Nalrac

Hey Guys!

This is a quick rough-draft of an RX-8 Convertible . Since most of the body support is already at the base of the chasis, this is inevitable. I hope you you like it. If you would like tosee anything else done let me know.

I am also going to do a Photoshop pic of convertable MazdaSpeed RX-8. Let me know what you guys would think about that.

I will probably touch this up some but I think it looks pretty cool as is.

Thanks.

Adam Carlan

karmavore

Any photoshopping is appreciated, but I don't like the looks of this. How about a Targa??

Luke.

ZoomZoom

Personally I think that it looks like the best four door four seat car on the market today. As far as Targas go, NO THANK YOU… :o

Nalrac

Hey guys,

Even though I made the pic myself, I still like the hard-top best. Although, I'm sure there are plenty out there who would buy the convertible.

I might work on a targa anyway. Just for kicks. Let me know on a scale of 1-10 what you think about a:

1. Convertible
2. Targa
3. Convertible hard top roadster (very unlikely to ever happen but, oh well)

Any other ideas? Let me know.

Adam

karmavore

4
8
10!!

How about cleaning up the front bumper? Lowering?

Luke.

Nalrac

OK. Here it is!

I have taken the convertible pic (see above) and put my own Mazdaspeed USDM (US Domestic Market) body kit on it.

I designed the kit using standard MazdaSpeed styling cues. I've lowered the car 1", decreased the size of the grill, added a secondary grill, and opened up the brake vents. I also added rocker panels and a MS spoiler.

I think this is AWESOME. I'm planning to do a targa one too. Look for it over the weekend.

Let me know what you think.

Adam

ZoomZoom

I like it but dump the spoiler.

NOTA V6

1. 6 (needs some special something in this category. I can't put my finger on it, but the pics above just don't look like they'd work on a real life car.)
2. 9 (what should have always been an option with the RX-7s.)
3. 1 (what do you do if it rains while you are on the road? Most cars with this option look like **** with the top on too.)

Nalrac

For a clarification on selection #3 (Convertible hard-top roadster).

What was meant for those who might not be familiar with the retractable hard-top design (exe; Mercedes SLK, Lexus SC-430) is a 2-seat design with a longer storage area in the back for a mechanical retraction. Although, the Lexus SC-430 has a small back bench seat that is not large enough to hold even a small child. Why even bother.

I personally think that this design in general is one of the best on the market today. I seriously doubt this will ever even be considered by Ford for the RX-8. It just doesn't make good market sense to redesign the current chasis. That would be suicide, considering the fact that the current chasis can already support a standard convertible design or a targa.

A convertible or targa is definately comming. So, let's just call this market analysis.

As for the pics I've done. I think the reason that something feels like it is missing is because it IS. The top is missing. That might sound sarcasitc :D but it's the truth. I've seen so many pics of the regular one that something doesn't seem right about seeing it chopped in half. Oh well, it's just a pic. Right?

Thanks for the feedback.

Adam (aka. Nalrac)

NOTA V6

Change my vote to a 0 for #3.

Quote:

I seriously doubt this will ever even be considered by Ford for the RX-8.

I seriously doubt Ford has that kind of control over the design of the car.

Quote:

As for the pics I've done. I think the reason that something feels like it is missing is because it IS. The top is missing. That might sound sarcasitc :D but it's the truth.

I was referring to the shape and structure of the car not being conducive to simply removing the top. There must be some beefing up of the chassis. Compare the 2nd gen RX-7 convertible to the hard top 2nd gen. The back end is different. No offense taken.

Nalrac

I didn't even want to offend anybody. I just didn't think that I expained myself well enough about #3. Freedom of opinion will never be suppressed by me.

As for the structural rigidity of the chasis. From what I have heard from Mazda (through e-mails and phone conversations) about the way that the car was designed, the chasis is almost structurally rigid enough as is. I was curious about the the stiffness of the chasis and what they had done to compensate for the loss of a B-pillar. I presumed that because the back doors had support bars running up the outter edge that had some advantage over handling. Mazda says no. They said that the only use for the in-door support beam is for side impact collisions. It played no large part in the rigidity of the chasis. So what, i asked, is the handling going to be like. Well, they said "We're working on that, but refer to the Road & Track website for further info and updates next month." So that's what I did, and this is what R&T say's (I appologise in advance if you've aready read it);

"Amazingly, around Mazda proving ground's tricky assortment of corners, the RX-8 chassis exhibited rock-solid rigidity, with no sign of flex whatsoever. And the harder I drove, the more solid the car felt. 'I'll let you in on something,' one of the engineers told me after my drive. 'We made the body of this thing stiffer than that of the RX-7.'

Their secret, I was later told, was in the numerous structural reinforcements that branch out from the RX-8's backbone chassis. With so much of its support located on or near the floor, one can only assume a convertible version is on the way. There's even talk that the next Miata will be built on this platform."

I e-mailed to confirm these allegations and they said, "We cannot release any information about future trim levels for the RX-8 until a release date has been set." So I replied and asked, "So, I can take that as a 'Yes we are planning to have a convertible but we don't know when'." And they said, "We're working on it." So, I did the pics so we could be the first to see it.

Sorry this thread was so lengthy but I thought that was cool information.

It personnally makes me happy to know that Mazda is finally going to have a convertible worth owning again. :D And if the Miata is built on the RX-8 platform then then they might have TWO worth owning.

karmavore

Wow, such great info!!!

Do you think mazda is planning for a rag top or some sort of targa version? Rag tops annoy me but a targa, that I might have to wait for...

Keep up the 'shopping!!

Luke.

Nalrac

I think, unfortunately, that threre might just be a rag-top in development. Although, nobody can guarantee that there isn't a targa in production. The popularity of the targa hasn't been high in recent years so I don't know if it will be considered. If you also look at existing trends in the automotive corporation that basically says, "If it worked once it will work again", then one can assume that with the popularity of the miata there will be some big-time cosideration. We can only hope the targa is an option. It would be super-simple for Mazda to turn the RX-8 into a targa-top. A lot easier than a full convertible. They could even keep the back doors on a targa with light modification. Now, THAT would be sweet. A four-door targa. :D

As for waiting. Well, that's your choice, but I wouldn't want to wait until the 2004 model year to get mine. You should probably put down your deposit on the current hard-top version and if you find out differently about the targa then switch the deposit.

Hope that helps,

Adam

alear

You really do make this car look even better than it already is!

This goes against the main features of the car but I would like to see a "two seat like" roadster version of it. With a hard or soft cover over the two rear seats. It seems like it would look an aweful lot like an s2000 then.

I would also like to see some more convertible pics from a different angle.

Nalrac

Hey Alex,

Thank you for the complements. My pics have seemed to be mainly ill-received except by you.

I'm going to work on both of those requests as soon as I get a chance.

Thanks again.

Adam

spwolf

I like it, but in honesty, it looks like Mustang ;-)... not a bad thing if you like Mustangs :P

spwolf

as to hard top roadsters/convertibles... there are few cheap ones in Europe - namely Peugot 206 CC which has a nice hard top, same as SLK or lexus... so it can be done cheeply now... as to possibility of roadster/convertible, why not... exctually their pilarless design would seem to help only with the issue of structural rigidity ...


I would simply adore hard top version of RX-8 ;-)...


and ur pics look fine, make some more! some side and behind shots too

Nalrac

Thanks for the European info. I understand that with any technology the price will come down after it's demand increases. It's good to know that Europe is setting the trend.

As far as looking like a Mustang. Well, I thought so too. So I did a different body style and if I could buy one like this, I would. This screams MazdaSpeed to me. ZOOM ZOOM.

Also, refer to the seperate thread entitled MazdaSpeed RX-8. It has the hard-top similar to this version.

Thanks

Adam

RX84ME

iTrader: (2)

OHHHHHHH YEAAHHHHHHH a hard top convertalble RX-8 that would kick butt!!!!

Im not crazy about verts but the last picture is a keeper!!!!

applejax

I like hard tops, but lately, I have been getting a bit of a convertible bug (been building ever since I drove a Miata)...

From experience, though, I think a moonroof is the most practical. It doesn't change the look of the hardtop, it gives a nice feel of openess, and you can vent it for just a touch of fresh air. Mainly, though, given all that - nothing can beat the convenience of pushing a button and having a piece of the roof slide back.

--jax

spwolf

they look good... Nota is just tryin to be an hard azz ;-)

NOTA V6

Nah, I'm just giving an opinion.

The Photoshop skills are not what I'm talking about at all. The pictures look great, and are far better than I can do myself.

Something in the body lines themselves must be changed to accomodate a 'vert. Cool idea, but it falls short of what a real RX-8 designed to be a 'vert would actually look like. The sides skirts take care of some of it. Without the roof line it just looks too plain without something else to draw the eye...

spwolf

yeah, additionally, I dont think there is much boot space to use in RX-8... we will see I guess, but I do think that convertible is much much easier to do with that platform than a wagon though...

we will see... I will be happy with RX-8, as it is... when it finally comes out... @ MSRP

;-)

RX - 8

it looks alot better of the pic i had posted earlier, but i would love to see a hardtop convert

InBlackPlease

Really nice Photoshop work. Since I already have a Miata I don't really have the need for another convertible but I do see the market for 4 seater convertibles rising, especially with the new A4 cabriolet due out this year. Personally I am not a big fan of 4 seater convertibles but to each his own...

How about some pics in another color, mainly black!