Saying goodbye is never easy. Thankfully, Mazda is helping its costumers bid farewell to the RX-8 with a special-edition Spirit R model. With a total of 1,000 units slated for production from next month until June 2012, Tulley Mazda (located at 147 Daniel Webster Highway in Nashua, NH) expects the Mazda RX-8 special edition Spirit R to go out with a bang.

Mazda lovers can see what really sets the special edition apart with one glance at the exterior. Available with Aluminum Metallic, Sparkling Black Mica, and Crystal White Pear Mica color options and bronze alloy wheels, the new RX-8 has an outward look of luxury. Slightly sportier specially made SPIRIT R bucket seats from RECARO fill the interior.

Performance-wise, not much has changed for the last RX-8 model. However, Mazda's curtain and front side SRS airbag system has evolved from a factory-installed option to a standard feature. Prices for the Spirit R begin at $40,675 with a six-speed automatic transmission and bump up a few notches to $42,400 with a six-speed manual transmission.

"Although RX-8 production is ending, the rotary engine will always represent the spirit of Mazda and Mazda remains committed to its ongoing development,"¹ says Mazda president and CEO Takashi Yamanouchi.Part of the automaker's "ongoing development" includes exciting new technologies such as the introduction of super-strength steel in next year's Mazda CX-5 compact crossover. The use of this 1,800 MPA steel allows for thinner vehicle parts and therefore hefty savings in vehicle weight.

In the mean time, we invite you to check out the 2012 Mazda CX-7 or any of our other new Mazda models. And remember, you can always contact us online with any questions you may have.

Source: ¹http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20111011-304459.html