S-Plan
 

Does anyone know if the 8 will be available through the S-Plan (Mazda's supplier discount program)?

Also, is the invoice price available anywhere yet? (I know, we just got MSRP yesterday but one can hope :D )

As of right now....no. Eventually, it might be. When Ford first introduced the new Thunderbird, it was not available until the initial hoopla died down. About a year after introduction, it was made available on A-Plan. I'm not sure if it's available on X-Plan (friends and family) yet.

I would assume the RX-8 will follow a similar course with S-Plan.

I work for Ford, so I'll keep my eye on the whole A/S/X-Plan deal!

I wrote Ford last night, answer below for S-Plan.
My guess is it will be available, but dealers will choose not to participate. I spoke to a dealer about 6 months ago and when I mentioned the S-Plan, they didn't say no way, but they didn't say yes, just ok and moved on.

Almost all Ford/Mazda/Lincoln/Mercury/Volvo's are available (not the F350, Thunderbird, and XC90, but the Mustang Cobra is, SVT?), but dealers may choose not to participate. This is like GM's plan for the Corvette, its available, but try and find a dealer that will participate.

The RX-8 is a $33k production car, not high dollar limited production(Thunderbird is a 40k+ fairly limited), so I think it will be available after the initial demand dies down. Remember this is a business and they want to make as much money as possible, so it will mean selling all they can, even if its for S-Plan. I think the dealers still make some profit on S-Plan.

I have been waiting 1.5 years for the RX-8, but I may have to wait a little longer, for the savings of the S-Plan. Think 33,100/31,100 MSRP loaded, or ~$31k,29k S-Plan. Thats at least a GPS for free, or under 30. But then again will my car hold out and is $2000 worth 8 months of my enjoyment? Hmm...

A note: Nissan is not offering the 350Z/G35C on their discount program right now, and that plan is something like $500 over dealer invoice.

"Thank you for contacting Ford Motor Company on 01/8/03. We appreciate
the time you have taken to write us.

At this time, the Mazda 6 is eligible under the Ford Motor Company
Partner Recognition Program. Please visit and consult your local
participating dealership to determine local availability. Once we
receive information regarding the 2004 Mazda RX-8, our website will be
updated.

Please keep in mind, this is a voluntary program for the dealer and all
vehicles are at the dealer's discretion.

At Ford Motor Company, we consider the satisfaction of our customers as
one of our most important objectives. If you have any other inquiries
or concerns, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to
address them.

Sincerely,
Deby
Ford Motor Company
Customer Relationship Center"

The invoice price for the car and each option has been released, I seen them but not quite sure if I have the liberty to disclose. I will check to see if it would be ok to tell you guys I don't want to spoil any connections.

Re: S-Plan
 

Yes, but not until January 2004. Thus spake the New Car Manager at Mazda South when I asked him that very question this afternoon. :)

Ford A, S & X Plans...
 

IWANTanRX8,

I’m eligible for the “X” plan, could you compare it to the “S” & “A” plans in terms of relative percent savings???

BTW, my eligibility is based on my company being a Ford supplier yet your previous post indicated that the “X’ plan was for friends & family. Am I to assume the savings one can expect by participating in the “X’ plan are pretty modest???

Re: Ford A, S & X Plans...
 

RX7 Guy,

X-Plan is 104% of the A/S-Plan price. A-Plan is generally pretty close to dealer cost (give or take; I don't recall the actual calculation). I'm not sure if S-Plan is calculated differently.

Savings of 10% A/S-Plan vs retail is a good rule of thumb for a quick estimate, so X-Plan would be roughly a 6% savings vs retail.

BTW, I cannot post A/S-Plan pricing here since this information is confidential to Ford. When Mazda makes the RX-8 available on S-Plan, your Mazda dealer will be able to provide you with its pricing.

Dealers can opt out
 

This is a voluntary program for the dealers. They can choose to exclude vehicles at their outlets that other dealers may sell under these plans.
However, Ford can exclude specific vehicles altogether from these plans (i.e Thunderbird, F-150 Lightning, GT40).
I am eligible for S-plan pricing. When I priced out a Mazda 6s recently, The MSRP came to $25,345. The dealer calculated an S-plan price of just under $23k. No negotiation, just a flat price. Can I do better than that? Maybe.

I am certainly hoping that the RX-8 will be eligible for S-plan at launch or shortly thereafter. It will certainly make the purchase easier for me.