It seemed fitting for this account’s first post to be about a car near and dear to me, as I own one — the Mazda RX-8 Mazdaspeed Version — as featured in RX-8 Sports Magazine in February 2004.
Mazda built two Mazdaspeed Versions for the RX-8 (plus a separate Mazdaspeed M’z Tune package in 2007). This is the first release, limited to 300 units, offered only in Strato Blue Mica for its “high quality and striking appearance” and Sunlight Silver Metallic for its “direct expression of sports driving”. A second version followed with just 180 units, only in Strato Blue Mica.
Factory changes were deeper than aero alone on the Mazdaspeed Version. Based on the Type S, Mazda tuned the PCM to suit enhanced intake and exhaust hardware, balanced the eccentric shaft to work with a lightweight flywheel, and revised suspension and aero — all under OEM quality control. The aim was harmony rather than headline power: sharper response, stability, and everyday civility. Circuit-leaning, street-civil.
This magazine had the first exclusive coverage of this version, noting the car as having “precise handling, sharp engine response [and] a style suited to the circuit” — 「正確なハンドリング／シャープなエンジンレスポンス／サーキットにマッチするスタイル」.
Mazda’s newsroom launch note captures it well: the RENESIS rotary received complementary hardware and calibration, yielding “well-balanced performance” with “sharp, stable maneuverability” while keeping ride comfort and design intent intact. It’s an OEM tuner car done the Mazda way — measured, integrated, and driver-focused.
More detail via Mazda’s 2003 press release here: newsroom.mazda.com/en/publicity/release/2003/200312/1224ae.html
Scans: RX-8 Sports Magazine (Feb. 2004).