HIROSHIMA, Japan — The new Mazda RX-8 Type RS was launched on Monday in Japan with a base price tag of 3,150,000 yen, the equivalent of $30,875 in the U.S.
The Type RS grade with a six-speed manual transmission comes with exclusive aero parts, 19-inch forged aluminum wheels, Recaro bucket seats, Bilstein dampers and other sporty touches. "We will call it the R3 package," Jeremy Barnes, Mazda North American Operations spokesman, told Inside Line, "playing off the R1 and R2 packages from the third-generation RX-7. It'll be on sale in the summer as part of the face-lifted and mechanically updated 2009 RX-8. I don't have pricing yet, though, and won't for another couple of months."
Mazda detailed a few tweaks to the 2009 RX-8, including new water and oil pumps to improve the rotary engine's performance and "provide a better acceleration feel.¿ Revised gear ratios in the six-speed manual transmission provide more responsive acceleration at lower engine speeds," the automaker noted in a statement. Exterior design tweaks include larger air intakes in the front bumper, new wheel designs and rear lights that contain LED lamps.
What this means to you: No official word on R3 pricing yet, but you can get a ballpark estimate based on the Type RS pricing in Japan. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
The Type RS grade with a six-speed manual transmission comes with exclusive aero parts, 19-inch forged aluminum wheels, Recaro bucket seats, Bilstein dampers and other sporty touches. "We will call it the R3 package," Jeremy Barnes, Mazda North American Operations spokesman, told Inside Line, "playing off the R1 and R2 packages from the third-generation RX-7. It'll be on sale in the summer as part of the face-lifted and mechanically updated 2009 RX-8. I don't have pricing yet, though, and won't for another couple of months."
Mazda detailed a few tweaks to the 2009 RX-8, including new water and oil pumps to improve the rotary engine's performance and "provide a better acceleration feel.¿ Revised gear ratios in the six-speed manual transmission provide more responsive acceleration at lower engine speeds," the automaker noted in a statement. Exterior design tweaks include larger air intakes in the front bumper, new wheel designs and rear lights that contain LED lamps.
What this means to you: No official word on R3 pricing yet, but you can get a ballpark estimate based on the Type RS pricing in Japan. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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