Lotus Elise and Mazda RX8 Farewell
Eric Tingwall takes a final drive in the Lotus Elise and Mazda RX8. Click the link to read the full review. www.automobilemag.com
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@TheChimbleySweep lol.. well even at 6’1 you could fit in . There is a lot of head room . I know a few guys who are 6’3 and are comfortable. Getting in and out is probably the hardest thing to do at that height though.. but you get used to it and it’s not even that bad.
@KeleentProductions Well, thank god. I would never want somebody on the internet thinking I’m a moron.
But seriously, I love the Lotus as well as the RX8, but I’m 6′ 1″ and it looks pretty damn cramped.
I bought one of the last of the RX8s. All it needs is about 400 lbs. shorn off. Who wouldn’t love a 2000 lb. Elise? If only it weren’t claustrophobic inside. Even my brother, who is 5′ 11″ and 165 said get me outta this thing.
@TheChimbleySweep The first sentence, i judged you as a moron. In the second sentence you redeemed yourself.
@KoukiMS6 It depends on you and how easy it is to get one or the other. But unless you are a racer or a collector, I would pass on the Kappa. As much as I love GM, they did not put much support into the Kappas. GM was forced to cut them loss, after all. They should still be good cars, but the S2000 might serve you better.
@KoukiMS6 Very true. When speaking of small sports cars, I wasn’t thinking about the G8. That car and the Solstice were part of GM’s rebuilding Pontiac into a RWD-only performance brand. “The American BMW”, one rep put it. Even though Pontiac was turning around, in terms of sales, additionally helped by the next G6 being based on the Alpha platform, sales didn’t meet the “car cazr’s” targets to save the brand, at that point, and forced GM to shut Pontiac down.
I wonder if the Genesis Coupe had a hand in hastening the RX-8′s demise…
@DocWolph One car that I will definitely say got an unfair shake is the Pontiac G8 GT/GXP; I love that car. In my opinion, it was the 1st car from GM that you didn’t compromise build quality or looks for, in comparison to it’s foreign competitors.
@DocWolph You’re right. I still may buy one used as a summer toy at some point. I own a Mazdaspeed6 and may get a S2000 or a Sky. I think the Sky’s are sexier, but only for the right price. I haven’t had the chance to drive one, but I’m sure they are a fun summer car, but still it’s so hard for me, in my mind, to make that argument over the S2k.
@KoukiMS6 The Kappa’s were about $25K maxed out. “Maximum Bob’s” doing. Power and speed cost, but not that much. However, when the news came that the cars were being ended, the price went up overnight. Like the Fiero, a car that was becoming something, GM didn’t handle the Kappa’s well at all. From quality questions and issues, to price, it was not a flawless car, but is worth remembering well for what it could have been. Hope for a good 130R, I call “Monza”.
@DocWolph I actually LIKE the Kappa platforms in turbo trim, but FOR THE MONEY it wasn’t a wise choice. I even looked at buying the Solstice GXP, but I couldn’t choose one over the established quality products that were offered for very similar money. If they came out a few grand cheaper, I think they would have hit large! But asking 32k MSRP, is right in the zone of a STi, S2000, 350Z, Mustang GT, and they weren’t ready for that yet. At say 27k, I would have bought one.
@TheVtieg6 I don’t think small cars are bad, I just prefer to drive larger cars than the smaller ones. I’ve owned several small cars in the past and they were just not for me.
@mikerules666
If you dont like small cars you must have never driven one
@TheVtieg6 you think 13L/100km is bad, I turboed and converted my rx8 to E85 now it uses 20L/100km.But its easily still worth it.
@KoukiMS6 I never said Kappa cars were met with rousing acclaim. But, they handled exceedingly well. The point of the car was/is low cost and high performance. Saturns got slapped for being “chintzy”, as GM’s cheap division. The Solstice wasn’t. But the SKY’s poor marks hurt the better car. Any lack of enthusiast appeal came was the SKY being the critics’ bitch and both cars being on sale for only 2 years, not long enough to be appreciated. So, I disagree with you.
@DocWolph But honestly, neither of the Kappa cars were well-received by critics. From their subpar handling to their chintzy build quality. The difference with “icon’s” dying like the Supra, NSX, S2000, RX-8, and Elise are that they were very well received and loved but couldn’t make it. No doubt the kappa platofmrs were nice and flexible, but they had no real enthusiast appreciation.
Guess it’s a good thing the Subaru BRZ /Toyota GT86 twins are entering the marketplace just as the RX-8 leaves……..let’s hope the BRZ is as good or better to drive….with decent fuel economy and reliability…..
Amazing production. Keep it up!
Assuming that most of the narration was improvised, that was pretty impressive and well spoken.
Whatever image-stabilization was used for the cars driving on the road is tripping me out.
I would love to drive an Elise.
Out of the two, I would probably get the RX8. The Lotus is just too small for me.
There are a lot cars like the Elise and RX-8, great cars that didn’t make it or can’t anymore. The GM Kappa cars, come to my mind in that. Great cars that really could have been huge on the market, for what they were, given a year or two more…
Only the Elise and RX-8 got to bow out gracefully not get kicked off the stage for no fault of their own.