Richmond Hill, Ontario – Mazda has announced that its 2009 RX-8, currently on its way to dealers, receives a refreshed exterior and interior design, enhanced performance, and a new R3 sport package for driving enthusiasts, along with a new extended engine warranty for all RX-8 models from 2004 on.

Refinements for 2009 included restyled front and rear bumpers, new front fascia, new front and rear lamps and larger exhaust pipes. It also offers a new five-spoke wheel, featuring a symbolic design reminiscent of the rotary engine. Inside, the centre instrument panel is redesigned, a new steering wheel and redesigned front and rear seats are added, and a variable red-zone has been added to the tachometer that rises as the engine comes to operating temperature. Body rigidity is improved through a new trapezoidal strut tower bar, while the rear suspension geometry has been reconfigured for better handling performance.

The R3 sport package includes a sport-tuned suspension, Bilstein shock absorbers, front suspension crossmembers filled with urethane foam, new rear spoiler and side sills, fog lights, sporty front bumper and 19-inch forged aluminum wheels with high-performance tires.

The RX-8’s rotary engine warranty has also been extended to eight years or 160,000 km, whichever comes first, on top of the basic warranty of three years/80,000 km and powertrain warranty of five years/100,000 km. Mazda will also extend the engine warranty to all existing 2004-2008 model-year RX8 vehicles; owners have been notified directly of the warranty change.