I had the opportunity to drive a 6 speed titanium gray metallic RX-8 with the grand touring package last week. Great car, and I am seriously thinking of replacing my M3/4 (sedan) with one.
We had my buddy's S2000 parked right beside it, and in terms of appearence, there are very few similarities between the 'stook' and the RX. The RX is a larger car. Period. It is taller, longer and quite possibly wider (didn't measure it, but it looked close). Its lines are much rounder and full (dare I say ... "Rubenesque?"), while the S2k has a very lean and trim appearence. I must say I'm impressed that the RX only weighs 200 lbs more than the S2k despite having two additional seats and a fixed roof.
The RX-8 has only one thing truly in common with the S2000: they both deliver power in the same fashion, with big revs and short, short gears. It probably feels utterly guttless if you've just stepped out of a 350Z or (like me) an E36 M3, but make no mistake, its pretty quick. I expect to see people getting this car into the low, low 14s.. with maybe a freak 13.8 or 13.9 here and there.
The handling is superb. I would like slightly heavier steering (coming from nothing but German cars), but otherwise very agreeable. The body control is just right and the car will change its attitude very easily in mid-corner. Best part: its totaly neutral and tightens its line under power rather than understeer like a ***** like the 350Z.
Compare the real thing to the GT3 RX-8 Concept? Well.. the sensations you get from a video game are nothing like real life.. so playing the game and thinking you're really driving is like watching porn and thinking you're really having sex. The GT3 RX-8 doesn't even sound like the real thing... but that's probably because they were recording a prototype or just synth'd it. But what they did get right is how the car is very well balanced.
///M-Spec
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