Hard 8

I just got the red and black OEM car cover from Trussville for $175 or so. They included a free OEM car care kit; very nice. They also have a 15-day return policy. Other color combinations are available.

I got a cover because I must often park in direct sunlight all day, and during the summer temperatures here sometimes reach 110 degrees.

The Storm Shield fabric is sort of like nylon windbreaker material, with a rubberized coating on the inside. The cover has reinforced panels for the hot exhaust tips, gussets for a cable lock, pockets for the mirrors, a clear vinyl window for the license plate, and a contrasting RX-8 logo on the nose. See the Trussville site for photos.

The cover rolls up into a roll of about 8 inches by 18 inches and fits easily into the included storage bag, which is nice red and black (same material as the cover), with a drawstring/barrel lock closure and a contrasting RX-8 logo on the outside. It weighs maybe ten pounds in the bag.

The included instructions were not quite enough for me. How tough can it be to put on a car cover? Well, this one is not as easy as you might think, for two major reasons: (1) The license plate window tends to "grab" the bumper; there's a great deal of static cling. (2) The hem at the bottom edge of the cover is very tight.

The best way to get on the cover is to drape it over the car (the window and logo make it easy to figure out which end is which), pull the sides down over the mirrors, then pull the BACK of the cover over the rear bumper, line up the plate window, and make sure the hem is pulled all the way down. Only then can you get the front on. If you do the front first, the back may be too tight and the plate window will stick too much.

Once the cover is on, it looks terrific. It is extremely tight. You could almost bounce a quarter off it. I'm not sure whether an OEM spoiler would fit under it; it's so tight. (Maybe a lip spoiler but not a wing, I expect.)

The contrasting colors look terrific and the cover almost reaches the ground, so the bottom of the wheel rims just barely peep out. The material seems very strong and I think it would do a good job repelling water and keeping out the sun.

Will it scratch my paint (assuming I never put it on when my car is dirty)? I don't know. On the one hand, the inside material is not fuzzy or soft; it's more like rubberized plastic; and it really is tight on the curves. On the other, I think Mazda made a deliberate choice of this material, and I would not expect them to sell something that would scratch. I have put it on twice now and I see no scratches. And although it may not be plush, the material has no roughness, either, and it should not hold dust the way something softer might. I think it may be OK.

In summary, once you figure out how to put it on, this cover fits so well and has such nice features, it seems like it was made for this particular car. And it was. I dig it.

[Edit: But please see the notes below about early covers being too tight and scratching. I'm having second thoughts here.]

my10ae

Hard8:

Nice writeup! I was thinking of getting a red/black cover for my black 8. Figure I'd put it on when its parked in mt garage to keep the dust/pollen off of it. We'll see

Spazm

I just put mine on for the first time tonight (black/grey) and the cover wasn't really designed with the spoiler in mind. It still fits fairly well, however it doesn't quite cover up the rear wheels. It still covers the rear bumper, exhaust and all of that, so all in all I'm quite happy with it.

And it looks great =)

FirstSpin

Rhetorical question.. I wonder why they left a hole for the license plate? It's not like you're gonna drive the vehicle with the cover on and it's not likely that you'd have to wonder which covered 8 out there in the parking lot is mine -- better check the plate to make sure I got the right one. Sounds like the design would have been much more functional if they hadn't engineered in the bumper-catching plate window.....

Hard 8

I think that the license plate window is either (a) required by law in some jurisdictions, for parking ticketing/registration checking purposes; or (b) it is not required by law, but still meant to allow a meter maid to ticket you or check your registration without having to pull off your cover partially. Or both.

Thanks for the comments. I have been using the cover all week, and I am getting more and more used to it; it really looks and works great. My biggest beef (which applies to every cover I've had) is that it tends to slide off the top of the car as I line it up before unfolding it all the way. I hate that. It may help to get it centered better down the midline of the car, then unfold it more deliberately.

Hard 8

I'm also glad to hear that it (basically) fits over the OEM spoiler. Since I intend to get an OEM lip spoiler eventually (I'm sure they'll be readily available within the next year), that's encouraging news.

B-Nez

I believe they either redesigned the original cover, or have an additional model that fits the OEM wing. I covered mine with it at airport parking for a week in Florida. Upon my return, there was indeed condensation under the cover from the humidity. Upon drying out, it did leave the car looking rather dull. Not sure about rainproofing, though.

thew

mines to tight! it did scrathc my car.. I told my Dealer to replce it .. there checking now.. I guees there was a batch of covers made that are to tight.. Car covers are not supposed to fit tight !
Be very carfull I put it on my car 1 time and it scratched the hell out of the lowwer finder areas where the cover snuggs up behind and infront of the wheels..

Buy a nice soft after market cover !

thew

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Hard 8
[B]I think that the license plate window is either (a) required by law in some jurisdictions, for parking ticketing/registration checking purposes;

Bingo . IN CA it is law.. your plate must be visable at all times

Hard 8

After using mine several times now, I find that it is tight only when I pull it over the second front fender, after already doing the back fenders and one of the fronts. It slides over the other three corners pretty easily.

Have you actually heard that there was a batch of too-tight covers? My impression is that they were designed this way (for good or ill).

No scratches yet, but now you make me fearful.

thew

yes.. i haave theres a post on it here on these boards..
Tommy at Rosenthal MAzda was the fisrt i think.. search for it

Hard 8

OK, thanks; here it is:

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...ar+cover+tight

Damn. Maybe I should get a later one, from Tommy.

Omicron

Wow, a very nice review!!! Many thanks for the thoughtful, detailed write up! :D

XcelR8

I was going to purchase this cover, but had one in from a 96 Mustang in the garage. It fits the 8 better than it did the Mustang!

Good write up on the Madza cover.

thew

yes dont use that really tight one !! get it replaced..

Hard 8

Roger that. Thanks for the heads up. (I'm thinking maybe just a windshield sunblocker, instead.)

djantlive

For light protection, the OEM cover is okay.

If you are leaving the car outside and want rain proof material, go with Noah fabric. It's bulkier but it will not let water seep through. After a hard rain, your car stays dry without condensation.

thew

does anyone have a non oem cover ?? whered u get it ? how much ?

djantlive

custom fit noah covers are about 200, available at many places including california car cover company. much better cover than oem.

flatso

I think the OEM cover is not worth the money due to the tight fit and hard slippery cover material that will pick up debris and scratch your paint after it slides off your car 5 or 6 times. Get and Evolution or a Noah better protection and cheaper, it's like a noah brainer(sorry bad pun)

thew

got a website ?

Ill buy one from them and make Mazda take mine back

flatso

they will take it back with a 20% restocking fee. That is at least what Rosenthal did to me, even though they were returning the original back to Mazda because it did not fit, and would get a brand new one back from them. I said forget it and sold mine for a loss on Ebay.

Hard 8

OK, I returned mine in perfect condition, just as shipped, and am hoping for a refund. Then I was at Walmart and saw their generic Tyvek covers are $40. They look fine for simple sun protection. They had sizes 1 through 4, I recall. The chart didn't list the RX-8, but they did recommend size 2 for the RX-7, among other cars, on a chart on the box. Size 3 listed the Milenia, among others. I figure a size 3 would do it. The 8 is closer to the Milenia than the RX-7 in size, you think? I guess I could try one and return it if it didn't fit. Seems like a bargain. Tyvek rocks in some ways.

Green Thunder18

I saw those covers - two levels of quality...Budget Lite and Premium. There were some newer boxes that did list the RX-8, and I believe it said size 2. Unfortunately they didn't have any of that size. I'll check another Wal-Mart when I get a chance. Anyone know if the Premium cover will be OK if it gets rained on?

thew

let me know !! too