On the inside, the Special Edition RX-8 features bi-color seats (light grey Alcantara in the centre and black leather at the sides), parking brake lever and shift lever cover with special stitching and a new silver shift knob center. Additionally, the Special Edition also has body shell cross members ï¬lled with polyurethane foam for more quiet operation than the original and a sports suspension with special springs and Bilstein dampers.
Mazda RX-8 Special Version
Celebrating Mazda’s Rotary Tradition
• Two special body colours, wheel design and 40th anniversary emblem
• Special seat/trim materials, leather stitching and silver shift knob
• Foam-ï¬lled cross member and sports suspension with Bilstein dampers
As it did with the MX-5 roadster in 1989, Mazda changed customer expectations of what an affordable sports car should be when it launched the Mazda RX-8 in 2003. It redeï¬ned the Mazda sports car with a strong and sporty Zoom-Zoom design that visually shows its performance potential. It created a new class of four-seater sports cars by resurrecting the centre-opening door system – a feature that is just as fresh and innovative today as it was four years ago. And under the bonnet was the naturally- aspirated RENESIS rotary engine. This engine won the International Engine of the Year award in 2003 along with three other category awards in both 2003 and 2004.
Since Mazda RX-8 came to market, Mazda has dominated sales in the European non-premium sports car segment with a share consistently around 18 percent (combined RX-8 and Mazda MX-5 sales).
The Special Edition RX-8
Based on a special version concept presented at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and following the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the rotary engine, Mazda Motor Corporation is issuing a Special Edition RX-8 (depending on market) that adds components to the chassis and body shell, and exterior and interior features , all of which raise the bar on affordable sports cars once again.
Exterior – Special Body Features for Sporty Sophistication
The normal Mazda RX-8 combines classical sports car aesthetics described by its original designers as “athletic tension†that visually communicates performance potential. It is dynamic and sporty with short overhangs, striking fenders and bumpers, and a unique bonnet line. For the Special Edition RX-8, these exterior features are enhanced to celebrate Mazda’s rotary engine history with two specially designed exterior colours – a newly-developed Metropolitan Grey that gives the RX-8’s sporty form a strong touch of sophistication; and Crystal White Pearl that will set it apart on European roads. Enhancing the Special Edition’s look of sporty sophistication is also a new ten-spoke, bright- grey wheel design, new blue-light fog lamps and a 40th anniversary emblem at the back of both front fenders .
Interior – Special Seat/Trim Materials and Cockpit Enhancements
The Mazda RX-8 is known for having a stylish and premium interior ambience that is both sporty and modern. It has four sport seats with superior long-trip comfort and good side support for sporty driving, and headrests in the form of a triangular rotary. In front of the driver is a leather-covered steering wheel and parking brake lever, a triangular rotary- shape shift knob and a tachometer scaled to 10,000 rpm to reflect the high-revving characteristics of it RENESIS rotary engine. For the Special Edition RX-8, the interior has several enhancements that celebrate the car’s premium look and feel. These include seat materials developed for the Special Edition RX-8 with light grey Alcantara ® * in the centre and black leather at the sides , combined with special trim materials in matching colours. For an extra touch of quality, the steering wheel is black leather – to match the sides of the seats – with light stitching to match the colours of the seat middle. And the shift lever is covered in the same black leather with light stitching and features a silver shift knob centre .
Special Foam-Filled Front Suspension Cross Members and Bilstein Sports Suspension
The Mazda RX-8 is one of the best handling cars in its class. It features a front-midship engine layout and rear-wheel drive, which results in a perfect 50/50 weight distribution over the front and rear axles. It also delivers outstanding torsional rigidity with a unique transmission tunnel structure where the upper side of the tunnel is a rigid, closed-section high-mount backbone frame that is joined to the mainframe front and back. For the Special Edition RX-8 – which comes standard with the High Powered RENESIS engine producing 170 kW/231 PS at 8,200 rpm , maximum torque of 211 Nm at 5,500 rpm, 18-inch aluminium wheels, and the short shifting six-speed manual transmission – front suspension cross members are now ï¬lled with polyurethane foam for even more quiet operation and sharper handling than the original. And further enhancing the RX-8’s acclaimed handling characteristics is a sports front suspension with special springs and Bilstein dampers all around – only available for the Special Edition – that provides even more sporty driving fun.