Ike

My WRX weighs under 3050 lbs., not sure where your info is coming from...

mr_digital_uk

I'm a sad old engineer at heart so:

* A 1.3 litre rotary that develops >200BHP seems kind of cool
* 50:50 weight ratio in a 4-seater, 4-door coupe for £22,000 sounds cool
* A rotary just to be different
* 9000 RPM
* Nice flat torque curve
* Not a BMW 3 series like all the rest
* That fantastic, curved, sculptured front end
* 4 seat, 4 door, quirky backward facing doors
* Room for my family
* A boot with space
* Really, really nice roadholding
* Smooth ride considering the roadholding
* The fact that they don't exist in the UK yet, so I will be one of the first
* Far, far more ingenious than the Nissan 350Z which (although a great car) adds nothing new to the motor industry


I could go on forever, but I'd only start to bore you

Canada

As I mentioned in other threads, I selected and pre-ordered an RX-8 as my company car. The RX-8 is right at the allowed cost limit, and I preferred it over VW Passat, Audi A4, etc. I like the RX-8's style, handling, unique rotary engine & unusual 4-door system. I got the automatic transmission since that's what I prefer and I will not be street-racing. Most of my driving will be on residential & commercial streets (limit is 50km/hr = 31MPH) and highways (100km/hr = 63MPH). Even though most Montrealers exceed the speed limit by about 20%, I'll often be stuck behind grandpa driving the likes of this:

http://home.no.net/ayla/Studebaker/p...ker%20Lark.htm

cruzdreamer

Wanted the Mazda6 until I found out about the RX 8 and it's 4 doors!!! I love sporty cars that are fun to drive...not just for speed. The car looks awesome, is unique and the interior is totally awesome!! I am female, 38 years old......it will appeal to female buyers for these reasons. The 4 doors and interior sealed the deal. I wish it was $5000 less but what the heck! Bets car I have seen next to the 350Z and G35! Ordered Sunlight Silver last week. Mazda should sella decent amount of these cars when more people know about them and see them. I never drove a Mazda until 2 years ago when I bought the Protege5 sportwagon and since them I am all Mazda baby!

Shocka

Ditto thaz me..

I also compared it to the Evo. Actually had a deposit on the Evo but i took it back. The RX-8 kills the evo in styling.

Performance EVO hands down,

Another thing I thought about.. do i really need 271 horseys?
I dont race. 250 will do me fine.

I do want a car that others will look at and say wow. The average Joe Schmoe will look at an EVO or STI and be like what ever some Teenage kid hookin up a car.

Thaz my 2 cents and why i shall be gettin an RX-8 this week

RX22

It's a car that was designed just for me and here's why. When Mazda came up with the concept they said it was for the guy who had RX7's in the past, but now has other obligations such as wife and kids, and still wants to drive a performance car. When I read that, I knew I would have one when it came out. I had a 2nd gen and a 3rd gen RX7, and now I have a wife and three kids, therefore, it's designed just for me. And by the way, I appreciate Mazda's insight into my life and the life of guys just like me. That's the way you earn brand loyalty. No Z car for me - ever.

grogiefrog

I saw the RX-8 for the first time on Sunday. There are a lot of people out there that grew up on the RX-7. Look at Mazda before the RX-8. Other then the Miata, what do they have that is truly unique? The Tribute is a Ford Escape, the Mazda 6 is another sedan, the MPV is another mini-van. To buy one, you've got to like Mazda more then Honda or Toyota. The RX-8 is unique, and it pulls people into the local Mazda dealer to check it out. I watched the steady line of people drive into the dealer to check out the RX-8's. They may buy one, they may buy another Mazda, or even several Mazda's. A neighbor of mine bought a Tribute. They liked it enough that they also bought a Mazda 6 a month later. That is brand loyalty.

The RX-8 is what Mazda needed to do.

cruzdreamer

I agree Mazda's other cars except for the really nice looking 6 and cool protege5, are just a bunch of boring cars. The RX 8 may help them with people taking another look at Mazda cars. I don't know if I would have ever considered Mazda until I drove the Protege5. Do all there cars have such great handling? If so, people will find out just how fun Mazda's really are to drive. To me the interiors kick butt over most cars. Ford's....totally boring except for Mustang.....all cheap plastic materials inside, Nissan... just ok, Toyota....boring in and out, Chevy....major boring except for the vette, Pontiac...decent outside........plastic, cheap, and uncomfortable inside. Chrysler...nice looking cars, ok inside, very poor reliability etc.!!! I have yet to drive the RX8 but will this week....first car I ever ordered and never even drove first!! That says something!

med_mx6

i wonder if MNAO or TPTB read threads like this one and break their poverbial arms patting themselves on the back for such a already beloved car...

anyway, it's interesting how many posts there are that sum up my situation: I'm in the same situation as MrBeav, RX-8Zoomster, Tweety-nator, MrWolf, et al. I want a "sporty" car with great performance but with 4 doors for the occassional passenger or small children.

I fit ~3 "½" of these criteria; I'm married and I don't make $70K (getting close though!). However, I'd question the "unmarried" criterion. I also think it seems, as Good Duck observed, that it appears a lot of us are married already.

ChrisW

I think people get too hung up on the fact that it's got 4 useable seats and those extra doors (so is it really a sports car etc). I believe the 2+2 coupe concept is dead - people won't contort themselves into tiny back seats anymore, even for short journeys. This is why Nissan got rid of the back seats when they designed the 350Z, even though they saw it as an Audi TT competitor - their research told them that TT owners just used the back seats for extra luggage space anyway. The other way of responding to this is to produce a coupe with useable back seats, such as the RX-8.

I think all coupe's in the future will be either pure two seaters like the Z or full four seaters like the 8. It's the strange 2+2 halfway house that doesn't make any sense and will vanish.

Haze

Yup. That's why I have never before bought a coupe, but I have bought the 8. The car that my parent's allowed me to drive when I was sixteen, and I got very tired of having guys climb over me to get in and out of the car. It was easier than actually getting out of the car though. Still was nice to HAVE a car at that age, but it was not a pleasant experience.

The 8 IS the 2+2 idea in spades right down to the set-up.

Sputnik

Nissan got rid of the back seats when they designed the 300ZX.

---jps

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

TT's have backseats?????

all this time i thought they're just 2 seaters...

Racer X-8

Oh please! My MX-6 leaves those in the dust routinely, without even trying! HP/torque does NOT = speed!

Quick_lude

I thought some of the old 300ZXs were 2+2? I could almost swear I've seen them.

Puppy1

Yes, I've ridden in the +2 seat before (torture!). 300ZX's are sweet. Wish I could say the same for the replacement.

revhappy

I know the early 90's 300ZX has a 2X2 variant.

Sputnik

Remember, I'm talking about the 300ZX (the mid-90's car, the previous Z), not the 300Z. And I am pretty sure that the 300ZX did not have any +2 seats.

---jps

Shocka

actually im 100% sure thre are 2+2 my friend has a 300zx no turbo nothing like that but 2 back seats are there

Tweety-nator

The 300ZX (Z32) from 1990-1996 did come in 2+2 hatckback format. The 2+2 was only available in a NA engine, no turbocharger. Both the regular and turbocharged versions of this car are referred to as "300ZX".

http://www.edmunds.com/used/1996/nis...tle..0.Nissan*

http://members.aol.com/KarlWS/zhistory.html

Quick_lude

We're talking about this body style right?


Or the version before that?

Tweety-nator

Yup that be the 1990-1996 300ZX.

Elevation8

No offense, but think about the thread you started:

Fantasy world reality:

-Everyone can live with and afford true sportscars. All roads are conditioned for 24 hour GT style racing.

-There is no need for briefcase or golfbag room.

-Everyone who drives a sports car has no need for the extra room of the 2 kids in the back seat.

-Gas is cheap. Insurance rates are so low, it's rediculous...

Now, back to Real World Reality:

-Practicality matters.

-GT Touring cars with the 4 doors, that seat 4 people, and give you room for everyday practicality(ie M3, M5, IS300) are functional and appropriate.

-4 doors, 9 times out of 10 are always more practical. I truly wished at times my RX-7 had 4 doors, and 4 seats to it. My Celica has 4 seats but they are really not that functional. The Mustang, the Z, and the 911 rear seats do nothing for you unless you have small kids.


Serious Ike. Think of what you're saying. Mazda really hit the nail on the head with this car. Sportscars, in theory are very fun, and everyone should own one. In reality, people like comfortability, practicality, and functionality but the don't want to lose or easily forget the "Sportscar" like feel that every car should have. Almost all of Mazda's cars, historically, have been built with "fun" and "sporty" in mind.

The RX-8 simply takes it to another level. You wait and watch. Many, many more companies will start coming out with 4-Door, 4-Seater "GT Touring" style cars in the next few years. Heak, even the car which you post as your Avatar is somewhat of a GT Touring car when you think about it. When was the last time Subaru made a "true" sportscar? I can't think of one. Don't forget the S4, or S6 either.

The Sports-coupe market, and Mid-Sized Sedan market have been popular the last few years. Manufacturers are changing ideology. Why not combine the best of both worlds, and turn them into something that can benefit everyone?

Mazda, is and always will be a company which thrives on innovation.

Also, the Mazda6, is more of a Mid-sized Sedan for people who want sportiness, but fear the rotary engine, and want something a little cheaper. But that has nothing to do with it being a bad car. It's still a Camry/Accord Competitor.

Sputnik

I was always told that a 2+2 was not available. I stand corrected.

---jps

rotarygod

Please don't take offense to this as I mean no ill intent, but when a person comes in here and is already biased towards the WRX, is there really ANY answer we can give that will satisfy? Probably not. If I were to go into a WRX forum and ask; what is a WRX and why would anyone want one, I would probably get a very biased response towards the WRX, and rightfully so.

I have driven the WRX. I like the car and pondered buying one a year ago. I had a couple of problems with it though. The suspension feels too mushy and inprecise for me and by no means was I impressed with the abs system. The car had wonderful power and very nice room inside. I do like the looks as well. There is quite a bit of road noise but that is to be expected of a car in its price range.

Now for my driving impression of the RX-8. Power is sporty but nothing approaching impressive. Looks are beautiful. Interior space is more than I have ever seen in a sports car. The back seat is very easily functional with more headroom in back than my little Civic. Road noise isn't bad. Much quieter than a Civic, WRX, but not so quiet as a BMW or Mercedes. The car turns wonderfully. Very stable and agile. It would be very hard for a WRX to keep up in the twisties unless it was modified. Brakes are very nice. Stability control on the car adds a dimension of control that is hard to get in another car in almost any price range. The exhaust note when revved up is very F1 like. I would describe it as 'sonorous'! I am a real estate agent and I would actually show clients around in that car. I'd look damn cool doing it too! My fiance loves the car as well and she wants one of her own albeit the automatic version. The car has a great wife acceptance factor. She does not like the WRX and was part of the reason I never went through with it. If I want sheer power I can go drive my big single turbo T-II. I'm not scared of a WRX in it, STI or otherwise. Thats mostly why I want one. The biggest single reason I like the car is of course, the rotary engine. It doesn't matter if it has 100, 250, or 500 horsepower. It just has a place in my heart.