That wonderful RX-8...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Victor Vance
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The problem is the RX-8 gets off to a slow start because of the powerband. Once the engine's singing, it pulls.

Edit: By the way, who was driving the RX-8? Did he know how to launch the RX-8 right? R&T measured at 5.9 seconds. The 1986 Dodge Omni GLH Turbo is factory-tested for 7.5 mph to 60. Those numbers don't make sense...
 
1.) Rev the car up, slip the clutch, you are now in your powerband.
2.) The numbers do make sense, but their Omni wasn't 2100 lbs and it was not making 14 psi of boost.

Who was driving the RX-8? The owner.
Does he know how to launch right? Yes. The thing is, my car will run a mid 14; meaning = John Force could be driving the 8 and he would still lose in a heads up race.

My last run at the track in 85 degree, 30 mph wind, humid crap weather and letting off between each shift netted a 2.2 60 ft and a 9.442 @ 75.296 mph. (when it is windy the track officials close the track down to the 1/8 mile) Compare that to the times at rx8club.com. Oh, and my car traps the 1/4 @ 95-96 mph.
 
MazKid
So you're calling the MazdaSpeed Miata and Protege(and soon-coming MazdaSpeed 6) mistakes?

nope, i'm not going to label them mistakes
i havent researched into the specifics of the mazdaspeed cars but i believe they are modified factory cars with bolt on turbo parts from a tuning company commissioned by mazda. so no, they are not mistakes and in my opinion they are not turbo cars released by mazda.
 
Good evaluation, but I dont see how you like the sound so much. It sounds like a washing machine if im honest. Of course, it is a wonderful car, and for such a low price.


And Mazkid is correct, the RX8 handles so well, and isnt meant for top speed or drag racing, its meant for drivers to enjoy.
 
Well, everybody already knows it handles great, looks great and sounds great(that whine is just unbelivable). My kid brother just traded in his WRX for this, and I got to drive it....... :drool: What I was surprised by was the ease to drive this car. I was bit nervous about the clutch with really short travel and the six speed shifter, but they just felt so right. I loved the interior too. Leather seats doesn't only look beautiful, it felt great. Rear seats could use little more legroom, but it was nice, even had center console.

I just read that its' 0-60 time is 7.08 and torque is rated at 159 ft-lbs. I do agree that it's bit slow for a sports car costing nearly $30,000(loaded), but I also agree with the guys who said that RX-8 is not about the straight line performance. Acceleration felt fine and I didn't even notice the lack of torque. I can't say enough about that clutch/shifter combo. 👍
 
a6m5
Acceleration felt fine and I didn't even notice the lack of torque.
Really? The torque curve from that engine is worse than a VTEC. I'm surprised.
 
G.T
Really? The torque curve from that engine is worse than a VTEC. I'm surprised.
No joke. Even my 4 cylinder Nissan Altima has 180ft-lbs of torque, which is quite bit more in my book, but until I got on the edmunds.com and checked the RX-8's specs, I had no idea that the car had so little torque. I don't know if Mazda uses this catch phrase in U.K., but the car was just "zoom-zoom" to me.
 
The RX7 is coming. I have it on very good authority, from a Mazda works-sponsored racing driver, who stumbled across a prototype in their R&D center, and was promptly told by Mazda that it was nothing and that he should forget he ever saw anything.
 
MarcoOne
Mazkid is correct, the RX8 handles so well, and isnt meant for top speed or drag racing.

... Does this car look like it was meant for top speed / drag racing?


blsideglh6kx.jpg



What you don't understand is, no auto maker builds a vehicle for a specific type of racing. It is what you make of it.
 
ND4SPD
Awesome car man! That looks to be the ultimate sleeper!
Yeah, that it actually sometimes starts up. :sly: Actually, I rode in one of those when I was a kid. This middle aged lady who was giving us a ride home in it was pushing it pretty hard(not literally). One of those memorable rides in your life. :D
 
I don't get what's wrong with you people... Good car and bad handling?? I've heard the exact opposite from everyone. ****ty car, falls appart and slow, but great balance and so forth. Wth!? I think it's a great car and I'd get one if I could.

As for you guys not fitting, try to get into the back. :lol: I didn't have a problem then again I'm 5'8 150lbs. :D
 
I'm torn on the RX-8. It's an odd duckling for sure. Sometimes I think it's ugly, but when I see the right one on the street.....damn, it's beautiful. Don't think I'll ever get one, though, as it has less than stellar reliability and gets awful mileage.
 
Great job reviving a thread that's over a year old.
 
I revived it. My brother bought one, so I searched for RX-8 thread and found this. :dopey:
 
a6m5
I don't know if Mazda uses this catch phrase in U.K., but the car was just "zoom-zoom" to me.
Yep, the advertising for Mazdas here are the same. :)

I love the looks of the car. My Dad was even going to buy one once, but what put him off was that the fuel economy will suck (even worse considering that fuel prices are bad here) and, even though it's practical for a coupe, the back seats wont be big enough for everyday use. There has also been the problem of changing the oil after every second fuel stop too which was off-putting.

Put all of that aside, the car handles nice, it's Japanese so it's reliable, it's quick enough for everyday use, more pratical than anything in its class here, it looks great and is cheaper than any other coupe in its class. What more could you want?

Oh, and I've noticed there isn't one picture of the car in here yet. Here we go:
mazda-rx8-126.jpg
 
Yeah, it's really nice, but not very practical. :D I fell in love with the car, but I could never buy one.
 
a6m5
Yeah, it's really nice, but not very practical. :D I fell in love with the car, but I could never buy one.

There you go. It just gets horrid gas mileage for a car of that power level. It looks pretty good, but I think the doors are too tall. It makes me feel like I'm 4 feet tall. But it does handle very well, though the touque curve could use some serious work.

If they ever get a turbo on it we could be talking here. :)
 
Anyone know of some widebody kits on the market for the RX-8?
 
Yep, but I'm talking particulary about WIDEbody/ Race replica kits.

Also, the other day we nearly bought a used RX-8. It was immaculate, red and came already fitted with a Mazdaspeed? bodykit:tup:

The interiors of the RX-8 are simply stunning in my opinion, the trim is layed out perfectly especially the red/black scheme.
 
Hey,

Thought I'd add my contribution to this thread. I have now bought an RX8, should have more than one picture soon, but at the moment only have this:
dsc00446s.jpg


I'm always saddened by prices from around the world, I wish it only cost $30k new here, but I bought mine 2 years old and it was $31k but hey, thats one of the 'benefits' of living in the UK.

I've only had it for a few weeks right now, but I've driven it almost a hundred miles, maybe a little more. So feel free to ask me any questions if ya want.

I'll say though, there is certainly NOT a lack of torque. Maybe if you compare it to a 3.5 litre V8 or something then yes, but for what it is, I think the torque is more than adequate. It's a little low perhaps under 1200 RPM but you just need to remember to blip the throttle more than you would normally. I had a 2.0 turbo Nissan 200sx before this and it felt like it had less torque at lower speeds.

Interior? Yeah it's great, I like it, the finish of the car is very good in general.

The BOSE sound system it comes with sucks ass though. My dad had a non BOSE sound system in a Vauxhall Omega as a family car (although I think the interior of the car was modified by BOSE) anyway, that sound system was amazing, I loved listening to it, with the RX8 I've had enough after a while. The bass is too high, in fact the levels are all a little wrong, constantly needing adjustment and the actual quality is very very average.

That aside, the music provided by the engine is electric! I love it. It's not for everyone, but the engine feels more alive to me than any I've had the pleasure of hearing before. At idle, you turn it on and the engine will whisper and whirr and whirl and whoosh and click and adjust. It's constantly speaking to you, it's constantly optimising itself for the temperature, speed and pressure that it's at. Something very inviting indeed.

When you are driving it, the engine just wants spin. The interior of the rx8 is full of triangular shaped items (gear knob, seat backs etc) that remind you its a rotary. However you don't need that to know it's different. The sound for one is nothing like you've ever heard before, part jet turbine, part half life gluon gun, part v12, part f1, part motorbike. The engine also never seems to want to run out of steam.

Anyone who has driven a real car on a long journey knows a piston engined car is happy at a particular RPM. Our carlton liked just under 3k, we have a diesel cavalier, it likes 2k, our Omega enjoyed between 3 and 4. But the RX8 is happy at any revs. You can be cruising at 2k or 6k and the car loves it.

I'll agree its straight-line out right speed isn't mind blowing but it's not slow by any means. Like the dealer said to me when I test drove it, "any idiot can drive a car fast in a straight line, lets take it on some corners". And this is where the car really comes into its own. ASM DSC TCS etc everything keeps the car glued to the ground. But even before you reach its limits, the car is so well balanced, so light and nimble, it's just amazing to drive.

Driving home a few times I've actually taken the longest possible route home just to drive it for some more.

So in summary:

Fuel consumption? Yeah it sucks because it's a sports car and you end up driving it fast.

Oil consumption? it's not that bad, and to be honest you should be monitoring your oil and water levels in a sports car anyway.

Drive? Straight line speed is good, and pretty much adequate for regular driving, and corner handling is out of this world. Due to the bulges over the front wheel arches you can really know where the front wheels are constantly.

Ride? When you aren't racing it, it's perfect. It settles down, is quiet and refined and an absolute joy to drive in the city (with a slightly heavy clutch though).

Rear seats make it a family car? Well not really, they aren't THAT big, and to be honest they are just big enough to allow you to carry a couple of your friends from here to there. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Would I buy another? Absolutely.

Do I like the rotary engine? Haha, its wonderful.
 
Awesome. 👍

It's a good comparison. My father was looking into buying one when they were relatively new, but never got to the stages of having a test drive. We knew already, despite the advertising that it's a "practical coupe", that the rear seats wouldn't be sufficient for myself (nearly 6ft) and my fast-growing brother (taller than me!).

Good comparison for the torque too. I've seen people launch in 2nd gear from little revs perfectly fine on the road, so it can't be that bad.

Good colour too. I don't see many Gun Metal Grey versions on the road. 👍
 
G.T
Awesome. 👍

It's a good comparison. My father was looking into buying one when they were relatively new, but never got to the stages of having a test drive. We knew already, despite the advertising that it's a "practical coupe", that the rear seats wouldn't be sufficient for myself (nearly 6ft) and my fast-growing brother (taller than me!).

Good comparison for the torque too. I've seen people launch in 2nd gear from little revs perfectly fine on the road, so it can't be that bad.

Good colour too. I don't see many Gun Metal Grey versions on the road. 👍
thx for the thumbs up! yeah i didn't like the silver colour, this one was called 'titanium' and it's actually a nice metallic shinny one when it's buffed up so i'm happy with it. 2nd gear launch is awesome :)
 
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