Mazda RX-8 Original Generation Japanese Base Grade 1308 cc as Type G in 2009
Mazda renamed the Japanese RX-8 base grade Type G in May 2009, listing a 654 cc × 2 rotary engine and six-speed automatic transmission.
The base grade becomes Type G
On 25 May 2009, Mazda introduced its updated Japanese RX-8 range and renamed the base grade Type G. Its specification paired rear-wheel drive with a water-cooled two-rotor engine, listed as 654 cc × 2, and six-speed Activematic automatic transmission. The four-door, four-seat configuration continued. Mazda’s announcement.
This calendar-year record belongs beneath the existing Japanese base-grade 1308 cc RENESIS engine. It documents the naming transition without creating a duplicate Type G branch or treating 2009 as a separate generation.
Production and facelift context
RX-8 production began at Mazda’s Ujina No. 1 plant in Hiroshima on 17 February 2003, initially for Japan. That establishes the model’s manufacturing origin; it does not supply a Type G-specific production total or assembly date for individual 2009 cars. Mazda’s production announcement.
The Japanese facelift preceded the Type G name: Mazda announced the refreshed range on 10 March 2008. Changes included larger front bumper intakes, revised lighting, LED rear lamps, suspension revisions and new water and oil pumps for RENESIS. The base grade received 17-inch wheels and black fabric upholstery. Mazda’s 2008 price table listed both five-speed manual and six-speed automatic base versions, with manual sales scheduled for June. These are dated predecessor specifications, not evidence of a manual Type G in the May 2009 range. Mazda’s facelift announcement.
Equipment and historical significance
The May update standardized rain-sensing wipers, automatic lighting, water-repellent front-window and mirror coatings, advanced keyless entry/start and an audio-less configuration. Aluminum Metallic and Metropolitan Gray Mica joined the palette. Type G’s advertised tax-inclusive price was ¥2,630,000, excluding the separate recycling fee. Mazda’s equipment and price announcement.
Its significance here is the documented continuity between the unnamed Japanese base grade and Type G. The announcement establishes availability from that date, not a full-year production interval or an export-market model-year designation.
Japanese Base Grade 1308 cc RENESIS Rotary Engine
Parent engine record within the Japanese base-grade variant and original RX-8 generation.