What did you buy the RX-8 for?
 

After reading many post of current owners who are unhappy with the 8, i have to ask why or what did you buy the 8 for? I could understand why many of you are unhappy, or unsatisfied with your purchase, but what did you expect when you were buying the 8 to begin with?

The 8 is not a Asphalt tire shreading 1/4 mile car, nor is it some 200+ mph top speed exotic......

What the 8 is , its a drivers car that rewards its passengers or driver with 50/50 weight distribution,good handeling,adequate power, uniqueness from other cars,smooth revving 9k rpm motor. Period.

I have driven many cars and owned many interesting cars from sports cars to muscle cars to fast sports sedans. And i have to say , the RX-8 is a joy to drive and own. Its unique in its own way, it has character like no other car on the road and gets respect from the most advid enthusiast, journalist , and car buffs. I traded a 99 Mustang Gt for my 8, and i don't regret it one bit, my Mustang was bullet proof too, fast in all gears, would tear my 8 a new one, i apreciated my stang for what it did best .... put massive amounts of power and tourqe to the rear wheels in a authorative manor.

But my Stang didn't handle well , it was a far cry from my past TTZ, and other Z's in the past that i owned, it was common, yet how many people liked or loved it, you seen one stang you seen them all. It wasn't light, or nimble on its feet, it was big and bulky and styling was ho-hum. Mainly i bought the stang for power and nothing else. And you know what, i got what i payed for......

It wasn't a sports car and it was a far cry from having any sports car characteristics like my previous Z's in the past. When deciding on my next purcahse i wanted something unique , a all around performer, something that would put a smile on my face again like my coveted Z's. Was going to buy a 04 M3, instead with a litte persuasion from my wife i got the 8 instead.

And it felt good to get back into a RWD car that touched my heart and made me smile when driven like my past Z's did. No the 8 isn't the fastest, but its an all around performer that can be appreciated by its driver.

Why do people buy Mini's, VW bugs, etc.....these cars aren't fast,they don't leave two black marks 50 yard longs on the road. But people love these cars , because they are diffrent, there unique in there own way, and they bring smiles to the owners face when driven. Here at my job, my co worker is a Mini enthusiast, he has 4,3 older ones and one new sport Mini. One day he took me for a ride in that thing, and what a little amazing car! The car drives like a go-cart , its fun, fun, fun!!! Because it handles so well in the S's you would think you were going 100+ because the cars just pushes so well to the limit! Where other cars would have to back off or would have lost grip and eaten a pole, the Mini just keeps wanting to push harder through the corner.

Yet your average Honda civic or Dodge neon would beat it silly in a strait away, but speed isn't everything....its the way the car feels and reacts to the drivers input. Just like in my 8 and your 8, the car could be tame as it wants to be, but can be pushed to the limits in a rewarding fashion.

I think people get the wrong idea when they drive the 8, they expect to much from the power plant. People its a 1.3!!!!!!! Yet it can nip at the heals of 350Z,keep up with a S2000, shame and flat out embaress cars that cost twice as much on the twisties and on the track. And all of this from a mere, measly 1.3 liter......If you want more power , buy a turbo kit or SC if you feel the need to prove something to other people or yourself. Mazda engineered a hell of car that can do it all!

Hey even owners in exotics aren't happy with there rides, i can't tell you how many times i heard , Viper owners say, i love the car, but dang the heat coming from the footwell and firewall is overwhelming, and i wish Dodge could have thrown in some more amenities and toys, or how the Viper beats you up after a long drive. Or the Lambo owner will complain about the seats , how uncomfortable they are, or how the Ferrari owners will complain about the stiff clutch and how the car is not easy to drive to the limit. Never seen a video of a Ferrari owner who really pushed his car on the twisties, yet i can find many owners who take videos of themselves pushing 180-200 mph on a long strait away. The reason why... because they can't, many don't have the skill or know how, to push there Ferrari or Lambo on the twisties. I think its fair to say many owners who buy exotic cars , just buy them for status or show off factor.It would suck to buya car that cost 180k+, yet you can't even drive the car to its limit, or the way it should be driven......

Yet we have 27k-35k sport car that can be driven to its limit, that can be driven like the way it should be and at the end of the day, still can pick up grocieries,and haul for indviduals to where they want to go. Yet for many, that is still not enough......

I love my 8, its satisfies my needs and wants on the road. I hope Mazda doesn't change a thing about it, if they add a new power plant then fine, if they revise the front, then fine, but i apreciate for what the 8 can do, instead of what it can't do...i think many of you need to do the same.

well said, obe-wan!

I bought the rx8 (and i bought it on March 1 '06 - 2 days ago).. cuz i love the car.. and thats it! Some of my friends appreciate the 8 for what it is.. others tell me that itis not the fastest car out there... has oil/gas trouble and a whole bunch of other negative things.

Personally, I am aware of all the negative aspects about the car. But, the good outweigh them easily. Bottom line is that i love the car.. i bought to treat myself to something exotic. It is NOT to prove a point to anyone..

Hehe, nice post.

I love my 8 too. I don't need to go that fast. I guess for me the car had enough all around that it was the one for me.

2 usable back seats, suicide doors, a usable trunk, incredible handling, a great look, uniqueness. The list goes on, but I'll just say that I'm happy with my car (though I've only had it for 1 month).

Last, but not least, the rotary engine. I think it's an incredible engine with a lot to offer. This may sound dumb (and don't think I based my choice of car on a cartoon), but I've watched Initial D and the 1st season when he races Takahashi Ryosuke, Ryosuke talks to himself in the car and mentions how he loves the rotary engine because of the concept of 'aiming higher.' That stuck with me and I also love the concept of 'aiming higher' than the norm and not accepting the standard. I think the rotary engine is a great piece of engineering and if only more resources were put into it's R&D it would be even more incredible. Simple and elegant to me. :)

I've owned 116 cars (including the RX8) and driven many, many more.

The RX8 was chosen as a replacement/followup to a 3.0 Supra MA70, a Ford XR4i V6, a Beetle Convertible, a Subaru Legacy Outback (fuel economy wise... ;) )...

I looked at what I could afford, and what I wanted in a car. Above all, I wanted something fun to drive, ideally RWD, but I was also going to consider something significantly cheaper than my Beetle and very basic if I could find it.

My Beetle cost £210 a month plus tax.

That gave me:

Toyota Yaris 1.3 T2
Mercedes A-class A150 Classic SE
BMW 1-series (3-series was too expensive on a company lease)
Mazda MX5
Mazda RX8
A second hand car like my XR4i costing the same as my lease - about £2,000 a year including basic maintenance and depreciation.

First, I needed 4 seats - my girlfriend has enjoyed being able to have friends with us on trips, and the Beetle was good for that, my little Sera is very cramped. So out goes the MX5.

Second, I need reliable. Now, the Mazda has shown me up here already, but at the time I discounted my XR4i because it was rotten underneath. Buying another XR4i would have cost £3,000 and it would have been lucky to last a year without needing major work - so it was discounted.

Third, I wanted significantly cheaper. The Yaris, being a very new model, cost £188/month, so was ignored. The A-class was £159/month, but I couldn't have the full-length roof which I thought was the most attractive feature.

We're now down to the BMW 1-series and Mazda, though the A-class had actually taken second place and the BMW third due to the amazingly practical design of the A150 being such an advantage.

The 1-series was slightly more expensive, but competition between brokers meant I could be sure of finding one for £209/month if I tried hard. That was for a 1.6 litre model. It also has the problem of being a BMW (wankers drive BMWs, but I could overlook that for the 116's eager, basic quality and sharp chassis, something which is apparently muted in the bigger-engined models) and a bit of a cheap model (as BMW's cheapest model, wankers would think I wanted to be a wanker so much I'd put up with anything - even a lack of A/C and alloys - to have that badge).

The Mazda had always been priced over £300/month in the UK before. So why was it in my list? They were £199-£219 a month from most brokers. Naturally, I chose the cheapest broker (all the cars were from the same dealer anyway!), and at that price, who wouldn't have chosen it?

I think I would have chosen it had I had cash to buy a car, too. It ticks all the boxes.

Except mine had a faulty damper and the local dealer is so busy it could be a month before it is fixed. So I'm not entirely happy with it :(

Before I bought the car, I know I want a 2.0 litre high rpm N/A that weigh less than 1350kg, RWD a must and very good handling, everything else I don't care. I just need something to improve my driving skills coz I strongly believe driver matters more than car. I'm so into performance driving and I love harassing more powerful cars if they ask for it. Best choice at time is a HONDA S2000. I shop around, found one but some asshole beat me to it. The next thing closest to S2000 is the 8, my friends told me I should get the Z, STI or EVO but what the heck, I bought it for the 9000 rpm (yeah I know, its silly and doesn't make sense).

I bought mine as an all-around town/highway/backroad seat-warmin' curve-huggin' music-blastin' turn-your-head-real-quick-and-get-a-glance-at-that-sexy-car...car. :)

Rotary engine. This would be my third rotary and I wanted Mazda's latest variation to modify and build upon.

awesome!

well said!
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After test driving my 8 I bought it out of love. It moves me like no other.

I bought mine for cup holders. :)
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HAHAHAHAAAAA :lol:

I bought mine 'cause the engine goes Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....:evil_laug

Saw the pictures of the car, liked it, test drove the car, fell in love with it. And since I needed a reliable and safe car for daily driving ... ;)

oo another reason... the "beeeeeeeeeeeeeeep"... gotto love that sweeet sound!!

One of the greatest things about owning an 8 is the rotary engine.

How many people really appreciate how rare and unique a rotary powered vehicle is today? And to own a N/A one that puts out 183 hp per liter, meeting emissions standards, backed by a 4 year/50,000 mile Mazda warranty is the icing on the cake.

It handles extremely well, looks great and has a classy and refined interior.

It's nothing short of a bona fide automotive bargain.

Oh God. This is the only board that I have seen 30 posts a day made on why you purchased your car. It's kind of annoying.

Bought mine to travel from golf tourny to golf tourny. Was looking at many cars but drove the 8 and was hooked.

"When im feeling blue all I have to do is take a ride in you" Its a expensive toy for the weekends that just puts a smile on your face when you drive it. Unfortunatly I cant go more than 1-2 days with out taking her for a quick spin :)

The rest of the time I drive a corolla.

:ylsuper: APPLAUSE!! VERY WELL PUT BRO!!!! STRAIGHTEN EVERYONE OUT A BIT!!!!!!

wow, i just wiped the tear from my eye and had to go for a drive again.

Actually, I did look hard at the cup holders (a previous car had none, causing me to scald myself seriously one day!).

I bought mine because the insurance is super cheap, it has four USABLE seats, the interior and exterior are both unique and sexy, it handles wonderfuly, and its pretty quick on its feet.
and oh yea, THE PRICE WAS RIGHT! This car you really get the bang for your buck.

Then don't read this thread anymore.

Daily Driver 2k5--eloquently expressed.

DarkRose--how could you get to the point any more concisely??

When I first read your post, I thought your name was TIMMAH!

Personally, I would rather read interesting stories about this topic than look at people's timeslips, 0-60 numbers, trap speeds, or kill stories.