ccd

If reports are to be believed, 2011 will be the last model year for the current RX-8. I wonder how long we will wait to receive official word from Mazda. More importantly, how long will we have to wait to find out whether the RX-8 bows out with a whimper (ie 2011 unchanged from 2009-10) or whether the RX-8 goes out with more of a bang (aero kit or maybe, just maybe FI). My hope is that there will be some sort of FI option. It should be as clear to Mazda as it is to most of us that addressing the hp issue is the only way to keep the 2011s from selling even more poorly than the 2009/2010s.

zoom44

its confirmed that 2011 will be the last MY of the RX-8 in the US. How long will you have to wait to find out if there is a special edition or not?

"insert arbitrary number here"

Krazed_Rx8

iTrader: (5)

Really doubt itll end with an FI 8

ccd

A guy can hope for FI, can't he? With no meaningful special edition of the RX-8 for 2011, Mazda is talking about a VERY limited production car for the last model year.

CyberPitz

Where are they talking about a very limited production car?

Link?

bose

iTrader: (5)

Where indeed, rumors are just rumors. To my knowledge Mazda hasn't thought about a FI 8 since they first started development of it. Doubt there will be a special edition, they did the R3 already that's probably as special as it gets.

I know they will offer the R3 with even newer suspension and a special color.

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

they should do a special color / look for the last RX8 but I'm not holding my breath for an FI option.

bose

iTrader: (5)

I mean that is a very real possibility, any kind of FI, your dreaming.

gwilliams6

Motor Trend has confirmed that 2011 will be the last year for the RX8.

In other news, it was too good to last. The Rolex Grand Am series, under pressure from the RX8 competitors has imposed a 75 pound added weight on the RX8s which had won three straight GT class races and were leading for both the drivers' championship and manufacturers'' championship. The result of the added weight, the RX8s now struggle to keep the pace with higher horsepower foes in GT, and only late race strategy allowed the #69 Speedsource Rx8 to finish second in most recent race.

For those of us old enough to remember, IMSA race series did the same thing back in the late seventies and early eighties to try and stop the RX7's from dominating their class against the likes of the Datsun 240Z, and Porsche and Triumph entries.

Mazda just isnt big enough with enough clout to stop this. It would never happen to Honda or Porsche or Toyota.

gwilliams6

Krango

conspiracy!!!

but I like to see the rx8's thwomping some porsche's regardless

gwilliams6

http://wot.motortrend.com/6642523/au....html#comments

Read my reply at end of posts of those slamming the RX8 and rotary engine.

gwilliams6

gwilliams6

Another note on earlier post about weight penalty being imposed on Rolex series RX8s.

Don't forget the FISA totally banned the rotary engine after the four-rotor Mazdaspeed 787 won the outright title at the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1991, beating the likes of European giants Mercedes, Jaguar, Porsche, Audi and Peugot. So Mazda couldn't ever defend its title.

gwilliams6

77mjd

Sounds like a bunch of sore losers to me and proves Mazda has the better cars. If you don't like it, make your car better.

rubberduckie

Its not mazdas fault all the 'shortcomings' of a rotary engine on the street are completely negated in a track situation.

Track mpg, oil consumption and power output, are (I'm assuming) all relatively equal among the GT cars. The rotary can just do it in a lighter and smaller package.

Symbioticgenius

FIXED!

Spin9k

To the OP question, the RX-8 1st model yr was originally introd in July the preceeding year (so my '03 was sold to me in July 03). So by rights, the MY2011 car should intro "real soon now"...of course past intro performance is no guarantee...

And except for the occassional rotary diehard, who somehow doesn't have an 8 yet, or the recent convert to the fold .... my thought would be ....why would any other typical car buyer purchase a car already destined to go defunct in a few months? ..and esp. if they do little other than offer some 'special' color choice or something similar....

If they want to sell more than a few token MY2011 units, they've got to have a sweetener in there....elsewise what the point? ...unless the plan for MY2011 is simply to sell of any remaining inventory they have right now.

Symbioticgenius

I think the main things that held back the S2's success was no marketing, Lack of Color Choices, and in the 2010 case, I think they got rid of touring, which jumps from a base sport with nothing, to a grand touring about a 5K Swing, which can easily add 100 dollars a month for someone, and even more when they aren't putting money down.

Marketing the "Renesis 2.0" Would have been key. Anyone who has heard of the 04's issues probably assume the 2009+ has the same, when it doesn't
More options would have made S2's a seller, and for sanity sake, can the R3 "track model" actually be faster than the sport LOL.

Lastly, Colors. How do you have only 4 colors on a car. The friggen Lotus Elise comes in like 30+ colors, an S2 Rx8 comes in 4? maybe 5? Fuggetaboutit

zoom44

i was told specifically by MNAO that there would be a 2011 MY rx-8. so they are going to produce one and not just sell off remaining 2010 inventory.

HiFlite999

iTrader: (2)

They should add weight to cars proportional to the team's annual budget! That would be the real equalizer. Or let the others produce their own rotary engines to remain competitive, like Toyota makes push-rod carbureted V-8's to compete in NASCAR.

alz0rz

iTrader: (41)

off topic, but seriously, since when has Toyota been running NASCAR?

Spin9k

Saw where the FT-86 will possibly be delayed until 2013. Could this be a clue as to when "Japan Inc's" collective automotive minds eye sees the world recession clearing up and so OK to intro some new sporty cars? As they tend to do things together....probably...or let's hope anyway.

HiFlite999

iTrader: (2)

May have more to do with the lack of internal resources needed to address Toyota's safety concerns.