Checked Mazda website.

Maximum torque
man Nm 211 @ 5,500rpm
auto Nm 220 @ 5,000rpm

Didn't know the auto had more torque?

I'm not a car nut but higher lower end torque can only be a good thing, albeit at the expense of 30 odd KW.

Hi Mogley. Take a wander back to the Mazda web site specs page and take a look at the details of the two transmissions. The auto has only 4 gears instead of the manual's 6 and uses taller gearing (fewer engine rotations to corresponding rear wheel rotations). This will translate to the engine running from lower revs through the gear change points and also to lower revs for any given vehicle speed in top gear (do the maths with the overall top gear/diff ratios and you'll see that the auto RX8 will be running about 500RPM less at 100KPH). The output differences you've found, combined with the inherent torque mutiplication by the torque converter, will make the car more "driveable" with this gearing configuration.

Cheers,
Rod.

Who do you think you are? Rotary God? hehe

Yeah the auto has higher torque but can only apply it up till 7k+ rpm. The manual though lower can apply that torque longer so the engine in the manual still accelerate faster.