The Rotary Revolution Continues...

[Jay!]

I got mail from Mazda today; a letter and a flyer...

Mazda North American Operations

October 22, 2001

[my address]

Dear Jay,

We very much appreciate your interest in Mazda vehicles. Unfortunately, the Mazda RX-8 brochure is not available at this time. We have included a full-color-flyer, which we hope will satisfy you for the time being.

The all-new Mazda RX-8 is scheduled to be available in spring 2003. We certainly do apologize that we are not able to supply any further information to you at this time, and we will expidite your order as soon as it becomes available.

In the interim, be sure to visit our Web site at www.MazdaUSA.com, where you can see an interactive presentation of the RX-8. You can also perodically check on Mazda's upcoming products and concept vehicles, as more information will become available in the near future. Again, thank you for your interest in Mazda.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at (800) 222-5500. It will be our pleasure to assist you.

Zoom-Zoom!

[signature]

Lisa Lasky
Specialist, Customer Assistance Fulfillment

Enclosed: RX-8 flyer

The Rotary Revolution Continues

Mazda RX-8

Once again, Mazda redefines the sports-car genre. First, there was the Mazda RX-7 with its revolutionary rotary engine. Then came the Mazda Miata, the reinvention of the classic roadster. Now, Mazda once again breaks the mold with the dramatic Mazda RX-8 concept, a true 4-door sports car that marks the return of the rotary engine. This is the powerplant that set the sutomotive world on its ear in the original RX-7. Dominated racing classes. Won Le Mans. No, the Renesis rotary --the "RX" in RX-8-- is newly engineered and is powering Mazda toward the future at high rpm. The Renesis engine produces an inspiring 250 horsepower and redlines at an amazing 9,000 rpm. What's more, the RX-8 delivers race-bred, razor-sharp handling to match the free-revving power. See and hear the dramatic Mazda RX-8 now at MazdaUSA.com.

ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM

[dejoux]

Originally posted by jay@af

Ahem...Contradiction...Im not saying its not going to be a good car, even if its the best car in the world if its a 4 door then its not a sports car.

There is no 4 door sports car in the world and there never will be

Let the flaming begin

[Moppie]

Originally posted by dejoux


Ahem...Contradiction...Im not saying its not going to be a good car, even if its the best car in the world if its a 4 door then its not a sports car.

There is no 4 door sports car in the world and there never will be

Let the flaming begin

Come on dejox thats a pretty ignorant statement.
You can define a car by the number of doors it has about as acuratly as you can define a man by the colour of his skin.

The RX8 looks to be an amsome car, and I believe is a great combination of both retro themes and modern technology.
Mazda have cleary done a lot of R&D on the rotary engine and worked hard to clean up its bugs. I just hope the car is as good as the pressrealease and advertising claim it will be.

[Jay!]

I just changed your post to double-quote that line, because those aren't my words.

I don't think the modern automotive industry cares about actual 'definitions' to the terms they throw around so loosely. I'm not exactly sure I know what the definition of a "sports car" is, much less whose definition I would accept. (But probably not Mazda's, in this case.)

[dejoux]

Im not saying that its not going to be a really good car, itll probably be alot better than the few sports cars on the market at tthe moment, just that its not going to be a sports car.

Just the same way as if it had two doors that wouldnt necessarily make it a sports car.

[Jay!]

So what would you call it? It's really the advertiser's perogative to make up words like "sport sedan," "sport coupe," "luxury sport sedan," "sporty car," "sport truck," etc... They have to sell cars, and to sell cars, they have to make them sound good.

Whatever it is, I'm still excited about it.

[dejoux]

Yes its a hard car to classify and manufactures have been applying incorrect titles for years. ie look at whats happened to GT

Been thinking about it and I can think of some 4 door sports cars, but not recent ones, only like 1920s Bentleys and Lagondas and stuff like that.

[Moppie]

MG and Mini owners!

Forever trying to make up for the inadequacy's of thier own cars by simply reclassifiny any other car that is better.


Sport's car is a very board term, and applies to any car that is built with the goal of being sporting.
All you have to do is definene sporting to finnish the defenition.
Now here is where you have the problem, what qualifes as sporting? an MGBGT and Diablo VT are both regarded as sports car's, yet other than having 4wheels and 2 doors they have little in common.

[dejoux]

Originally posted by Moppie
what qualifes as sporting? an MGBGT and Diablo VT are both regarded as sports car's, yet other than having 4wheels and 2 doors they have little in common.

I only would call the MGBGT a sports car because there is a roadster version and I wouldnt call the Diablo a sports car, its a super car

As you can see this is very subjective(think thats the right term) everyones views are different and this is my one, i dont expect other people to agree with me, this has been one of the biggest subjects of dabat in the whole of automotive history

[Dustin_S]

Umm...I'm pretty sure you guys already know this, but just in case there's someone that doesn't, when Mazda says the RX-8 is a four door, they mean there are two front hinged doors and two rear hinged Shorter doors- essentially a two-door design (lacking with a central support pillar) but two of them are shorter "suicide doors" such as the ones found on 40's-ish German vehicles. I like the RX-8 and think it looks very sporty. It looks better with four doors than it does with two.