iamme Posted August 9 Report Share Posted August 9 Do you think the Rx-8 is going to find a big enough market...or do you think it'll flop - in the USA that is - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintron Posted August 9 Report Share Posted August 9 I think it's overshadowed by other cars such as the 350z and G35 coupe, plus other cars like the S2000, WRX STi, Lancer EVO, etc.It wants to be a sports car but it wants to be a sedan at the same time, but with a lower HP rating [remember, the public thinks bigger peak HP #'s = better], it's outclassed by nearly every other manufacturer's offering. The only cars that don't put out higher #'s are the S2000 [a dedicated sportscar], WRX [which is also thousands less expensive] and the Neon SRt-4 - also thousands less expensive. Undortunately for Mazda, I think they're going to have to nearly give the ccar away in order to sell a lot of RX8's. The Mazdaspeed Protege is gorgeous and fun, but limited... so whatever bait they would have had to draw people into dealerships is running out... and the RX8 is going to have a rough time yanking people in all by itself.They have to go balls out and publicize the hell out of it - more commercials, more ads, etc. Otherwise it's going to fizzle before it gets a chance to become a big seller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpoppanils Posted August 9 Report Share Posted August 9 the RX-8's "all or nothing" optioning strategy isnt helping.considering that incentives are already being used on the 350z, the RX-8 will have a very rough time making sales unles sthey change their marketing strategy. Here's an idea: Stop comparing it to the 350z already! If they market it as an alternative to the to the TSX, 325i and IS300, they may still have a shot at success.For my needs, the base automatic would be perfect (i have bad knees....no manuals for me). if I was looking for a car right now, I would seriously consider one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeg Posted August 9 Report Share Posted August 9 yeah, they really need to start putting it out there on tv and other mediums...all i've seen so far are the foldout ads in the inside cover of maxim/fhm/stuff... thats a good start... it would be a shame for this car to flop... being that its one of the only rotary engine cars around... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintron Posted August 9 Report Share Posted August 9 I've read that the handling dynamics are supposed to be incredible.Mazda always does their homework on making a car feel like it's on rails. It's just a shame their marketing strategies fall short.Give it some adrenaline - the Nissan SHIFT marketing strategy is working REALLY well. After every commercial, I usually need to go for a drive.The whole thing is the RX8 is not a miata, or a Mazdaspeed Protege, nor is it an RX7. it's in a class all by itself. It's SUPPOSED to be a 350Z competitor, but nobody wants to buy a car that's down on power for the same price. People don't give a shit about handling. The average sheep thinks the "sport tuned suspension" available on a chevy malibu means its a racecar.if they really push that car hard I think it could get a good amount of sales, but they seem like they're waiting for something to happen and it's going to bite them in the ass. People aren't going to flock to dealerships just because they park a few shiny new ones out front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rampage23 Posted August 9 Report Share Posted August 9 I saw one in the beach a month ago, and a yellow one last week... everyone was looking at the car and not paying attention to their driving...I think its going to do good, the design is innovative.. and thats enough for the RX-8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyrevs1 Posted August 9 Report Share Posted August 9 i'm sure they'll come out with a turbo version of the RX-8 it'll be well over 300hp i think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest saleen351 Posted August 10 Report Share Posted August 10 you can't put turbos on it... They tried and can't make it work, so what you see is what you get.... car is a chicks car and a joke! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpoppanils Posted August 10 Report Share Posted August 10 Originally posted by saleen351 car is a chicks car and a joke! so 250hp from 1.3 liters makes this a joke and a girls car?interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeg Posted August 10 Report Share Posted August 10 Originally posted by bigpoppanils so 250hp from 1.3 liters makes this a joke and a girls car?interesting bah!!! who cares about all that efficiency nonsense... if we can't do it with 1.3 liters... we'll just use 4 liters!!! this is america! who needs engineering when you can just make it bigger!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyrevs1 Posted August 10 Report Share Posted August 10 Originally posted by joeg bah!!! who cares about all that efficiency nonsense... if we can't do it with 1.3 liters... we'll just use 4 liters!!! this is america! who needs engineering when you can just make it bigger!!!!!! we'll just put a Z06 motor in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpoppanils Posted August 10 Report Share Posted August 10 Originally posted by johnnyrevs1 we'll just put a Z06 motor in it i'm sure that will make up for our inadequacies (sp?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyrevs1 Posted August 10 Report Share Posted August 10 Originally posted by bigpoppanils i'm sure that will make up for our inadequacies (sp?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest saleen351 Posted August 10 Report Share Posted August 10 Originally posted by bigpoppanils so 250hp from 1.3 liters makes this a joke and a girls car?interesting another idiot on the board.... god, it amazes me you people can even drive to work250hp@8000rpms159ft-lb@7500rpms 9000rpm rev limitLOOK AT THE FUCKING TORQUE NUMBERS!!! THERE IS NONE!!! YOU CAN PRODUCE ALL THE HORSEPOWER IN THE WORLD BUT WITH NO TORQUE YOU CAN'T MOVE ANYWHERE... The sport2000 suffers from the same problem, great high end horsepower, but NO TORQUE!!!! Put a 10000 Horsepower engine in a dump truck with 159 lbs of torque and it won't move, the clutch would just tear up cause it would try and stall all the time. BTW, lotus was making huge numbers from tiny engines for years, then they wised up and put in V8's cause the tiny engines are worthless.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpoppanils Posted August 10 Report Share Posted August 10 Originally posted by saleen351 BTW, lotus was making huge numbers from tiny engines for years, then they wised up and put in V8's cause the tiny engines are worthless.... Lotus only uses 4cylinders now. The Espirit's (the V* model) sales were so awful that they chose to drop it from their lineup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpoppanils Posted August 10 Report Share Posted August 10 Originally posted by saleen351 another idiot on the board.... god, it amazes me you people can even drive to work250hp@8000rpms159ft-lb@7500rpms 9000rpm rev limitLOOK AT THE FUCKING TORQUE NUMBERS!!! THERE IS NONE!!! YOU CAN PRODUCE ALL THE HORSEPOWER IN THE WORLD BUT WITH NO TORQUE YOU CAN'T MOVE ANYWHERE... The sport2000 suffers from the same problem, great high end horsepower, but NO TORQUE!!!! Put a 10000 Horsepower engine in a dump truck with 159 lbs of torque and it won't move, the clutch would just tear up cause it would try and stall all the time. BTW, lotus was making huge numbers from tiny engines for years, then they wised up and put in V8's cause the tiny engines are worthless.... first off, the torque max output is at 5000rpmtorque doesnt matter that much when you dont have much weight to throw around. if youre in a dump truck, of course you need a lot of torque. can you at least stay in the ballpark with your comparisons?the RX-8 does just fine....1/4 mile in 14.5 seconds (about equal to a G35 which has 260 lb-ft of torque at 4800rpm) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpoppanils Posted August 10 Report Share Posted August 10 *waiting for random non-sensical Z06 comparison* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintron Posted August 10 Report Share Posted August 10 it's a track car, not a dragstrip car. you don't need monstrous gobs of low end torque on a road course, because that USUALLY means your top end will wheeze and suffer... and top end is where its at for road racing.Torque is a measure of twist and of acceleration.Horsepower is a measure of the ability to maintain a rate of acceleration throughout the powerband. Hence, two schools of thought enter. One says "lots of torque, to accelerate quick out of corners and pray it's enough to keep them behind you on the straight." [shorter powerband]Another school says "lots of horsepower to power down the straighaways and carry speed through corners more easily." [longer powerband]Corvettes subscribe to school #1.Rx8's and S2000's subscribe to school #2.Pit an S2000 and a Z06 together on a road course and you'd have a good battle on your hands, even though the honda packs nearly half the HP and 1/3 of the torque.the Rx8 is constructed with high speed handling in mind. It'll probably do respectably at a dragstrip, but will absolutely murder others out on a road course.don't be so closed minded. The Z06 is not the god of all things automotive and it's about time you figured that out.*note, see sig.* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest saleen351 Posted August 10 Report Share Posted August 10 school of thougt #33. no replacement for displacement:idea: racing a zo6 vs a sport2000 is a joke... lets break it downwhen motor trend ran the zo6 vs the viper and cobra, it beat the cobra by one second per lap and the viper by 2 seconds per lap.. Now race 60 laps and you are a minute off the pace. imagine if dale jr lost by a minute...i'd put money that the sport2000 would lose by 5 -10 seconds a lap. times that by 60 laps and well you get hammered. the viper is the true king of the street since it has a flat torque and hp curve which is super rare. means at any gear at any time, you step on it, and it will smoke your ass! with no turbos or blower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeg Posted August 10 Report Share Posted August 10 Originally posted by saleen351 the viper is the true king of the street since it has a flat torque and hp curve which is super rare. means at any gear at any time, you step on it, and it will smoke your ass! with no turbos or blower. and all it took was a 502ci big block... who needs a 10lb turbo when you can just make your engine double the size.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintron Posted August 11 Report Share Posted August 11 Originally posted by joeg and all it took was a 502ci big block... who needs a 10lb turbo when you can just make your engine double the size.... yeah, who needs a small lightweight high output engine when we can make a bigger engine just as powerful and completely fuck the handling bias?Colin Chapman would rip Saleen a new one.Weight, power, weight, handling, weight, chassis rigidity, weight, engineering, weight, gear selection, weight, powerbands, weight, suspension geometry, weight, weight and more weight!...and as far as I can remember, the Lotus Elise and exige are powered by "ghey 4 bangers". Everyone knows a Z06 will have its hands full trying to keep an Elise at bay on a course. If you look closely, you will see a vette driver shit himself... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancingyro Posted August 11 Report Share Posted August 11 the exige is a very capable little car, amazing how light weight it is (1700lbs) with a mid-engine of equal cc size. thats a recipe for go- cart-like handling. i'm sure its capable or running mid-4's for 0-60 cause of such an awesome power/weight ratio...as for the rex 8, i have read that this 13b renesis engine is making a lot less then mazda is claiming...less then the 15-18% whp drop that is expected after dyno testing the 250hp model. if i owned the 8 i would be very dissapointed about not getting the ponies mazda promised. as for aesthetics, i think the car is gorgeous...a bit watered down from its predecessors, but mazda is targeting a different market segment this time around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest saleen351 Posted August 11 Report Share Posted August 11 lotus:laugh: Maximum speed: 125mph on the elize.... the min speed for the latest car and driver 4 banger tuner test was 130, the elize didn't even qualify......oh and if you wanted to know the weight distrobution on the lotus is Distribution: 38% front, 62% rearand z06 2001 model is 53-47.... thoug i think on the reg vette it's perfect 50-50...whossssssssssssssss next?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpoppanils Posted August 11 Report Share Posted August 11 Originally posted by saleen351 lotus:laugh: Originally posted by saleen351 BTW, lotus was making huge numbers from tiny engines for years, then they wised up and put in V8's cause the tiny engines are worthless.... hmmmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintron Posted August 11 Report Share Posted August 11 Originally posted by saleen351 lotus:laugh: Maximum speed: 125mph on the elize.... the min speed for the latest car and driver 4 banger tuner test was 130, the elize didn't even qualify......oh and if you wanted to know the weight distrobution on the lotus is Distribution: 38% front, 62% rearand z06 2001 model is 53-47.... thoug i think on the reg vette it's perfect 50-50...whossssssssssssssss next?????? 125mph GOVERNED a simple chip fixes that.Weight distribution on the lotus is exactly what it should be. 38% front, 62% rear. 50/50 is NOT optimal weight balance for cornering, though many are led to believe so.it's all about where the center of mass and center of gravity lie in the chassis. Vette has a HUGE percentage of mass upfront... granted, it's well balanced with the tranny at the rear... but you have two large pieces of mass at the ends of the car, right?They're centered at the axles on each end, meaning your weight is at the axles on each end. THe lotus has its weight over the rear axle with the engine, and then with the driver in the middle. Not really much upfront. That means it likes to change direction and doesn't have to be "brute-forced" around. less mass on or beyond the axles of the car means it's got a better tendency to rotate, won't eat up tires as quickly and will benefit from higher corner exit speeds due to the mass being centered over the wheels that need the most grip on corner exit - the rear wheels.there IS a reason that the greatest sports cars in the world are mid-engined, ya know... be it front-mid, pure mid or rear mid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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