Rotary News - Updated Rumors and Lies for May 2007
 

http://rotarynews.com/node/view/917


interesting tidbits, from what I've learned, this sounds very plausable. I like the fact the Kabura might still be alive, rotary or not.

pretty useless rumors... sigh

Yogi Berra - "It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future".

it said that the rx8 will have some "Major-Minor" changes this fall/winter. does this mean that they will be changing the look or adding more power to the new rx8? i am looking to buy a new rx8 now, i just want to know if i should wait or not. thanks

Wow, been gone for a long time...and STILL, seems nothing has changed with the RX8...."new colors, etc etc blah blah blah...."

LOL, but I still love her...so...

Don’t bother waiting if you are looking for more power. Changes will be probably be mostly toward reliability, not cosmetics or performance

I heard the new RX8 will come with a chrome footprint gas pedal and a chain steering wheel.

Takin it oldskool!

No more rumors and no more lies with the 8 Mazda.

Mazda had better turn the wick up on the power delivery of the 8. There is no need for an MS8. Mazda HAS AVAILABLE all the parts needed to make the equivelant of an MS8. Just give the 8 more power in it's current form. Make it the sports car it's supposed to be. It gets beat by the MS3 and MS6?!?!?! COME ON!!! This is you sports car. If there is a race between auto manufacturers featuring thier best production car in the $30K range, Nissan is going to send a Z, Suby is going to send an STi, Mitsu an EVO, Honda an S2K, ... what is Mazda gonna send, an MS3 or MS6???

People may say it's about sales, the mighty $ and what not, but Mazda needs to wake up and see what really is going on. Sports vehicles in the $30K range have certain performance expectations you just have to meet. The Z makes them, the EVO makes them, the STi makes them, the S2K makes them, ... I mean come on. You HAVE to make certain numbers. Get the 8 to do the 1/4 in 14 flat or less stock. Consistently. AUTOMATIC SALES INCREASE. 14.5 in the 1/4 aint gonna cut it. The Toyota Camry V6 SE does the 1/4 in 14.5 AND has a TRD SC that can installed under warranty furthering that performance. The Nissan Altima V6 (not even SE-R) puts down some seriously respectable numbers.

The MS3 and MS6 are great cars, but 8 is one of the best cars ever produced. Period. Excellent chasis, ridiculous handling, and the convience of backseats that can actually be used, touted by multiple reviewers as the best "drive off lot straight to track" cars, etc., etc. The MS3 and MS6 shouldn't even come close to the car in straight line or twisties. THERE SHOULDN'T EVEN BE A COMPARISON!!!!

Sorry for the rant, but this is my honest opinion. It WOULD be HIGHLY COST EFFECTIVE TO GET THIS RIGHT!!!! MORE POWER AND BETTER GAS MILEAGE (even if slightly). 14sec flat or better with the same handling stock. *whisper* zoom-zoom.

^ sorry about all that stuff folks.

Simma down na...

The best way to predict the future is to invent it." - Alan Kay

*rubbing ear lobes* wwooooo- saw, wwwwwooooooo-saw, wooooo-saw.

Nothing remarkable here. RX-8 going to get some minor tweaks for next year (perhaps DI). Kabura is being worked on sans rotary and will likely show up at Detroit next year. RX-7 may or may not ever show up.

Christ, just make an RX-7 already. Look at sales figures of 350z vs RX-8 -- people want a purpose-built 2-seater "real" sportscar. It shouldn't even be that difficult or expensive for Mazda, they've already got most of the parts they'd need from the 8 and Miata.

And get rid of this ugly "flow" crap. In 10 years we'll all be talking about how dated it looks, but the FD will still be considered a beautiful, timeless design.

The Evo and STI are hardly sports cars... they are nothing more than basic FWD econo-boxes that have powerful motors. They are rough, rude and crude and no better than the VW GTI that started all the econo boxes back in the day.

But by no means are the EVo or STi in the same ballpark as the RX-8, Z, or even the CR-X/Del Sol based S2000. Minor league Sunday players, when compared to a true sports car (or even sports coupe).

I just don't get how people can even consider them in the same paragraph as a sports car. Next thing you'll be saying is that the Camry V6 or the Civic Coupe/ RSX is a sports car.

actually I think the FD is starting too look pretty dated now... not as bad as the last 300ZX of the same era, but easily as dated as the 350z now looks.

Dated perhaps in the sense of a Jaguar 'E' type (Which is a good thing). I have not heard people gush over the beauty of any other car quite the way they do over the FD RX-7, many saying it's the best looking car they've ever seen and I can't say that I disagree.

Mazda can give us a 3000 Lbs(2800 lbs if you are lucky) 200 hp two seat Rx-8.... now why would anyone buy one over a 4 seat... I mean enough people to justify the creation of another assembly line(or modification of the current one).

Answer, sales will not cover expenses.

And I doubt there is much loss of sales due to 4 seats. Low numbers and perceived poor reliability are what is costing sales. Not 2 v 4 seats.

With Mazda's RX-8 track record, I expect to see new colors ( spectacular orange anyone?) and some type of new CD player system.

I admit I don't care for the look of the Evo but it is a sports car and the handling is just as good as the 8 you just have to know how to drive it. What the 8 does is get every arrow close to the the bullseye. All Mazda has to to is get the power in the red and you end up with a great sports car instead of better than good.

OMFG. How many of those cars have you driven? Yeah, the EVO and STI are based on econobox platforms which have inherent disadvantages vs a pure sports car. But despite that, they are true performance cars that will embarrass the RX8 in most types of competitions (and I write that as someone who adores the RX8).

And "CR-X/Del Sol based S2000"? Umkay.

actually I have driven all of them.

Have you???

I have also driven just about every BMW made in the last 5 years, all of Mitsu, Honda's and Lexus's products in the last couple of years except the ISF and the latest NSX, most of Porsche's vehicles and 90% of the [shudder] American manufactures and Nissans cars. Some of them even on racetracks as well as the street.

And what do I own? A new 07 3 series coupe, a new 06 RX-8, an X5, a 10th AE FC and a Tacoma extra cab 4WD.

So maybe my standards are a little higher than many peoples, but in my driver's book, the EVO and STI are crappy FWD based economy cars. Yes, you can put a candle in a Turd and call it a Birthday cake... but it is still just a turd with a candle in it. Maybe next Ford should put a 4.6 V8 into a Focus... would that be considered a sports car too???

And anyone that has driven a Del Sol would recognize the cheap ass funky plastic interior that the S2000 has. Hell the 88 FC vert I just sold had at better plastics and at least a lined roof... pretty unacceptable not to have decent plastic and interior on a $35K + sports car.

I've not driven all of the cars in your posts, though I've driven most of them (I have substantial experience behind the wheel of dozens of performance cars and sports cars as you appear to).

Your background just makes your comments more puzzling. The S2000 has a reputation as a pure sports car for enthusiasts and the times I drove it supported that. To describe it as being based on the Del Sol/CRX just because of cheap plastic defies logic (and anyway I thought my '88 CRX Si's interior was actually decent).

Yeah, the STI and EVO are a far cry from true rally cars and I prefer the RX8's sports car chassis and driving dynamics, but every car has compromises. The STI hasn't been based on a FWD platform in years and comparing it to a Focus with a V8 is oversimplifying.

Actually I thought the 2nd gen CRX interiors are better than the S2000.

Perhaps my poor impression of the car is from poorly fitting in the car and then the squeaking dash plastic found on every single one I have ever driven. The squeaking and easily scratched interior plastic and lack of roof liner just is substandard and simular to what you would find in the Del Sol (the car that the S2000 replaced).