whoa, BMWs are ultimate driving machines, not coupes or sedans lol

 

Is insurance cheaper on the 8 since it is considered a four door?

 

Mine is (PA), though it varies by state.

 

How about automative engineering coup!

 

It's a sports car with a back seat. Porsche's have a back seat and you would never call one of those a "sedan". And what about the old 300Z 2+2's, they were sports cars with a back seat. So you see a back seat doesn't necessarily mean that you aren't a "Sports Car".
Just my $.02 though.

 

But none of them had 4 doors, nor a USABLE backseat....

 

None of the above.

Rx8 should be a GT car because it is not a 2 door unlike cars such as a 350Z or G35C

and not a sports car such as a S2000, Miata, etc. which are the classic definition of sports cars.

 

Just to muddy the waters what about the G35 four door....

 

Forget it, just DRIVE IT. and LOVE IT.

 

from car & driver:

JUST WHAT EXACTLY IS THE DEFININTION OF A sports car these days? Can a 4-door actually be considered in that realm? Thumbing through the Road & Track Dictionary, we found this definition for the term: "Once used to describe any open car with sporting pretensions, current use embraces two-seat and two-plus open designs with low sleek bodies as well as their closed coupe equivalents, which should be more precisely called Grand Touring, Gran Tourismo, or simply GT cars. In truth, these days a sports car can include almost any performance car that is exhilarating to drive and puts a smile on the driver's face."

basically what most of us have said - the line is so blurred nowadays that the term in it's original defintion. is nearly unusable. the defintion needs to be changed. the cars have evolved past it's original pigeon-hole parameters.

 

True Zoom44, but insurance companies being the theiving bastards they are will always seek to pigeon-hole cars, and so it needs to be classified. Sports car = more insurance. sports sedan = less insurance. Works for me. Drive the car, enjoy the car, and pray it stays designated a 4 door sedan.

 

Japan8, hows RX8 selling in Japan? My friend said there are skylines everywhere.. drool.. but not a lot of 350Z and RX8s. Is mazda entering rx8 into the GT500 or GT350 races anytime soon?

 

Sports cars were originally one-seaters with no ammenities. As technology and designs improved, a second seat was added as well as things like sound absorbing materials, climate control, power windows/locks, stereo, airbags, etc.

GT cars are more about high speed cruising and comfort. Sports cars are about balance, agility, and responsive dynamics. If you read up on the details and history of the RX8's design, it'll be clear that it was intended to be a sports car. Additionally, you if drive the RX8 and G35C back-to-back, you'll see that the 8 has more of a sports car feel while the G's strengths are more in line with a GT car.

 

Good question! I don't have anything near sales figures... but I see one once in awhile. There are two here at my apartment (one person just added HKS cat-back the other day). The Subaru Legacy is VERY popular, and I don't think I see THAT many of the new restyled model... I have actually only seen the 350Z a few times on the road here...

As far as the FD and Skyline GTR goes... there are tons of them here. The same for Evo's and STi as well... to a lesser degree.

I haven't heard anything about Mazda trying to enter the GT500 or GT350 races... looks like I should go pickup some new car mags...

 

Both!

 

Mazda designed the RX-8 as a sports car, albeit a unique one "like no other".

The RX-8's lead program manager, Noboru Katabuchi, emphatically proclaims the RX-8 as a sports car: (From R&T's suppliment "Guide to the Mazda RX-8")
With four doors, can the RX-8 really be considered a sports car?
"Of course. A lot of factors go into defining what is a sports car, but the most important are weight and size, which includes the proportions (styling) of the car. Whether a car has four doors or two is secondary...". He goes on to say that the WRX and EVO are not sports cars (in his opinion), because they do not have sports car styling, even though they have great performance.

 

according to what is reported here:
https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-media-news-11/rx-8-auto-express-best-coupe-35825/