If you have ever enjoyed a sweet horror flick, especially vampire, zombie, or werewolf ones, you are likely familiar with fact that the villain just never seems to die. He always comes back for a little bit more. One of my all-time favorites, Zombieland, actually teases about this by the “double-tap,” which is rule No. 2 in surviving a zombie outbreak.
Well, it appears that Mazda didn’t get that memo with the RX-8 zombie. Just like a bad case of zombification, this thing just keeps coming back for more. Mazda recently announced that it has extended the final production of the “Spirit R” version of the RX-8 – thankfully only available in Japan – for an additional 1,000 units.
In addition to its 232 horsepower that are only attainable at engine speeds not many are comfortable with and its lackluster 159 pound-feet of torque, you also get larger brakes with red painted calipers, piano-black transmission tunnel trim, Recaro Sprint R seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a revised traction control system.
It’s really curious to see just how much mud Mazda can drag the “RX” nameplate through before it finally takes it behind the barn and puts it out of its misery. We still have a lot of love for the RX lineup as a whole, but the RX-8 really tested the patience of RX lovers. Here’s to hoping this is the one and only time that Mazda decides to extend the life of this beautiful ride turned zombie and focuses more on releasing a new RX that will pay the proper respect to the name.
According to the press release, which you can read after the jump, this charade thankfully comes to an end in July of this year.
