BryanH

In this picture...

http://images.rotarynews.com/images/...1/mvc01312.jpg

... what is in the right side of the glove box? Looks like some sort of switch or button.

Here's another stumper: can anyone tell me why Mazda decided to put a nanny system on the RX-8 in the form of a tire pressure monitor? [Look here: http://images.rotarynews.com/images/...1/mvc01350.jpg] Looks like run flats may be standard. Give me some *real* tires dagnabbit. I'll risk it with a can of Fix-A-Flat in the glovebox.

mx32mpsrx8

http://images.rotarynews.com/images/...1/mvc01311.jpg

I assume the button is to turn on/off the trunk opener on the remote,

Gord96BRG

...Because the US Government is soon (by the 2005 model year, IIRC) going to require all vehicle manufacturers to fit a tire pressure monitoring system, as a result of the Ford Exploders' tendency to blow Firestones and roll over!

Regards,
Gordon

SmokingClutch

I dunno, I don't mind a tire pressure monitoring system, considering how few people I know that actually check their pressures, which is what led to the Firestone blowouts to begin with, I'm glad to see such a system becoming more available.

JGard18

i don't know if it was from people not checking their pressures, rather Ford putting all the tires at 28psi, for a more "comfortable" ride.

Can't say flipping over at 75mph is too comfortable, thought!

BlueAdept

Hmmm

Cars in the american market almost always have a softer suspention setup... I guess it comes from not needing to go round corners so much.. LOL..

But you are right, rolling over wouldn't be fun.

BryanH

But at what cost? I don't want to pay for the added complexity and parts for a system I niether want nor need. Lousy big government telling me I'm too stupid to check my own tire pressures...

SmokingClutch

I agree with you for the most part. I think the problem starts with gas station design.

There should be an air pump attached to each fuel pump. Put air in your tires while putting gas in the tank. Having only one air pump over in the corner of the lot is inconvenient and people don't want to make two stops at the station.

It seems to me that a tire pressure readout is at least as important as knowing how much gas is in the tank, especially in colder climates like PA where the change in temperature over a few days in winter can be enough to put you 5 psi low.

You're right, I don't want to pay for a system either but then when it's in every car they find ways to make it pathetically cheap. What it all comes down to is that tire pressure monitoring would have prevented almost all of those Explorer rollovers.

BlueAdept

Well, it's not a great design if it can't withstand a tyre blowout... it wouldn't be good for designers to get complacent and say "well, it doesn't matter because that won't happen... it's got tyre pressure monitors.. "

infinitepat

Sorry, but which light on the dash is the tire pressure light?

BryanH

Inconvenience my foot. People can buy a portable air compressor for $10 that plugs into their cigarette lighter. Sure it's not as fast as those big tanks full of air but it only takes a minute or two to put 5 psi in each tire. And you can do it whenever you darn well please.

Idunno, maybe I'm just getting grumpy in my old age.

SmokingClutch

An Explorer can handle a blowout just fine - the drivers can't.

I know a kid who rolled an Eclipse in the aftermath of a blowout - not the vehicle's fault, really, the tire blows, the driver freaks and doesn't have the skill to control the vehicle. The problem is driver training, not vehicle design, and this was borne out by the Car & Driver tests where the Explorer was fine after a blowout up to 70 mph even if the driver didn't move the steering wheel one bit. It's when drivers get startled and jerk the wheel that rollovers occur.

People can buy air compressors but they don't - I have one but most people don't seem to ever put air in their tires. More than likely they get new air when they get new tires, which is really quite scary if you ask me. I'm no fan of "idiot lights" but this is one case where the public would really benefit from a light and buzzer.

I wonder how many people would run out of gas if they didn't have a gas gauge. Probably most.

Fëakhelek

I agree with Bryan on the big government comment. If you are too slow to know that you need to have air in your tires then the best thing you can do is get in your SUV and roll yourself right out of the gene pool. Stupid government regulations are interfering with natural selection.

jdachik

infinitepat, the light you want is over on the left gauge, the yellow light with an exclamation point in the middle of the "U" - (supposed to look like an underinflated tire).

BlueAdept

Hmmm... I'm normally one not to panic in any situation so I suppose it's kinda hard to see that although I know it happens... When I was learning to drive I had the windscreen smashed by a rock that fell off the truck in front... The instructor was a mess, (Not injured, but I think we'd have crashed... )... She was shocked though afterwards when she realised that the car wasn't moving, and was 2 inches from the curb, parallel and had the hazard warning lights on... *GRIN*.

I guess it's a good thing, although a high performance sportscar should be looked after better than that!

Once I called a coach company (read the number off the back of the coach... ) and asked them to phone the driver of the coach and tell him to stop because one of his front tyres was dangerously low... I called them again about 5 minutes later and asked them if they called... they said they hadn't got round to it yet..... which was embarasing for them since I told them not to bother, since the coach was now half way up the embankment... (Serious)... the tyre blew out right in front of me... nearly hit the my car too!

SPDFRK

Oh how I wish 90% of the rest of the people on the road knew how to drive. I could handle the 10% left over but when it's more like 10/90 it can really suck out there.

A J

They are indeed using run-flats, though a spare is optional, in order to save weight and preserve an almost perfect 50-50 weight balance. This is according to the review in UK Car magazine, a copy of which is posted here for your convenience.

While I'm at it, a mini-test in UK's Evo magazine from the same month - January - is here too.

Those on dial up may want to grab a beer while the pictures load.

DreamWarrior

Am I see correctly, or does that mag say 237bhp for the 6 speed??? Ummm, that's a bit off 250, which I'd expect and tolerate only if it was RWHP. Now the question, who's faking their numbers more . Oh well, I still have to drive it to see what it is really going to be like.

A J

Evo magazine does, indeed, say 237bhp. Car magazine says 240. However, I remind you that these are the UK (euro?) versions being referred to. The Car magazine article also says that the US/Japan figure is 10hp higher, so that's 247-250 depending on who you believe more.

Why is the Euro figure lower? Best guess is that it's because the people who make the noise regulations over here are a bunch of *****.

Also, note from the article that no auto will be offered here, just two 6-speed manuals; a 'Standard Power' and a 'Hi-Power'

Gord96BRG

Also, Euro HP are measured and reported using the DIN standard, while North American HP are SAE Net, and Japanese HP are JPS. The standards are a bit different, and 1 HP DIN is not equal to 1 HP SAE Net is not equal to 1 HP JPS.

Regards,
Gordon

zoom44

i read in either the mazda press kit or some other official mazda source that japan and europe were getting a 5 speed manual for the low power and a 6 speed for the high power. i dont think you get the 6speed on the low power.

click here it goes to a pdf mazda press release. look on the last page (pg12) at the table there. it says under europe 5mt/6mt

A J

Yeah sorry, my bad, I've just only seen reviews of the Hi-Power over here, so meh.

Though there is a small difference in horsepower units, it's very minor, e.g. 1 Euro Hp = 1.014 Jap Hp. This does account for the discrepancy between the two articles I posted (pretty much exactly in fact), but not between 240 and 250hp. There is actually a specification differeence between the Euro and Japan/US models in terms of output, as much is admitted by Mazda.

maxcooper

I don't like the law requiring a monitoring system, either. It is added cost for something I don't want. It also adds weight and unsprung weight for something I don't want. It might be somewhat useful if you can get actual pressures, but if it is just an idiot light it will not be of any use to me at all.

If legislators felt that they had to make a law in response to the Explorer issue, tire pumps at each gas pump would have been a better choice. I'd still have to pay for it, but at least it wouldn't require unwanted parts on my car.

The spare on my RX-7 doesn't fit over the (upgraded) brakes at any corner on my car. I guess it is time to take it out of the car. Who needs a spare tire!

-Max