fright too. For that much I would consider a G35 coupe, but I would say that 29000 is out of my range. The best reasoning I can give for the number is that maybe that value is for the automatic version, while stick versions are 26000.

trekkerz-06

well hopefully thats the case 29 is way out of my price range 26 is streching it as is.

said7

Even though automatics are more expensive. 4,000 would be a rediculous jump (improbable).

wakeech

not necessarily... for people to justify buying the lower performance car (there'd be significantly less demand for it), they'd have to offer it at a lower price... that 6-speed gearbox ain't cheap, and it comes with a bunch of other sporty stuff in the car too, right??

pmacwill

actually, a lot of cars make you pay more for the manual (Acura CL etc) so if there was any price difference, the manual would be more.

Secondly, as much as I love this car and its potential, if a fully loaded version cost 34k or more, you should get smacked when you cut the check for being so stupid as to buy it from a purely economic standpoint. Its going to be a great car, but at that point, what are you paying for exactly? You aren't getting the Audi (A4), BMW (3), or Lexus (IS) name for that price, and at that point you could be sitting in one of them instead.

Elara

I really hope it's not starting at $29k- I'm willing to go as high as $30-31K (which is really pushing it), but if I can't get a decently equipped car for that much, I'll just get a nice used Miata and let my husband get something nice that he wants instead.

RXhusker

You guys are dreaming if you think this car well equiped will be less than $33K or $34K MSRP. A Miata will come close to $29K MSRP with all the goodies and the RX-8 definitely be more than a top-of-the-line Miata.

"For that money I will get a G35 coupe" -- please -- just go get one and save the spot on the waiting list! The RX-8 is not a "poor man's" G35 for goodness sakes! The RX-8 (if it delivers as we expect an RX to) may be a "poor man's" Porsche but it is certainly a cut above any Nissan in looks, quality and true exotic sports car feel. I drove the 350Z for 3 days a few weeks ago and didn't even have the slightest desire to trade my current car (Volvo 960) in for it -- I will wait for the 8.

curtlo707

It would just be nice if they could offer a basic, stripped down model RX8 for driving enthusiasts without deep pockets. Sure leather interior, fancy stereos, GPS, all the unecessary junk you can get with these cars is nice, but it means nothing if all you want is to have a fun car to drive. I might be jumping the gun to say this, but Mazda seems to be targeting young to middle-aged, middle-class buyers, and their prices should reflect this. The RX8 is supposed to exist within the bounds of practicality for people with families. $26,000 really is a good sum of money, especially if you're considering that to be the entry level price of a vehicle. I guess my point is that I don't think being greedy on the company's or the dealer's part is going to make them any more money in the long run.

I get the impression that their "zoom zoom" campaign is based around the idea that they're an affordable, reasonable car company that can offer a more fun or enticing car than their competitors. Ok, enough rambling out of me tonight. --peace

zoom44

higher price = less sales = bad for mazda

rxtreme

iTrader: (1)

The RX-8's price definitely needs to outgun its competition by a large margin. Mazda has alot riding on the RX-8 and can't afford to botch it up by pricing it out of the range of target buyers (like the 3rd gen RX-7) or into the range of some of the other cars potential buyers would cross shop---it has to be a deal. I would consider a G35 if it was priced the same as a RX-8. The Infinity would probably be less of a risk, as well, considering the engine is already proving to be reliable. As far as braggging rights go, it's faster on paper than what the RX-8 is speculated so far. In addition, if Mazda expects to push any kind of real volume with the RX-8, it has to be kept reasonable.

I, for one, cannot go higher than 28-29k with the options I want. I'll have to settle for something else if it can't be delivered for that.

fuz

This is what I think as well. Mazda doesn’t' have the name to command a high price, especially the image conscious Americans. If the price were high, it'd only be a good alternative to a sports sedan/coupe, not an offer that can't be refused. The Audi A4 is one of those good alternatives by a brand with a so-so name. It doesn't exactly sell great.

jbebernes

I agree completely...the RX-8 pricing will begin somewhere well above where the Miata's pricing ends. The other issue is that we shouldn't expect base 8's to be available for a long time...have you ever tried to find a "base" 325i? Unfortunately, I don't believe a low to mid $30's price will hurt sales. Here in my part of the world people buy their kids A4's, 3 series, and Freelanders to drive to high school for cryin' out loud. You've also got the wealthy, but not too bright, "me too" crowd, who, while driving their Avalanche (last month's must have) to the mall, will see an RX-8 on the road, drive directly to a Mazda dealer and plunk down $40k cash to get it. Mazda will sell all they can make - initially anyway.

tallguylehigh

"I might be jumping the gun to say this, but Mazda seems to be targeting young to middle-aged, middle-class buyers, and their prices should reflect this. "

No you are not jumping the gun at all. It has been said from the very beginning that the RX-8 will be slated towards the 20-30 something crowd. Plus Mazda needs this car to be competitive, they need people buying it instead of its competition, not just people that will only buy the Rx-8 because it is a Mazda rotary. That well will dry up quickly, and in order for it to compete it needs to offer excellent pricing, because like it or not a large number of people look at the dollar sign before they consider the car. I know some people on here don't care about the pricing and how 34K is justifiable- it may be for them, but for me (a 20-something...) it has got to be in the magic pricing area, 26K was a beautiful number, just enough to justify getting the Rx-8 over a WRX, if we are now looking at a 29K starting, it looks like Mazda made my decision for me, which is too bad. Conclusion: 34K is too much, for the crowd Mazda is aiming for 26K is the number, anymore and the RX-8 will just be a revolutionary, beautiful shame. :o

jbebernes

The other thing I worry about in the first year is price gouging. These very same Mazda dealers (some of them, at least) were selling Miatas in 1989 at $5,000 to as much as $10,000 over it's base price of $13,800!

Will the RX-8 generate as much frenzy? Hope not...

curtlo707

Yeah, I remember back when the miata first came out. Because of its price, the miata quickly became what it wasn't meant to be. Though it has come a long way since its debut, I still don't think its price today matches its worth, but what car really does?!? Anyways I know a lot of miata owners that would counter that argument. I have yet to meet a person that has driven one that hasn't liked it.

PatrickB

Um, have you looked at the actual price for a G35 with the sport and aero package? You have to get the luxury leather version, so you're *immediately* at over $32,000 MSRP (because you then have to get the sunroof) even if you don't get the Bose stereo or premium package....

Let's see....
For the sedan with just the sport and aero packages and required sunroof: MSRP 32,170 - with an automatic transmission (the 6MT when available won't cost any less). If you can get it w/o sunroof (this may be a bug at infiniti.com) then it's $1000 less, but still well over your limit.
For the coupe 6MT, base MSRP without the aero package is $32,495. The aero package is $550.

I too like the G35. I think it's a very nice car and I'm considering it and the Audi A4, primarily because I may need the cargo space it has compared to the RX-8. However, if your limit is $29,000, then the G35 isn't really a viable option unless you want the version without manual transmission, with the softer suspension, and with slightly worse aerodynamics.

-Patrick

pmacwill

This is what I was trying to say. Mazda is trying to re-enter a market that it has been absent from since the rx-7. Granted the reputation of the 7 is very high, they cannot price the 8 accordingly so. With established competitors that receive very good reviews and name recognition for being high class vehicles, Mazda has to offer some sort of incentive in exchange for loyalties. This will not come with overpricing.

It will take time for chicks and elitists to get used to swooning over a... Mazda? ... so we as the pioneers in this frontier should be given a break for helping start the cause, because after all, from the sounds of the future vision of Mazda, this is the beginning of a whole new campaign right? A lot depends on the success of this car for the company, and I know most of the people here have alternatives in mind if this car is priced to high.

Red Devil

I'm going to have to agree with tribal azn.

There are going to be people out there willing to pay in excess of 35K to get a hold of this car.

To me proof of the public willing to pay for a fad is the Audi TT. It's not a great performer and there is nothing really special about it. But they still fly off the lots because of the initial hype. (At least they do where I am.)

Hercules

That's why smart people like me go to the dealership 10 months before it comes out, put a deposit on it and get guaranteed MSRP in writing.