My friend hates manual therefore he is getting the 6-Speed Auto. my question is... they have different engines for the different transmission. one is "4 port. 212 HP" and the other is "6 port. 232 HP"

are these two entirely different engines? or can you make the "4 port" a "6 port"???

OMG >_<

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOToI7JuT9g

are these two entirely different engines? or can you make the "4 port" a "6 port"???

easily? not really

honestly, if your friend doesn't like driving manual, maybe he shouldn't buy a RX-8 at all.

I told him that but he just loves the car, so i can't stop him. i just wanna research for him on what model he should get.

But are the engines the same?

04-05, no, structurally they are not, and trying to 'upgrade' one from 4 port to 6 port is just financially senseless.

starting 06 though, both auto and manual uses the same '6 port' engine, the auto just get rev-limited to 7500rpm so the torque converter doesn't get blown to bits by 9000rpms that the manual can go up to

are you sure, i am on MazdaUSA.com right now and it says for auto it's 4 port. and i'm pretty sure they are showing 06/07's

are you sure, i am on MazdaUSA.com right now and it says for auto it's 4 port. and i'm pretty sure they are showing 06/07's

i'm about 95% certain the 06-07 autos are 6-port engines, because the 'old' 4-ports on the 04-05 autos are listed at 197hp.

but the bottom line is, if the car has a torque converter, it's not gonna make more power than the 3-pedal version :ylsuper:

Heh, I asked this question.. Although, auto will fit me best. 212 HP, 6 speed AT isn't so bad..

Get a MT (Six Speed). Trust me, it's better that way.

manual is better. i traded in the auto cuz i wanted more.

And Dr. Tran will_________
_________Fuck Autos up!

Nothing wrong with an Auto. I'd rather spank with a paddle than play with my stick :)

I'd rather spank with a paddle than play with my stick :)

There's the flaw in your comment, already. Everyone loves playing with their stick!

...wait, we're talking about transmissions?!

Well, just do some mods on the auto and you'll be fine.. I think?

Stick?

Hey RotaryP7, did you finally pick your 8 up?

MichaelBrown, I have an 06 AT and I love it. In manual mode the engine is very responsive and when faced with traffic you simply put into Drive and relax. Don't shy away from this beautiful, great handling car b/c it's not manual.

Hey RotaryP7, did you finally pick your 8 up?


I'm going to the dealer tomorrow. Might try different ones around Miami. I'll give the seller who worked your contract a try also. Gotta find the best deal. :mdrmed:

is your feriend avoiding manual because he hates driving stick? or because he doedsnt want to learn to drive stick? if its the latter, tell him it'll be worth it to learn for ANY car. and if its the prior...well i dont know.

Give them a try....they're nice guys. It's a bit of a drive up to Pompano but definitely worth the trip.

Just make sure he really, really wants the auto because it's s decision that lots of people have regretted when they debated between the two and didn't get the manual.

stick. i learned to drive stick only for the rx8. there IS a difference from AT that will always be appreciated (beep!click-clack)

but the bottom line is, if the car has a torque converter, it's not gonna make more power than the 3-pedal version :ylsuper:

I KNEW IT! Pedals do add more horsepower! Im going to autozone right after work.

i have an 04 auto and its nice if you dont want to learn stick. i test drove a 06 mt about a week ago and couldnt believe the power difference. i say learn to drive the stick cause its alot more fun then the auto. but if you dont really care about the speed and just looking for the rx8 look and handling then go auto.

Driving stick is also safer than driving an Automatic. It forces you to pay more attention to your driving world when compared to an Autobox. You have to think: Do I have to downshift for this hill? Is the person ahead of me going to slow down? Etc...

Have your friend drive both and then they can decide which they like better.

friends don't let friends buy auto rx8's.

Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNjOG5fRSd0&search=rx8

friends don't let friends buy auto rx8's.
I'd buy a totally different car if I had to get AT. One with a lot more torque.

The RX-8 is gutless with teh auto (especially 4 spd), but it still handles good. It reminds me of driving a Miata

(Heavy Sarcasm)- wow the black rx-8 in the video is sssoooooo much faster than the auto 8. after seeing that, I think I'm going to return my 06 auto for an MT! That whole second faster is totally worth it!

This question is very subjective and highly dependent on many different variables, i.e. daily commute, area driven, age, intended use, etc... Not everybody cares about 0-60 times, or 1/4 mile track runs. If this is important, the MT is the way to go.

Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNjOG5fRSd0&search=rx8
As if the weak and wimpy AT ever had a fighting chance.

They should have done a 0-60 to see the AT suck even more MT fumes. :)

Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNjOG5fRSd0&search=rx8


LOL! wow---that vid = BS...keep watching his spedometer....it goes from 75 to 72 as he goes "DA** HES BLOWING THE F*** OUTA ME!" (or somewhere near there)

I know the manual is faster, but last time I checked, if you race cars, you press the gas pedal. Also, if he was smart/good at it, I'm sure he could've raced better with the paddle shifters. (Not to mention his increased almost sarcasm about the race the ENTIRE video)

Another vid. of a STOCK auto 8 went 0-at least 100Kph in the time that guy went +20mph----I know its kph, but 100kph is more than 20mph......fake vid FTW? :mdrmed:

Yeah, that vid is fake. IRL, a good MT driver would smoke an AT.

Yeah, that vid is fake. IRL, a good MT driver would smoke an AT.

But if the auto driver knew how to paddle shift a lil, the auto might just finally creep within 4 car lengths of the manual :) Not to mention the extra hand he could use to drink his coffee/monster without having to put it down from 0-125mph :ylsuper:

lol...speaking of which, i'm on some monster right now. Biology test tomorrow.

"My car is faster than yours...na na na....my MT 8 is .085467 nano seconds faster than the AT 8 ....PLEEAASE!!! We're talking about RX8's! Not Porsche 911 Turbos, or SL 55s!

Do we really need to relegate ourselves to watch 19-20 years stoners racing their cars on the backstreets of Buttplug Kansas!

^ No, but the ATs esp. the 04-05s are definitely slower than that MTs.

^Yes everyone knows that! That's the point! The person who buys an AT more than likely doesn't give a rip about the slight difference in performance b/n MT/AT. The AT buyer is looking for a sporty car/feel without the hassle of changing gears 300 times for every 10 miles driven in the city.

Kudos to Mazda for closing the gap b/n the AT/MT in the 06 and 07 models.

^Yes everyone knows that! That's the point! The person who buys an AT more than likely doesn't give a rip about the slight difference in performance b/n MT/AT. The AT buyer is looking for a sporty car/feel without the hassle of changing gears 300 times for every 10 miles driven in the city.

Kudos to Mazda for closing the gap b/n the AT/MT in the 06 and 07 models.
Oh well, let them eat cake. It's a pretty unsatifsying recipe. Low HP, weak torque, and a sluggish transmission.

Get a used G35 AT sedan instead.

Oh well, let them eat cake. It's a pretty unsatifsying recipe. Low HP, weak torque, and a sluggish transmission.

Get a used G35 AT sedan instead.

Perhaps b/c they like the syling of the RX8 instead? Or b/c they prefer the rotary engine? Or b/c they can get a new RX8 for the same price of a used $30K + mile G35? Do I need to go on?

and BTW, MOST PEOPLE WHO BUY AT 8's DON'T CARE ABOUT IT BEING A BIT SLUGGISH!! They will sacrafice a bit of performance for comfort and convenience!!!Why is that so hard for some people to understand!!!

this AT vs. MT has been debated to death. do a search and listen to everyone go back and forth about it. personally, i like the control of a MT and think that most that go AT are just scared to try MT. it's fine by me b/c i'd rather they not burn out a nice clutch learning on an 8 but get a beater and learn - you won't regret it.

of course there is another side and those that live in major metropolitan areas or have heavy, slow moving traffic, in which case MT might be a pain to some but the chance to get to 9k and move on your terms well outweighs that negative.

this AT vs. MT has been debated to death. do a search and listen to everyone go back and forth about it. personally, i like the control of a MT and think that most that go AT are just scared to try MT. it's fine by me b/c i'd rather they not burn out a nice clutch learning on an 8 but get a beater and learn - you won't regret it.

of course there is another side and those that live in major metropolitan areas or have heavy, slow moving traffic, in which case MT might be a pain to some but the chance to get to 9k and move on your terms well outweighs that negative.
OR Have a medical condition that prevents from driving a manual vehicle (low %), or one car and wife/hubby that will not drive a stick'd car no matter what.


This topic has been beaten to death and usually the poster get bashed on pretty bad also.

It's pretty hard to burn out a clutch learning to drive stick.

I dont care what my parents say and no one in my family knows how to drive a stick except for my father which he used to drive it 30 something years ago.

but I still got it.

its great because no one going to touch my car ! AHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (well my pop drove it couple of times, but thats about it, he has his own car and my brother has his own car so its all good)

As if the weak and wimpy AT ever had a fighting chance.

They should have done a 0-60 to see the AT suck even more MT fumes. :)

Dont even need to do 0-60, just go around the track an MT probably going to dust the AT in 1 lap.

The only possible way that an AT beat a MT is the AT has been highly modified.(of the MT driver is a retard) but again if the MT is highly modified it will still whoop the highly modified AT's ass.

i have an AT and i'mvery happy with it, i might not be as fast as MT but atleast i have paddle shifter and yes you have MT but you cant even beat an rsx/celica or even a honda odyssey EX .

im srry im going to have to retract on what you just said rotor head..... an rx8 not beat a celica or rsx...... ive seen them beat them at the track near me. both bone stock maybe each have new exhaust THATS IT! lol

I drove the six-speed auto a few months ago (still need to write it up). Drove a stick RX-8 to and from the dealer, so I could easily compare the two.

I never drove the 4-speed automatic car. The six-speed isn't bad as automatics go. Just use the paddles to get the revs up, and it's not slow.

My friend in the passenger seat was considerably less impressed, though. He drives an IS 300 automatic himself, but thought an RX-8 auto made no sense. Of course, he'd come to that conclusion even before we got into the car.

Would I rather have a stick? Sure, no question.

But if someone's going to be choosing among cars with automatics, I don't think the RX-8 auto is a bad way to go at all. If there's ever been an engine that could use two extra ratios, it's this one, and now it's got them.

I drove the six-speed auto a few months ago (still need to write it up). Drove a stick RX-8 to and from the dealer, so I could easily compare the two.

I never drove the 4-speed automatic car. The six-speed isn't bad as automatics go. Just use the paddles to get the revs up, and it's not slow.

My friend in the passenger seat was considerably less impressed, though. He drives an IS 300 automatic himself, but thought an RX-8 auto made no sense. Of course, he'd come to that conclusion even before we got into the car.

Would I rather have a stick? Sure, no question.

But if someone's going to be choosing among cars with automatics, I don't think the RX-8 auto is a bad way to go at all. If there's ever been an engine that could use two extra ratios, it's this one, and now it's got them.

^Can't agree with you more.
I drove the 4 spd auto the 6 spd manual and the 6 spd auto before making my decision. The 4 spd was a distant third while the 6spd auto with the paddle shifters was noticeably quicker. Sure the MT was the fastest, but not fast enough to justify it's use (IMO) in a major metro area.

A great advantage of the AT is I can drink my Red Bull in the mornings on my way to work w/o having to put it down to shift.....moreover it doesn't fit in the cupholders therefore I need to hold it throughout my drive, couldn't do that with the MT. :mdrmed:

^exactly. That's what you would do in an AT.

^Can't agree with you more.
I drove the 4 spd auto the 6 spd manual and the 6 spd auto before making my decision. The 4 spd was a distant third while the 6spd auto with the paddle shifters was noticeably quicker. Sure the MT was the fastest, but not fast enough to justify it's use (IMO) in a major metro area.

A great advantage of the AT is I can drink my Red Bull in the mornings on my way to work w/o having to put it down to shift.....moreover it doesn't fit in the cupholders therefore I need to hold it throughout my drive, couldn't do that with the MT. :mdrmed:

That depends on the person.

I live in one of the shittest traffic city, New york.

I have no problem shifting up and down. Ahh its a pain sometimes but not that hard to do. Just need some time to get used to.

That depends on the person.

I live in one of the shittest traffic city, New york.

I have no problem shifting up and down. Ahh its a pain sometimes but not that hard to do. Just need some time to get used to.

After 4 MT cars, and 4 AT cars it's hard to go back to MT in a city with a lot of traffic. Perhaps someday when I live in a less congested area or have a sports car as my "weekend" car then I'll dive back into the MTs. Til then, paddle shifters will have to do! :cwm27:

My gf bought the car for looks, she could careless. Her supercharged Mercedes can kill a standard or automatic RX-8 down the straight