Re: [alfa] Mostly off-topic

["Gregory S. Youngblood" <greg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 8 Oct 2003, eric h wrote:

> Mazda RX8 - over the years, I've met many Alfisti who owned RX7s (and 4's
> and even 3's) and came to the conclusion that this is not coincidence. The
> engineers at Mazda (and, arguably, Nissan) really seem to know how to build
> a sports car when they want to. To keep things short -- as you can read all
> the specs at mazda.com -- I'll sum up the RX8 in one sentence:
>
> It's a 21st Century, 240 HP rotary-powered GTV6 with a redline of 9K into
> which passengers can actually seat themselves comfortably in back and is
> nimble enough to feel like a '74 Spider with 4-inch-wide tires inflated to
> 50 lbs. yet can pull .91G on a turn while being stared at for its, thus-far,
> out-of-the-ordinary appearance.

I have to admit being drawn to the RX8 more than just a little. It looks
like a fun car. Nice size passenger cabin, nice aggressive styling without
typical cheap looking fender flaires and other plastic crap hanging off
the car at funny angles, and power to match the looks.

I take it you have yours now and are enjoying it immensely? What kind of
mileage do you get out of that beast?

Greg

PS: Alfa Content -- it will be a while before I can consider an RX8 for
myself, [unless someone would like to buy one and loan it to me for a
while, I'll take good care of it. Really. Treat it just like it was mine.]
but have been considering a 164 or Milano. I prefer a 5 speed, but
my wife prefers automatics and I want this car to be something she enjoys
too. Since I am anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months+ before making a
purchase, any advice on what to look for (positive and negative) on a 164?
I prefer Milano, but think my wife would like the 164 better. I am aware
of the stepper gear and timing belt maintenance frequency. I seem to
remember a few choice comments about the automatic transmission. Are the
autos acceptable, or something to be avoided? Can a regular transmission
shop work on the auto or is it so "specialized" that it is better to take
it to an "alfa" shop?
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