missinmahseven

Would that make it a rotary retro-rocket? :D

That it looks super-fresh, I won't dispute. I love the coachwork and interiors. There's a few things which make me think retro (nothing wrong with that, I dig well-done retro!)

Those Things:

1. The gauges recessed in chrome-trimmed "organ pipes" -- that's old school. With the EL gauge illumination, it's also fresh.

2. The Front End: The pontoon fenders, the raised hood, the lines which connect them and guides your eyes from the tip of the nose (mazda emblem) to the lip on the tail. This whole thing reminds me so much of cars of the 30's and 40's. But done in a fresh, forward-thinking manner. It looks like a supersonic 40's car. With the strakes it looks like it can hit Mach 3 :D

3. The back end is rather reminiscent of the SA/FB Rx-7, with the fat c-pillar, and sloping, wrap-around, frameless rear glass.

4. The "whiskers" around the brakelights and headlights. Hell, the whole tail and headlight assemblies show an old-school classy jewel-like look I haven't seen in cars in a long, long time.. back in the 50's it was common to see frenched-in tail lights, chrome-rimmed headlights, etc.. all that went away in the bad, boring 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's.

I dunno if to call it retro or what -- but I look at the car, and it's timeless. I think this car will age superbly, 40 years from now it'll still look good. Which makes it, imo, a classic-in-the-making.

Yay? Nay?

rx8wannahave

Well, I don't know about the other stuff you said but the round fenders remind me of the Vett'e from the 60-70's....and I LOVE THAT about the 8. So many cars now a days look like copies of each other (a block with wheels) that the shape of the 8 really stands out.

The SUV thing has trickled down into cars....infecting them with BLOCK mentality...lol

Like a woman....GIVE ME SOME CURVES MAN!!!

zitch

You know, my (well, ex-) girlfriend and I noticed these same things when we first really looked at the 8.

So you're not alone, at least.

Nubo

I love fenders that stand out from the car. It emphasizes the mechanical nature, I think, instead of the integrated bodies of most cars for the last few decades which are more like appliances trying to hide their mechanical nature behind a veil.

Nemesis8

iTrader: (3)

Man - you got to me... I'm gonna wax it up tonight so I can hug it

missinmahseven

First time I saw an 8 in the metal it took my breath away. It was the fenders, the face, the whole car, really. (This was at a RevItUp in 2003)

My all-time favorite pontoon-fender car, though, has to be this one. (Viva Scaglietti!)

missinmahseven

Mine needs a bath and a hug too.. rainy season started, looks really sad right now.

Razz1

RX 8 retro are you stupid?

Evevy says its's a unique fresh look.

nomopistons

What caught my eye was the grille opening and hood. It reminded me of the Lotus 7. I think they could have done a better job on the design of the rear.

shelleys_man_06

Since it's pretty much shaped like someone's wangdangdoodle (Shelley said that, not me), it's retro.

snizzle

Retro? not even close

G-ReX

The 8 has some derivative features but it's definitely not retro. The new Mustang and almost everything Chrysler is retro: a modernized copy of an old design or style.

Like nomopistons said, the 8's nose reminds me of a Lotus 7. The rear quarter windows look 924/944, and the rear end looks like old TVR's, but you can't place the design into a prior era. The interior isn't revolutionary, but it is contemporary and one the prettiest and most functional out there.

missinmahseven

Then why do I see so much of the 40's and 30's in the 8? Look at these two. Specifically, the pontoon fenders, raised hood, bulging rear fender arches. While the 8 may not be retro retro, like the new Mustang, it isn't some soap-bar me-too, it's retro-future? I dunno *what* to call it, but it exudes an elegance not seen in a long time, save for a few Italians, the Corvettes every now and than, and not much more. Now tell me these two visually don't have anything in common. The difference is one looks like 5 tons and has all the aerodynamics of a steamroller, the other looks like a Mach 2 jet fighter. :D

And for that matter, it'd seem the 8 also shares some elements and flair with the last picture.

lurch519

hey, whether it fits in a retro category or not, the whole reason i bought the car was cause its dead sexy baby. (austin powers voice used there)

doccable

"...to do then now, would be retro; to do then, then, was very now-tro."
- A Mighty Wind

So...what you mean to say is that the 8 is a very now-tro looking car? :D

missinmahseven

I guess the word is timeless, which bodes very well for this car. I really think she'll still look good years from now. Or years ago... O.o

<Powers> Oh no, I've gone crosseyed x.x </Powers>



:D

Shinka13

I agree with the retro idea. The first time I saw this car in a dealership. I was leaning on the front fender, talking to the salesman, and it reminded me of leaning on the front fender of a friend's old Packard. If try to sit on the fender of any normal, new car that is waxed, you slide off the hood, do that on your 8 and you probably won't slide, or if you do, it'll be towards the wheel. (Don't know personally, haven't seen my car in person yet)

automaton

If you look at the car from a rear 3/4s view, you gat a good sense of the front fenders being seperate fromthe hood/rest ofthe car. From that perspective it very much reminds me of the fenderless cars like the Super 7 and the like.

I agree that the brightwork in the headlights and taillights are remeniscent of older cars. It evokes a certain pride in the design to make it that flashy.

That said, I still wouldn't call it retro.... I think you may be confusing good design with retro, since it's been so rare to see a car designed with any soul to speak of in the few decades.