Braking is equally impressive, especially in a straight line. After finding a safe spot to test them I purposely threw the car into a sharp corner too quickly and over applied the brakes, just to see if I could push the RX-8 off of its line. I could. Like I said previously, it likes smooth input. The car became unsettled and used up more lane than I felt comfortable with, warning me of its limitations. Just the same most owners won't be driving their cars to the limit all the time, at least I hope not. During regular stopping the brakes are stunningly powerful, bringing the RX down from highway speeds to a complete halt in seconds, even when applied firmly, in what I call 'panic mode'.
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| The interior of the RX is extremely well put together, beautifully finished, and features one of the most attractive center stacks I've seen in quite a while. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
But performance testing aside Mazda's new sports car isn't all about speed. It's an extremely well equipped machine, with high quality plastics, beautifully finished cloth or leather seats and trim, the latter available in distinct two-tone red or natural tone trim matching either red or black exterior color schemes respectively. Also it features one of the most attractive center stacks I've seen in quite a while. Atop the dash sits a narrow digital display incorporating red LCD readouts of corresponding ancillary information. Just below the display, twin air vents are bisected by the top quarter of the circular shaped audio interface, with the centermost dial adjusting volume and on/off duties. Just below this is a simple three dial heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, with a blower to the far left, temperature control on the far right and specific mode adjustments in the middle. The fan speed can be set from subtle breeze to windstorm satisfying all personality types.
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| Mazda's new sports car is a unique piece of artwork and is unlikely to be successfully copied by rival manufacturers. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
But that last presumption can't be said for its styling. While showing off a dynamic road presence and racy personality its unorthodox lines might be a bit over the top for the bread and butter set. But leave them to conventional 4-door sedans. Almost everyone I spoke with loved Mazda's new sports car. Truly, the RX-8 is a unique piece of artwork. There has never been, and probably won't ever be anything quite like it to come from any rival manufacturer. Sure there are 4-place coupes and 4-door sedans, and maybe there will be a copycat 4-door coupe coming down the pike to take the RX-8 head on in its narrow market niche, but there can never be another Mazda RX-8, it's just that exclusive.
