Go to www.rx8forums.com and you'll find, for the most part, happy owners of RX-8s. I think you just got the wrong board. I drove the automatic version (there were no manuals in stock at the time!) and I was pretty impressed with the car. Its actually pretty fast, although you won't be able to race S2000s or 350Zs, but I guess in the bang-for-your-buck performance department it lags a bit behind what most people would consider its logical competitors (regardless if they are or not). If I had a $30k+ car sittin in my garage I wouldn't be moaning and bitching at all.