RX-8 to be discontinued

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/mazda-rx-8-to-be-discontinued-in-us-market/

Sad to see it go. Hopefully the next iteration in the US will do better. Hopefully there will be another iteration.

Bummer. As much as I love rotaries, that car screams for a modern 300 HP quad-cam V6. Do that, flare out the fenders a tad, and that car would be irresistable.

that sucks, they are beautiful cars and i love rotaries deep down, it sucks to see them go. I thought I read somewhere this was going out and a RX-7 was coming back? Def a niche car though.

I think it's not only the US market - IIRC it's being discontinued on the European market as well because it won't pass emissions legislation there either.

Let's hope that the RX7 / 16x rumour is true...

I'll preface this by saying I love RX-8s, but there isn't a big market for new cars that get terrible gas mileage, need extra TLC as compared to most new cars, are kind of slow compared to their competitors, and have terrible teething problems at their introduction.

For me personally, I think they are a tad ugly. And the extra doors would be a detriment for me trying to drop off my kids in the morning in the carpool line. Even a two door would work better than screwing around with the doors that open backwards.

This isn't news as Mazda told us a couple of years ago they were working on it's successor as well as some sort of sportier model. Out with the old and in with the new.

no more rx8? i sad. i remeber seeing a commercial for a hydrogen rx8, "ready for the world when the world is ready for it". :(

Otto_Maddox wrote: I'll preface this by saying I love RX-8s, but there isn't a big market for new cars that get terrible gas mileage, need extra TLC as compared to most new cars, are kind of slow compared to their competitors, and have terrible teething problems at their introduction. For me personally, I think they are a tad ugly. And the extra doors would be a detriment for me trying to drop off my kids in the morning in the carpool line. Even a two door would work better than screwing around with the doors that open backwards.

how dare you bash suicide doors!

From the linked article:

Motor Trend said: Remember that North American sales of the RX-7 ceased in 2002, a full two years before the RX-8 made its debut.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't sales of the RX-7 end here in 1995?

It seemed to follow the same path as the S2000. It was a great initial concept, but the platform was not developed in a way that remained competitive with its automotive peers.

I like the RX-8. I wouldn't mind owning one at some point, but not at current prices.

Hopefully this means Mazda is close to production with the 16X, fears maximum possible awesome from the FT-86, and is making something along the lines of the FB.

In reply to DirtyBird222:

Suicide doors seem kinda cool, but imagine a teacher holding her coffee and talking to another teacher trying to open the front door, then the back door, then let out two squealing little girls with backpacks as big as they are, then close the doors properly. It just aint gonna turn out well.

As opposed to a two-door, where you open the front door, slide the seat forward, release the hounds, err, kids, the put the seat back and close the door? I don't see that being a single iota easier.

grimmelshanks wrote: no more rx8? i sad. i remeber seeing a commercial for a hydrogen rx8, "ready for the world when the world is ready for it". :(

Yeah, I thought we'd see a few hydrogen combustion engine vehicles before anyone came out with a fuel cell, but I don't think that will happen. The rotary would be a particularly good engine for this, since the location where the air/fuel mixture is drawn in and the combustion location are separate. Unlike a piston engine where it those two locations are the same. By having them separate, you have fewer problems with detonation since the air/fuel mixture doesn't have to pass by some stinking hot valves and in to a freaking hot head.

In reply to ReverendDexter:

You'd be right, if it was me opening and closing the doors rather than an elementary school teacher.

The rotary will never sell in big numbers as a novelty. It has to have some advantage or benefit, and the RX-8 did not make a good case. I look forward to a 2500 pound RX-7 with a turbo 3-rotor!

I'm with you. If they bring back the RX-7, it better be a modern interpretation of what that car was originally about. Simple, light, and fast. I'm afraid the first two are pretty rare in this day and age.

I bet it wouldn't be that hard to make a car about the size of the current Miata with a hardtop and sexier styling, and a rotary under the hood.

I like my rx8. It is one of the best all around cars that I have owned.

pinchvalve wrote: The rotary will never sell in big numbers as a novelty. It has to have some advantage or benefit, and the RX-8 did not make a good case.

Agreed. I don't think they could've kept those things on the lots if they were offered with a longitudinally-mounted version of the turbo 2.3L from the speed3.

Tom_Spangler wrote: From the linked article:

Motor Trend said: Remember that North American sales of the RX-7 ceased in 2002, a full two years before the RX-8 made its debut.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't sales of the RX-7 end here in 1995?

Correct. The RX-7 was sold for only three model years here, '93 - '95. They kept it in production a few more years overseas, and up to '02 in Japan, when it was finally discontinued.

I was thinking the next RX-7 was more along the lines of the FD (near-supercar performance) rather than FB (simple, light sports car). At least that's what I get from this drawing.

Hotlinked from: http://www.motortrend.com/future/future_vehicles/1004_future_mazda_rx_7/index.html

I really, really hope Mazda does not put the Mazda3's stupid E36 M3-eating grin on the RX-7/-8/-9/whatever. I also hope that the GDI system in the 16X will help redress the poor fuel mileage and lack of torque. I'd love to stuff one into an FC...

In reply to Tom_Spangler:

Correct. Sales in North America stopped in 1995, but not in Japan until 2002.

It makes no sense for a future RX to be similar to the Miata. You don't want them competing with one another.

I think that a supercar RX makes the most sense. If the car's fast and expensive enough, mileage ceases to be an issue.

JeepinMatt wrote:

Tom_Spangler wrote: From the linked article:

Motor Trend said: Remember that North American sales of the RX-7 ceased in 2002, a full two years before the RX-8 made its debut.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't sales of the RX-7 end here in 1995?

Correct. The RX-7 was sold for only three model years here, '93 - '95. They kept it in production a few more years overseas, and up to '02 in Japan, when it was finally discontinued.

You mean the FD right? the RX-7 has been around a lot longer than that.

In reply to kreb:

Miata based coupe with 250 rotary hp sounds pretty good to me as a new RX7. That would keep costs down too.

Otto_Maddox wrote: In reply to kreb: Miata based coupe with 250 rotary hp sounds pretty good to me as a new RX7. That would keep costs down too.

It would SOUND cool but it would BE a hell of a lot cooler with the 3.7L Mustang V6 and the Mustang 6 speed though.