i would like to give me your maximum speed with your rx8 and the comportement for this car at this speed thank you and sorry for my bad english i am a french canadian.

133... It didn't feel like 133, but the thought scared me

145 MPH for a quick "spirt" very early morning (sun just coming up) on a very sparse interstate. Very stable....felt like I was goin about 70 MPH.

i topped out at 128, although i was going uphill

Someone (Canzoomer perhaps?) had his car up to 148 MPH...

Originally posted by graphicguy
145 MPH for a quick "spirt" very early morning (sun just coming up) on a very sparse interstate. Very stable....felt like I was goin about 70 MPH. Yeah right dude, felt like 70.. paalease... Yes, it is stable but it will not feel or sound like you are going 70... I've done 140 myself.

I have been an indicated 155 in mine, slight downhill. Does 145 beautifully on level ground. Not used to braking from that speed by any means, but it does such a beautiful job anyway. Don't recommend trying to attain these speeds, but they are possible, but not safe.
Love this car...

110 mph on a brand new empty stretch of interstate. It handled incredibly well. I was surprised that it seemed comfortable-fun. I was at 5500 rpms in 6th gear. I would not want to do that speed anywhere near other cars. Any other drivers that don't know what you are doing could kill you with one small lane change or panic braking.

Next time I'll do it out the speedway.

I once was leaving Hooters in Grapevine, when 3 of their waitresses where coming out. I had just unlocked her when they walked up and asked if she was mine. I was like, sure wanna look? They really liked her and I of course asked them if they wanted to go for a short ride. The three of them hopped in and off we went on 114 towards Dallas. I got her up to 141 mph and she handled better than I had expected. One of the girls asked how fast we were going, after I told her, she asked if I could slow down. I did, and returned them to their vehicles. That's one of the reasons why I chose the RX8 over a Mustang, the style and beauty of the RX8 wins over the sheer power of the Mustang Cobra. I haven't had any regrets. :)

So far, I've had mine at 132 (I-95 in SC) and it was as solid as a rock. I'm in Germany now (still waiting for my baby to get here) but surely will spend plenty of time cruising the Auto Bahn and seeing what it'll REALLY do!

The Auto Bahn -- in my dreams. Have fun with it!

I have only had mine up to 110 MPH but I agree with the unanimous stability comments. It takes a lot to make this car nervous.

Kudos to Mazda engineers on this.

Hit the big fat 97MPH......all too easily mind you.

133 MPH briefly, clear highway, no traffic. The car handled incredibly well. Didn't feel light or skittish at all. When I went down to 80 it was amazingly slow. :)

Fabulous car at speed, no doubt!

i've been up to 160kph in the old '91 Grand Caravan (way before we sold it)... floated like icecream in rootbeer over the smallest of undulations.

i've hit ~135kph in the Echo when i wasn't looking at the speedo at ~2.00am on a clear freeway a few times... felt solid enough for me, even in on the damp banked curves of the #1 (that's the "401-way-out-west" for you Torontonians ;) )

125 in the rx-8 (on a race track)

145 in the 308 (on a race track) and (on a race track)......

148 heading west on Auto Ban. i find it intresting that someone posted they hit 155 when it is electronicly limited to 148...... unless of coures he found a chip that i havent :)

147@9000 rpm 5th Gear
148 when i touched 6th.... then the good olll baaaaaaaaaaaaa....... stupid computer

Originally posted by Rx8Freehk
i find it intresting that someone posted they hit 155 when it is electronicly limited to 148...... unless of coures he found a chip that i havent :)


norht american cars don't have to be electronically limited, but i find it really hard to believe that they passed the 150mph mark, unless they were going downhill ('cause of the drag factor).

I bought my car in Little Rock, and hit 148 here in germany (never tried while i was in States) and yes it is limited to 148, at that speed your engine cuts fuel....... i need a new chip #$#@#@$@#

Originally posted by Rx8Freehk
148 heading west on Auto Ban. i find it intresting that someone posted they hit 155 when it is electronicly limited to 148...... unless of coures he found a chip that i havent :)

147@9000 rpm 5th Gear
148 when i touched 6th.... then the good olll baaaaaaaaaaaaa....... stupid computer
According to the figures I have the RX-8 does 17.1 mph/1000 rpm in 5th gear. So if you were doing 9000 rpm in 5th then you were doing 154 mph. 1 mph faster in 6th and you were actually doing 155 when the limiter cut in (with a good tail wind I think this is quite possible).

This makes more sense - who limits cars to 148? 155 is a kind of industry standard.

Rev counters are much more accurate than speedometers so I would say you were really going 155. The limiter was probably accurate as it would just trigger at a certain revs in 6th gear. The strange thing is speedometers nearly always overread, not underread - but maybe it's just not very accurate at all at those sort of speeds.

Made the 45-mile trip from Laramie to Cheyenne, (on an old two-lane highway, that was replaced in the early 60's by Interstate 80), in 30 minutes flat. Averaged 110... highest speed I attained was a wimpy 130, had to shut it down because of the cross-wind. i must say that this is THE best handling car I've ever owned, or had the pleasure of driving. It stayed right in its lane, hugging the center line, no problems whatsoever. I'm waiting for the chance to get out on a track one day...:cool:
On a recent trip to Colorado, I managed to get to 145 MPH. The car felt like it was doing about 75. Gear/RPM : 6th/5800,(Approx.).
:D

I was the one who posted 155, and I did state it was on a slight downhill. I certainly thought it was limited at 148, but I am just saying what the speedo read. I do know that 145 is not hard to reach by any means, just some road, 4th gear to 9k, the rest in 5th. Very impressive. Done my top speed runs already, don't need anymore.

110 today, way more stability than my 03 Cobra...I could'nt go over 85 in that thing and see through my mirrors!

well I only got mine up to about 102 on the test drive. (salesman just handed me the keys and said have fun I have some other folks up in finance. go figure. lol

nice too see u guys hittin the 145 barrier. us 6's are governed at 120:(. hope to see one of u on the roads.

I have hit 120 a few times. I have to disagree (maybe it is the chin spoiler, etc.) but the front end does seem to lift a lttle at about 115. Both times i slowed down to hit corners.

However, I am constantly hitting 90-100 when I am not looking in 6th. I end up chasing up the tailpipe of some unsuspecting Sieanna. I love the way the speedo is hidden from the passenger - on the I-10 in between Quartzite and Phoenix, I set the cruise at 100 - and my passenger thought it was 70!

i hit 120 on the freeway in a test drive last week....cant wait to buy the bitch.

I hit a 155mph a few weeks ago on George Bush going east and I was flying. I was going like 6,500rpms in 6th gear and it felt like it wanted more , but I held the pedal to the floor and it wouldn't pass 155. But it handled beautifully at that speed. What an adrenaline rush: my heart was pounding!!

Held it at 145 for about 15 miles or so on a desert stretch of I-10 out side of Phx. Car felt really stable though I'm sure having the body kit on helped out with the down force and areodynamics. With the car being lowered the coilovers were great and handled well. The 19s gave a great big foot print that held the ride in place very nicely.

I have to disagree about handling. I drove it at 200km/h (124mph) several times and every time it hit this speed and above, the car became unstable. I tried to go over 205Km/h but the steering wheel became very light. It's scary!

My car is just 2 weeks old. I check the tire pressure to make sure that it's right (32 psi).

Before I have the RX-8, I had Mercedes C200 Kompressor. Its handling was very bad at 150km/h. So I lowered the car with SACHS and put 18"x8.5"(front) and 18"x9.5" on. The car was very good in term of handling. I drove it at 220km/h with very stable feeling. The max speed is 230km/h but never got a clear road for it.

Before I go get my RX-8 lowered, I would like to know whether something wrong with my car or it's just the nature of the RX-8. Has anyone of you go over 124mph frequently? Do you notice the same thing?

I drive on high speed toll way every day and the result is still the same every day. Not happy at all. :(

Mine seemed very stable at high speed. Canzoomer stated feeling a slight lifting effect. I have the front spoiler installed.

I've hit ~120mph (kinda rather look at the road than the speedo). The car front lifted slightly and the car felt "squirmish". I have yet to check alignment but I suspect this will be the squirmish feeling, the lift however was disturbing.

I've seen ~150+ in my previous car (Audi S4) and it was an aerodynamic brick. At that speed it was very stable with no lift (something to be said about German Engineering and design).

I have the factory front spoiler and rear wing on the RX-8. I can tell you it is more cosmetic than useful.

It's odd that some people are experiencing lift, in the RX-8 book it says that the RX-8 has negative lift (or downforce) both front and rear at high speed. Of course theory is different that real life...

Originally posted by brothervoodoo
Yeah right dude, felt like 70.. paalease... Yes, it is stable but it will not feel or sound like you are going 70... I've done 140 myself.

Took my brother in law out for a little test drive.....he ask how fast we going...... as I rolled by a car that seemed like it was standing still....135 no way feels like we are doing 80............No lift felt very stable......

145mph

The car had no problem acheiving that speed. While I was on smoth pavement, like everyone has said, it was stable. However, after easing up the speed dropped to maybe 120 or so, there was a gentle curve in the road, not a problem. Just past the apex there was a bump - a small one. But the back end jumped out a bit. If I was going 10mph faster, I would not be typing this post. Fun? Yes. Dangerous? HELL YES!! No roll cage, no helmet, no emergency crew within 50 miles. I will save my testosterone for Texas World Speedway.

I have had mine cut out, I think I was about 145 or so, when I glanced at the speedo. I was on my way to work on I40 W, moderate traffic. I just dont really care what momma in the mini van thinks because i drive a little over the speed limit on the way to work. Wait until she catches me going by on one of my motorcycles...

141 mph

It was sweet.

Drools...............

180KMH - LIMITED!!!!! JDM T.T

Last summer,`I drove a Porshe 911 Carrera 4 at 155 MPH and it's the same feeling whit my RX8 at 150 MPH.

It' so crazy

Damn, I'm reading about all you guys doing over 130's, 140's and even 150's and I only had my car at 128, and I thought that was "the shit". I guess I need to go back and push a little harder.

RX8Power

I've gotten pretty fast. Not quite as fast as those posting in the 140's but hey the car handled fine at the speeds it was at. Nobody ever knows when I'm going faster than 100mph.

I'm still in the break-in period and I haven't pushed it yet. The fastest I had it is around 90 for a quick burst, which it did effortlessly. I calculate that the 8 is geared to hit 180 at 9000 rpm in 6th gear - I doubt it has the power to push that far, but it'd be interesting to see what it would do without the limiter (which I've always read was 148 also, not 155). I was guessing around 160 . . .

i am not going to lie to you like most of these other people ("oh but it fely like 70") i have been to the las vegas motor speedway a few times and they have a long stretch of road where, if your car accelerates fast enough, you can reach speeds in excess of 180 mph. well a stock rx8 cant do 180 but when i looked down at the speedometer for a split second, it read 161, then i let off. it REALLY didn't feel like 161 mph, but it didn't feel like i was going 70 either:D

it felt like there was plenty of downforce......no lift at all. stable, BUT DONT LET OFF THE WHEEL!

So there's no one feel like I feel? I'm driving to work every day on a high speed toll way that allows me to go above 124 mph every day. Again, the handling becomes very light and the handling performance drop at this speed and above.

I've read many posts saying the handling was superb at max speed. If you ever hit the max speed once or twice, it could be possible that you overlook the handling performance because you concentrated on the road and the speedometer.

Anyone driving at high speed on a daily basis? Don't you notice?

143 MPH and I ran out of road.

Vince

You fell down a cliff?? :eek:

Glad you're ok! ;)

My fastest speed was 163 MPH and a buddy on the dyno was 178

135mph at 6600rpm. It felt a little lighter than at slower speeds. But not too bad.
I want to know what rpm you guys at 155mph see in 6th gear.

126 with my wife and two female friends after we got done eating lunch one day. Our friend in the pasenger side back seat said all she could see was the speedometer going 7...8...9...10...11...12 because the last number was cut out. She thought it was my RPM's until my wife saw the speedo, freaked out, and I had to slow down.

I have 2500 miles on my RX-8 and I have only had it up to a little over 100 mph. It felt very stable. I live in Atlanta so traffic is usually heavy. Also, I am more afraid of the ticket than the high speed. (Assumming road conditions good).

Once I topped out 4th gear on my stock 3rd Gen. RX-7 (Which should be between 145 & 150). Also, I once drove it on a trip from Dayton, OH to Knoxville, TN averaging at over 100 Mph.

When I compare the two cars, the handling feels simalar to me. The RX-8 seems just slightly softer in suspension (not necessary bad after you own the car a few years and drive it daily). The power seems to be a little less but broader.

I would not be suprised if it did 160. Unlike the old twin turbo, the RX-8 has a very flat powerband. This would allow the car reach top speed without being sensitive to perfect gearing when compared to a car with a peaky torque.

Originally posted by mpt_yellowRX8
126 with my wife and two female friends after we got done eating lunch one day. Our friend in the pasenger side back seat said all she could see was the speedometer going 7...8...9...10...11...12 because the last number was cut out. She thought it was my RPM's until my wife saw the speedo, freaked out, and I had to slow down.

pfft...wives, always slowin us down :P j/p a good number of us would be dead without them.

142 for me, 4 passengers, level road, warm air. ran out of road and balls :D

I got mine up to 148 then I started slowing down since I'd never gone that fast before. I was both grinning from ear-to-ear and shaking at the same time!

It was on a pretty level road, maybe a very slight downhill but very level. I have no upgrades (exhaust, headers, intake, etc) so I did it on stock. Does anyone who have aftermaket performance enhancements intalled on their car gone 175 or higher? Would it be possible to reach 195 on the 8 with a good intake, headers, and exhaust system or would you need more (maybe turbo if it does come out for the 8)?

Originally posted by doccable
Made the 45-mile trip from Laramie to Cheyenne, (on an old two-lane highway, that was replaced in the early 60's by Interstate 80), in 30 minutes flat. Averaged 110... highest speed I attained was a wimpy 130, had to shut it down because of the cross-wind. i must say that this is THE best handling car I've ever owned, or had the pleasure of driving. It stayed right in its lane, hugging the center line, no problems whatsoever. I'm waiting for the chance to get out on a track one day...:cool:
On a recent trip to Colorado, I managed to get to 145 MPH. The car felt like it was doing about 75. Gear/RPM : 6th/5800,(Approx.).
:D Hell Doccable, you and I were routinely touching 120 MPH on that recent run down to Denver. :D

Best I've seen so far was 145 MPH also. Ran outta road (didn't think taking the upcoming 90 degree turn at that speed would be a good idea ;)), but the car had some go left in it and it felt pretty good and stable.

Originally posted by Omicron
Hell Doccable, you and I were routinely touching 120 MPH on that recent run down to Denver. :D

:D:D:D:D:D Hehehehe
Somehow this seems appropriate:

i think we max out via gearing at 187 or something...it is very obtainable however.

Originally posted by epitrochoid
i think we max out via gearing at 187 or something...it is very obtainable however.

Care to explain how 187MPH is "very obtainable"?

Just got a chance to be on a very clear road yesterday. The max speed was 239 Km/h. Can't go beyond this. In fact, the RX-8 dropped its speed to 238 Km/h after I kept pushing the car. 240 would look nicer but what can you expect when it's 238 as the top speed in the manual.

I hit 143 MPH yesterday, there is a rev limiter on sixth gear, right at 7200k. It wouldn't go above the 7200 line, even though I had pedal space left - I tried. I don't know yet what it'll top out at, I really wasn't trying... :)

I hit 123 before my rectum became so tight a cat couldn't scratch it!!
Also came up on a 4 runner at that speed and was afraid to change lanes. Very stable, you just don't want to hit a deer at 100+.

Originally posted by doccable
I hit 143 MPH yesterday, there is a rev limiter on sixth gear, right at 7200k. It wouldn't go above the 7200 line, even though I had pedal space left - I tried. I don't know yet what it'll top out at, I really wasn't trying... :) Yes, 6th is limited, but 5th isn't... :D

Originally posted by RedRx8Guy
Care to explain how 187MPH is "very obtainable"?

With just stage one 160's has been proven (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18480)

stage 2 is a few mph faster. i think once we see some forced induction, we'll have to open the tranny to avoid redline in 6th. what i meant by obtainable is that when compared to some other cars that can't touch redline in 6th gear even with FI applied, I believe that with work the 8 can.

I've hit 130 so far and loved every second of it ! My old '69 Mustang will do it too, but not without white knuckle drama and a scary scream from the tired old 351 V8.

The RX8 is just so increadibly smooth. It's like it was meant to run high. I plan on really topping this succer out soon. The Nashville Speedway is nearby and I can't wait to spend a weekend zooming around that brand new track!

Ok on the American spec rx-8 the top speed on a 6 spd mt with a just the GT package is 151mph. Thats 243 kmph. I have an american spec 8 here in Germany and did this speed on the autobahn numerous times. The tach pegs out at right around 9200rpm.
I don't have any mods at all. Its completely stock well, gt package, tinted windows and Mazda chrome wheels.

I don't have any intention on running over 100mph in our public roads here, but I have done 110mph. I didn't realize how fast I was running because aside from the fact that I was late on an appointment, a blue Celica GT-S and an old Porsche were pacing me. I guess they thought I was racing them when in truth, I was just late.

As for stability, it felt like I was running 50mph on my Solara :D 100mph on my boat-car felt scary.

Originally posted by Hiro
Ok on the American spec rx-8 the top speed on a 6 spd mt with a just the GT package is 151mph. Thats 243 kmph. I have an american spec 8 here in Germany and did this speed on the autobahn numerous times. The tach pegs out at right around 9200rpm.

You forgot to shift from 5th to 6th gear! Redline in 5th gear is around 240 km/h, NOT 6th gear.

Regards,
Gordon

I don't know about all this 180mph crapola. With stock gearing, 6th gear will give up about 19.5mph/1k rpm. At 9k rpm that works out to about 175.5 mph...but this doesn't take drag into account. Maybe, maybe it'll get 155-160 with no head wind, but I think that's about it assuming there is no rev limiter WHICH there is. I have personally seen a Formula Super Mazda in a test/tune and it is rev limited to 8500rpm. (This is a stock 13B with a header that gives it about 248hp according to the owner (Velocity Motorsports). The car was getting 170+ on the straight at Roebling Road. This car weighs in at over 1,000lbs LESS that an RX-8. So, someone tell me how they can get 160-180 out of a stock 8. I've seen 135 on mine and backed off not wanting to get caught again!

I hit 130 Coming back from Galveston. It only felt skittish when I changed two lanes and hit a bump in the road. If I drove like that regularly I would hope one of my friends would have me comitted.

I had my rx-8 to 155 mph, I weigh 130 lbs and had only a quarter tank of fuel. The car handeled very nicely. A sales person from the dealership told me, on personal time, that the 8 will do 160 mph but I don't see it unless going slightly downhill. Another sales person called me a lier and said that all cars in California can only legally go 144 mph by state law, either way I love this car and was very impressed on a recent trip to the beach on highway 58 (has 1st gear and 2nd gear hairpins and high speed sweeping turns, this road has it all). Very impressed with this car and have no regrets on my purchase.:D

Originally posted by Mello Yellow
I had my rx-8 to 155 mph, I weigh 130 lbs and had only a quarter tank of fuel. The car handeled very nicely. A sales person from the dealership told me, on personal time, that the 8 will do 160 mph but I don't see it unless going slightly downhill. Another sales person called me a lier and said that all cars in California can only legally go 144 mph by state law, either way I love this car and was very impressed on a recent trip to the beach on highway 58 (has 1st gear and 2nd gear hairpins and high speed sweeping turns, this road has it all). Very impressed with this car and have no regrets on my purchase.:D

More crapola. California doesn't restrict car speed capability. The manufacturer does at it's discretion, eg. Benz restricts all its AMG cars to 155mph; other are restricted to 130mph. As i nderstand, Mazda has limited the 8 to 148mph. You may get a little more on a downhill, but the engine isn't doing it, gravity is. Of course there are individual variances that may account for some abberations among cars. I'm sure you got one of the fastest though!:p

I found out today that in comparison to a GPS unit, my speedo is 3 MPH faster than the GPS. This was consistant across the board from about 20 - 140 MPH:D on the speedo. I'll be heading back out later today to kill a few more bugs and conduct further "scientific" studies on the differences...:cool:

Hit 160mph or 250km/h on Saturday I think the rev limmiter cicked in at that speed.
The road was quite flat

Originally posted by doccable
I found out today that in comparison to a GPS unit, my speedo is 3 MPH faster than the GPS. This was consistant across the board from about 20 - 140 MPH:D on the speedo.

nice to know it's consistent at least. I plan to try corroborating your results with my gps. although it may be a while before I work up to anywhere near 140! (I'm just picking it up this afternoon)

236.5 km/h by the Japanese in a oval test track... myself - 160 km/h. I am a good boy

My drivers licence is a bit oo important for me to get caught doing over 100Mph but i have found myself at 110 without meaning too. At some point in time (probably late at night) i will run the car up on a clear patch of road but the conditions will have to be right..

On that not I have anchored the brakes at 110 Mph on a test track. This car does stop.

Originally posted by takahashi
236.5 km/h by the Japanese in a oval test track... myself - 160 km/h. I am a good boy


TAKAHASHI

I consider myself a GOOD boy especially as i backed off after hitting 218kmph .

Man what a orgasmick experience .ha ha ha
cheers
michael

PS :YELLOW RX8S ARE ALWAYS FASTER .

135 on solo run....

120 side by side with my wife.... at 120, we were on hands free cells talking to each other. Drives like a dream. CZ Stage One ordered.... I think it will get me to 135 faster, but I have no real need to be way on the high side of 120. I lived in Germany for seven years and got most of it... most of it :D out of my system.

137 and 10 times more stable than my past car (wrx) that car felt like it was taking off at ohare international. the 8 was as stabel as I hav eever been at high speed.

I reached 245 Km/h (~ 153 mph) and I was filling that some I can add some km/h.
BTW, the car was stable with a light steering ...

245 km/h (152,24 mph)

above this speed it increases very slowly but you can reach 258km/h :)

last weekend I was able to hit 150mph on the way back from eastern WA. In the car had: 2 people, 2 golf bags with clubs, and 2 suitcases in the back seat. It felt very stable at high speed!!!

150... hmmm...

I think that is reachable... but where did you put two sets of clubs..... I can barely get one set in my trunk

I have to take the driver out of my bag before I put it in....but it is very easy after that to get two sets of clubs in the trunk.
(well....as easy as it can be when you are inching the bag in so you don't scratch your car :p )

as for the 150......we might have been on a slight down slope :D

I don't own an 8 but I'll post my top speeds on the cars I've driven anyways. My dad owns a Z and I hit about 130 in that. It was fairly stable. I also hit 145 in a Ford Taurus SHO.... now that car wasn't stable at all at that speed.

i thought i read somewhere the rx8 is electronically limited to 148mph.

the 240hp porsche 968 had a top speed of 156 mph. i test drove one- its not a rocket at regular speeds.

james

finally, this past Saturday, after receiving what I took as a "stay with me" challenge from a Cougar, I easily clung to his bumper up 35 - south of Ft. Worth. I was still in 5th and looked down - I was at 110 - I wasn't pushing it, thought - go for it, buddy - I still have one more gear. Went to 6, still right with him and getting closer and I looked down.. 126mph.... I though nah, this isn't safe, traffic's coming up, but then I still pressed the gas, 126,127,128,129,130..... about as fast and smooth as you can read that. I still had 2k on the tach and could have gone more, but I was approaching traffic and didn't want to cause any accidents, there's been too much around DFW over the last year. But man! WAS that cool! 130, physically handled just as smoothly as 70 (just like refered to in the beginning post) just the highway went by really fast(!)...... I'd like to max it out somewhere some other time.

We had a '94 Lexus GS300 with the speedo ranged to 165, tires rated to 168. Never got it above 110. But the difference is how quick and zippy the Rx got up there.

That, even if I never get to go any faster, was a life experience.....

First personal best was a '69 Caddillac doing 110 on airport road in Cedar Rapids, Ia. back in '75.

One word - wow!

Tall...............................

i am not sure what you call them but the radar things that tell you the speed that your going and they have the posted speedlimit above it, i went 112mph by it and it said 00. they need to make them 3 digit just for rx-8 owners

Originally posted by RX-8Drifter
i am not sure what you call them but the radar things that tell you the speed that your going and they have the posted speedlimit above it, i went 112mph by it and it said 00. they need to make them 3 digit just for rx-8 owners

LMFAO! I have thought about doing the same thing, but the city police seem to only set up the "device" :D in places where mr-friendly-ready-to-hand-out-tickets-to-the-next-policemans-dance seem to be waiting.
Good info, tho... :):):):):D:D:D:D

148mph on the highway, car wanted to go faster but the ecu wouldn't let me.

I wana go 140 m/ph too!
I once went 116 m/ph, but sadly i got a speeding ticket going 80 m/ph a month ago and have my court date on fri.
Can you guys plz explain how u go this fast w/o getting caught by the cops, cause im to scared to speed lately.

242 km/h (that's roughly 150 mph) on the autobahn with two persons and no other ballast in the car. I think 250 km/h is possible, but acceleration is very slow beyond 220.

The car is still very good to control at that speed and feels very (or maybe too) safe, but cross winds can be problematic. Bumps in long bends also cause slight difficulties, which is no wonder at such speed. Hard braking seems to require some experience with all the electronic systems that enter the stage if you do.

All in all the car behaves very good, road hold doesn't become a pain at higher speed like I've experienced it in other cars (namely different BMW's).

The safe feeling imposes a danger for unexperienced drivers though, because 242 km/h simply isn't safe.

Rotrypwr - and anybody else reading this - ALWAYS take into consideration (if you're not already) when you go beyond the posted speed - unless you have an Autobahn in your backyard - you're taking not only your matters into your own hand, but also innocent people who share the road with you. I would preach, state, explain, desire, pray that anytime you wish to venture into the higher speeds this car is capable of you would do it when there is no traffic around you. All it takes is a heartbeat worth of reaction time and you will irreversibly change not only your life but many other lives as well.

So please, drive responsibly. This car is so much fun, yes. But it, just like any other car is just a machine. It can break, it can malfunction, and it can react other than what we think it might under any circumstance.

I haven't any idea personally, other than possibly if you have access to a local drag strip (there are many in the DFW area) or a local club course somewhere, where you can legally hit your car's max speed.

I told my 22 yr. old son about my little venture and when I told him that I shut it down when I came to traffic he responded with "but that's the fun part" (refering to the weaving through traffice at high speed).

BAD response! Made me regret telling the story.

You know, it's kind of like a curse. We have all this zip and handling and nowhere to use it to its full potential unless you want to rally or something.

Ok, enough of my aimless post - just had to get it off my chest....

Have fun, y'all, just be safe.............

Another unsolicited TC public announcement.............

Tall..............

I agree with you :).

One question, is it very difficult/illegal to go fast in USA? I ask this because reading the post this is what I understand...

Originally posted by Tall Corn
Rotrypwr - and anybody else reading this - ALWAYS take into consideration (if you're not already) when you go beyond the posted speed - unless you have an Autobahn in your backyard - you're taking not only your matters into your own hand, but also innocent people who share the road with you. I would preach, state, explain, desire, pray that anytime you wish to venture into the higher speeds this car is capable of you would do it when there is no traffic around you. All it takes is a heartbeat worth of reaction time and you will irreversibly change not only your life but many other lives as well.

So please, drive responsibly. This car is so much fun, yes. But it, just like any other car is just a machine. It can break, it can malfunction, and it can react other than what we think it might under any circumstance.

I haven't any idea personally, other than possibly if you have access to a local drag strip (there are many in the DFW area) or a local club course somewhere, where you can legally hit your car's max speed.

I told my 22 yr. old son about my little venture and when I told him that I shut it down when I came to traffic he responded with "but that's the fun part" (refering to the weaving through traffice at high speed).

BAD response! Made me regret telling the story.

You know, it's kind of like a curse. We have all this zip and handling and nowhere to use it to its full potential unless you want to rally or something.

Ok, enough of my aimless post - just had to get it off my chest....

Have fun, y'all, just be safe.............

Another unsolicited TC public announcement.............

Tall..............

Just illegal. mostly, and some places more dangerous than others.

Here - I did a quick search on speed limits by states here in the U.S. and this is what found:

http://www.hwysafety.org/safety_facts/state_laws/speed_limit_laws.htm

(This surprised me, because I though some states were faster than what this says)

Anyway - general postings are in MPH, not KPH - and fines, well, you'll have to have some retold stories. I'm blessed with no tickets ever....

so far.........

today......

within the last hour........

Tall.......................

thanks :)

here in Spain the speed limits are:

City: 50km/h = 31,07mph (I usually drive at 90km/h=56mph)
"Interstates": 90km/h = 56mph (I usually drive at 130km/h=81mph)
Highway: 120km/h = 74,56mph (I usually drive between 170km/h=106mph and 245km/h=152mph)

I wanted to say that I think that in the US is more difficult because of the police or something like that, because I have no speeding ticket... sorry I don't know how to explain it... oh my poor english...


Originally posted by Tall Corn
Just illegal. mostly, and some places more dangerous than others.

Here - I did a quick search on speed limits by states here in the U.S. and this is what found:

http://www.hwysafety.org/safety_facts/state_laws/speed_limit_laws.htm

(This surprised me, because I though some states were faster than what this says)

Anyway - general postings are in MPH, not KPH - and fines, well, you'll have to have some retold stories. I'm blessed with no tickets ever....

so far.........

today......

within the last hour........

Tall.......................

Originally posted by Tall Corn
So please, drive responsibly. This car is so much fun, yes. But it, just like any other car is just a machine. It can break, it can malfunction, and it can react other than what we think it might under any circumstance.

I haven't any idea personally, other than possibly if you have access to a local drag strip (there are many in the DFW area) or a local club course somewhere, where you can legally hit your car's max speed.

I told my 22 yr. old son about my little venture and when I told him that I shut it down when I came to traffic he responded with "but that's the fun part" (refering to the weaving through traffice at high speed).

BAD response! Made me regret telling the story.

Driving responsibly is of major importance, indeed. In Germany we have the advantage that we can get used to it legally and on public roads (altough today many autobahn routes are speed limited or simply too crowded to drive fast).

On the other hand I wouldn't let my child get his/her hands on such a car until the age of 25 or 100.000 kilometers of driving experience. My own experience, for example, is 18 years of driving and 400.000 km and I still have to concentrate a lot to move the car at high speed even on roads that are built for this purpose. So the "fun part" is pretty stressing and in my opinion too dangerous for someone who lacks experience with all types of dangers (other drivers, accidents in front of you, things lying on the road, animals crossing the road, car defects and so on).

It's easy to bring oneself into a "too fast" situation and becoming unable to react, because all your concentration already goes into keeping the car properly on the track. Which is the easy part if push comes to shove.

My first fast car exeperience was my father's Merdedes E 220. The rule was that I got a driving lesson before he let me drive one of his cars, so we went for a ride. He told me to speed it up to the limit (approximately 140 mph) and then to brake as hard as possible. I needed three atempts until I dared to. He taught me many other things as well and didn't hand me the keys until I managed them. These little practical lessons probably saved my life a few times, but I thought he was acting irresponsible nevertheless (altough I loved him for doing so). As long as speed gets too emotional for you and is not associated with danger in the first place (though it can - of course - be fun), you're gambling with your and other people's lives. The real point is not to control the car, it's to control yourself.

Well, and besides that, I personally think that cruising at mid speed (for german standards this would be 60- 90 mph) is the real strenght of the RX-8 and its incredible smooth engine.

So to our younger drivers: Enjoy the looks that people give you in that car and remember that no one will seriously look at you at 150 mph. The biggest quality of this car is its beauty. ;)

160 mph at 8k rpm, on I-10 about 50 miles outside of El Paso. Smooth dry service, cool dry air, no humidity. Felt nice.

Originally posted by AQA101
242 km/h (that's roughly 150 mph) on the autobahn with two persons and no other ballast in the car. I think 250 km/h is possible, but acceleration is very slow beyond 220.

The car is still very good to control at that speed and feels very (or maybe too) safe, but cross winds can be problematic. Bumps in long bends also cause slight difficulties, which is no wonder at such speed. Hard braking seems to require some experience with all the electronic systems that enter the stage if you do.

The safe feeling imposes a danger for unexperienced drivers though, because 242 km/h simply isn't safe.

All true. We went for a ride on the German Autobahn last Friday with two RX-8s, wich was really fun to do. But I just couldn't get it to it's max.speed due to traffic or to cross winds. I'll try it next time very early in the morning on a Sunday. Anyway, it was almost there...

Try it on saturday evenings and you'll find an empty autobahn (everyone's out to drink at that time). Sunday mornings are more difficult with all the people who are on the road to visit their relatives (aka sunday drivers, which means people that have absolutely no idea of basic rules of traffic, like driving on the righ track if it's empty).

Thanks for the advice. We also experienced that a lot of (slow) Dutch tourists and unexperienced drivers, change lanes just in front of you, because they are not used to recognize drivers at high speed. I.m.o. they cause the highest risk to an accident!

And you're right about letting young drivers drive a RX-8. Driving at high speeds in such a powerful car, requires a lot of experience and knowledge about what other people might do and how you and your car should react on that.
I wouldn't let my children drive this car, until they really know how to drive.

Caecil - what a COOL picture. Irrefutable proof of speed. Great example of safe handling and conscious driving (both hands on the steering wheel - you young 'uns reading this).

I would have to take a picture like this, too. The only thing, though, it would have only my left hand at 11:00 'cause I always keep my right hand on the shift - been doing that since all the cars I've ever driven have been standard transmissions - over 28 years now.

Now the drawback of that would be that my wife would be taking the picture capturing that moment so you'd be missing the audio portion of her screaming:

"SLOW DOWN! SLOW THE *#@! DOWN!" :D

Tall.......................

When you drive at (very) high speed, you should drive with both hands on the steering wheel! No need to shift anymore and it's you can correct yourself much quicker in case of sliding.

I'm so lucky, my husband didn't scream while taking this picture, he actually encouraged me to go faster!!!!

172 mph, in the RX7 (have a few mods) at kansas motor speedway. Can't wait till they come out with turbo kits for the 8, though with the higher compression on the RX8 I don't know how they'll achieve boost higher than 4-8 psi. Maybe I'll ditch the FD when they do come out with a kit for the 8. Happy Boosting
Jeff

Originally posted by Sickass7
172 mph, in the RX7 (have a few mods) at kansas motor speedway. Can't wait till they come out with turbo kits for the 8, though with the higher compression on the RX8 I don't know how they'll achieve boost higher than 4-8 psi. Maybe I'll ditch the FD when they do come out with a kit for the 8. Happy Boosting
Jeff

Hey - Didja happen to see the last issue of RX Tuner? Being in the backyard - so to speak - of Sunflower Mazda in KC. They have a supercharger for the 8 that is factory warranted. The guy to talk to up there is Larry Miller. I spoke to him last week when I went through there, and if I had the cash... I think I'd probably lose my license... :D

Was able to hit 124pmh, but topped that the following week 139mph. could have probably hit 145 but saw some cars heading my way. fuzz fear. :D Even got evidence! as you can see by the RPM could have gone even faster.

Gee, you're my hero...

Looks like you were in 6th gear.
You might try 5th next time, you get up to speed faster.

Gotta love it how people stare at you when you shift at 205 km/h. :D

My brother is OKC police officer, and has attended their 'pursuit driving' school. I picked him up last week and we spent the afternoon driving around a local lake (deserted, S-curves, fresh pavement = great!) at 40 - 70 mph.

We finished it off with a 122mph sprint on the Interstate. Only in 5th gear, never felt like we were stressing the car. Very stable, a bit unnerving as we blew by slower cars (I was in the passenger seat).

I think I enjoyed the runs around the lake more. :)

i did 146mph

Who took the pic at 146MPH? I hope your passenger did it.

I did 140 in a test drive....It was actually the second sports car I had test driven in my life..... (first was an RSX-type S which was boring as hell but that was due mostly to the dealer I was with who was very strict about not letting me go above 5,000 rpm).....

I called up Millenium Mazda in Durham and made an appointment and it turns out the guy I scheduled a test drive with knew me from my high school days at CHHS........I knew it was going to be "interesting" when right out of the dealership he said "punch it" and I basically floored it up to 120........At 120 it suddenly cut and I was like "WTF, does this thing have a rev limiter??"...Turns our we were out of gas and he said we had to take it back....I then offered to put 10 dollars in if we could continue the test drive and WOW Im glad I did!!!!! The dealer and I switched places as he showed me all the features and then he took it up to 135 to show how stable it was at high speed.....We then took the exit to Duke University (blah) and I was allowed to turn around and drive back to the dealership and it was here that I made my 140 run..........The RX8 was VERY stable at high speed.........It worries me now to think that I was doing 140.....jeez I would have been so fucked if I had been stopped by the po po's.......

Anyway, since then I have test driven a Suburu WRX Sti, BMW M-3(both at the Performance of Durham dealership on the same day hehehe), Nissan 350z and Infi-G-35, Honda S2k, the last car I just test drove was the Lancer Evo.....which I had been trying to test drive FOREVER!!!!!

Of all the cars I drove (keep in mind each test drive was only about 30 minutes each so I am no expert), the BMW M3 struck me as the most refined......(it was 55K after all).......I test drove the WRX Sti 5 minutes before I jumped into the M3 and it was such a HUGE difference......The M3 was the first car that was as smooth as the Rx8 yet had the torque and power I wanted.....It was also VERY stable at high speed corners (as in 100 mph ++)...

To make a long story short, I couldnt drop 55K for the BMW M-3, the WRX Sti and Lancer didnt appeal to me in the "looks" department as they were a little to "boy racer fartbox" for me, the Honda S2k was just too small for me, the RSX was just boring compaired to the others, and the Rx8 didnt have the torque I wanted and I was nervous about buying into the Rotary engine.......so I ended up buying a 350z and I have mixed feelings about my decision...........(I liked the Infinit G35 very much but I felt the 350z looked much better.....the G35 just looks strange to me although not bad or anything...just...not....."right")

Ever since I drove the Rx-8 I loved it to death.....My test car was amazing......I like to describe the color as "ferrari red", it had almost every option available on it, and the really nice red and black interior........ah man, that interior was SOOOO nice!!!!

My current Z car has been a bit of a dissapointment.......While it is fast and has the power I want, it feels heavy.....it is not nearly as easy or enjoyable to drive as the Rx8 was...the great thing about the Z though is its great engine......Luckily, mine has had no issues yet but many 350z, especially 03 models, have had BAD quality control issues and it makes me nervous...........The 350Z is also too damn heavy.......

Anyway, lately I have been considering selling my Z and going back to the Rx8 which is why I cruise this forum all the time reading stuff people are saying......Every time I come here I move a millimeter towards selling my z.......

Only one thing remains to stop me: The Rx-8 needs more power.........That thing alone is what stopped me buying it in the first place and it is whats stopping me now.......If the Rx-8 had about 100 more hp than I think it would truly be the "perfect" sports car if it were to also remian under 35K.............I have heard rumors about Mazdaspeed creating a supercharger kit for the 8 but nothing concrete so far.......I think Im going to waite until people figure out the new Renisis engine and start building reliable and time tested supercharger or turbo kits......

Either that or Im going to save for about 2 years, sell my 350z, and buy myself a nice BMW M-3 (E46) with the 6 SMG gearbox......a nice white one like the test car.......Jeez.....In fact, now that I think about it the M3 IS the Rx 8 with more horsepower hehehehe.....I swear to you guys, the M3 and the Rx 8 feel so alike in terms of driving character but the M3 has the right amount of torque and power (and a redline nearly as high as the 8)

Ok that does it, I have talked myself into an M3.....sorry guys...I will always love the Rx8.....but the M3 also has a comfortable and roomy enough back seat (I know because I sat back there for about 10 minutes and I had enough room)

I love the Rx8 back seat as well, but the M3 doesnt look as if its been stretched to accomidate its rear seat from the outside as the Rx-8 does which is another of the few things I dont like about the Rx8 is that it looks "wrong" from certain angles........

But anyway, I saw a black 8 cruising Franklin Street a couple nights ago while I was chilling out in front of Starbucks after watching F- 9/11 (go see that movie!!!!!)......and that 8 looked KILLER at night....EVERYONE turned to look at it......jeez......Thats one thing I noticed....the 8 looks 10 million times more sleek and sexy at night then during the day.......not all cars can have that said about them.....

yea my friend took the picture.

140 racing a Mercedes, think it was a 500 SL not sure, waved at him at 135 asI I passed bye, was beautiful. Slowed down as soon as I passed him. Stupid, yes I know but I hate getting tried.

So it's ok to talk about going 150 mph on a public highway but I can't post a story of beating an Integra that challenged me in a street race to 80 mph.........I see

i hit a good 140 sorry no pic..mebbe next time i knew it coulda pulled more

I went up to about 130 in the 8 (have been to 140 before getting the 8). The 8 felt very stable at that speed but the road was basically a straight stretch of road.

On a side note, all this talk of max speed gets me wondering if they could have geared the 8 for quicker acceleration instead of being geared for over 170mph. Just a thought!

Hit 152 on the highway next to a ZO6 and He couldn't believe that I was right there with him.

I went up to about 130 in the 8 (have been to 140 before getting the 8). The 8 felt very stable at that speed but the road was basically a straight stretch of road.

On a side note, all this talk of max speed gets me wondering if they could have geared the 8 for quicker acceleration instead of being geared for over 170mph. Just a thought!

6th is geared to get you better milage at cruising speed (I even think it needs to be geared taller, so that 60MPH=2K rpms not 3K).

It already has 4.44 rear end !
Rotaries have always been great on the highway