Okay, I've the dealer tells me that the RX-8 "just has a loud transmission." But the more I drive the car, the more it bothers me.

The problem: when shifting into 1st, 2nd and 3rd, I get a pretty loud THUNK most of the time. With the windows down, it really sounds cheap and crappy. It's especially bad when upshifting 1-2 at low RPM. In a parking garage it sounds startlingly loud. I think this is a problem, but the dealer disagrees. Is this normal?

BTW, no, it's not the ABS test, I am well aware of that sound.

doesnt sound right to me at all. My tranny is noisey but not like that. mine has a loud throwout bearing and my 4th gear sync is bad, but no clunking as you speak, and I have over 90,000 miles on mine.

when the car is off, open the door, now hold the clutch down and run through the gears.

does it still make the same noise?

kersh4w I never saw your response. There is still a noise but much softer. And now, as I mentioned in my other thread, the noise has progressed to almost a grind when shifting into 2nd at low rpm. ANNOYING AS HELL.

when I go from neutral to 1st from a stop, I hear that same "thunk" sound. It's been like that since the day I bought it (7000 miles).

Also, second gear produces noise from the transmission, like a scratching, and it's been like that since I bought it.

I have an 05 Shinka and the only annoying noise is when just crusing in 6th between 45 and 60 MPH. The trans just whines when applying power no matter how soft. My 8 is a little hard getting into reverse.
I bought the car used so I don't know how it was when new, only have 23K miles on it, had some minor rear end body dammge that was repaired prior to buying it.
Does anyone else have the whine?

i think this picture best sums up why the transmission is so loud in the RX-8:

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee148/biblebelts/tranny.jpg

is there any way to reduce tanny noise?

you could try switching transmission fluids, or just asking it nicely to be quiet.

sorry for the thread jack, but my transmission whirls like a super charger, any ideas? especially on cold days. makes that super charger sound going threw gears.

I didn't understand the pic from "Big Money Pit", I guess he pulled it anyway.
I just want to know if anyone had the noise in 6th. My RX-8 is also a little noisy in the rest of the gears also, but not to bad. 6th is just much louder with little power applied.
I can turn up the tunes but I like the engine sound, I have an 86 RX-7 GXL with 184k miles on it and it still runs and looks very good.

I think the point is that you are sitting almost on top of the tranny.