First sight of the RX-8

[fdman]

Popped into my local Mazda dealer on the way home tonight to
see the RX-8. Two models on view. One titanium grey, and one
velocity red. Titanium grey does the vehicle no justice. The red however confirms the pronounced dynamic of the nose of the car, and the vehicle\'s lines.
I am afraid that the heart did not miss a beat -as it does on any
sighting of the seven. The grey was to some degree anonymous-
perhaps being displayed in a corner of the show room did not do
it justice. The rear of the car is a zone of deep un-interest - as though the designers had focused all their intent on the bonnet
line and nose, an area which is highly dynamic, and confirms all that is unique and familiar about the Mazda marque.
The RX-8 is no seven- it lacks the intrinsic organic beauty of the
rex. Perhaps a test-drive would give me a more rounded view.
The driving position appears to be higher than the rex, and the dealer confirmed that they are capable of servicing the rotary.
I suspect that the car will capture atttention for quite a time to
come, and that there will be a big demand for the car. And that is
not a bad thing. I wish it success.
p.s I am going to sneak back tomorrow for another look.
fdman

[JimboRX-7]

There\'s an RX-8 on display outside the Bose shop at Gunwharf Key\'s in Portsmouth this weekend.  It\'s the first time I had a good look at the car.  It\'s nice to see that it has many styling references to the rotors (grill, foglight, head-rest cut-outs etc).  Couldn\'t see much under the bonnet because it\'s all hidden under a big sheet of plastic.  Can\'t do much for heat dissipation...

The car was attracting a lot of attention, particularly the rear doors.  There was even a bloke filming it.  I think it looks great and I love the interior, but it doesn\'t quite feel like a sports car in the same sense as the RX-7.  I guess I should reserve that judgement until I drive it.