Mazda stops RX-8 production

tourniquet · Postby **tourniquet** » August 22nd, 2011, 8:43 pm

http://ca.autoblog.com/2011/08/22/mazda ... roduction/

Automotive News is reporting that Mazda has stopped production of its RX-8 sports car due to lackluster sales and ever tighter global emissions standards. The Japanese automaker was forced to remove the model from European showrooms last year after it failed to meet emissions standards, and the company says that it simply can't justify continuing to manufacture the vehicle without sales in the old country.

According to the report, production wrapped up in Hiroshima, Japan in July, and global sales will finish up this year. While this may be the end for the rotary sports car in the near-term, Mazda has made it clear that the manufacturer isn't giving up on its rotary heritage any time soon.

I didn't even realize they were still producing it :lol:

khandman · Postby **khandman** » August 22nd, 2011, 9:04 pm

I kinda like the RX8. Its too bad.

cacasplat3 · Postby **cacasplat3** » August 22nd, 2011, 10:43 pm

they should bring back the 7..........maybe sales will pick up.....

sliderz1 · Postby **sliderz1** » August 22nd, 2011, 11:56 pm

they should pretend the RX8 never happened and keep making cars of the RX7 legacy

Yodins · Postby **Yodins** » August 23rd, 2011, 12:32 am

sliderz1 wrote:they should pretend the RX8 never happened and keep making cars of the RX7 legacy

agreed. RX-8 look like snat

turbosingh · Postby **turbosingh** » August 23rd, 2011, 6:25 am

Yodins wrote:
sliderz1 wrote:they should pretend the RX8 never happened and keep making cars of the RX7 legacy

agreed. RX-8 look like snat

Not to mention how it does wok like crap :lol:

trinibuggy · Postby **trinibuggy** » August 23rd, 2011, 6:28 am

handled nice though it jus needed a more powerful engine lol

turbosingh · Postby **turbosingh** » August 23rd, 2011, 8:09 am

trinibuggy wrote:handled nice though it jus needed a more powerful engine lol

Yeah that's one thing they have nice suspension...

DSM_05 · Postby **DSM_05** » August 23rd, 2011, 8:21 am

they should bring back the 7..........maybe sales will pick up.....

i thought that the rx7 (3rd gen) sold less than the 8? rotaries on the whole aren't good sellers bcuz most people seem afraid of the "troubles" of owning one. and few know about it. listening to people talk I was under the impression they have small power, but one of the threads on here showed that the stock 8 pushes more 70 hp than even a 2nd gen turbo 7 :lol:

so you'd have to modify a 2nd gen just to keep up with a stock rx8 6 speed :lol:

Emissions and ownership problems spelt the demise I think.

Kamikaze · Postby **Kamikaze** » August 23rd, 2011, 9:00 am

why rotary why , what will i doooooooooooo

rotary is an adiction worst than crack! once you owned one an are a true gear head youll always own one! when they working they smoothest power delivery , an when they not working a man so depressed he wouldnt notice if he wife and outside women left! ROFL

ImamurA · Postby **ImamurA** » August 23rd, 2011, 9:16 am

Kamikaze wrote:why rotary why , what will i doooooooooooo

rotary is an adiction worst than crack!

an if you not careful it will leave you broke like an addiction to crack! :lol:

ShIvAm · Postby **ShIvAm** » August 23rd, 2011, 10:12 am

RX9 ?

Yodins · Postby **Yodins** » August 23rd, 2011, 10:27 am

turbosingh wrote:
Yodins wrote:
sliderz1 wrote:they should pretend the RX8 never happened and keep making cars of the RX7 legacy

agreed. RX-8 look like snat

Not to mention how it does wok like crap

yeah. this may start :agrue:

, but maybe Mazda should come out with their own spin on an inline 6 cylinder engine. taboo for Mazda but hopefully it can gee Nissan's RB20, 25 & 26 and Toyota's extinct 2JZ some fyaahz

tourniquet · Postby **tourniquet** » August 24th, 2011, 8:34 am

fact of the matter is though, it's the engine that was the achilles heel for the rx-8. In the 80's a lightweight, high revving, ~200hp engine was awesome, and as a result, people put up with the tradeoff with properly adhering to the rotary's maintenance, and dealing with the poor gas mileage. In 2011 however, it's just not going to cut it. Mazda did a great job with the 2.3L engine in the Speed 3, and IMO if they could develop something similar for a RWD platform like the RX-8, they should do well.

shake d livin wake d dead · Postby **shake d livin wake d dead** » August 24th, 2011, 9:01 pm

fan of the 7 more than the eat 8.

BlueIce · Postby **BlueIce** » August 25th, 2011, 12:55 pm

it was inevitable , sexy rwd car with racecar body insulted with speeds that rival stock corrollas and sentras but consume as much gas as a boosted 12second car....lol

DSM_05 · Postby **DSM_05** » August 25th, 2011, 1:14 pm

it was inevitable , sexy rwd car with racecar body insulted with speeds that rival stock corrollas and sentras but consume as much gas as a boosted 12second car....lol

See power rating below:

Corollas packing > 250 hp? And do 0-60 in under 6 seconds? Sweet!!!

Mazda did a great job with the 2.3L engine in the Speed 3, and IMO if they could develop something similar for a RWD platform like the RX-8, they should do well.

From a reliability standpoint - i could agree.

but the speed 3 puts out about the same hp. I was reading a C&D review for the Speed 3, which put down a 6.2 0-60 and a 14.5 1/4 mile. the 8 did a slightly quicker 0-60 and an identical 1/4 mile. so the performance in stock form might be about the same in a str8 line.

speed 3 engine is heavier though!

BlueIce · Postby **BlueIce** » September 5th, 2011, 7:10 am

16-22mpg / 250hp and high 14 and low 15 is something to be proud of ?

awesome!

DSM_05 · Postby **DSM_05** » September 5th, 2011, 8:19 am

You know any car doing around 240-260 hp in stock form doing lower times than that? (barring the AWD launch advantage)? Even the MS3 does those times.

the way I see it, it's a reasonable time given the power the car has. And for a non-turbocharged rotary, it seems like it's a decent feat. Higher power than even turbocharged rotaries (2nd gen 13B's) of a few years before.

For what it is, I think the car is an awesome machine. I'd love to own one given the chance, but I can't see it being a practical daily car due to engine issues. An achilles heel no doubt.

But at the end of the day, the car seats four, and clarkson claimed it rides comfortably and was a joy to drive :lol:

The fuel - well, there's no arguing that. I've been told that rotaries burn excessive amounts of fuel. Never owned one, so I'll take it as fact.