The trunk can carry two sets of golf clubs. We were able to fit a desk chair and storage crate back there. A vertical compartment opens to the trunk to allow the carrying of skis and such.
For the driver, the instrument panel seems to sacrifice efficiency for style. There are three big rings, dominated by the 10,000-rpm tachometer in the center, with only a digital speedometer located at about 9:00 on the tach face. The two large outside rings only include gauges for water temp, fuel and oil pressure. We miss having a separate speedometer. The instruments are illuminated with indirect blue lighting.
The RX-8 has great seats, a nice fit with good bolstering, though the cloth seat material wasn't as attractive to our eyes as it might have been. We like the stitched leather three-spoke steering wheel, both for its style and feel. Another great thing was the drilled aluminum pedals, including a very secure dead pedal. The brake pedal is designed to make rotation of your right foot easier, for heel-and-toe downshifting, and it also releases upon impact, to lessen leg injuries in the case of a head-on crash. Each knee is comfortably and firmly supported during hard cornering.
The panel forward of the gearshift lever is trimmed in a combination of leather and high-quality vinyl and glossy black plastic. The stereo and climate control knobs are integrated; redundant controls are on the steering wheel spokes. The air conditioning wasn't as effective as we expected it to be.
The doors and seatbacks have ample pockets and cranny space, and four CDs can fit in the console, but there aren't a lot of cubbies up front. The soft triangular shape of the engine rotors are found throughout the interior, most noticeably and stylishly in the headrests.
