Mazdaspeed RX-8 pics
 

Hello everyone! I foud 2 new pictures of the Mazdaspeed RX-8 on a Japaneese site. It looks slightly different from the one at TAS.

Notice the front splitter. The wings on the side is gone, looks much better this way:

Here's a view from the back. The wheels is different on this car as well. Looks like 18" and maybe magnesium(?):

uhhhh, no, i don't think you'd want rims made out of Ti... ;) it's just a look (tri-chomate or something) on (probably) aluminum wheels...

Yeah, sorry. Meant magnesium! :cool:

Yeah I wondered if they would take those splitter wings off because it looked kind of ricey with them. I suppose that would also help considerably with ground clearance so you dont scrape it on speed bumps etc.

I don't think that you'd want Mag wheels either for a street car.

---jps

I thought Magnesium wheels were an option for a "lightweight" version of a corvette once? Expensive though...

They are what the McLaren F1 uses :)

This is the problem with this type of car. You want the performance options, but you need practicality as well. So really, what are you to do? Buy two cars. A Yugo, and a Hyundai Tiberon :o

If I remember correctly you could get them on any model of vette in '99 and '00. And I think they were like a $3400 option.

Too much. Get wheel covers at K-mart for 24.50.

I love the mazdaspeed RX-8 I love the huge vents in the front.

Yes you do.

mag. wheels r the lightest, therefore the best for performance

K-mart tires are the cheapest, therefore the best for cars that are light to begin with.

hmmm... this version doesn't have the red seats like we've seen in the other pics

It's still just a street car. And just because something offers the "best" performance on a race car doesn't mean that it will offer the "best" performance on the street. An example would be pure metal bushings and bearings in the car's suspensions.

---jps

He's right guys.

What are the chances?
 

Im not to familiar with how the mazda speed thing works, but is it actually a car that your able to buy through a dealership or are you going to have to add it all on after you buy it. And is all this more of something not found in the U.S. but just in japan

Here is a link to Mazda's Mazdaspeed info page.


You could always buy Mazdaspeed parts from the Mazdaspeed catalog, but the Mazdaspeed Protegé is the first badged car from Mazda under this new program. We expect to see more Mazdaspeed badged cars including the RX-8. I hope they do a Miata too.

my old man used to have 5 piece magnesium wheels on his lex, crazy guy

MAZDASPEED 8 looks CRIMINAL!!!!!!!!! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
________
STEFANO DOMENICALI

Ugh...p00man...why'd you have to say that. You've lost some of my easily earned respect.

some more pics http://www.3rotor.com/featurerx8widebody.htm

Mazdaspeed concept info in Automobile Mag
 

Did anyone else catch the quick blurb on page 22 of the April edition of Automobile regarding the Mazdaspeed RX-8 concept shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon?

MAXIMIUM MAZDA RX-8
"At January's Tokyo Auto Salon, effectively Japan's high-voltage answer to the SEMA show in Las Vegas, Mazda unveiled two special RX-8s: one sportified by Mazdaspeed, the other set for a starring role in the X-Men 2 film. Four months ahead of its on-sale date in Japan (U.S. sales begin in June), the RX-8 looked decidedly cool in Mazdaspeed trim (below), which brings a macho aero body kit plus stiffer suspension and trick brake and exhaust-system tuning. The cabin is also tweaked with carbon fiber composite parts. The RX-8's Renesis rotary engine gains a lightened flywheel for sharper response. Officially, this is just a concept; if the demand is there, however, Mazda will surely okay it for production, but not any time soon.
The X-Men 2 RX-8, also shown at January's Los Angeles auto show, gets new--and, dare we say, improved--front-end styling, a wild-looking rear wing, unique wheels, and a delicious deep-blue color scheme. The car shown above is the very one that stars in the movie. --Peter Nunn"

I wonder what "trick brake and exhaust-system tuning" they did?

I would have assumed the flywheel in the RX-8 was already pretty light, but apparently there's still some room for improvement.

~Robert

a couple of things... notice how they used the word "tweak" when talking about using carbon fibre panels in the interior?? this, to me, screams "import" magazine, although yes, i know it's Automobile that doesn't mean that they wouldn't hire someone to write these kinds of articles to seem "cool" to the "younger generation" (ie. "me").

so, realistically, the exhaust "tuning" could have been the different muffler and tips (or same muffler and tips, i dunno) they fitted on the back of this car, and the only real changes made were to the suspension (not too hard to do anyways), the brakes (which again, could have been wholly cosmetic like the exhaust), and the lighter flywheel (it doesn't say how much though).

and just as a note: a lighter flywheel isn't universally better. all it does is reduce (in a small way) driveline mass, and (in a big way) reduce rotational mass (and thus inertia) in the engine allowing it to change its speed more quickly. at a point, that makes the car harder to drive, and makes it much harder to launch (in a zippy engine like the RENESIS) when you haven't as much inertia in the engine, making it easier to stall when engaging the clutch.
of course, most of the enthusiast guys (and gals too) on this site probably are more than capable of handeling a lighter flywheel, but i'm just saying, not universally better.

Seen this before?
 

Pardon me if this has been posted. Couldnt find it on a search..

http://www.mazda.co.jp/automesse/top.html

Mazdaspeeeeeeeed.

YES
 

i think everyone did.....that's one of the reason i want RX8

i have a feelin that the pics we've seen before with the carbon fiber lip and red seats was the "concept" mazdaspeed, and that this is the actual one. case in point: the rear section of the bodykit (the black area around the exhaust) looks like plain black plastic in these pics rather than the shiny carbon fiber in the "concept" pics. my observations.

justin

magnesium wheels are made for racing... they are awesome, my good friend's brother who is in ArtNMotion (the team that had the supra from fast n furious) - he just got 19x10 BBS Magnesium wheels for his m3 conversion widebody... however magnesium wheels are not good for practical driving and daily driving... weather alterations such as cold weather can crack magnesium wheels. they are strong but the weather can environment can damage them greatly

I expect it's just a finish...

Sorry to revive an old thread, but what with the "debate"... about black wheels, does anyone think that the wheels in this pic are really nice... I think they'd go with the Titanium paint really well...

Anyone know what they are, or where I can get them?

you can get the Volk Racing TE-37 Limited Edition Black Magnesium wheels... IF you can get them, you will be paying quite a bit... I am going to get my rims powdercoated like black chrome style. also HRE Wheels does a black finish to all their wheels... but as always... they are custom wheels and are very very expensive

what do u guys think about the wing?

Hmmm... I'm not really after "black" rims, but perhaps a slightly smoked/graphite look, so perhaps they aren't brighter than the paint job on the car (Titanium)...

I'm afraid I like it!

Stunning!!

Another Mazdaspeed kitted RX-8?
 

I think this might be another RX-8 with the Mazdaspeed kit added to it? Or it could be the original with new rims and a lot more stickers added? But it does look like what my RX-8 may look like in the future! :D

http://211.9.197.21/htmls_img/mes.jpg

http://www.autoascii.jp/issue/2003/0...ages/52934.jpg

http://www.autoascii.jp/issue/2003/0...ages/52937.jpg

http://www.autoascii.jp/issue/2003/0...ages/52935.jpg

Re: Another Mazdaspeed kitted RX-8?
 

I hope you don't add the ricey aftermarket TV.

Re: Re: Another Mazdaspeed kitted RX-8?
 

I probably won't add the TV, that's too much of a luxury. And definately not the stickers!

Clear seat covers! Cool! ;)

Anyway, I wonder if it actually sounds better than the Bose system not just louder.

-Mr. Wigggles

OMG... is that a small tv in the rear view mirror??

I rather mod the engine for Hp rather than add those extra gadget... which contributes to more weight!! A home theather system in the car is just too much... you suppose to be driving not watching a movie... sheesss... hehehe :D

But did you notice that it is for a backup camara. Not that the 8 has poor visability, but this kind of functionality is great in an SUV.

MazdaSpeed vs. non-MazdaSpeed
 

I've heard somewhere that the Mazdaspeed version of the RX-8 won't have a performance change. Is this a joke or was that serious?

If it is serious, does that mean that the MAzdaSpeed version will only be different in the bodykit (which possibly can be attached afterwards onto the normal 8 anyway?)

Thanks.

BTW If anyone wants some pics of the 8 from the Melb MotorShow, I'd be happy to comply.

part of the mazda speed kit is suspension stuff and exhaust, but other than that, not much in the performance category...yet

If there is ever a full MazdaSpeed version of the RX-8 it will have increased power. Mazda has said they will only badge cars with the MazdaSpeed name if it has improved power. Now one can still purchase MazdaSpeed accessories and have the dealer install these but the car is not a MazdaSpeed.

Well, there seems to be two "versions", which is causing confusion.

Mazdaspeed, the aftermarket company, has shown the silver "concept", and we've seen catalog pages where they plan to offer suspension upgrade, chassis braces, wheels, body kit parts, interior baubles and other pieces, and one muffler. The concept had a setup where the NAV LCD would display extra performance gauges not included in the instrument panel. Whether this worked in conjunction with the NAV, we don't know, and it wasn't included in the catalog (not that I saw, anyway).

At the same time, we've heard from known, reliable sources that Mazda has been working on a stronger engine, and their goal was to get 300+ hp out of it. Rumors and guestimations range from ECU mods to wider rotors to SC or TC, but we haven't heard from a reliable source (only those who "claim" to know) as to how it is being done. We have also heard from those reliable sources that they are also working on a true sequential manual tranny. This car has been generally accepted as a Mazdaspeed version, but it could be badged as something else if/when it comes out (earliest estimations were the beginning of next year). But all of that was in the engineering stage, so who knows if it will ever see production.

---jps

mazdaspeed!!!
 

ok guys, i know alot of people are wondering the samething. i have a Fd right now and i want a 8. but what i really want is the mazdaspeed version. i've heard alot of rumors about it. but can someone please clarify the rumors for me. like when and if it's coming out. how much power will it have? is it a NA, TC, or SC? etc???

Thanks

As of right now there are not definite numbers on the Mazdaspeed 8, or even if they are going to produce it. There is also an ongoing depate about whether it will be forced induction or N/A. Right now it is all speculation.

Try doing some searches on it and your will find a few threads on the subject.

I was told from an Insider that the 2006 model will offer a mazdaspeed version.

That is all I know...no details sorry.

Duplicate thread, closing...

---jps

umm is the tacho light in the last photo is a blue colour reflection?