IRVINE, California — Mazda North America has modestly tweaked its flagship RX-8 sports car for model year 2009, adding a new R3 sport model at the top of the line.
For 2009, the four-door, four-passenger RX-8 gets restyled front and rear bumpers and a revised front fascia with updated headlamps, plus larger exhaust pipes and new five-spoke alloy wheels. Mazda also has lowered the final-drive ratio on the manual gearbox for better performance and has reconfigured the rear suspension geometry to improve handling.
The big news for '09 is the addition of the new RX-8 R3 model, which Mazda says is aimed at the "ultimate driving enthusiast."
The RX-8 R3 gets a sport-tuned suspension with Bilstein shocks, 19-inch forged alloy wheels with high-performance tires, xenon headlamps and foglamps, as well as side sills and a rear spoiler. The front suspension crossmembers have been filled with urethane foam for a more comfortable ride.
The cockpit of the R3 features Recaro front bucket seats with leather side bolsters, a leather-wrapped parking brake handle, keyless entry/start, Bluetooth hands-free phone and a 300-watt Bose audio system with surround sound and noise-compensation technology.
What this means to you: Mazda builds the raciest RX-8 yet. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
For 2009, the four-door, four-passenger RX-8 gets restyled front and rear bumpers and a revised front fascia with updated headlamps, plus larger exhaust pipes and new five-spoke alloy wheels. Mazda also has lowered the final-drive ratio on the manual gearbox for better performance and has reconfigured the rear suspension geometry to improve handling.
The big news for '09 is the addition of the new RX-8 R3 model, which Mazda says is aimed at the "ultimate driving enthusiast."
The RX-8 R3 gets a sport-tuned suspension with Bilstein shocks, 19-inch forged alloy wheels with high-performance tires, xenon headlamps and foglamps, as well as side sills and a rear spoiler. The front suspension crossmembers have been filled with urethane foam for a more comfortable ride.
The cockpit of the R3 features Recaro front bucket seats with leather side bolsters, a leather-wrapped parking brake handle, keyless entry/start, Bluetooth hands-free phone and a 300-watt Bose audio system with surround sound and noise-compensation technology.
What this means to you: Mazda builds the raciest RX-8 yet. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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