The Mazda RX-8 met its demise back in 2012 with no follow-up act in sight, but it’s surprising how it continues to be a darling among tuners. Enter an Indonesian body shop that decided to give its very own facelift, and they didn’t stop at just slapping on some new lipstick; no, they went ahead and borrowed lighting units from a more recent Mazda6 because, well, why not?
This RX-8 makeover is just one of the many pet projects of a local shop known as Kupu-Kupu Malam, which translates to moths (yes, those night butterflies). They claim their redesign took cues from the RX Vision concept, although you might need some serious squinting to spot any connection. Nonetheless, they’ve painstakingly replaced most of the body panels with their own handmade versions, attempting to stay loyal to Mazda’s design language.
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The highlight of the build is the LED headlights and taillights which come from a different model of the same automaker. The third-generation Mazda6 sedan debuted in 2012, the same year that the RX-8 was discontinued. In order for the different lighting units to be compatible with the design, the team had to redesign the bumpers, fenders, hood, and tailgate.
It’s safe to say that many would argue the front bumper is a tad excessive, what with those enlarged intakes and a splitter that could probably double as a bookshelf. The same can be said for the oversized side skirts and the rear diffuser that appears to be a flipped version of the Duomo Cathedral in Milan. And let’s not forget the questionable decision to ditch the signature suicide doors of the sporty Mazda in favor of a pair of Lamborghini-style suicide doors.
The rear wing appears to be straight out of the NFS Underground world, while the side gills have a similar vibe. Surprisingly, despite the extensive exterior overhaul, the RX-8 is still rolling on the stock 18-inch alloy wheels introduced with the facelifted version back in 2008 – they appear somewhat undersized compared to all the added bodywork.
It’s unclear whether this modified RX-8 pairs its wild aesthetics with any powertrain upgrades. As a reminder, the RX-8 originally came equipped with a tiny but punchy 1.3-liter twin-rotor engine that generated 192 hp (143 kW / 195 PS) in the base variant and up to 232 hp (173 kW / 235 PS) in its most potent iteration. The rotary engine is notorious for its thirst for fuel and its propensity to encounter issues after a certain mileage, leading some owners to contemplate engine swaps.
Whether you’re a fan of this over-the-top design or not, you can’t deny the craftsmanship that went into this extensive bodykit overhaul. While the shop hasn’t disclosed the cost of these modifications, considering the relatively low prices of used Mazda RX-8s nowadays, it likely wasn’t a budget-breaking endeavor.
Photos: Kupu-Kupu Malam Indonesia / Instagram
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