It's a great car and other non-negative RX8 stuff

Rasputin · Post by **Rasputin** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 7:36 pm

Me too, I want to testify I'm a very happy RX8 owner. My SP 192ps is my daily driver. None of my previous cars (all used Audis) have given me such a great driving pleasure, even my old 230ps S2 quattro turbo. And it's always a good surprise to go back behind its wheel after driving my wife's Audi A4 TDi (boring boring boring boring, and noisy!).

I had a 30 min drive back home from a small meeting with other car enthusiasts on last Saturday night, a bit after midnight, in the worse possible conditions of fog, drizzle and narrow greasy roads. Yet, it was great fun, while remaining totally safe.

I have never ever regretted my choice.

The only car that could deliver the same "driving pleasure/price" ratio would be, in my opinion, a MX5. We (my wife like it too) will have one some day, when my children are older.

Fabrice

jblack · Post by **jblack** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:10 pm

AnilS wrote:
Stratosphere wrote: my 190 is perfect
No its not. You need strakes .

.........and about another 40bhp

.

BTW after my moaning and groaning about the problems I've had with my 8 I'm still please I bought it. Well, until the next time something goes wrong anyway

.

Cheers, Jim

Musicman · Post by **Musicman** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 10:17 pm

Replacement alloys. Check
2nd handbrake cover. Check
Sills treated. Check
One flooding episode. Check
Squeaking seat fixed. Check
Rattling parcel shelf sorted. Check.

Grin still in place each and every time I get in it?

Need you ask?

andydacd · Post by **andydacd** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 4:18 pm

So far so good for me not a thing gone wrong in six months and 3k miles so im happy as larry especially now I have the strakes and crest fitted, big improvement to the exterior styling. Although living in Cyprus petrol is much cheaper than the UK so I understand your mpg issues.

Rocketman · Post by **Rocketman** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:05 pm

2 years and 24 thousand miles later and not one problem to speak of !!
Fantastic, reliable, quick, comfy, practical, value for money and still a head turner.

Buy one !

hat_astrophy · Post by **hat_astrophy** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:31 pm

Yeah - in my 3rd year of ownership and kept thinking recently that i must have been REALLY lucky with my 8 after all the problems that people are posting - touch wood - never had anything seriously go wrong - only one flood - due to wife's inability to remember one simple instruction, and one tyre blown out - can't see that as a specific problem with the 8 - just tyres in general. And as i said in another thread about someone new buying their car and having concerns, i have tinkered slightly which normally lead to my imminent downfall. Never tinkered with any previous cars - but if i take the back off the TV saying 'ah it's OK i'll fix it' normally a black hole appears and the universe goes into spasm.

Critters · Post by **Critters** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 5:40 pm

8/2/2006
9/2/2006
10/2/2006

Still going well

Looking forward to the race day, is it too soon to be looking forward to it?

Critters · Post by **Critters** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 5:41 pm

hat_astrophy wrote:i must have been REALLY lucky with my 8 after all the problems that people are posting

That's the point of this thread.. people only post when things go wrong.. you are not lucky, you are the norm.

timechaser · Post by **timechaser** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:28 pm

I feel this thread should be a sticky for everyone to read. We all know the proportion of the "trouble" comments we have here.

I had a lovely day with my car on the weekend. Drove up to cambridge on a nice sunny day, with the sunroof wide open and the stereo screaming (got switched off whenever I wanted to hear the engine noise). The fun part was the traffic jam for about 5 miles in an area they were rebuilding the road in (and checking average speed) - realised that the 8 is not just a good fast car, but it is also good when it is slow - keep it at low revs, and it is silent!!! Absolutely so...

Of course, I got to take it to high revs in the 3rd/4th gears when I was on my way back, and got around 160 miles to the half tank... headed for 320 territory, but I doubt I will get there as the rest of the half will be spent working around the city.

I love my 8, and have had no problems with it... Well did have a minor issue - tiny spots of rust on one of the hubs and a spot of rust on one of the wheel nuts. However, when I took the car into the dealership last weekend to get a recall done... merely mentioned this and voila - the hubs were painted with hammerite (same color as the calipers) and had a full set of shiny new wheel nuts!!! WTG for customer service as well.

Just thought with the flurry of posts on clutch and starter motor problems, this would be interesting to note.

Critters · Post by **Critters** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:59 pm

11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th
Alll good... thought I had a clicking sound, but was just the iPod knocking in the glove box.

zoom zoom

Chris L · Post by **Chris L** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 10:57 pm

I will have had a mine a year come 1st March. It's been thoroughly enjoyable. I have had the cat replaced, but I do think that has more to do with muppets who drive the cars when they come of the ship rather than a fault with the car. In actual fact, the car has lasted better than my dealer, who has gone into receivership!

If ever I doubt owning the car (when I look at the petrol bill for instance), there are always little moments that remind why I bought it - such as the lovely gentle slide, as the tail just stepped out on a slightly greasy road, coming off the roundabout last night. All under control, without the electronics going into overdrive. It felt damn good and it must has looked quite impressive to the cars following me

photoboy · Post by **photoboy** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 12:47 am

I'll chip in on this one! Got two new rear tyres today (potenza's from Bathwick Tyres for just under £250 for tyre question freaks!) and it had made such a difference to the car - back to being a complete thrill again. I found myself chucking it around the corners with total confidence - briliant laugh!

timechaser · Post by **timechaser** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:35 am

And again it happened yesterday... I was motoring along quietly in london city on roads bereft of traffic, when suddenly a bend opened up in front of me, totally devoid of traffic. As soon as I pressed the accelarator, a big grin spread across my face, I was pushed into my seat and felt really really warm (turned out that was from the seat heating, but nevertheless

)

Thought this thread was turned into a sticky... looks like critters n me are gonna have to post here regularly to keep it updated. BTW - critters, can you change the title of the thread to be "Why my car is perfect" or something along those lines?

Critters · Post by **Critters** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:02 am

Another good drive in, the wet makes it sooo much more fun. Saw another black 8 on the Tesco roundabout in Henley/Shiplake had tinted windows, I think in the summer I may get tints as it looks cool. Tints and the chrome door handles. mmmmmmmmmmm Did not want to change any car I had previous.. so what is it about this car that makes me and others want to fiddle with it's looks?

done, you small font freak ; )

Welshboy · Post by **Welshboy** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:10 am

LOVIN IT - a few minor problems, but generally fantastic! Great car to drive, so far 100% reliable(touch wood), still turns heads.

For those who are worried - look at the volume and type of problems, very few have had flooding issues, most/all of the other minor niggles have been covered under warranty, is it really worth worrying over squeaky seats etc?

FANTASTIC CAR

OCRX8 · Post by **OCRX8** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 4:08 pm

Critters wrote:Another good drive in, the wet makes it sooo much more fun. Saw another black 8 on the Tesco roundabout in Henley/Shiplake had tinted windows, I think in the summer I may get tints as it looks cool. Tints and the chrome door handles. mmmmmmmmmmm Did not want to change any car I had previous.. so what is it about this car that makes me and others want to fiddle with it's looks?

done, you small font freak ; )

Sounds like you saw Delanor...

http://www.rx8ownersclub.co.uk/forum/vi ... 0&start=30

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 4:46 pm

Well.. just under 2 weeks and 900 miles... I'm really loving my 190. The paint is defect-free (and I've had a chance to liberally cover it in Meguairs 'goopy wax stuff in a tin but it's still not the same as good old WAX'), I'm settling in to the car's chassis (memories of my Opel Manta, Capris and X1/9 are, as I hoped, flooding back) and finding it to be very practical - the boot swallows a load of photographic kit.

Fuel economy is a pretty consistent 25mpg now I'm on home turf; down from my first tank of 27 (all motorway driving though, and all gentle) but still well within the same ballpark as my old Supra 3.0i Auto and Subaru Outback - with the benefit that I had thought my 13-year old Supra had given me an idea what 200ish bhp felt like in a car of that weight (they're about the same, I think - maybe a touch more on the Supra) - the auto box wasn't as bad as it could have been, but nothing prepares you for the rotary engine's power delivery. Revving the Supra's straight six was a chore, and being a 24v unit it did need to be revved to give the best results.

I'm still not as fast in the RX8 as I have been in other cars, like my Senator and Supra. It's mostly because the car is very new, very 'obvious' to my mind, and it doesn't feel like it would be a challenge to go so quickly in it. There's more pleasure to be had in learning how to drive it really smoothly, sensibly, and unleash the engine when there is something to pass - which it does with the sort of response that I think gives you an idea what driving a supercar is like (I've driven supercars, but SLOWLY, never just taking one out on the road and really driving it).

And it is a very sensible car overall. The cabin storage is good - the Pentax DL I have on test right now fits in the glovebox along with a bunch of CDs and things, the doors are small enough to use in a car park, the size of the car is not quite as hard to manage - though harder to judge - as the Supra. Only the turning circle disappoints.

EDIT: Spoke too soon. The rear suspension is clonking with very mild potholes; suspect the camber arm hitting the mounting; not sure what would influence this on a 900-mile car, perhaps a duff shock absorber :/

Critters · Post by **Critters** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 12:03 am

Driving home and some idiot came round a corner way to quick and went wide, kicked up a load of grit and slung it at the side of my car, sounded like someone had sprayed the side of it with a sub machine gun...

needed petrol so pulled into a station and took a look under the lights..

not a scratch :) so that's what I say to all those who say the paint is thin.. pussy's :)

23rd, 24th, good drives

SCOLL · Post by **SCOLL** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 9:36 am

A strange Phenomenon was brought to light yesterday by my wife.
She said "Why is it you never have the Radio or CD's on in this car?"

Never really thought about it before but I'm just listening to the Song of the Engine, It's like a melody & you just don't need to look as the rev-counter or Speedo to know what the cars doing.

Purrrrfect.

The selling point of this car to me is the fact that I've always loved motorbikes & always will, but put my rx8 key & my gsxr key in front of me & i keep finding myself reaching for the car key.

This car rewards attention (looks fantastic clean & it's curvy lines are a joy to sweep the sponge over

) & abuse (twisty roads

)
in equal measure.

There's nothing like it out there & there probably never will be.

Well done Mazda for the balls to make it a reality.

Cheers
Steve

Gee4orce · Post by **Gee4orce** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 5:20 pm

out of interest, are there any downloadable recordings of the RX-8 engine sound ?

Erm, just for those of us who's RX-8 ownership experience is, well, lacking one vital component:...the RX-8

(hey, I'm working on it!)

stuartm · Post by **stuartm** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 6:33 pm

I've owned it since the 1st of feb & washed it over 10 times & waxed it twice

oh & i've started to take it over 9000rpm

(me like)

timechaser · Post by **timechaser** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 6:53 pm

Went to the prodrive day this weekend - and this car has SUPERB control. The DSC and Traction Control allow to drive even on the skid pan - black ice!!! The braking is fantastic as well... slammed brakes at 90mph and let my hands off the steering wheel. The car stopped in more-or-less a straight line, at half the distance recommended in the highway code... LOVE this car... wish I had bought it sooner... (but then, buying it late has allowed mazda to iron most problems out)

Harrizone · Post by **Harrizone** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 6:56 pm

stuartm wrote:I've owned it since the 1st of feb & washed it over 10 times & waxed it twice
oh & i've started to take it over 9000rpm (me like)

You will be distressed to know it doesn't get any better after two years.

At the present rate of progress that will be 260 washes and an inch of wax.

stuartm · Post by **stuartm** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 8:30 pm

At least it won't rust

Serkie · Post by **Serkie** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:38 am

Our first ever Japanese car as we’ve always stuck with German and French cars for some reason.

We purchased our 231 RX-8 2nd hand with 13K on the clock last month as a semi practical family car. Yes I’m going to be a father but still in denial so will hold out long and hard before I’m committed to a life of Estates and MPV’s.

As for the ‘8 well my wife and I both love driving it and are really surprised how many heads it turns. A couple stopped my wife in the Oracle car park in Reading the other day just to ask ‘What it was?’ as they thought it was lovely.

I’ve picking up a few trick bits, Strakes are on the way and passenger footrest is waiting to be fitted, other than that I’ll keep this car OEM.

Must admit that I’ve owned quite a few cars ranging from Hot Hatches to Executive salons and this one does seem to attract the most idiots on the roads wanting to race etc.

My first ever rear wheel drive car too so both my wife and I want to attend a Pro-Drive day this year to get more a feel for the car.

So in summary, an exciting, well built, driver focused yet refined, semi practical coupe! Everyone’s a winner!

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It's a great car and other non-negative RX8 stuff