The idea is that under acceleration forward, weight is transfered to the rear, and the weight is then closer to 50/50. So if you're powering through a curve, a bit of weight is transfered to the back, resulting in more neutral handling.

I'm not sure if I buy it, but I certainly won't dismiss it completely either.

I will say that I used to think the 350Z looked horrible, but someone at work just bought one and it looks much better to me in person. I haven't spent too much time looking at it, but I will tomorrow. I certainly don't think it's close to as hideous as I thought it did in pictures...

-dude and you're from the GTA?

Once all that aftermarket crap comes out all those kiddies will be buying the car and making it look retarded. Im surprised you would say something like that after all the negative feedback street racing is getting and coming from an area where every other car is a rice.

NOS - ban it.

Hercules, Donny Boy: Does Mazda = God to you guys?

Gordon Murray and BMW are far ahead of Mazda right now :)

I just think for the money, the Mazdas out there and coming out are the best buys, and handle exceptionally for their price.

Well considering this car will be in the upper 30 low 40K price not every tom dick and harry from highschool will have one. They'll keep their riced out $3K Civics. I was talking about "mature" aftermarket support like springs, shocks, coilover kits and engine/exhaust goodies for the more serious enthusiasts. I'm not talking Altezza taillights, or ghetto bodykits.

Protege can handle better than an M3? It's mentioned in the same breath as a Ferrari? You gotta be kidding me.. I like Mazdas too but I think you took this too far.. :p

If you kids here are so worried about all the little BS details of the 350z....just wait until the RX-8's arrive and are similarly beaten down with a microscope (what did you think Mazda was immune from bad MAGAZINE reviews??...LMAO). How great can a torque curve REALLY get when it tops at 162 ft/lbs??...anyways, I for one judge cars by how they look and drive in PERSON, not what some potentially biased magazine may have to say....and if your'e your'e all huffy still about the Z, go get a G35 Coupe....that's what I did (same power, much more attractive) - I just hope the RX-8 doesn't blow me away with it's looks (doubtful from photos but like I said you never know until you actually see it)...I'll have to sell my Coupe if it is so. Good luck to all RX's, but you guys need to chill a bit and take things for their worth in the flesh - not how they're written.

I never said that the MP3 beats the M3 in handling, I just mentioned that a car of that price is mentioned WITH those other great cars, like Ferrari, Lotus, and the M3.

Take a look:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/features...?articleID=220

I'll give you the entire post, except let's not start another debate about torque curves :)

You said Protege, not the MP3. The MP3 has a very different suspension so it is a different ball game. Nice article.

I'll just look that the history of how well sales have been for Mazda... those are all the numbers I need to judge Mazda's credibility and how well they build their cars. I for one think I'm taking a chance on the RX8.

Bogus statments comparing the protoge and the M3 is just good comedy.

Quick_lude - just take a drive on 407 (and hwy. 7) from woodbine to weston and you'll see atleast 50 Z3s with airplane wings and chinese stickers.

Highway 407!!! is that the highway that cost me about $2.3M in tolls and charges on a recent rental car bill up there in TO? WHat a rip!:mad:
(It was a little less $$$ I think, but it seemed like a lot...)

Yeah, but if there is a traffic jam on the 401, and you gotta be somewhere in a hurry, it seems like small change. I'd even pay upwards of $3M. :D

The money doesn't go to the government anymore.

Yeah the 407 is a rip but I still use it.. It's worth for the open road and less traffic.. less headaches.
Regarding the popularity issue.. You can't have it both ways. Either the car is popular and there is tons of aftermarket support, both good or bad.
Or, the car is not popular and there is not aftermarket support leaving people like me to pay through the nose for suspension or brake upgrades.

The 350Z is a good car, but for the most of us on this forum.. it's not an option.

It may handle well. Its construction quality *may* be good (though from when I sat in it I'd say otherwise but I digress...). It might be nice to look at (not to me though hehe). It may be fast.

But it doesn't have a back seat. And that there, makes the choice easy between those two cars.

The G35 Coupe or Sedan... I don't care much for either, and in the end the decision between the RX-8 and the G35 is one for each individual buyer. I personally wouldn't get the G35 because it's ugly (to me, this is all in the eye of the beholder), because by next year there will be a million of them on the road, because it's Infiniti, an offshoot of Nissan who has already proven they make great engines and transmissions and leave all the build quality in the toilet. They have had the great fortune of getting the VQ engine in SEVEN DAMN CARS, and to the consumer offer no price benefit as a result of their cost cutting measure. They haven't upped the build quality as they could have, especially when saving so much with the multi-platform engine. Just a rundown now: G35 Sedan, G35 Coupe, 350Z, Altima, Maxima, Pathfinder, and the new Murano all have the same engine.

The RX-8 will handle well. I think it's a given, and will be easily competitive with the 3 series BMW, 350Z, G35, whatever. While the car may not have mind shattering 0-60 or 1/4 mile times, they will be competitive. But the beauty of this engine lies in the 8000-9000RPM rotors spinning round and round, giving equal torque from 3000-9000 RPMS (very well distributed). That's something the 350Z doesn't boast, and the 3 series' inline 6 has gotten many compliments for (though their curves aren't near the RX-8's Renesis), since they have power throughout the RPM spectrum.

Most people looking at the RX-8 are rotary enthusiasts. Most people enjoy the styling of the car, the clever suicide door setup with no b column, the abundance of rear seat room and trunk space, for a car its size. To suggest a G35 or 350Z as an alternative to this car for most people does not make any sense... it's not what we want in a car. Sure it's a nice car for some people (yourself), but for others it is not, and the RX-8 is ideal.

Test drive will say a lot, but I don't think that Mazda is going to spend all this time perfecting the car and then let it suffer due to stupid mistakes. They've had plenty of time to review the 350Z and its shortfalls, the 3 series, etc... and I'm sure they will deliver a knock-out product. That's what I'm hoping on. Mind you, the engineers who designed the Renesis engine and the RX-8 did so on a LOT of their own time. OWN TIME! They work 6, 8, 10 hours a day, then go back to the workbench and work on a rotary design that's truly the most ingenious yet. No other company has that kind of dedication for a platform, and that's why I'm betting dollars to donuts that the RX-8 will please, if not astound reviewers and every person that drives it.

And let's not get into the 'low torque' issue, because there are several people on this forum (not me) that would give ya a verbal bashing for inciting another 'torque riot.' :P

Cheers! :)

Great job Hercules, couldn't have said it any better!

By the way regarding the 'biased magazines'.

I really enjoy how Road and Track rated the Z very well, as well as the G35, and then C&D turn around and give the #1 spot to the 330 over the G35 (it came in fourth last month), had one reviewer saying about the 350Z that he'd rather run down to the Chevy dealer and try to get a Vette over the Z, and plenty of mags (sportscompactcar, C&D, others) have already critisized BOTH the G35 and 350Z for low interior quality materials.

I'm not paying 30k for an engine. I'm paying for a package, a full automobile. The Millenia I own now has a great interior (compared to my Maxima, and other cars), the Mazda6 is already getting nice reviews on the quality of its interior, and the RX-8 according to Mazda is better than any Mazda released in terms of interior quality.

I've no doubt they will use better plastics/materials than the 350Z did. The only thing in the 350Z that felt good was seats when I sat in them. Everything else was so reminsiciently 'Nissanesque'. And I think you get from my tone, that that's a bad thing :)

I just wanna say that i totally agree with you. I saw some pics of the interior of the RX-8 and if its anything like the pics that ive seen then it is a sure winner. The entire package feels very futuristic, tight and well made. By the way, Mazda has been making great interiors these days. WHen i looked at the Protege5 i could tell you that i was more comfortable in it than i was in my BMW, albiet a 95 BMW, but still. The RX-8 will be roughly twice as expensive as the protege so probably an interior that is twice as nice, sounds good to me.

btw, nissan interiors suck, so do hondas.

You must young and immature to make blanket statements like that.. :rolleyes:

Hercules, posts like that are what make forums like this worthwhile. Thanks for what is, IMHO, one of the best things posted here so far. I couldn't agree more.

Honda interiors are boring, but still I believe they are high quality interiors. Honda and Toyota don't cheap out too much (granted they could get better), but they need to work now on their 'boring' factor instead of their quality :)

I only put into words what we all feel :)

My pleasure.

That's what I was referring to. What does it mean "interior sucks"? Is it "boring"? Low quality? Badly designed? Imo Honda/Acura interiors for the price are top notch, especially in the design/quality department. Yeah some cars might have boring interiors, whatever that means. :confused: One mans' boring interior is anothers classy understated cockpit. :D

Touche :)

Well said. The RX-8 looks like a sporst car, handles like a sports car, has the performance of a sports car... but it is actually a sedan. It will give the opportunity to many people (like myself :p ) to drive a sporst car without compromising to much practicality. That is the great thing about this car.