Tired of being "grassroots?"

Well, I recently sold most of my old cars and bought a 2006 Mazda Rx8 with 17k miles for a good price. Not having the space or time to work on my cars, and the fact that I was tired of things like weak defrosters, etc. led to this decision. Of course, I guess the the Rx8 could be considered grassroots, lol.

How can the RX-8 not be considering grassroots? It's a rotary-powered autocross weapon. It also had me at hello. Used ones seem to be great deals right now.

Yeah, and all of them are covered by a 8 year/100k mile warranty on the engine now.

The RX-8 is great fun to drive if torque is of little importance. Unfortunately, to my eyes, its a wonderful chassis cloaked by an aesthetically challenged body.

They can look good given the right subtle body mods, or even the color. I love RX-8's!

Thats why I bought my Fit, but I kept the Trans Am. Even though that is more mulletroots than grassroots.

Tired of it, but it looks like I'll be that way for quite a few years to come.

Too much other stuff in life that takes financial priority over a "nicer" car.

DirtyBird222 wrote: Thats why I bought my Fit, but I kept the Trans Am. Even though that is more mulletroots than grassroots.

mulletroots....... thats great

gamby wrote: Tired of it, but it looks like I'll be that way for quite a few years to come. Too much other stuff in life that takes financial priority over a "nicer" car.

Same here! At least the insurance is cheap. LOL

I like the RX8 and it sounds like you got a decent deal. Amazing how most of these cars topped $30k new and they're half price in a few years.

David S. Wallens wrote: How can the RX-8 not be considering grassroots? It's a rotary-powered autocross weapon. It also had me at hello. Used ones seem to be great deals right now.

You mean, herro?

You know what they say, small displacement, big...

An RX8 is still definitely grassroots. $2000 cars are cool, but there comes a point when you just realize that $20,000 cars are actually nicer to live with. I bought an 05 CTS-V for $26k earlier this year and the prices have dropped way below that now. For less than the price of a new V6 Accord it has heated seats, leather/suede, satnav, and oh yeah, 400 hp/400 lb-ft and a 6-speed. I love this car; I've drag raced it and I autocrossed it just last weekend. It was a blast. A torquey, 3800-pound blast.

Anyone who tells me that this car isn't grassroots can suck it, Trebek.

I'd e all over the RX8 if it weren't for the rotary. And the body. Oh yeah - also the interior. Other than that, they are terrific!

How is a 26 thousand dollar cadillac grassroots? Don't get me wrong, that's a badass ride, but it sure as E36 M3 aint grassroots..First all of the love for Stazey David, now a grassroots 05 stock cadillac? Ugh...

Will wrote: An RX8 is still definitely grassroots. $2000 cars are cool, but there comes a point when you just realize that $20,000 cars are actually nicer to live with. I bought an 05 CTS-V for $26k earlier this year and the prices have dropped way below that now. For less than the price of a new V6 Accord it has heated seats, leather/suede, satnav, and oh yeah, 400 hp/400 lb-ft and a 6-speed. I love this car; I've drag raced it and I autocrossed it just last weekend. It was a blast. A torquey, 3800-pound blast. Anyone who tells me that this car isn't grassroots can suck it, Trebek.

Nice price for a CTS-V - locally dealers were looking to get $36k for similar used cars 9 months ago. It's grassroots to let someone else eat 1/2 the depreciation and get a good performance car that can faul a family of 4 and still haul ass...

Yeah, I dumped grassroots when I bought my CPO 750Li - nothing even remotely grassroots about that car, other than getting it for less than half the original $95k-ish sticker It was fun for a luxobarge yesterday though when I was hauling through some narrow, twisty back roads near Watkins Glen at a good clip over the posted 55 limit - that beast really does handle well, and nothing wrong with 360hp/360 lb-ft either. Hopefully next Spring I'll find a good deal on a cheap E30 or Miata and get back into the game.

ManofFewWords wrote: How is a 26 thousand dollar cadillac grassroots? Don't get me wrong, that's a badass ride, but it sure as E36 M3 aint grassroots..First all of the love for Stazey David, now a grassroots 05 stock cadillac? Ugh...

So if I understand you correctly, anyone who takes a new, 2009 Mustang to an autocross, drag strip or track day is not grassroots because that car costs $27,000. Is that actually what you're saying? Or is a cheaper Cadillac somehow less grassroots than a more expensive Ford?

Will wrote: So if I understand you correctly, anyone who takes a new, 2009 Mustang to an autocross, drag strip or track day is not grassroots because that car costs $27,000. Is that actually what you're saying?

Uh, yeah.

Grassroots is about taking a car and putting it together for a tenth of that price, and beating the stink out of the newer car, both on the strip and the track. Extra bonus points if it looks good as well.

You're new; hang around and read.. you'll learn.

pinchvalve wrote: You know what they say, small displacement, big...

repair bill?

Grassroots is in the eye of the beholder.

Grassroots is doing more with less.

For the right person grassroots could be a Ferrari.

Grassroots isn't just old clapped out cars, grassroots could be buying the better performer based upon price or simplicity of performance.

Grassroots is doing it on an amateur's budget.

carguy123 wrote: Grassroots is in the eye of the beholder. Grassroots is doing more with less. For the right person grassroots could be a Ferrari. Grassroots isn't just old clapped out cars, grassroots could be buying the better performer based upon price or simplicity of performance. Grassroots is doing it on an amateur's budget.

I like the way you put that. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I wrote a column about that a little while ago. As soon as we start making hard and fast rules about what is and what is not grassroots, then we're not grassroots.

All this talk to what is and isn't "grassroots" makes me feel like it'll be a Starting Line topic in a future issue.

David you've rendered my post practically useless.

Sorry about that. I want to say that the column ran three or four issues ago. I don't have my archives hard drive hooked up at the moment. But seriously, "grassroots" is different things to different people. It's kind of like pornography, though, as most of us know it when we see it.

I think you can have a lot of fun with that car in any area of motorsports that you might enjoy participating in. HPDEs and auto-x come to mind. I've always wanted to drive an RX-8. I don't think it's un-grassroots of you at all. Well said, Carguy123.

It's the Aug 08 issue, page 32.

This issue just happens to be on my desk, I didn't go searching for it or anything.