A fellow Acura owner ('02 TLS) comes by my office this morning to tell me she saw a Mazda RX-8 on her way to work. I find it unusual Mazda would run a pre-production car on the east coast. She said it was damn quick, described it is as a RX-7 and Corvette rear end with a Camaro front. I checked out the car online ... naturally aspirated RENESIS rotary 250 HP, 153 trq, 50/50 weight, 6-speed with auto/manual shift (BLAH!).

Anyone know when to expect the release? I'm guessing by summer 02, when the new Z goes on sale. Looks like SUVs are out and import sports cars are moving in.

 

I'm not sure about the RX-8, but I am pretty sure that the new Z goes on sale spring-summer of 2002 as a 2003 model.

 

It drives pretty well in GT3, but not as well as the Z concept. One grip RX7 guys have with the RX8 is it's not a turbo engine, N/A only.

 

That really does suck, neither the RX8 or the 350Z will be turbocharged. But I'm sure the aftermarket will help out with this. I just hope that the Supra TT is brought back over to compete with these cars. If Toyota re-releases the Supra in the US with a 6-speed sequential, like the RX8s, bye bye CL-S. Even without the sequential I'd get it, or maybe the RX8 or new Z, I just know I'll be getting rid of my CL just in time before the warranty expires.

 

 

egawd....that car is soooo hot lookin...and it can fit 4. It sux that they dont come turboed....Mazda dropped the ball there...cuz NA engines generally dont respond as well to aftermarket turbos, because they werent engineered to handle them.

 

man, that car is really growing on me--can you see black or a deeeeeeep mettalic blue??? i'm sure the 6-speed manual will follow after the first year or so (sound familiar), followed by a high-end turbo models when sales start to slow...opps, i'm drooling

 

It's a sweet looking ride.

 

thats the concept tho. of course the commerical version will change the looks.

 

That is the production version. Concept was called the RX-Evolve.

 

What about this view? Saturnesquie?



[ 08-01-2001: Message edited by: davo-cls ]