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The Mazda rep may have been referring to the Shinka because the months you quoted are for when they are expected to come out. My car was originally supposed to be here Jan. 27, then pushed back to Feb. 17, then March 1, and now quoted at the end of March. They were behind in production still since they had had that factory fire about a year ago. It had put them over three months behind in building and are still trying to catch up.
I am hoping there is no further delay and it gets here soon. Although, the longer it takes to get here, the longer I don't have to make a car payment!!!
It sounds like I need to order mine now if I want it this spring. I have the same advantage about not making a car payment, but I am also wanting to sell my current car before I have to replace the timing belt, so I figure I have about 3 months to get my new RX8.
Please, please let us all know if some new models are about to hit the dealer show room. I'm gonna wait till then. Thanks much.
glad I got an '05. discounted and no wait.
trispec - The dealers in this area (Wash DC/ NoVA) were quick to give all of the rebates, but when I offered them $2K less than what they were offering, they weren't interested. I didn't think they would be, but I want the changes that are being made to the 2006 more than I want the 2005, so that was as high as I was willing to go to get less than what I wanted. I'm actually glad now that they didn't take my offer, as now I will order exactly what I want. I did have a blast driving the 2005 - one dealer has a 30 mile test route that really shows off the car.
Does anyone have an Rx-8 with the factory Sirius option? I tend to not like after market products, I like everything to be stock and work all-together in one unit, so if I don't get it when I order the car, I probably won't ever get it. I have a 3-4 hour drive to my in-laws with horrible radio reception, and I would like to listen to NFL/Sports news/games, and have more music options - both on that drive and when I am stuck in traffic in the DC area.
Any comments would be appreciated. thanks
I have some health problems that cause me to get fatigued very easily - that is the main reason I'm looking to trade my truck in for something easier to drive. The reasoning for that is that we've noticed I can drive my wife's TL a lot further than my truck - I don't get as tired driving it. I've figured out that the steering is one of the main things that is helping me. The car just tracks so nicely. You don't have to make constant adjustments on the wheel like I do with my truck.
I was wondering if RX-8 owners have noticed whether the car tracks really well? I would assume that it does, based on everything I've read about how good the handling is. I'm also encouraged because I just read where Mazda did a bunch of ergonomics research when designing the RX-8 seating to help reduce driver fatigue.
Leaving on a Carribean cruise on Sat for our 10th wedding anniversary, but when I get back I will be shopping in earnest. Hoping that the whole "end of the month" thing may help a bit on price. I'm going to be looking for an AT in the Chicago area - anybody have any idea how available they are?
First time i've ever looked forward to getting back from vacation...
vehicle that is as luxurious as possible. Something that floats and transmits very little vibration back to you.
The easiest cars that I've driven aren't cars like the RX-8. I'd actually recommend the higher-end Accuras, BMWs, or Mercedes. Smooth, effortless, and tons of power. As much as I love the RX-8, it's no IS350 or E class, to be sure.
In any case, RWD is a big key. FWD is prone to torque-steer and tons of vibration, and a truck is, well a truck. Lol. If you are like me, on long trips, your shoulders and back give out first, which is a combination of poor seats and being slowly vibrated to the point where your muscles and joints complain. The RX-8 is fun, but it has pretty stiff suspension.
Volvo is another good option as well, at least if you get one of the older types that are made in Sweden(2-3 year old S80(RWD model) comes to mind). Effortless to drive and fantastic seats. Cheapest would probably be a Crown Vic, at about 12-15K for a 2 year old one. Great long-trip car.(though hell in town and parking - lol)
My car specs:
Winning Blue Metallic
Black Leather
6-Speed Manual
Grand Touring Package
Appearance Package
Rotary Accent Package
Navigation
Alarm Shock Sensor Upgrade
6-Disc CD
Rear Spoiler
Spare Tire Kit
MSRP: $36,104
Invoice: $32,720
Costco: $33,120
I am also going to get the fender strakes which cost $250 but that is an optional accessory.
This is assuming the pricing does not change. Mazda hasn't actually released US Pricing yet since it is still a few weeks off before they are expected to hit the market here.
VIN: JM1FE17NX50160784 for $30,885
So I'm guessing with 30 RX-8s on their lot, the $5K offer is the just the first wave of discounts. All them 2005 RX-8's still aren't going anywhere just yet, I'm bet'n.
Are all 2006 RX-8s special order only at this point? If any 2006 RX-8s show up on the lots, that's gonna put some more pressure on that initial discount price above, don't ya think?
Of course you can't count on the other drivers at that speed. I recommend 2am-4am for that jet stream driving experience.
That price seems a few thousand higher than the 05s - is the 06 going to have enough new stuff to justify the higher price?
Thanks!
They won't be out for 10-12 months. I wouldnt exactly classify that as 'soon'
Base MSRP 26,435 (auto or 6 speed manual)
Destination $560
Shinka pkg $6165 (6 speed)
shinka pkg $6885 (auto)
The 2006 Manual RX-8 will be almost identical with the 2005. There will be two or three colours deleted and two or three different ones added (I'm too lazy to look up the exact numbers and colours). Some models will come with the keyless entry/start system. Read back - as I recall Bunnygirl reported on what could be had with the keyless system in the US.
The big change will be the 2006 automatic, which will get the previous manual only "high power" six port engine mated to a six speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters as before. Hence the cost equality between the two 2006 models. Same engine same cost - I think it's a bargin for those ordering the automatic transmission as it's a more expensive unit than a manual. Because the torque converter tends to have a very short life above 7500 RPM the automatic cars will be rev. limited to around 7500 RPM (exact rev. limit yet to be seen - will it be 7500 or 7650 or what?). This is what limits the HP in the automatic below the manual cars rating.
As I posted before, it will be very interesting to see which car is "faster" - the quicker shifting automatic or the more powerful manual.
I still find the comments that the car has low torque rather funny - yes it's not a V8 tire shredder. It still has more power off the line than any sane individual needs! When I drive my "slightly modified" 93 RX-7 (300+HP) it scares me. The RX-8 I get to drive does not, yet it handles at least as well and is almost as quick - it just doesn't press you back into the seat as much.
Today, the 164HP that my RX-8 AT 4 speed gets down to the road (per the dyno read out) scares me. When the second set of ports opens up over 3800 RPM it's plenty enough punch for me. It's always a surprise to me how much fun it is to pop to 4000RPM just before entering a typical Boston traffic rotary and then exiting at over 6000RPM with nothing but full power to the peddle to whole way through.
My car has been listed as "in production" since Feb. 1. I have not received my weekly update from my dealer to let me know what has happened since then (busy with some sort of inventory cataloging, said he would let me know on Monday).
Anyways, the first shipment of 2006 RX-8s shipped out today from Japan!!!! They are on their way here, listed as "on the water." I sent an email to MNAO and my dealer to ask if my status has been upgraded to "on the water" yet or if I have to wait for the next shipment in another week or two.
The color choices for 2006 are:
Brilliant Black
Velocity Red
Winning Blue
Sunlight Silver
Whitewater Pearl (also known as Snowflake)
Galaxy Gray (new color)
Phantom Blue (new color)
Copper Red (new color, Shinka only)
Just to let you all know, so you don't panic if it happens to you. Don't ask me why it does this. I suspect there are two possibilities. It could be programmed to do it to warm up faster (and keep unburned fuel flowing through the engine). It could also just be an "undocumented feature" of a computer controlled engine with a throttle by wire - a "bug" so to speak. An instability brought on by very cold weather.
I suspect the latter.
I learned the hard way, and evidently, a rotary works the same - to warm it up in the morning unless you really enjoy stalling and having it run like crap for the first few miles.
I'll do a weather report and an RX-8 cold start report for Saturday morning back here, cause we are going to be starting up early in that really cold morning for the school break trip.
My car has the standard single CD unit in the dash, and it only plays standard music CD's. No mp3's. It will recognize music CD's that you burn on your computer, as long as you burn in CDA format.
I don't store a CD wallet in the car and don't really know where one would fit, 'cept perhaps in the door pocket. That door pocket is actually hard to use.
I'm an XM person, and have XM in all our other cars. I was bummed that it wasn't an available option in the '8, but really wanted the car. I ended up displacing the ashtray with an XM Commander radio and it works like a champ. I seldom use the CD player, and practically never use the FM radio. I'm in the DC area myself, so I know what the radio market is like here - it sucks.
Thanks!
However, the shut down procedure is important. Don't shut down the engine, EVER (warm or cold weather), before making sure the water temp is in the middle range and before revving the engine to 3000RPM for 10 seconds and killing the ignition while still at 3000RPM. This shut down procedure insures that all gas is burned up in the engine before shut down. This avoids possible flood issues, which is really super yucky to fix.
I've got an offer on an auto grand touring for 24200 if I finance through mazda credit, 1250 more if i don't. Any ideas on whether i'm getting a good deal. Seems good as it is below invoice even without the rebate...
What has been done to fix it is reduction in fuel injected until the engine is actually running (delay of "choke mode").
I personally have never (knocking on wood) flooded a rotary. I don't start a cold engine and then shut it off before it warms up. I am very deliberate when starting a very cold car. The RX-8 I get to drive has flooded irrecoverably once (-30 deg C day - towed to dealership - free - replace plugs, charge battery, and start once it had warmed up in their shop), and flooded a second time in "cool" weather around -10 C - but after persistance we got it started (5 min of cranking in 30 sec. intervals). I wasn't driving it either time. I don't remember if those floods were before or after the "fix". I think before. That car was one of the first in our area so had all the problems of the early cars. Most of those problems were in the computer programming.
Just to inform those who want to know, there are ports under the intake manifold that can be accessed that would allow injection of small quantities of oil. This makes unflooding very easy. The modification would involve removal of the plugs currently in the ports (on the side of the motor) and installation of small plastic tubing up to a device (of the modifiers design) that can allow a cc or so of oil to flow into each port. This vastly improves sealing at low RPMs and cleans out the excess fuel. Sometimes the engine will start with just this step. Sometimes the spark plugs have to be changed before it will start. From experience with "older" rotaries.
Do you guys take the engine cover off to check the oil? The sales guy was saying that is the way to do it, but I was wondering if you really need to...
Thanks for all the help here - I really appreciate it!
You got a good deal no question. I paid 2 grand more for less car, back in Sept.
- no full throttle starts
- no hard braking unless absolutely necessary
- vary engine speed (ie don't use cruise control)
As far as routine care goes, is this list correct (based on "drivers guide" that came with owners manual)?
- check the oil level every other refueling
- Never start and stop the engine; always make sure engine runs for at least 5 minutes
- if engine was only run for 5 minutes and hasn't reached operating temp, rev the engine to 3000 rpm, let it return to idle, and shut off
- if moving the vehicle a short distance (such as above), let idle for 10 seconds before moving
I think I recall tripsec saying he always revs to 3000 rpm for ten seconds before shut off - is this correct? I also recall someone saying they shut off the engine while it is running at 3000 rpm in this situation; that seems contrary to what the manual is saying (return to idle and then shut off). Is it better to do the 3000 rpm rev every time you shut off the engine or only when the engine hasn't gotten fully warm?
I guess my question is am I safe using the "Driver's guide" info, or is it better to adopt some of the different procedures mentioned here?
Thanks!
We got to talking and I mentioned concern about snow traction. He said he had had some tires siped and that helped him with his vehicle. I was on my way to my local discount tires anyway to inquire about all-seasons, etc and so I mentioned this to the guy there. I told him I was concerned about snow traction, but that since I wouldn't be using the car for commuting (retired due to medical conditions) I wouldn't be slogging it in the snow all the time or for long distances. Mainly concerned about getting caught unawares.
He suggested trying the siping on the stock tires (which happen to be dunlops on my car) - said he didn't believe in it originally but had tried it on his car and it had made him a believer. He suggested that if that doesn't get me where I want to be to get a set of snow tires.
Any thoughts/experience here on tire siping? I did some google searches and a lot of reviews seem to say it is helpful. I went ahead and got them siped for about 35 bucks total. Went ahead and got their warranty/free rotation on them as well, which ended up being close to another 100 bucks, but I figure that will pay for itself in a few rotations. That way if the siping would cause any problems I'd be covered.
Thanks!
I just assumed their "cut the switch while still at 3000 RPM" made sense because the fuel pump would definitely stop pumping gas while the rotors and spark plugs would continue burning the remaining gas. Also, like that it seems to work, as I've never had to crank my RX-8 more than a few seconds, even in really cold weather.
My 1987 RX-7 was a tough starter at times, although back then I didn't know about the revving to 3000 RPM shut down procedure.
Also the Avon Tech have a 360 tread wear number vs 180 for the summer performance. These tires are quieter than the stock summer performance and they get a tad bit better gas mileage. The tread of the Avon Tech's handles rain water much better too; a good thing around Boston's flood prone streets and highways.
My Avon Tech's have taken me through two big snow storms in Boston. No problems with traction on packed snow, deep slush, ice sheets, nor unpacked snow. Although the unpacked snow running was less than 4 inches and it was necessary to shut off the DSC/TC to get enough power to the rear wheels to spin through.
When you shut the engine off at 3000 RPM the plugs stop firing immediatly. The only advantage to doing this is that the engine will "coast down" from 3000 and this will "pump" some excess fuel out of the engine. Still, it's better than doing nothing. You can't even open the throttle when doing this because it's controlled by the computer and closes as soon as you shut off the key (throttle by wire).
As far as the other recommendations, the most important is to let the engine rev. freely. Remember this is a 9000 RPM engine, and also that rotaries work better at higher RPMs. During breakin you are doing "final machining" of critical engine parts so they work together. This can generate excess heat, so the engineers want you to avoid too much of this excess heat, as it can change the state of the metals, "burn it" so to speak. Full throttle takeoffs are avoided to let the clutch break in properly, for example.
Tires:-
The tires the car comes with are summer performance tires. There are two things that make them this - the tread is designed for performance and the rubber is designed to be sticky when warm. Siping will help with wet traction on warm roads but because the rubber is designed to perform when warm nothing you do will improve cold weather traction very much. You need tires designed for cold weather operation, such as Nokian WR (all season performance tires). If you want one tire for all year you will loose some summer traction and some winter traction. It's just one of the caveats of life.
Hmmm, so does does shutting down while at 3000 RPM actually hurt anything? Or is the manuals method of cutting off after falling back to idle better because the plugs continue burning fuel?
Not having any start problems thus far has been great.
The flooding problem (from what I understand) was mostly a problem of cutting the engine off without it being adequately warmed up. In other words, if you went outside just to back the car out of the garage and then cut it back off again it would increase the chance of flooding the engine.
I believe the trick of revving the engine to 3k and turning the ignition key to 'off' is only helpful to avoid flooding when the car is not warmed up.
My 1987 RX-7 was a real tough starter but dealers never really wanted to admit any problems with anything back then. Some RX-7 owners knew about it, but average twenty year olds like myself never got told. So we suffered with the hard starting 13B.
Today's RX-8 Renesis engine is similar enough, but now because of the internet, there's an environment for open disclosure of all problems. The rev to 3000 RPM has gotten me start on several 10F degree Maine mornings and this makes the years of suffering with my beloved RX-7 seem worth it now because the RX-8 is so much sweeter.