FD is the best looking 90' Japanese sports car. The RX8, nahh...

 

The problem with the 1990's 3Gen RX-7 is that Mazda simply let it get too expensive....and it stopped selling. Insurance for it also got very expensive. That, of course, was also the case with the 1990's turbo 300ZX, Supra turbo, and Dodge Stealth/Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 turbos....and they were all pulled from the American market in 1995-96. But, unlike those competitors, Mazda did not offer a less-expensive, non-turbo version on the 3Gen version....it was the TT or nothing.

 

There are many reasons hi tech hi end Japanese sports cars were pulled but lack of sales was the biggest reason. They were expensive yes but for some reason buyers who spent extra money on a nicer vehicle at that time moved away from luxury performance coupes/sports cars to big SUVs in droves and the performance car market bottomed out in favor of SUVs.

The RX-7 was still one of the least expensive hi performance rwd Japanese performance car at the time and could be had well under 40K but it was also the smallest and most cramped with questionable reliability. It was a beautiful car with excellent driving characteristics/performance. It was incredibly light which meant even with 253hp it could still hang with the heavier 300hp competition. Even to this day its looks and performance stand out.

The RX-8 is a totally different kind of car then the RX-7 and they really only share a rotary and rwd so comparing them is not really all that fair. The RX-8 is very unique with a very small niche market, while it handles well and has nice driving dynamics not everyone is a fan of its styling and its performance does not stand out. Its bad gas mileage and eating oil does not help its desirability. If it had more power/performance and sleeker styling like the RX-7 buyers may have looked past the questionable reliability, oil consumption, poor gas mileage but it lacks the power/looks what enthusiasts want and it has run its course.

Rumors are what will replace the RX-8 will go back to a 2 door sports car like the RX-7, hopefully it will have the power, looks, and performance to entice buyers and the rotary issues have been improved.

 

In my eyes the RX8 was one of those rare vehicles where the new generation is not as good as the previous


Mazda can we get some damn torque. The only way an RX8 could keep up with a 370Z is with a turbo and even then its still not much of a looker in my eyes

 

hell, i thought they quit making them a long time ago.havent seen one in a while,or i just havent noticed.

 

1998 Supra for sale

still another '98

How about a 1999 3000GT VR-4?

How about this fine '99?

amazing so many gray market cars openly for sale on autotrader! and look, all have been switched to LH drive already! neat-o

 

to me the rx8 was always a joke