Tokyo Auto Salon 2012 - Spirit R Rx8

Look into the Mazda Spirit R's eye and I'll tell you the future.

Here it is... Men in Suits. I didn't see one young guy on the Mazda stand all day. Mazda as well and truly lost it's appeal to the sports car market in Japan.

This model celebrates the end of the rotary production car in Japan, and as such, the last models of RX-8 wear the Spirit R badge.

Can the man in the suit please explain what that badge means. It previously meant a best of breed performance oriented pure sports car pumping out over 300 hp with a long heritage of giant killing status.

Somehow, the RX-8 does not fit that bill. It has always been a competent chassis but without the power needed to become any more than a grand touring car. Since 2003 it has had a pretty long run but has hardly had the giant killing success of the RX-7.

Mazda didn't even bother supporting Super GT in it's home country or Super Taikyu production series with the 8. Instead opting not to even support RE-Amemiya and ride the success of the RX-7 as long as they could. Only last year did Suenaga switch to the RX-8 in D1 (with FD engine of course).

That strategy gave this car NO credit (Daytona 3 rotor success aside) in Japan. The ten year wait for a new RX-7 that this car was never meant to replace has left Mazda without sports car fans.

Mazdapeed are also pretty quiet in Japan these days. You may see the odd NR-A Miata but the RX-8 Race class was abandoned long ago.

Even now the relevance of the 787B to a lineup without a rotary is somewhat ambiguous.Rx-8 fans are out there, and with tuning houses like Revolution and Pan Speed and R-Magic really pushing the Rx-8 as the future suddenly find there is none.

Mazda does have options for the RX-8 in Japan made by the R&D arm called M'z Custom as shown here. However these were nowhere to be seen at the biggest tuning show in Japan.


The Aluminium Metallic is a nice colour but I still find Mazda's body and bumper colours do not match correctly and have not done for a long time. The other option is Sparkling Black and Crystal White Pearl is a Premium colour at additional cost.

Anyway. Positive Positive.... This car is the 2012 Spirit R Tokyo Auto Salon Version. It rides on 20" and 255 wide BBS wheels and Bridgestone tyres. (note These are not the Spirit R wheels which are still gold but only 245/40/19.)

The modern front with the dark black headlight bezel looks good. I am a fan of the newer colour. The rear and fog lamps also are decorated in black.

Up front there's slotted rotors and brembo's 4 piston stoppers on the R and suspension is Bilstein.

Red stitching on the stock steering wheel and the six speed manual with a few things like gear knob and brake handle from the catalog splashed around. Piano black centre console and features.

AUTO is available in a lesser Spirit R Spec.

The Renesis 13b seems to have lost power with Mazda listing it as 235hp these days 216nm of torque is nothing substantial.

Note. Japan also sells the Type G auto with less power at 215hp but it still makes the same amount of torque.

Not even a special logo on the dash?

Finally, inside you get red semi-supportive decorative Recaro-badged seats on the MT model.

An un-optioned Spirit R sells at 3.25Million Yen in Japan which is still fairly cheap, but realistically be prepared to spend 4 Million.

Check out the Japanese Mazda Site for more info on the last rotary.

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Tokyo Auto Salon 2012 - Auto Craft

Auto craft satin wrapped RX8 is a textural monster.

The overall finish on this satin aluminium fabric finish is quite special and it certainly captures your attention with the deep TE37 Tokyo time attack wheels.

However up close its just another failed wrap. Defects everywhere, joins, marks and the effects of an incredibly curvaceous body took it's effect on the application. Large flat areas are free of marks, but the curved sections requiring stretching and heat treatment are less than impressive.

inside there's a fake carbon-look seat cover that would have you sliding all over, rather than gripping your frame. Up top there's a carbon look roof also.

Stitched leather on the re-trimmed steering wheel and the rest is standard fare.

Out back, the quad exhausts and rear end treatment of the widebody add on fenders is pretty cool.

but it is totally ruined by the poorly wrapped body. This corner was either the first or rushed last piece. Bubbles and marks.

Joins a plenty. For drift this would be totally acceptable as the body gets destroyed all to often, but for a street cruiser, I don't think many would accept this level of finish.

Stand back though and it all goes from your mind. Screaming down the street it would be glistening fury.

Worthy of Tokyo Auto Salon. Your choice.

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Daytona 24Hr & the RX-8

Here is a quick look at the RX8s at Daytona FL. Flame on!


The fastest of the RX-8s is the SpeedSource Mazdaspeed entry. It took 6th place in GT class! That's an amazing effort considering the competition.

It's not exactly a fair race these days. http://www.grand-am.com/ rules have changed a bit meaning the 3 rotor RX8s are a bit down in the pack.

GT class cars include GT3 spec Porsche and Ferrari. Full results here.

 Florida resident and fellow rotary fan, Rob, was kind enough to send us some images.

Night time shooting is always tough. But sunset is great for lighting.

I like the curves on this!

Some interesting sponsor selections on these cars. Fishing and Bicycles. Superstar Patrick Dempsey also donating some space for a drive. http://dempseychallenge.com/

Anyway, FLAMES we like FLAMES!

The Rotaries always fulfill the need.

Makes me want to visit Florida.

24 hours is a long time.

You need some of these.



This isn't stock... But you need this too.

And one of these monsters.

You need a few drivers and support crew and about 5 million dollars.

I think I'll enter next year...

Forza MotorSport 4 Skinz

Video games are great and Forza is one that offers a lot. Sokai is a guy who loves the FD and he set about re-creating his favouites in the Forza paint system.



He has certainly spent some time on these. Replicating most details down exactly.

However, all games have restrictions. and Forzas restrictions include just a few authentic body kits, like Ings+ and C-West. So a lot of shading work has to be done to get these looking right.

Making a non-wide body look wide requires skill.

And mostly the lights get a lot of work.

But the results are pretty special. To the untrained eye "It looks real" is often heard.

So Sokai's garage includes

Street Legal RE-Amemiya D1 machine.
SGC D1 Car.


RYO D1 machine.

RE-Amemiya D1 machine from 2004/5

D1 Garage 3 Rotor

and again in NKB wheels livery.

The community is strong so sometimes Sokai gets involved to help others like "davbat" with finishing details  like the rear fenders on this R-magic livery

 RE-Amemiya TA 2000 SPL.

and the Apexi D1 car.

And the complex Strikers livery.

I'm not sure how these work in applying to a car in Forza but the community is strong and Forza users probably already know how to do that.

Another aspect for FD crazy fans like us.

Russ.