Celebrating 2008's first shipment of Mazdas bound for international markets, this is a corporate event staged by the firm every New Year. But accompanying yesterday's seemingly ordinary press release were photos of an RX-8 not so ordinary: a Convertible version. Presumably re-built for the express purpose of corporate events and public parades in the vicinity of Hiroshima, this one-off RX-8 Convertible won't ever see the light of production, but it gives enthusiasts a good idea of what a current-generation RX-8 would like like al fresco.
Note that other than a hacked-off roof, the Convertible version loses its hard-top counterpart's 'suicide door' and gains a roll bar, which as seen in the photos appears to be more a handrail than a rollover safety feature.
Viewed by some 500 senior employees, the RX-8 Convertible was alongside the firm's Mazda2 and CX-7, with attendees later hearing from President and CEO, Hisakazu Imaki who had this to say:-
�2008 will be an extremely important year for us. The automotive industry�s operating environment is tougher than ever, but we will confidently go forward this year, taking steady steps in our operations toward achieving our goals.
�To do so, we will emphasize three major issues: improving brand value, strengthening our business efficiency, and improving quality throughout the Mazda Group. Notably, this year Mazda will launch a number of exhilarating products here in Japan and overseas, including the all-new Mazda6. Leveraging these exciting products to come, we want to see this year made outstanding by a dramatic improvement in Mazda�s brand value.�
So there's no chance of an RX-8 drop-top - but with an upcoming model based on the Kabura concept and an RX-9 due before 2012, perhaps a further convertible option is headed our way.
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