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Page Five (Final)

thanks everyone who helped get this posted!:D

Just adding the values for Page 5, as it's a toughie to read:

RX-8
0-60: 6.2 seconds
0-100: 16.7 seconds
1/4 mile: 14.8 seconds
30-70mph: 21.1 seconds
Peak Accel.: .65g
Top Speed 150mph
70-0mph: 153 feet
Peak Braking: 1.12g
Cornering l/r: .95/.93

BMW 330i
0-60: 6.5 seconds
0-100: 17.4 seconds
1/4 mile: 15.1 seconds
30-70mph: 16.9 seconds
Peak Accel.: .65g
Top Speed 128mph
70-0mph: 157 feet
Peak Braking: 1.12g
Cornering l/r: .92/.91

350Z
0-60: 5.6 seconds
0-100: 14.4 seconds
1/4 mile: 14.2 seconds
30-70mph: 16.8 seconds
Peak Accel.: .66g
Top Speed 155mph
70-0mph: 176 feet
Peak Braking: 1.17g
Cornering l/r: .99/.96

my thanks too. Hopefully mine arrives tomorrow! (Automobile mag, not RX-8)

Thanks for the post Herc!

It's still hard to know what to make of the whole concept of a four-door sports car. If the RX-8 were a simple 2+2 that required circus-caliber acrobatics to climb into the rear seat, no one would say a word. But it offers real-world rear-seat accomodation, only not like a BMW. It delivers true sports car performance, only not like a Nissan Z-car. It's simply not like anything else, much like the rotary engine itself. Certain kinds of drivers will make their way to this car, and they won't be like Porsche, Nissan, or BMW drivers. They'll be after something else.

I'd say that pretty much says it all. This is my favorite review so far. Thanks guys!

How did the Roadpig 350z beat the 8 in cornering.:confused:
Just an honest question When's spring want to test drive now.

And thanks.:D :D

that review seemed pretty negative:confused:

"...faint praise..."

lovely......
________
Vaporizors (http://vaporizers.net/vaporizers)

Mazda is officially back!

what do the cornering values indicate?

is this like skidpad? in this case, is the article saying the z outperforms the rx8?

Hahahaha!!! If you guys think that Z people are assholes, wait until the BMW camp gets ahold of this! They're going to riot! :eek: 330i drivers know better than to punk up on a Z, but you guys are going to be picking on them! Bravo!

IMO, this is the best article yet that outlines in succinct fashion exactly what the RX-8 is built to do... ZOOM ZOOM!

Originally posted by droidekaus
Hahahaha!!! If you guys think that Z people are assholes, wait until the BMW camp gets ahold of this! They're going to riot! :eek: 330i drivers know better than to punk up on a Z, but you guys are going to be picking on them! Bravo!

IMO, this is the best article yet that outlines in succinct fashion exactly what the RX-8 is built to do... ZOOM ZOOM! Having been a frequent visitor and participant of Bimmerfest.com, I've found that most BMW fans are generally liking the RX-8 :)

Originally posted by Hercules
Having been a frequent visitor and participant of Bimmerfest.com, I've found that most BMW fans are generally liking the RX-8 :)

Agreed. Bimmerfest.com is a *good* site. Bimmer.org is another story...

Great article, balanced and thoughtful. Enough obsessing over whose got the better stat in this or that category. As far as I'm concerned, it's the whole package that counts in the end, and it seems the new RX does double duty with considerable grace. Favorite read so far. I think Mazda has another Miata in its hands. And I hope once these are on the streets, the buzz will help get the sales of the 6 moving.

Thanks StephenF and Herc!

great article, though i never would've thought of putting Rx-8 and 330i side by side

Great article -- just as I thought:

The RX-8 is more versatile than the Z (read here the current fav in reasonably priced sports cars) and more of a sports car than the 330i (read here the cream of the sports sedan crop). The best of both worlds in a package that is unique and provides just as much driving fun/excitment (in its own way) as anything on the road.

Now when Mazda takes the handcuffs off the Renesis (280 to 300 hp) we will see how the 8 will shine.:D Even though I want it now I understand their dire need to prove the reliability of the Renesis and hit a certain price point.

WTF?? :confused:

The highest skidpad I've seen for the 350z until now was 0.88 and now they somehow got 0.99? I can understand a difference of .02 or .03, but .11?

Once you rev the rotary to its 8500-rpm power peak, you'll never give a second thought to the passengers again. Don't bother me, I'm Driving:D

...the twin rotor...produces only two power pulses per engine revolution... I must be misunderstandin' sumpin, because I thought every time a rotor face passed the plugs there's a power pulse. So wouldn't that mean 6 powerpulses per engine rev? edit: After a slight walk away from the computer (darn work anyway) I realized my mistake. When I think of an engine rev, I'm thinking of rotor revs, not flywheel revs.

And I'm suprised peak accel is the same on all. With the lower torque of the RX-8, I'd've thought that it'd have less butt dyno accel. Is it because low torque plus high revs and more gearing (RX-8) gets same torque to the rear wheels as more torque with lower revs and less gearing (BMW & Z)?

I believe the rotors turn at 1/3 the speed of the eccentric shaft, so with 1 side of each of 2 rotors "igniting" that would make 2 power pulses per eccentric shaft revolution. Corrections???

Yes, it seems .99 is rather high. I think a Z06 can pull over 1.0, but with the front end plow of the Z I can't imagine it getting much over .90 ; seems C&D had .88 and the RX at .91.
This article didn't bother to mention which of the several models of Z they had, or at least I missed it if they did. Assuming Track model, but it'd be nice if they'd say, and mention it's wheel / tire package as well. Almost everyone knows that even better cars handle worse on mediocre tires so they should make the tires as equal as possible if they are rating a car on it's skip pad ability.
The Honda Prelude was often hindered by it's rubber, and they almost always say that about the OEM tires on the WRX when wringing it out on pavement. Yet another reason for Mazda to put their best foot [S03] forward on the RX-8.

RX-8
30-70mph: 21.1 seconds


BMW 330i
30-70mph: 16.9 seconds

350Z
30-70mph: 16.8 seconds

can someone explain to me why it takes these cars longer to go from 30-70mph than it does for them to go 0-100mph?

If my car takes 21 seconds to go from 30mph to 70 mph I am going to cry.

without notes from the mag, I think the reason is that it's done in either top gear, or maybe 5th instead of using the shifter and starting from a lower gear.

can someone explain to me why it takes these cars longer to go from 30-70mph than it does for them to go They run the tests keeping the car in one gear, maybe the top gear. It seems like a silly test because almost anyone should have enough sense to downshift to the appropriate gear and rotor away. Even an auto trans should downshift to help accel the car.

Those are usually top gear "roll-on" tests, i.e. cruise in top gear at 30mph, floor the throttle, start the stopwatch (or whatever fancy measuring thingymajig) and see how long it takes to get to 70. Supposedly they help measure an engine's flexibility, but sometimes they don't make sense. E.g. an auto transmission is always a lot faster because it automatically kicks down a gear or more. Particularly in with an RX-8 with a fuel economy sixth gear, I would frankly be surprised if it was fast, particularly starting from 30.

Skidpad results also vary based on the how big of a circle they are using. I don't think mags are consistent between them in their skidpad circles.

It's interesting how some people think this is an extremely positive article (I do), and others don't think it's a good review at all. Perhaps the latter camp was hoping for the 8 to blow away the Z?

Originally posted by pmacwill
RX-8
30-70mph: 21.1 seconds


BMW 330i
30-70mph: 16.9 seconds

350Z
30-70mph: 16.8 seconds

can someone explain to me why it takes these cars longer to go from 30-70mph than it does for them to go 0-100mph?

If my car takes 21 seconds to go from 30mph to 70 mph I am going to cry.

That's elapsed time in top gear. Sixth gear for the 8 and Z, fifth for the 330i

EDIT: I guess I'm a little late to this party. What a dolt. Should have noticed the other answers already available.

I'm tired of reading reviews...I just want to drive one to see for myself!

That article, and nearly every other Automobile writes is why I put that magazine on the top of the heap of American automotive journalism.

They give you a few numbers lightly sprinkled throughout the article, unlike other magazines who simply seem to write a story around a bunch of statistics.

What Automobile is always able to do, at least for me, is write the article in such a way that I am able almost feel myself behind the wheel of the car. I can almost hear the sound of the engine. I can almost feel the way it steers around corners. That is the true brilliance of Automobiles writing. Anyone can write down numbers, but it takes something more to transfer your driving experience to your readers in an effective way.

Originally posted by m477
WTF?? :confused:

The highest skidpad I've seen for the 350z until now was 0.88 and now they somehow got 0.99? I can understand a difference of .02 or .03, but .11?

I was just wondering the same thing. Could anyone clarify this discrepancy. Also, after reading everything about how the rx8 is more rigid than the rx7 and has lower yaw inertia etc... I was wondering why the skidpad results for the rx8 are lower than the 350z according to this mag. Id appreciate any explanation. thanks

My guess is it's a misprint. Even 350Z owners know the car isn't going to get that high a number.

Originally posted by Hercules
My guess is it's a misprint. Even 350Z owners know the car isn't going to get that high a number.

It's not a misprint, but rather a different way of measuring lateral Gs, IMO. Take it for it what it's worth, but Automobile also measured 1.01/.92 for the G35 Coupe in it's shootout against the 330ci. Instead of a a proper skidpad and numerous laps in a circle, I think that Automobile just throws any given vehicle into VERY HARD right and left turns, and measures the G forces encountered during that very quick manuver.

I cannot find data that represents how they test anywhere in the magazine.

Originally posted by droidekaus


It's not a misprint, but rather a different way of measuring lateral Gs, IMO. Take it for it what it's worth, but Automobile also measured 1.01/.92 for the G35 Coupe in it's shootout against the 330ci. Instead of a a proper skidpad and numerous laps in a circle, I think that Automobile just throws any given vehicle into VERY HARD right and left turns, and measures the G forces encountered during that very quick manuver.

I cannot find data that represents how they test anywhere in the magazine. Yes but even if that's the case, the RX-8's numbers should be better. The 8 has better grip (demonstrated by C&D) than both the 350Z and G35 Coupe, and is lighter so throwing it hard into a turn will result in a great suspension doing its job on a car that's a lot easier to control than a 350Z/G35c just due to weight.

I am curious about this, but I'm happy either way.