Thursday, 04-Sep-2003 10:44AM Story from United Press International
Copyright 2003 by United Press International (via ClariNet)

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NEW YORK, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Mazda says it will buy back most of the 3,551 RX-8 rotary-engine sports cars sold since July because engine power falls short of claims.

The car company says power is as much as 5 percent less than advertised.

USA Today reported Thursday the miscue interrupts an important rollout of image-restoring sporty models but the company's quick action likely will head off any damage to the Mazda reputation.

Mazda sent letters Aug. 22 to RX-8 purchasers saying it would pay full sticker price plus taxes and other fees -- even if owners have run up thousands of miles on their cars. Those who tell Mazda they will keep their cars get free scheduled maintenance for the four-year, 50,000-mile warranty period, plus $500.

Mazda made the same buyback offer to purchasers of 2001 Miata two-seaters because those produced 142 hp instead of the advertised 155 hp.

 

i knew about the rx8 hp problem, but i didnt hear about the miata problems. wow, mazda needs to get their stuff straight, this is not making them look very good.

 

Welcome to yesterday! Try www.rx8forum.com

 

This isn't the Rx-8 forum, and since I don't go there, the fine details are news to me.

 

I find the news interesting too. I've been interested on mazda buy back plan. Dont' know how much they will pay for those rx8's, but now, I know.

thanks for the news.

POM HB

 

theres not going to be more problems with hp, ther coming with the turbo in about 6 month.

 

there not going to be more hp prpblems with the rx8 because there coming with the turboone.

 

mazda: where we act like our cars are faster than they really are!

any company owned by ford gives me the creepies/.

 

Which search terms did you use to find this thread?

 

Where did you hear that?

 

oh i didnt notice how old this was and to be sure.. idk i was really really really really really really really really hammered last night.. i dont remember posting.. haha so i dont remember how i searched for the thread

 

Oh, ok.

 

It's not six months, it's in late 2005. Mazda is developing a supercharged version using an assisted turbocharger, forget if it's hydraulic or electric assist. They're claiming that the assist allows them to meet low emissions specs while still having good response. I take that to mean, they can make it have good spoolup without resorting to either a chokeful exhaust side (which adds lots of thermal stress) or weirdball ECU tuning that usually results in higher emissions.

I'll have to find the blurb. It's in the "Upfront" section of the latest Car and Driver. At least, the Car and Driver where they have a road test between an Elise, a version of Caterham 7, Mazdaspeed Miata, and some other car (S2000?).

 

The misclaimed HP problem with the Miata and the RX8 are due to Mazda being retarded and posting the numbers fir the JDM versions. The US Market ones have lower specs thanks to emmisions.

 

I have a feeling it's a similar situation as the '99 Cobra debacle.

Marketing needs HP numbers early on because of long lead times etc, so they are given numbers from preliminary engineering examples. In the Cobra's case, the exhaust ended up needing to be a bit more crimped for assembly-line reasons, and the intake manifold supplier wasn't on the ball.