For my wife! I still have the G, but we traded the IS300 for an RX-8. Nice car, haven't had much seat time, but so far I think the car handles better than the G, but speed wise the G will smoke it - but I think the Mazda will give the G a good run.

More comparisons (unbiased) as I get more time with the car.

BillR

 

You had us worried there for a minute.......
The RX-8 is a great addition to the coral bro. I look forward to some more comparisons and impressions. Don't forget the pics (side x side).
GSM

<font color=red>G</font color=red>S<font color=green>M</font color=green> <font color=black>Silverstone Coupe</font color=black>

 

Did you go with the Manual or the Auto? I hear the Auto is pretty powerless. I hope for that matter you went with the manual. I would like to hear more about this car so If I ever come up against one I will know what to expect.

Congrats to your wife. I was looking at the RX-8 as well but went with the "G". My very 1st car was a 1980 RX-7 so they have a place in my heart.


2004 Coupe, 5AT, Twilight blue / Willow int. Clear corners, Hypers. 18's, Aero, tint, Pemium.

 

Congrats Bill. It's a nice looking car, better than the crossfire, in my opinion.
As far as handling is concerned, the G coupe is slightly better than the rx8 on the skidpad, though. The Z and the rx8 are same on the skidpad at .88, and the coupe is slightly better at .90

Definitely looking forward to side-by-side pics.

G35 Coupe. Diamond Graphite, Graphite, Premium and wheel and Tire package. Zaino Baby.

 

Must not have that big a family or do a lot of grocery shopping to have a Coupe G and then get an RX-8. But you sure will look good on the streets so it evens out!

 

Yea thats a sweet little car. I sat in a red one with the ground affects and it was very nice. The inside was black with red and black leather seats. It felt like sitting in a mini viper. I loved the way the hood looked from the drivers seat. Post some pics!

www.corevoltage.com

Stillen Box | Fallsgate Amp | Projection Fogs

 

I had a 1980 RX-7, bought brand new for $8200 fully loaded back in "80. Put 150,000 miles on it and traded in for an 82 Rx-7 and got $4600 for the trade!!! Still have a soft place in my heart for those.

 

I was scared. But good stuff. =)

Black / Black 2004 GcoupeMT. Premium. Splash Guardz.

 

Hey BillR, are those SF Challenges in that pic!!? Could you please post or send me some good shots of them on the car? Those are the rims I plan to get and would like to see what they look like.

 

A few comments on skidpad numbers:

1. The G gets those numbers while riding on much better stock tires than the Z or RX-8. That makes a big difference.

2. Skidpad is a threshold rating in one direction. In an S-turn, the heavier weight shift of the G would have a greater impact on the handling versus the lighter cars.

3. The Mazdas provide better "feedback" than my G, which I personally think is more useful than an extra tenth or two of threshold g's. The G isn't bad at this, but it definitely requires more faith in the car than the Mazda. The Mazda will give you clearer warnings about when you're approaching the limit, which allows you to safely drive closer to its limit. I think the G requires much more seat time to achieve the same level, and since it's heavier, you're going to get less consistency from your tires and brakes as they wear/heat up, which will add to the difficulty in judging its limits. The RX-8 also has a rotary engine, which is the lightest and most balanced engine, and it has it mounted behind the front wheels, which gives it mid-engine-like qualities.

Not trying to deride the G or anything, since that's my main ride. But it's not as simple as the skidpad.

-Jack
Obsidian '03 G35 Sports Coupe
Titanium '03 MX-5 Shinsen #532