Trying to decide between the S2000 and RX8?

What is the RX8's weakest link with mods? (Clutch, shifter, diff....)

Car is too new. Give it some time and let enough people break it first to tell you that.

From what i have observed on the forum the weakest link for the RX8 to me seems to be some of the DRIVERS who have no idea how to drive a manual car , and how to get the most out of a rotary engine .

michael.

As much as I like to disagree with L&L, I have to concede and agree with his statement!

Originally posted by brothervoodoo
As much as I like to disagree with L&L, I have to concede and agree with his statement!

OHH

I also forgot to mention the other weak links to the RX8 s is the Lousy Automatic 4 speed gear box .

And just to piss brothervoodoo off the BORING looking Titanium grey , and Silver RX8S .that blend in to the roads when driven .

Cheers
michael

dont you think that pisses off all the titanium gray owners and sunlight silver owners?

L&L doesn't care if he pisses off anybody... :)

Originally posted by Rx8Past
dont you think that pisses off all the titanium gray owners and sunlight silver owners?

Rx8Past

Yeah you have a good point there however its just my honest opinion .

If the Titanium . Silver owners take IT PERSONALLY , i see this as their own ISSUE , not mine .

Cheers
michael

Originally posted by brothervoodoo
L&L doesn't care if he pisses off anybody... :)

Shucks.

And i just finished reading the book.

" How To WIN Friends And Influence People"

Maybe i misread the final chapter .ha ha ha

cheers
michael

Well, YELLOW is the BEST!

yeah, I think I would have chose a yellow or a red, those colors do speak out. But I think all the colors have its good and bad and it just depends on the person. The rx-8 does not blend in no matter what the color. The yellow, blue and red is sporty and young, while the black, titanium and silver is more elegant. Guess it just depends on your own taste.

I'll give you that. I have not seen another Yellow another than mine where I live. I guess that would be the unique color to pick. ;)

I like the 2 greys, black, red, green, and blue. The vehicle looks great in these colors but in the yellow it just reminds me of a stupid smirking happy face when looking at it from the front, unless of course it has a license plate up there, then it looks like a stupid smirking happy face with bucked teeth. LOL L&L.

Actually I like all the colors but I couldn't resist.

To answer the 1st question, I think that the weakest link would be the fuel management system. If the car is running too rich it is robbing hp and mpg. Outside of that it would be the Bose sound system.

LOL

A yellow car was chosen to be featured in the wheels car of the year award here in OZ .

Yellow is being featured in most of the articles written about the RX8 WHY?????????????

YELLOW ROCKS

Maybe in Aussie land but up here in NA we are bombarded with the red ones. And we know about all you Aussies living out in the sticks and getting crazy ideas in your heads. LOL :) .

You go Lock & Load!!!

Yellow looks like PIKACHU!!!!!!

http://members.roadfly.org/ryang/rx8-auto2.jpg
saw this car in San Jose. Pikachu? =P

Sorry to NECurve that this thread got so off topic. Anyways, I would have to agree that the weakest link is the fuel economy. Other than that the car is great, looks great, and is practical too.

P.S.
L&L your pretty immautre for someone your age. I mean why did you want to piss off brothervoodoo in the first place, he said he agreed with your statement. And why are you guys arguing over who's color is better. We all have a rx-8 so why are we sayings who's is better? I think all the colors are great, and the car is just great overall. And look what we've done to this thread, NECurve is trying to get advice on which car to buy and we're here arguing about color. Maybe NECurve will now think we're a bunch of self-centered babies who's more concerned with color rather than help him out with his question.

Those monochrome shades (titanium, silver, black) are for old guys like me who want to go as quickly as possible while attracting as little attention as possible.

For sure, the worst thing about the 8 is the nut behind the wheel who drives it like a Camry and then whines when (a) the mileage is poor, and (b) the car doesn't seem powerful enough. Mazda should exchange all their 8's for 3's with automatics and resell them at a discount to deserving rotaryheads who happen to be short on cash.

Rx8past

Brothervoodo knows and hopefully understands my sense of fun , mischief and wit (HUMOUR ) .

MAYBE YOU SHOULD GO OUT AND TRY AND BUY SOME .HA HA HA.

Dont worry be happy .
cheers
michael

Yellow is for those who want to show off. Pretty much reflects L&L's personality who apparently also wants to install an amp + speaker to make his exhaust sound louder.
L&L probably also drives around with his windows down and music booming, wears gold jewellery and hangs outs with bikini-clad bimbos. Lucky bastard.

Back on topic; I agree with 93rd, weak link is fuel economy (and yellow RX8's).

Hi all,

Well we havent jumped into the RX8's make the payment club yet. In reading all the post's and reply's. Color is the last problem I see from the other posts. How about
1. Flooding not a good thing to do in FL if you stop to get gas or a drink. And tow it to the Dealership A NEW CAR ??
2. One person on another forum wrote about CHECKING YOUR OIL EVERY OTHER GAS FILL UP....Excuse me. I never have had to do that even to my wife's Hyundai GT.
3. CLUTCH, what is up with the LOW LOW on off switch, salesman told me when we test drove it everyone stalls it.

And to those who think I have never driven a standard, no brag just fact. Was Automotive supervisor for a company down here. Attended Ryders Multiaxle driving school. Was instructor and I even stalled it on the test run.

4. Oil pan light replace oil pan whats that.?
5. High speed ( I- 95) driving power lag anyone had that ?
6. Oh yea, folks stop complaining about the gas milage, you got a sports car, I got a 84 300zx turbo want to talk about visiting the pump....get use to it. Or get the Honda Hybred piece of dung heap and you 70 miles to the gal. it also stops running when at a light then starts back up when you step on gas...scarey down here.
99.9% love their RX8's but all complain about the above gremlins.
What do you folks think.
Don't get me wrong I love the car want it, but its got some gremlins.

And I am just trying to decide wether its this year with the first of the breed or wait for the T top or Convertable and possible Turbo version I HOPE...with this compression ratio you could go Twin Turbo and really kick some anal.

Crappy gas mileage and checking you oil once in a while is a small price to pay for driving the coolest car in town!

Besides the flooding issue is so overrated.

The rotary by design burns a bit of oil. It's as simple as that. Doesn't anyone do any research before buying a $30K item?

Weakest point is probably the center console lid. Everything else is pretty solid (except for some of those drivers). The fuel management is greatly improved with Stage1. I highly recommend.

Back to his original post, I am pretty sure he meant mechanically and what is going to be an issue in time as he looks into making more power and driving it hard.

In reference to the 2000-2003 S2k, they had a problem with blowing out the rear end.

As with us, I am sure it will be tranny related, just not sure where.

Am I correct to believe we share a similar, or same, tranny with both the Miata and S15?

Fuel management is not greatly improved, only the tuning of the fuel maps. The fuel system itself is returnless without a standard fuel pressure regulator. This will prove to be a problem for anyone trying to make a lot of power (I am thinking in terms of 300+ and forced induction) as they will most likely need to add a return line and a mechanical fpr. It is not too complicated, but still something to be aware of.

IMHO:

1) Flooding. This type of behavior is completely unacceptable on a MY 2004 car.

2) Headroom - if only the sides of the roofline didn't curve down so abruptly, taller drivers wouldn't smack their heads on the roof if they lean at all to check the side mirrors.

3) HID headlights - the beams cut off much too drastically in the RX-8 (and in many other Japanese cars with HIDs); see the beam patterns of Xenon-equipped BMWs or Porsches to see how to do HIDs right...

Originally posted by Rx8Past
[IMG]L&L your pretty immautre for someone your age. I mean why did you want to piss off brothervoodoo in the first place, he said he agreed with your statement. And why are you guys arguing over who's color is better. We all have a rx-8 so why are we sayings who's is better? I think all the colors are great, and the car is just great overall. And look what we've done to this thread, NECurve is trying to get advice on which car to buy and we're here arguing about color. Maybe NECurve will now think we're a bunch of self-centered babies who's more concerned with color rather than help him out with his question.

This is just his weird sense of humor. Don't take offense, because you weren't meant to. He was picking on certain people, NOT saying anything about the car color.

Originally posted by BillK
IMHO:


3) HID headlights - the beams cut off much too drastically in the RX-8 (and in many other Japanese cars with HIDs); see the beam patterns of Xenon-equipped BMWs or Porsches to see how to do HIDs right...

I would disagree, because those are the cars that most often blind me on the road when I'm facing them. The newer ones are much lower now too, and close to the 8's. My problem is that the lights aim at just the right point to blind me if I'm behind someone with a chrome bumper. I also can't read license plates on SUVs anymore in the dark.

1) Owners who don't understand much, they just have too much money.
2) Drivers who don't own it and just want to street race all hot looking cars - and win every one.
3) forum members who don't own or drive one but unfortunately have too good of a memory of all potential problems, either real or conceived as possible, or just plain imaginary, possibly started by a troll, who also is another forum member who doesn't own or drive one.

Weak link on my car? None, except maybe I think I want Canzoomer's mod for starters, just for fun, cuz more power is always better. Would I rather have a Fararri? Uh.....yeah!...

Originally posted by Elara
This is just his weird sense of humor. Don't take offense, because you weren't mean to. He was picking on certain people, NOT saying anything about the car color.

Elara

A good laugh and a sense of humour i find is often needed as some of the forum members seem to take everything thats said way to seriously.

(I WASNT PICKING ON BROTHERVOODO WE OFTEN JOUST / BOND IN THIS TYPE OF MANNER)

Heck if i lived in the US i suppose i would have to change my sense of fun and what you call weird humour.

I think i am beginning to understand the reasons why we read about all the workplace random shootings of co-workers and the schoolyard type massacres over in your neck of the woods .

Some people are obviously too serious about life , take everything to heart , and suffer low self esteem .

Elara hows your hubby , you havent traded him in yet???

I get the feeling that cruzdreamer has given up on me , so i may be in need of a new forum female friend HA HA HA

Hey i am not homophobic but we seem to have a fair share of NICE poofs on the forum .HE HE HE

cheers
michael

Originally posted by Elara
I would disagree, because those are the cars that most often blind me on the road when I'm facing them. The newer ones are much lower now too, and close to the 8's. My problem is that the lights aim at just the right point to blind me if I'm behind someone with a chrome bumper. I also can't read license plates on SUVs anymore in the dark.
Personally, I don't care about "blinding" other drivers, I care about being able to see at night.

I find I get blinded more by SUV headlights than any HIDs on any car...

Originally posted by BillK
Personally, I don't care about "blinding" other drivers, I care about being able to see at night.

I find I get blinded more by SUV headlights than any HIDs on any car...

BillK

Ditto

You seem to be as considered and as thoughfull as i am of others drivers , Elara will be impressed .HA HA HA

MICHAEL

Originally posted by Lock & Load
OHH

I also forgot to mention the other weak links to the RX8 s is the Lousy Automatic 4 speed gear box .

And just to piss brothervoodoo off the BORING looking Titanium grey , and Silver RX8S .that blend in to the roads when driven .

Cheers
michael

HEY! HEY! I RESEMBLE THAT REMARK!

:D

L&L,

I have to agree with you and that is why I think I am going to start caring a grenade on my belt at work. No one understands my sense of humor and it's starting to piss me off... :) LOL.

I thought everyone would understand that the choice in color thing was certainly a joke, but for those who didn't, it was.

Originally posted by Lock & Load
You seem to be as considered and as thoughfull as i am of others drivers , Elara will be impressed .HA HA HA
Well, frankly I'm not trying to be completely discourteous to other drivers, though I believe that a majority of people "blinded" by Xenons are in fact staring at them due to their color and "what's that" factor.

The exact same complaints were lodged about Halogen headlights when they were introduced back in the mid-1980s (too bright, blinding other drivers, etc.)...

Going back on topic.
Another weak link I've just remembered (after looking at my wheels this morning) and which has been pointed out many times are the brake discs. I've never seen brake discs rust so easily on any other car that I or my family/friends have owned. Makes me wonder about the quality of the discs and how long they will last.

Couldn't Mazda use better material, especially that the discs are so visible through the wheels?

Weak Link, thanks for the color debate, and I did not mean to put the car down, as some of you took it, I AM RESEARCHING it
I am not in the habit of dumping 30k into a money pit, I don't race MUCH...but I have found down here speed doesnt kill, Its the best defense against the GERIATRIC (OLD FART DRIVERS ) Who make 3 lane changes cause they dont know where they are suppose to go. FL here and its Snowbird season, problem is they still think they are up north,and the destinations here (stores) are in the same direction as where they come from. Reaction time and speed can keep you out of trouble here.cops call it aggressive driving...I call it survival/aggressive defensive driving.
thanks to all



First thanks to Murix for addressing my issues, would like to hear more about the HID problem u brought up. I know the feeling of the SUV and others who have to run lighthouse lights to see at night..Solution is get a 700,000 candle power handheld plug it in your cig lighter and point it at them. Believe me they get the message....One caution watch for the law, they have no sense of humor.

and yes I do plan to make it stronger, no I don't race but Im tired of all these little boys with there bolt on's tryin to challenge me. They put an after market muff on now it sounds like a 2800lbs bee.

2. Flatso, HELLO...thats what I was trying to do RESEARCH, No I have more brains than money, not more money than brains. And I enjoy working on my cars. You got a new hottie on the block Im just trying to find out what problems IF ANY u folks who own one got.

3.Billk: Ur car has a flooding problem, would like to hear more on why and under what circumstances.

4.Racer X ; Little touchy here arent we son, NO I dont own one and I dont own and wouldnt own a HUM-2 Either. Just trying to do some Research. But I do agree with you on the drivers who dont remark. 99.9% love their cars but bring up the same probs with it...that to me understanding that all parts lead to Rome, in this case the dealship if one thing fails something else can and usually is affected.

Hot Pot: Brakes and struts or shocks are usually two areas where most manufactures cheat on quality,usually because they know that most people don't know or look at their calipers rims or that area of the car, you have to get down to ground level...to see it.Too much work for some..

thanks to all who answered and responded to my question I appreciate it.
navbob

Originally posted by navbob
3.Billk: Ur car has a flooding problem, would like to hear more on why and under what circumstances.
Just to be clear, I do not own an RX-8, though I've been a rotary nut since the first time I drove a 1987 RX-7 Sport. However the issues I mentioned above are the reasons why I don't own one despite having tracked the RX-8's progress since I first heard rumors of it back in 2000 or earlier.

The (IMHO) poor headlights and minimal headroom are issues that can be worked around; the risk of losing use of my car for an unknown number of days if either (1) I'm forced to valet park somewhere or (2) my foot slips off the clutch backing out of my parking space at work is too high for me to seriously consider purchasing an 8.

If it were just a matter of flooding occurring when the car is shut off cold, I could work around that, but no one can yet confirm or deny whether flooding will never occur after a simple accidental stall and I'm not willing to play guinea pig. If my brand new car is going to be towed to the dealer it better be because something major has gone wrong, not because the engine wasn't shut down according to the "afterthought"-like instructions in the "Quick Start" guide attached to the shifter at delivery...

Some comments on the above -

I don't mind checking my oil every two fillups. The cars I grew up with, you had to do that to keep the oil light off. I do mind the brake dust I get on my trousers when I check the oil. Every two fillups. OK, I'm a slow learner.

I've whined about the flooding issue as much as anybody on this forum. But you know what? It's still just a hypothetical problem for me. I haven't flooded it yet. Still, that lack of reliabity is, imho, the weakest link. The valet is not an issue if your just going to leave it for an evening out because the car doesn't get cold enough. A long term park is a different story, however. I suggest the self-park lot.

The yellow is hideous. All it needs for completion is a Yellow Cab sign on top. The yellow driven by Aussies is particularly hideous.

I don't know about the struts, but Mazda didn't cheat on the brakes. Those front disks are massive. Pound on the brakes hard enough and you'll probably activate the airbags.

Leave us old farts alone. If we choose to leave the left blinker on, stuff it. That's our business. You keep to your side of the road, we will keep to ours (sort of).

I hate being on the road where somebody shines those god-awful blue lights in my face, but I love being on the other side of steering wheel with those blue lights, so I can actually see with my dimming vision.

I don't complain about the mileage per se. I do complain about the mileage relative to the posted EPA numbers. Something is really screwed up here. This is the first time I have ever failed to meet or exceed the stated mileage, and I'm missing by about 20%. If mileage is important to you, that could be the weakest link.

The biggest "weak link" is not the car, it is Mazda's direct customer support. This is a new highly techical and innovative automobile. Something most dealerships are not yet capable of supporting. A lot of RX8 owners love their cars but are ignorant to its lineage and capabilities. When you call Mazda USA support, sometimes with a seemingly simple question, they consistantly refer you to the dealer. I think Mazda would be better served if they provided a higher level of technical support directly to the owners thus educating us as to how different (and wonderful) this car is. I have to think there would be a lot less whining if there was a better understanding of the car. This forum currently is the only real resource most 8 owners have. Through its discussions and debate, we as members are provided the education needed for 8's success. I just wish Mazda were a more active participant in the process. (Soap box vacated)

OHH


Who would want a yellow car???

Bernieunger

Your avatar aptly says it all an OLD fustrated D......


Yellow rocks .

michael

ok who cares really...their all RX8's in the long run...i'll accept yellow as long as you accept titanium :D

biggest downs? there are a few :
-fan is awfully loud for a brand new car, at 3 it's very annoying;
-rattles here and there, door sill crest coming off;
-no climate control here in Can.;
-mileage;
-it's too good looking a car to drive it in the winter so i had to drive a 92 sentra the last 2 months and the nxt 2 !!

:-)

Originally posted by JmurphRx8
ok who cares really...their all RX8's in the long run...i'll accept yellow as long as you accept titanium :D


I accept all RX8 colours .

Do i personally like them all??????? NO.

But as they say each to their own poison.

Michael

The RX-8 seems to be a sports car that requires lots of TLC and understanding of its eccentricities. It will be interesting to see how the car matures over the next few months (years).

I only have 1500 miles on mine so far and am hoping that those 'eccentricities' leave me alone in the mean time.

Originally posted by BillK
but no one can yet confirm or deny whether flooding will [ever] occur after a simple accidental stall

I've been looking for stories of MT owners flooding after an accidental stall, but haven't seen one yet. ATs seem to be flooding more than MTs, which is odd. Most people seem to haved flooded when it happens at car washes, in their driveway, at work. I've not seen anyone flooded by a valet yet, but there have been a few "my dealer flooded my car" stories. People have suggested hotter plugs, better batteries and ECU mods, so the "flooding issue" would seem to fit the topic of this thread as a mechanical "weak link." Whether it is the "weakest link" or not would seem to depend on whether you view your car as a toy or not. Don't forget... Mazda is not just selling this car to rotary heads -- my dealer spoke a great deal about how my sons would fit in the back seat. If the 8 is going to be the big success Mazda hopes, it needs to be a bridge car for both "sports car" and "sedan" enthusiasts.

My bet is that Mazda is working hard on this. If the dealers will cover the floods under warranty and provide loaners while the car is being fixed, I'll do my best to be careful and recommend the 8 to anyone who is willing to do the little bit of extra work necessary to take care of it. Checking the oil is not that big of a deal... even here, where the wind chill recently has been as bad as -15F. My car is at 3000 miles - it's used 1.5 extra quarts.

BTW, for me, they all look good, but it came down to two choices, and I found the decision difficult: Gray or Yellow. In the end, class beat out fun...

Well I thank one and all for some interesting and entertaining info and comments. As for the color I have no choice wife has already decided in winning Blue I think they call it.

Course as the wrench head in this venture the mechanical soundness is a major concern with me. Love the looks And I really believe in the motor. But and there always seems to be one. I think there are some major issues that have to be resolved by the dealerships as well as the company. Mazda has a really nice platform here. just hope they don't screw the pouch like ford did with the T bird and chevy did with the SSR, what a joke underpower wrong tranny. I have little patients with a situation where I got payments and a 30 thousand or less bill to pay and the guy Im taking it to dont know how to fix it....Besides for me MY Z with its T tops off is a really cool ride, and the turbo well I would put two in the 8....in a blink..thanks again

Originally posted by bernieunger
The valet is not an issue if your just going to leave it for an evening out because the car doesn't get cold enough. A long term park is a different story, however. I suggest the self-park lot. If that's doable, it's always the best choice, but I can name a number of locations that, unfortunately, are valet park only. :mad:

I have yet to read of a flooded engine resulting from a cold stall as well, but we haven't been told whether it cannot happen, and I don't really want to be the first one to report it, especially if I'm leaving work at 3:00 AM and my foot slips off the clutch when it's 8°F outside...

There is nothing wrong with yellow that a good coat of gray wouldn't fix.

Not many "WEAK LINKS" IMO, but......

The only thing I really hate about the car is the HVAC system. It is BY FAR more insufficent than any car I have ever owned. If I would have been able to test drive the car for a couple of weeks instead of a few minutes, I would have decided against buying it because of it. I am constantly aggrevated by how hot I am or how cold I am.....and how there seems to be no output at all from the blower unless you have the bitch cranked up to 3 or above. Then you have to have the stereo cranked to drown out the blower noise. The other thing that burns my ass about it is the inability for me to control whether the A/C compressor runs or not.

Oh.....I hate that damn auto-dimming rear view mirror too. If I choose to shut it off......don't automatically turn back on the next time I start the car.

You should have your Aircon checked. I am lucky to have climate control which I set at 25 degrees Celcius (77F) and the car cools down pretty fast. The outside temp averages 30C (86F). I find it more than adequate although it's true that it is not the most powerful aircon around.

The rims you need at least 22's

Originally posted by 91vert
Not many "WEAK LINKS" IMO, but......

The only thing I really hate about the car is the HVAC system. It is BY FAR more insufficent than any car I have ever owned. If I would have been able to test drive the car for a couple of weeks instead of a few minutes, I would have decided against buying it because of it. I am constantly aggrevated by how hot I am or how cold I am.....and how there seems to be no output at all from the blower unless you have the bitch cranked up to 3 or above. Then you have to have the stereo cranked to drown out the blower noise. The other thing that burns my ass about it is the inability for me to control whether the A/C compressor runs or not.

Oh.....I hate that damn auto-dimming rear view mirror too. If I choose to shut it off......don't automatically turn back on the next time I start the car.

good points.

Originally posted by MEGAREDS
I've been looking for stories of MT owners flooding after an accidental stall, but haven't seen one yet.

I thought I saw someone post about their Mom moving their car and stalling it (I presumed manual trans, but could be wrong) and it subsequently not starting because it was flooded?

Anyhow...

I did a little experiment of my own the other week: I spent the week stalling the car and doing cold shutdowns on purpose to see if I got flooded or not (6MT). I did not manage to flood the car. (Start car, wait anywhere from 10 seconds to 30 seconds and either turn off the key or pop the clutch and stall the engine out - wait from 1 to 30 seconds and attempt restart. Temps were from 40 to 65F)

That said, I'm sure it's possible (and probably more likely to happen when you stall) but I can state that stalling a cold engine does not guarantee you're going to end up unable to restart due to flooding. In every case I restarted no problem.

My purpose was not to deny there's an issue with flooding - the short-trip procedure should definately be followed, I wanted to get an idea how likely you are to end up flooded if you stall/stop cold. My results (which are so unscientific it's not even funny) indicated to me that I should not be paranoid about stalling the car when it's cold.

Simon.

Originally posted by Rx8Past
dont you think that pisses off all the titanium gray owners and sunlight silver owners?

actually I specifically got the tit grey for it's blend in colour
there was a red, blue and yellow GT I could've chose from...
but like others guess I just don't like the attention that much, and who's going to care other than cops if you're having fun in the twisties what kinda colour car you have?
plus, it's my first manual car, no point in attracting attention to my stoplight stalls :p
but back on topic, weakest link compared to the S2000 to me would be, it still has a roof =p
and yes, only get the auto if you want conveinence

Originally posted by MEGAREDS
I've been looking for stories of MT owners flooding after an accidental stall, but haven't seen one yet.

The first time I drove my MT rx8, or any MT car for that matter, home, I stalled it probably 20 times and the first time was about 5 minutes out of the dealer and probably before the temp needle warmed up to normal. Never had ANY kinda of flooding problem and I don't rev it before I shut it off or anything so... it's really.... weird

Originally posted by Lock & Load
From what i have observed on the forum the weakest link for the RX8 to me seems to be some of the DRIVERS who have no idea how to drive a manual car , and how to get the most out of a rotary engine .

michael.

hmm... like what do you mean? like you have problem with people who are asking for genuine advice on how to drive their first manual car? or people who complain they have no power cause they're clueless and never rev their engine past 3k?

Originally posted by BillK
IMHO:

3) HID headlights - the beams cut off much too drastically in the RX-8 (and in many other Japanese cars with HIDs); see the beam patterns of Xenon-equipped BMWs or Porsches to see how to do HIDs right...

I'll have to agree with Good Queen Maeve here. The 8's HID headlights are just about spot on (at least mine are). Great visibility without blinding other drivers (like BMWs, Porsches, and SUVs do).

oh and the new S2000 has like a 800rpm lower redline than before so it's like 8200rpm redline now.... sacrafice for torque so says Honda....
so if you want high rev turbine like sound, rx8's the way to go.
also a friend of mine who sat in a S2000 before said that the S2000 at redline still sounds like it's going to explode, while the rx8 sounds more restrained and like it could rev another 4k before it sounds like the S2000 at redline

Originally posted by BillK
Personally, I don't care about "blinding" other drivers...
And people wonder what causes "road rage."
BTW, studies have shown that "impaired" drivers tend to steer directly at bright lights. No kidding.

Originally posted by Rotary Titus
hmm... like what do you mean? like you have problem with people who are asking for genuine advice on how to drive their first manual car? or people who complain they have no power cause they're clueless and never rev their engine past 3k?

If you want symphaty go to the dictionary and look between shit and suicide.

If you cannot drive a manual properly the RX8 is not the car to learn on .

If you have the time to check the revs you are at ,you are driving to slowly.

Cheers
michael

Uh... sympathy would be on the other side of suicide and nowhere near shit. Just an observation.

Originally posted by Lock & Load
Yellow rocks .

michael

"Yellow rocks"?? Oh -- you are on the gold coast. That must be what those yellow rocks are.

Keep injecting a bit of humour in here, mate!

Originally posted by 93rdcurrent
Uh... sympathy would be on the other side of suicide and nowhere near shit. Just an observation.

Good to see you are on the ball .

The saying is not ment to be interpreted literally.

cheers
michael

Originally posted by Lock & Load
If you want symphaty go to the dictionary and look between shit and suicide.

If you cannot drive a manual properly the RX8 is not the car to learn on .

If you have the time to check the revs you are at ,you are driving to slowly.

Cheers
michael

ah... right.... so who's this person you're talking about that's asking for sympathy? :p
maybe we should go and put them out of their misery?
well, I happen to have just learned to drive manual on the rx8 without killing myself or others in 2 weeks (though not from scratch cause I'm used to gear shifting on a sportsbike)
oh yes.... but you forget, I got the boring tit grey so I can GET NOTICED, so I count my revs to go slower while I pose

Originally posted by BillK
I have yet to read of a flooded engine resulting from a cold stall as well, but we haven't been told whether it cannot happen...

There is nothing that cannot happen.

L&L,

That's alright my wife wouldn't answer me and made me get the dictionary out to check for myself ;) . What can I say we Americans take things too seriously.

Originally posted by bobclevenger
"Yellow rocks"?? Oh -- you are on the gold coast. That must be what those yellow rocks are.

Keep injecting a bit of humour in here, mate!

LOL!!

Originally posted by bobclevenger
There is nothing that cannot happen. Fine - I want to be reassured that it's no more likely to happen than would be the case with a conventional engine.

Originally posted by bobclevenger
And people wonder what causes "road rage."
BTW, studies have shown that "impaired" drivers tend to steer directly at bright lights. No kidding. I can't help it if someone wants to stare at my headlights. The majority of drivers have no problems with them.

IMHO the RX-8's HIDs' sharp cutoff makes them just about useless for driving on anything but ruler flat roads. Drive in the hills with them and you'll need your high beams on a good percentage of the time (often when you would not have needed them had you had conventional Halogen headlights.) The same is readily admitted to be true by drivers of S2000s.

If all you do is drive in cities, you may not notice the difference; drive in say the foothills if Colorado and the difference is immediately apparent...

re: possibility of flooding if shut down or stalled when cold

Originally posted by BillK
Fine - I want to be reassured that it's no more likely to happen than would be the case with a conventional engine.

The fact of the matter is - it is more likely that you will flood a rotary engine if shut down or stalled cold than with a conventional engine. This is why they went to the trouble of giving a short-trip procedure to follow in the case of a cold engine.

It's definately not guaranteed that you will flood an engine in that case (as some have been very concerned about) and by my own experimentation I did not manage to get mine to flood in a week of cold stops and stalls, but it is more likely than with a piston engine and I'm confident that if I had of kept doing it, eventually I would have ended up with a flooded engine. My experiment did convince me though that it's not something that I need to be overly concerned or preoccupied with.

Simon.

re. flooding --
Originally posted by BillK
Fine - I want to be reassured that it's no more likely to happen than would be the case with a conventional engine.
Yep, that would be nice. Time will tell.

Originally posted by BillK
I can't help it if someone wants to stare at my headlights. The majority of drivers have no problems with them.
Cool. I've never seen yours, so I can't make an informed comment on them.
IMHO the RX-8's HIDs' sharp cutoff makes them just about useless for driving on anything but ruler flat roads. Drive in the hills with them and you'll need your high beams on a good percentage of the time...
That just may be the reason automakers provide them. Our British cousins actually refer to them as "main beams" and to the low beams as "dip beams."
If all you do is drive in cities, you may not notice the difference; drive in say the foothills if Colorado and the difference is immediately apparent... Personally I think that the sharp cutoff is a good thing since it allows a lot of light to be put on the road (where it is useful) without dazzling oncoming drivers (which is unsafe as well as discourteous) and the high beams are there to use when needed or desireable. Seems like a good system to me, but YMMV, as they say.:)

Originally posted by BillK
I can't help it if someone wants to stare at my headlights. The majority of drivers have no problems with them.

IMHO the RX-8's HIDs' sharp cutoff makes them just about useless for driving on anything but ruler flat roads. Drive in the hills with them and you'll need your high beams on a good percentage of the time (often when you would not have needed them had you had conventional Halogen headlights.) The same is readily admitted to be true by drivers of S2000s.

If all you do is drive in cities, you may not notice the difference; drive in say the foothills if Colorado and the difference is immediately apparent...

yea I think you nailed the issue on the head, that's exactly why I want to add driving lights... it's not that the HID headlights aren't bright enough, it's on those empty twisting highways with lots of elevation changes that you want a full spread of the lights.

The early prototype photos were of Yellow, but when the car was in production and deliveries were iminent, Mazda stepped up to Red. I think that British Racing Green would also look good on the 8, but the Nordic Green is too dark. This car definitely looks best in Velocity Red. Fortunately, it seems to be less popular than all other colors except Green. Makes mine shine that much more.

Yeah ppl, stop buying the red! Thank you!

noahprtlnd for sure

Red, red, I like red, there's no substitute for red! (Sammy said it best)

Having owned a silver car in the past, I swore I would NEVER own another ever again. There is just too much metal in silver and not enough pigment. Silver paint is weak. The only thing that saves it now is the clear coat that is applied.

However, IMO, that ugly green is the worst color I have ever seen on an 8.

Blue would have been my second pick and yellow right behind it. I bought it off the lot and all they had to choose from was Velocity Red (with the features I wanted), Winning Blue and Titanium Grey (both of which had additional items with additional costs I didn't care to have). There wasn't a Yellow within 50 miles of me.

Major weakness not mentioned yet are the tires. Great summer traction, no winter traction and low mileage life expectancy.

For me, no flooding, no problem shifting (I think I killed it one time while backing), no problems with the Xenon lamps, love the dimming rear view mirror, don't mind the Bose Sound, didn't expect economy on gas mileage, don't have any problems with staying warm on the coldest days so far (0 F) and I have no problem with acceleration, torque or any other afforementioned gripes and groans.

I love my 8, and I shall continue to love it and I am in a city of 120,000 and nobody else has a Velocity Red but me. :)

Scaaareeeeeech!!!

Originally posted by Lock & Load
From what i have observed on the forum the weakest link for the RX8 to me seems to be some of the DRIVERS who have no idea how to drive a manual car , and how to get the most out of a rotary engine .

michael.

Talking with personal exp yeah?

There is no weak link ... perheps the torque and the suspension. ECU and muffler will fix it. Still waiting for you guys to sort out canzoomer's ECU. Hymee and L&L! Thanks :P

Lock and Load......I love my silver and I never would have chosen silver before...bland and boring but for some reason this silver is so bright and shiny it beat out the rest!! I am not hurt by your statement it's all a matter of taste and we all are different that way!! It's all good!! Can you tell I just got back from a Successful Living 4 day seminar!!! I am feeling the love!!!!! It was an empowering and fulfilling seminar that everyone should go through!! Based out of Chicago but have them in Jersey and Canada!! Called Pathways. pathwaysseminars.com

Cruzdreamer

Great to hear from you i was feeling rejected as we havent had any interposts lately .(yeah its not what you others are thinking )ha ha ha.

Great to hear you feel love and empowrement after your 4 day seminar .

Having done an extensive 20 week course of training as a telephone counsellor at Lifeline i attended and did various courses one was on empowerement the best thing you can do in counselling is LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN and try to help people to find the love and the strenght to empower themselves then hopefully they can try and work thru their own issues .

The worst thing you can do is to give advice as this takes the empowerement away from them.

I bet some forum members will be shocked to hear that i worked as a Volunteer telephone counsellor for 3 years .ha ha ha.

Wendy in my opinion people are influenced in their colour choice by various reasons, were i live its mostly bright , sunny holiday type athmosphere hence Yellow really suits the conditions , having said that if i was living in different climatic circumstances i may not pick the same colour .

Also i believe a person current state of mind can also play a factor in choosing a certain colour .

I have owned 23 cars in 33 years and i have had various colours depending on were i was how i felt at the time and my state of mind .

What ever choice people make is fine however i got fed up with people picking on yellow .

As u may have heard "WHEELS " a very respected car magazine here in Australia awarded the RX8 with CAR OF THE YEAR AWARD.
The front page featured a yellow RX8 and the article had 13 phothoes of the yellow rx8 .

Any way as long as people are happy with themselves and their choices thats what really matters .

Nice to hear from you its made my day.

Cheers
michael

I guess when it comes down to it it's all about the love. I really love you guys :) .

Originally posted by D MENAC 7
Major weakness not mentioned yet are the tires. Great summer traction, no winter traction and low mileage life expectancy.
That's because it's not a weakness of the car. It's a weakness of the tire. There's not a tire made that has great traction in the summer AND good winter traction. If this is a weakness of the RX-8, then it's also a weakness of every car on the planet.

Originally posted by Lock & Load
From what i have observed on the forum the weakest link for the RX8 to me seems to be some of the DRIVERS who have no idea how to drive a manual car , and how to get the most out of a rotary engine .

michael.
Dang, stayed away from the forum too long - wanted to say "driver" myself but the Antipodes beat me to it.

I learned to drive manual on the 8 and i only stalled it once, in a parking lot. I forgot to take the ebrake off cause i would never leave it on in a parking lot in my auto.

Well what is the weakest link. Considering my car b4 the 8 was a 97 crv with over 200,000 miles on it and had only 100hp or so i can't complain about the lack of power, and these are the 1st summer tires i have owned so i can't complain about the tires. This is also the 1st rotary i have owned but i was a long time admirerer of the rx7 and i haven't flooded it yet w/ 2k miles on it. Neway i think u can deflood the car using the procedure in the manual unless u let it sit for a while which fouls up the spark plugs. That is when u have 2 have it taken 2 the dealer.

I would say the weakest link is the ecu "hack" that mazda did just b4 the car shipped. The took a 10% cut in power, and didn't even reconfigure the O2 sensor in the exhaust for the changed fuel richness, which is what really makes it eat gas. But hey i bought a sports car so i didn't really care about that when i bought it.

Originally posted by D MENAC 7

However, IMO, that ugly green is the worst color I have ever seen on an 8.




*ouch*

I resemble that remark. Maybe you just didn't look at it closely enough?

My wife wanted me to get the Nordic Green... I didn't hate it, I just liked the Ti Grey better :) . LOL.

"Geniuses pick green"- Meet The Parents :D

I retract my statement about the weakness of the 8 being the tires, that is true, it is only a weakness of the tires, not the car. Maybe Mazda should have issued a second set of treads for us less fortunate temperate climate dwellers with the 8. Sure, it's a dream perhaps a dilusion even. :)

I still stand by the statement about low mileage life expectancy as being a weakness, though.

Green is for mold, slime and ugly. Hell, I'd love to see this car in Orange or White! Let's see comments on that! :0

Off to Phot Shop I go!

Here are the colors that Mazda decided not to go with when they were deciding which would make it to production.

OOOPS! How did that Nordic Green get on that list??? :)

That white sure does look nice.

Apart from the white, the other colours look very tacky. IMO the yellow also looks somewhat tacky, but hey, each individual's got his/her own taste and it's something one cannot argue about.
Abnd I think the Nordic Green (not the photoshopped one) is gorgeous. Pity they did not make a metallic dark blue.

Originally posted by Rotary Titus
yea I think you nailed the issue on the head, that's exactly why I want to add driving lights... it's not that the HID headlights aren't bright enough, it's on those empty twisting highways with lots of elevation changes that you want a full spread of the lights. Yes.

To clarify, the HIDs on the RX-8 (and S2000 for that matter) are perfectly bright, it's the extreme cutoff at the top of the beam that's annoying.

The HIDs on say the Boxster or Audi TT have more of a gradual fade at the top of the beam pattern; on the 8 areas are either lit or not, there's no middle ground whatsoever.

FWIW, conventional Halogens have a fade rather than a dramatic cutoff at the top of the beam pattern.

Originally posted by BillK
Yes.

FWIW, conventional Halogens have a fade rather than a dramatic cutoff at the top of the beam pattern.

Yeah, I just installed H7 Silverstars on my lowbeams and they are so white but without the sudden cutoff that RX-8 w/HIDs have. I have a base RX-8 and I couldn't stand the yellowish stock lowbeam.

We have Projectors on our Audi A4 and they have the same cut off as my RX-8.

Originally posted by Xyntax
Yeah, I just installed H7 Silverstars on my lowbeams and they are so white but without the sudden cutoff that RX-8 w/HIDs have. I have a base RX-8 and I couldn't stand the yellowish stock lowbeam.

I'm planning on getting some silverstars are well. Do you happen to have a model number?

Originally posted by Rx8Past
I'm planning on getting some silverstars are well. Do you happen to have a model number?

H7ST - Silverstars. That's all you need for the low beam. It's hard to find it in store because stores mostly carry the 9000+ series silverstars. I got it at ebay for $26

Thanks Xyntax

Just installed the H7ST's and they look great. I got them at kragen for $24 each blub. Thanks again for the tip Xyntax

Cool! I've always been a fan of Silverstars.

The flooding issue is overated. Your not going to flood it as you coming out of parking places. If your worring about stalling you should get the automatic. So far no issues with mine and I love the car!

Hm. I thought AT were more flood-prone then MT...

Originally posted by BlueThunder
The flooding issue is overated. Your not going to flood it as you coming out of parking places. If your worring about stalling you should get the automatic. So far no issues with mine and I love the car! You won't flood it pulling out of your parking space... unless you screw up and stall the car.

Even Mazda will not deny that flooding will not occur in this case...

Originally posted by Xyntax
Cool! I've always been a fan of Silverstars. Remember the biggest drawback of SilverStars, namely that they have a dramatically lower lifespan than normal bulbs. Sylvania's own website says that in normal driving, they will only last about a year vs. the three to four years typical of normal halogen bulbs...

Originally posted by Lock & Load
From what i have observed on the forum the weakest link for the RX8 to me seems to be some of the DRIVERS who have no idea how to drive a manual car , and how to get the most out of a rotary engine .

michael. I think you may be on to something here!!!!!!

Well, I hope I'm asking this in the right place. I LOVE the car, but one annoyance is bothering me. The gas and clutch pedals are too different in terms of height (at least on mine). If I adjust the seat to where I can take the clutch pedal to the floor (which it NEEDS), then my right leg/knee are jacked up uncomfortably close.

On the other hand, if I adjust my leg to be comfortable with the gas pedal (which makes sense, since I use it more), then I have to stretch a lot to get the clutch pedal down far enough to work right.

-YES my legs are the same length! Has anyone else noticed this? Most of all, is there anything that can be done about it? -Any adjustment possible?

Clutch pedal extension. (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13709&highlight=clutch+pedal)