A friend of mine has a mint silver 95 rx-7 r2 with 38,000km.....He offered to trade straight up for my 8 which btw is a base model w/14,000km.....I have owned a 93 b4 and i miss it dearly :( .....I guess a turbo would help the 8 a lot but the 7 is a legend in itself and it looks like mazda will never make another one....what do y'all think?

A friend of mine has a mint silver 95 rx-7 r2 with 38,000km.....He offered to trade straight up for my 8 which btw is a base model w/14,000km.....I have owned a 93 b4 and i miss it dearly :( .....I guess a turbo would help the 8 a lot but the 7 is a legend in itself and it looks like mazda will never make another one....what do y'all think?

I'd take the FD in a heartbeat if I didn't need the rear-seats. You also need to keep some cash set aside for a rebuild of the 13B, but it's worth it. That's about as close as you can get to an exotic for the price...

straight up trade for a 10 year old car though?

DARKMAZ8

That would be in my opinion...the worst decision someone could make.

A car that's 10 years older??? Geez.

DARKMAZ8

That would be in my opinion...the worst decision someone could make.

A car that's 10 years older??? Geez.

Have you ever driven an FD b4?

As much as I like and admire the FD, I would definitely not do it. The FD, besides indeed being kind of exotic, had it's share of reliability issues (especially if it's a turbo) and having a 10 year old car which needs even more fuel and has worse emissions than the 8 is not something I'd like.
It really depends on what your desire is - if you're missing your earlier car so much, then it's more of a sentimental question for you. Also, if you use the 8 as your second / hobby car, then it's something that might make sense, but taking the 95 as the daily driver over the 8 would not work for me, personally.

EDIT: consider this as well. What this would mean is buying a 10 years old FD for well over 20K+ dollars. Economical? Hardly. You'd be better off by selling your 8 and buy his (or another) FD.

While I use to own a Montego Blue 93 myself--I would have to say no on the trade unless you have desposable income to put into rebuilding the 13B and the subsequent mod fever you are gonna get. I would love to have another one, but I need a vehicle that is more practical--if you have a 2nd car--go for it.

straight up trade for a 10 year old car though?

Not my fully loaded GT, but a base model '8... yeah. I'm guessing you've never driven an R2... incredible handling and faster than a bat out of hell. There' weren't many '95 R2's made, and if it's in mint condition, it's probably worth as much or more than a base 8. It's going to be a rare classic if kept in good condition...

As much as I like and admire the FD, I would definitely not do it. The FD, besides indeed being kind of exotic, had it's share of reliability issues (especially if it's a turbo) and having a 10 year old car which needs even more fuel and has worse emissions than the 8 is not something I'd like.
It really depends on what your desire is - if you're missing your earlier car so much, then it's more of a sentimental question for you. Also, if you use the 8 as your second / hobby car, then it's something that might make sense, but taking the 95 as the daily driver over the 8 would not work for me, personally.

most definately will be a weekend car......but it's the overall condition of this 7 that it has been kept in......It looks brand new and as far as being a 10 year old car,,,it is the only negative thing about this car.....BUT all parts are readily available and could easily be restored to brand new condish.....If mazda never makes a newer 7 then this is most definatly the car to have......btw it is an original r2 which is rare in itself... :confused:

Also I am certain that this car will in 10 years will be worth more than a 10 year old rx8.....

Also I am certain that this car will in 10 years will be worth more than a 10 year old rx8.....

It's already worth as much as a one year old RX8, so that's a guarantee :)

Well, OK, I wasn't aware that the R2 was that rare... but if you're buying a car as an investment looking forward to 10 years from now, that's not typically a good way to invest your money.
But alas, as I said, it appears you approach this question from a sentimental angle. In which case, why not? Go for it if you desire the FD so much. You'll probably feel sorry later if you didn't.



...which obviously doesn't guarantee you won't feel sorry if you did :p

... forgot to add that a well tuned FD will have more power potential than any RX8, and most of the FD guys I talk with get better gas mileage and over 300hp with their modified (upgraded) turbos.

If it's a matter of 'power' - I'd not do the trade. What would 7psi on a FD give? 190?whp. 7psi on a Renesis = 240+ whp.

If it's a matter of looks - I'd not do the trade. While the FD is still sexy, the angular, muscular lines of the 8 win out

If it's a matter of sentiment - find a good, stock RX7 for sale when you can afford to have both. :)

I would say trade, and if your RX8 is your daily driver go get a junker with good gas mileage for $500.

I think most people would agree that the FD is a more attractive car.


I used to agree - but now, my vote for 'better-looking' lands on the side of the RX8.

... forgot to add that a well tuned FD will have more power potential than any RX8
Why would that be? Let's say you add a Greddy turbo and manage to tune it really well. Why would the older, less advandec design of the 13B have more power potential? I don't know enough about rotaries - so please educate me.
most of the FD guys I talk with get better gas mileage and over 300hp with their modified (upgraded) turbos.Now the gas mileage part is interesting. How much do those people get? I get easily 19 mpg with mixed city/highway driving (60% hw, 40% city) - I doubt they would get anything even close to that.
There is no argument about the hp for sure, but it's hard to believe the gas consumption part.

If it's a matter of 'power' - I'd not do the trade. What would 7psi on a FD give? 190?whp. 7psi on a Renesis = 240+ whp.

If it's a matter of looks - I'd not do the trade. While the FD is still sexy, the angular, muscular lines of the 8 win out

If it's a matter of sentiment - find a good, stock RX7 for sale when you can afford to have both. :)

I definately would get another 8 but since it will be dedicated to being a daily driver I would opt for the gt.....I bought the base for weight savings and helmet room...remember that an r2 weighs a bit over 2700lbs..that is extremely light for a car that can easily attain 300whp.... ;)

If it's a matter of 'power' - I'd not do the trade. What would 7psi on a FD give? 190?whp. 7psi on a Renesis = 240+ whp.

If it's a matter of looks - I'd not do the trade. While the FD is still sexy, the angular, muscular lines of the 8 win out

If it's a matter of sentiment - find a good, stock RX7 for sale when you can afford to have both. :)

Not sure where you're getting your numbers, but a 95 RX7 is putting out 255hp stock- not sure how much to the wheels, but it's considerably more than 190... probably closer to 220-230. It runs 0-60 in around 5 seconds, and is in the high 13's in the 1/4 mile. With some tuning, that car can see 300hp easy. For the $5k you'd be putting in the RX8 to hit 240hp, the RX7 can hit 350-400hp. And it weighs quite a bit less.

As for looks- I love my RX8, but the FD is a timeless beauty- and it will always be that way.

But you're right on your last point- best solution is keep the RX8 as a daily driver, and add the '7 as a weekend/project car.

The FD has 212lb/ft of torque as well. Right now the RX8 has nowhere near the tuning potential of the FD. I sorely miss mine and would love to get a hold of one if I had the extra money/time.

Why would that be? Let's say you add a Greddy turbo and manage to tune it really well. Why would the older, less advandec design of the 13B have more power potential? I don't know enough about rotaries - so please educate me.

Because there's not the problem of the 8's ECU in the way of the power. There's not much a 10 year old car relies on the computer for, so you can rip it out and replace it, and fine tune it, rather than futz with a piggy back solution. The 8's ECU is far more intrusive...

I've also seen large power gains from porting & polishing the 13B-REW... I'm not convinced that there's as much to get out of the Renesis... seems it's close to being maxed out (in NA form). I think Mazda did an incredible job squeezing ~225hp out of our motors without forced induction. [/QUOTE]

Now the gas mileage part is interesting. How much do those people get? I get easily 19 mpg with mixed city/highway driving (60% hw, 40% city) - I doubt they would get anything even close to that.
There is no argument about the hp for sure, but it's hard to believe the gas consumption part.

I'm guessing because these guys are tuned properly and not running ridiculously rich like we are... I don't remember their numbers, but they laughed at my 16mpg (all city).

Not sure where you're getting your numbers, but a 95 RX7 is putting out 255hp stock- not sure how much to the wheels, but it's considerably more than 190... probably closer to 220-230. It runs 0-60 in around 5 seconds, and is in the high 13's in the 1/4 mile. With some tuning, that car can see 300hp easy. For the $5k you'd be putting in the RX8 to hit 240hp, the RX7 can hit 350-400hp. And it weighs quite a bit less.



How may PSI does a stock FD run? ;)

My point was - while the FD may have more stock whp, the renesis, psi-for-psi could have more potential.


For the record, I've seen a 100% stock FD run 13.5. :) (mid, not high 13s)

hehe

How may PSI does a stock FD run? ;)

My point was - while the FD may have more stock whp, the renesis, psi-for-psi could have more potential.


For the record, I've seen a 100% stock FD run 13.5. :) (mid, not high 13s)

hehe

what about the 300 extra pounds?

I don't think you'll be able to boost all that much using a piggyback for the 8.....7-9psi max.....but who knows....Im sure it'll be a while till all the guinea pigs do the r/d

what about the 300 extra pounds?


No idea.


it'll be a while till all the guinea pigs do the r/d

Bingo.

How can you speak about a car's reliability when you don't even know that all FD's are turbocharged?
Ummm... hearing all the stories about turboed RX-7s having engine troubles, maybe?
Dude, there's no reason to rip me a new one... as you can see, I admitted not being too knowledgeable about rotaries. I am certainly open for getting educated about the topic. I still stand behind what I wrote about the trade question and that I wouldn't do it - but I realize there are other reasons for people to see this differently.

The FD's gas mileage is compareable to the RX-8 as well.
That's not exactly the way you'd think from posts you can read - let's not consider those RX-8s that get sub-15 mpg because that's not normal IMO.

A friend of mine has a mint silver 95 rx-7 r2 with 38,000km.....He offered to trade straight up for my 8 which btw is a base model w/14,000km.....I have owned a 93 b4 and i miss it dearly :( .....I guess a turbo would help the 8 a lot but the 7 is a legend in itself and it looks like mazda will never make another one....what do y'all think?

Is this car bone stock?
Also, does he seriously want to sell it? If so how much?

As for your earlier question, I don't feel it's worth the money that you paid for the Rx-8 (not yet anyways) even though it's a rare find. Especially in Canada.

Yes it is stock but had all the reliable mods...ie fluidine rad,,silicon vac. lines ect.
It drives like new with no suspension play at all....the guy wants $25,000 usd.....remember it only has 38,000km which is about 20,000 miles

its 8 psi is the typical max stock boost. But of course that creeps up with basic performance upgrades. edit: 10psi max--in a 10-8-10 boost pattern.

How may PSI does a stock FD run? ;)

My point was - while the FD may have more stock whp, the renesis, psi-for-psi could have more potential.


For the record, I've seen a 100% stock FD run 13.5. :) (mid, not high 13s)

hehe

I tought they ran around 8PSI stock... but they can handle a whole lot more, like 16-18PSI with upgraded injectors. With the 8's ECU so deeply involved with so many of the vehicle's systems, I don't think were' going to see that kind of boost possible for a long time, if at all.

I tought they ran around 8PSI stock... but they can handle a whole lot more, like 16-18PSI with upgraded injectors. With the 8's ECU so deeply involved with so many of the vehicle's systems, I don't think were' going to see that kind of boost possible for a long time, if at all.

Here's where i got my info:



http://rx7.voodoobox.net/infofaq/bguide3g/bguide3g.html

Take the car for a drive and be easy on it until the engine is warm. The temperature gauge should reach a horizontal position (3 and 9 o'clock) and should not go above that position. Once the car is warmed up, you can do a boost test. The best way is to have a passenger call out the boost readings as you accelerate at WOT (wide open throttle) in 3rd gear (find a road where you can do this safely). At or before 3,000 rpm you should see around 10 psi (pounds per square inch, lb/in^2) of boost. At 4500 rpm you should see a quick drop to about 8 psi and an almost instantaneous recovery to 10 psi. It should continue to make 10 psi of boost until close to redline where it may drop a couple of psi. This is what is referred to as a 10-8-10 boost pattern. Note: At redline in 3rd gear you will be doing about 110 mph! So, unless you are doing this on a track, you will probably want to stop at 70-75 mph (depending on the speed limit).


and...


Rotarygod: "Just to give some people an idea of how the numbers actually look, we need a frame of reference. The stock 3rd gen had more than 7 lbs boost and only got around 215-220 or so at the wheels. "

:D

Here's where i got my info:



and...



:D

Fact is,,, the 8 is compromised,,where the 7 there are no compromises....sure at 7psi the renesis is at say 240whp but I highly doubt you will see a renesis with 20+ psi......its like comparing an sr20det to a b18c5 where boost is concerned!

Fact is,,, the 8 is compromised,,where the 7 there are no compromises....sure at 7psi the renesis is at say 240whp but I highly doubt you will see a renesis with 20+ psi......its like comparing an sr20det to a b18c5 where boost is concerned!


I see it as the 7 is a compromise....with the 7, I have to buy ANOTHER car to carry the family around. :)

hehe...

:D

If he can do a 95 R2 + some cash, I'd do it.

I do not know about you guys but
I think our Rx-8 will be as rare as FD once had been (which is now)
Our cars are clean. The stock engine already gives about clean 230 hp.
I'm going to treasure mine, and keep it as long as i can.
it's so freakin AWSOME!!!

As much as i love Rx-7. The only reason i didn't get it is because of age.
Why not get a new Rx-8 which is rare too and give it 10 years and see what happens?

I'd take the 95 FD, that's rare by itself... how many exact number in the US? Low hundreds? And then buy another RX-8 as your family friendly car.

I guess it depends on which car you want more.
The FD is 10 years old now. Not suggesting that is going to be a problem,
but you have a new car now..

RX8s won't be rare like the FD--they've already made well over 100,000 of them--compare that to the less than 2,000 Competition Yellow Mica ones that were imported in 1993. And that is correct--the FDs are a 10-8-10 psi boost pattern. Stock the fastest time an FD has been clocked to 60 at is 4.9s--that's C5 Vette territory. Even the automatic FDs are slightly quicker than 6spd RX8s. Have no illusions--the FD is a no compromise race car for the street.

They imported 521 95 RX-7s into the US, I had S/N 474 ;) I'd say probably around 100 to Canada.
Out of those 95's there's just a handful of r2's.... :cool:

And yes if I make the trade i will buy another 8!!! :D

not 100,000 in U.S. but worldwide. They celebrated rolling the 100,000th RX8 off of the assembly line a couple of months ago. There was a blurb about it on Reuters and in Mazdasport Magazine.

Ask your friend how much he wants for the 95 FD, color, specs, etc.. I might want to buy it and if the numbers are right, he could just go buy a new RX-8.

for all those who have never been behind the wheel of an r2 you are truely missing out it was one of the most exhilerating cars i have ever had the chance of driving.

i have been looking for an fd for a while since that time i have never come across one with less than 70k miles.

if its in good of condition as he says it is. i would trade up in a heart beat regardless of the fds problems. remember guys he used to own one so he knows what he could be getting into

I do not know about you guys but
I think our Rx-8 will be as rare as FD once had been (which is now)
Our cars are clean. The stock engine already gives about clean 230 hp.
I'm going to treasure mine, and keep it as long as i can.
it's so freakin AWSOME!!!

As much as i love Rx-7. The only reason i didn't get it is because of age.
Why not get a new Rx-8 which is rare too and give it 10 years and see what happens?

Sorry, but the RX8 is not going to be rare or a collectors item, unless Mazda pulls the plug on them tomorrow. I think there have been more RX8's produced already than all FD's combined. And the '95 FD R2 is one of the rarest of all creatures (at least here in North America). We're talking about apples and oranges...

1995 RX7 R2 May become a collectible which would be worth a pretty penny. I would go for the RX7 if you plan to keep it for the investment potential.

http://alecto.bittwiddlers.com/vehicles/rx7-numbers.shtml

As it stands now--factory paint Competition Yellow Micas are the most desired--they were only available in 1993. The FD is arguably the most beautiful and purist car to ever come from Japan.

If I had the cash to buy that car and keep my RX-8 I would do it, an FD with that low km's\miles and it's stock AND and R2?! Damn! Maybe I would do the trade...tough decision. Only reason I would keep the RX-8 is that I wouldn't want to rack the mileage on such a sweet car and I would want to drive the 8 when i'm not driving the FD.

id get the rx7 in a second... but make him throw in some new tires and tell him to get the car detailed :D

As it stands now--factory paint Competition Yellow Micas are the most desired--they were only available in 1993. The FD is arguably the most beautiful and purist car to ever come from Japan.

Mmm.... CYM, the sexiest of the FD's.

I agree. I've owned an FD, and if I can find a cheap project FD I'll own another some day.
The RX-8 is a better overall car. It's 90% as sporty as the FD, and 300% as practical as the FD.

Ok, that's enough for you for one night put the pipe down. Not sure what kind of FD you drove but to compare the two and suggest that the 8 is 90% as sporty is a "bit" of a stretch IMHO. The 8 is an awesome car, and as much as I'd love to go out and get one now I'm hoping for more horses in the near future. Nevertheless, The FD is a legend and in a different performance class particularly if they go head to head at stock.
I don't recall the specs of the first gen--but I believe my first gen 1985 GSL-SE had more torque that the 8 has. I could be wrong....

If I had a chance at an R2 with 38,000 k, it would be a done deal. I'd find another daily ride plain and simple. No brainer!

I don't recall the specs of the first gen--but I believe my first gen 1985 GSL-SE had more torque that the 8 has. I could be wrong....
GSL-SE 135 hp/ 133 torque.
RX-8 6 spd. (debatable) 238 hp/ 159 torque.
RX-8 auto (debatable) 197 hp/ 164 torque. Yes the auto does make more peak torque. That is not a misprint.

Even if these numbers aren't correct, the RX-8 will still make more torque than the GSL-SE. The GSL-SE "feels" like it has more torque because it peaks lower and because the car is much lighter.

Silver '95 R2, *drool*. Only 16 like that imported to the U.S., I bet even fewer imported to Canada. I can provide some insight here as a lurker from the RX-7 forum. In terms of respective values, the cars are actually quite close, but keep in mind if you were to both put your cars up for sale, it would take much longer to sell the RX-7 (obviously the market is much smaller). With that said, Silver '95 R2s are probably one of the most desirable color/year combinations out there. That coupled with the low mileage makes this particular car even more desirable. Reliability wise, expect a few headaches. '95s a much more relaible than earlier years but these are still very difficult cars to work on, so even if a minor thing goes wrong it can cost a lot to fix. Parts are very expensive too. Mileage should be about the same (I regularly get 19-20mpg in mixed driving). Stock FD's dyno at around 220hp at the wheels at 10psi, but with the proper bolt-ons can dyno around 300rwhp without raising the boost level. That is enough to run high 12's. I personally wouldn't recommend trying to increase power beyond 300rwhp because you start making bigger sacrifices in reliability.

10 year old turbo! no no NO!!

GSL-SE 135 hp/ 133 torque.
RX-8 6 spd. (debatable) 238 hp/ 159 torque.
RX-8 auto (debatable) 197 hp/ 164 torque. Yes the auto does make more peak torque. That is not a misprint.

Even if these numbers aren't correct, the RX-8 will still make more torque than the GSL-SE. The GSL-SE "feels" like it has more torque because it peaks lower and because the car is much lighter.

Thanks for clarifying the specs...interesting. :)

straight up trade for a 10 year old car though?

My thoughts exactly. Total "strudel in your noodle" if you do that ...

10 year old turbo! no no NO!!

It's a 95 FD with very little mileage. I'd take the Turbo 95 FD. That sucker is rare, fun to drive, and a steal if it's traded for a Base RX-8 2004.

I have no problems getting a used older model car... Besides, it's only a 20k-25k cost car, that's nothing. Could always just buy another RX-8. Can't always just go out there and buy the last US Gen RX-7 with low Miles.

The issue really is money IMO.

The 8 is better if you want to save money. If you get the 7 you're probably going to have to do some random maintence and the 7 has been known to have a fair share of reliability problems. You're probably going to want another commuter car for a nicer ride plus ability to carry more people (more cost).

But if money wasn't much of an issue (ie you could afford the 7 PLUS another commuter car or if you already have another commuter car)... I say do it. I'd love to have a 7 (well, an FD 7) but there's no way I can afford it. Well maybe I could afford it but I'd have to be living paycheck to pay check and I don't want to do that. :)

The FD is arguably the most beautiful and purist car to ever come from Japan.Dunno prefer the skyline v-spec2 myself but getting that in the US or Canada is even more of an impossibility.

I wouldn't do the trade, but if I had the money lying around and had enough decent daily drivers for the family, I would buy it if that's what you really want.

Skylines are badass--but as far as design they are pretty straight forward--they look good; but not FD good.

Not my fully loaded GT, but a base model '8... yeah. I'm guessing you've never driven an R2... incredible handling and faster than a bat out of hell. There' weren't many '95 R2's made, and if it's in mint condition, it's probably worth as much or more than a base 8. It's going to be a rare classic if kept in good condition...

I dunno if a 95 R2 is any different than a 93 FD twin turbo, but I drove that one before (my brothers) and it is pretty darn fast. but regardless, trading an rx8 not even 2 years old(?) for a 10 year old car... Like others have said, if you got money, why not. otherwise it just doesnt seem like a wise financial decision. just my opinion. I dont think I would trade my 8 for my brothers FD no matter how fast and how good it handles.

I dunno if a 95 R2 is any different than a 93 FD twin turbo, but I drove that one before (my brothers) and it is pretty darn fast. but regardless, trading an rx8 not even 2 years old(?) for a 10 year old car... Like others have said, if you got money, why not. otherwise it just doesnt seem like a wise financial decision. just my opinion. I dont think I would trade my 8 for my brothers FD no matter how fast and how good it handles.

financially speaking this car will hold value and perhaps become a classic.....the rx8 will be half it's purchase price by next year... :eek:

Dude, just go with your gut. First, of course, make sure that you figure out the blue book values and don't get hosed from a fair market value perspective. Aside from that, just do what you really want to do.

one down side to tradin in the 8 is that u lose ur warranty :( but ey id still do it!! HEY! can i trade in my car for his rx7 if you dont do it??? :D (im serious)

Go for the R2 if you can afford to use it as a weekender/collectible, and you have another car to get you around.

Go for the R2 if money isn't an issue.

Go with what your gut tells you.

But ask yourself this - why would the friend with the R2 be so quick to trade with you for your RX-8?

Fact is,,, the 8 is compromised,,where the 7 there are no compromises....sure at 7psi the renesis is at say 240whp but I highly doubt you will see a renesis with 20+ psi......its like comparing an sr20det to a b18c5 where boost is concerned!


I really hope you are not implying that a B18c can not handle that kind of boost. If so, you have a lot to learn. I know personnally of at least 4 off the top of my head that are over 20psi on a b18. And that is just little ol' me in a fairly small city.

I really hope you are not implying that a B18c can not handle that kind of boost. If so, you have a lot to learn. I know personnally of at least 4 off the top of my head that are over 20psi on a b18. And that is just little ol' me in a fairly small city.

a b18c5 is the type r motor with 11:1 compression......please show me a type r motor with 20psi......good luck :rolleyes:

Go for the R2 if you can afford to use it as a weekender/collectible, and you have another car to get you around.

Go for the R2 if money isn't an issue.

Go with what your gut tells you.

But ask yourself this - why would the friend with the R2 be so quick to trade with you for your RX-8?

he wants to trade it for my 8 because he is a close family friend and is pushing 60 years old.....he knows the car will be in good hands and that he could come drive it now and then....I dont know what else to say but this is the mintest 7 I have ever seen.....not even any curb rash on the wheels....I am waiting till mid april to make my final decision and I will take pics of the car when it comes out of storage next month.....I think it's a done deal..... :D

OK, here's my take, and keep in mind that I owned a '93 FD for about 8 years before selling it and buying my 8...if that's any hint as to my answer.

The FD was a great car, but it took a lot of work to keep it that way. Somebody said there were no compromises in its design...that's a laugh. Reliability, longevity, design simplicity, cooling...all compromised. As for its worth as a collector's item...maybe. Is it all stock, and do you plan on keeping it that way? If not, then forget about the collectable aspect. If so, then all the arguments about upgraded turbos making 400+ bhp are out the window.

One other thing...depending on where you live, if you keep the FD...plan on becoming proficient at working on it. Most dealer mechanics (IMO) no longer know enough about the FD to avoid being dangerous.

It all comes down to one question: Why do you want your car? Is it something you can afford to not have available all the time? If not, keep the 8. Do you need the back seats? keep the 8. Looking for a collector's car? Get the 7 if you can live with the other factors mentioned above. Want a weekend project car? Definitely get the 7. If I had the time, money and space to keep a weekend project car, I would have kept the 7 and bought the 8...to me that's the ideal scenario, but unfortunately it didn't work for me. I loved my FD and spent a lot of time, money, sweat and blood proving it. Sometimes I still miss it. But given that both wasn't an option, I don't regret my decision even for a minute.

jds

I have a '95 FD and a 03' RX-8 - I have had the need to make a choice of which to keep and which to sell in recent history - I chose to sell the FD and keep the 8. I've driven both cars equally as hard and tracked the 8 and they are both bucketloads of fun and extremely good cars to drive. The 8 however has a warranty, is more comfortable, has 20k miles on it and is 1.5y old versus the FD which has 64k miles on it, is 10 years old, less practical for day to day stuff (I carted around 3 frends just the other day) and has an oil leak I need to fix one of these weekends (although I know exactly where it is - oil filter pedestal) - the FD is definately faster and more exhilerating to drive but sometimes can be exilerating and tempting when you dont want it to be. So that's why I chose keeping the '8 over the FD.

Luckily my circumstances changed and I was able to keep both, but when I seriously came down to it I was going to choose the 8 over the FD (but I would have missed it a lot).

Simon

I also own both an 8 and an FD. It's actually my wife’s car (40th birthday present) I get to do all of the upkeep and drive it on occasion. It was the RX8 that sparked my interest in the rotary. My commute in ATL is hellish to say the least and drive a beater Integra with 260,000 miles (still running strong, well not strong. but it still runs pretty good.) Anyway one day while on GA 400 a white FD merged into traffic in front of me I was like "holy crap what the heck is that" I had never seen a 3rd gen before in person and believe me on my commute I see all types of cars. However he was gone before I could really get a good look at the car. Man was that thing quick there was no way I was going to catch it in my POS.

Anyway I finally decided after reading tons of info on the RX7club.com site that it was the car I wanted. (definitely a weekend project car not a daily driver) My wife thought I was nuts wanting a 10+ year old car she was like " If you have to get a sports car why don't you get one of those 350Z's. I told her that I didn't want a car that you see on the roads all the time.

Three weeks ago I picked up my 93 base black 3rd Gen. Had the compression tests done and boost checked out 10-8-10. Drove it back home from St Louise. (it was great).

Anyway last week I spotted a small leak on the water pump and the power steering pulley needs to be replaced. So at this time it is not being driven. (Yup this was what I new I was getting myself into).

So the bottom line is that unless you have a spare car as your daily driver I would not get a 3rd gen. But I would be very temped to try and swing it some way some how.

You can always buy another 8. But a silver unmolested 95 R2 is a find. (Try and get him to come down on the price though).

OK, here's my take, and keep in mind that I owned a '93 FD for about 8 years before selling it and buying my 8...if that's any hint as to my answer.

The FD was a great car, but it took a lot of work to keep it that way. Somebody said there were no compromises in its design...that's a laugh. Reliability, longevity, design simplicity, cooling...all compromised. As for its worth as a collector's item...maybe. Is it all stock, and do you plan on keeping it that way? If not, then forget about the collectable aspect. If so, then all the arguments about upgraded turbos making 400+ bhp are out the window.

One other thing...depending on where you live, if you keep the FD...plan on becoming proficient at working on it. Most dealer mechanics (IMO) no longer know enough about the FD to avoid being dangerous.

It all comes down to one question: Why do you want your car? Is it something you can afford to not have available all the time? If not, keep the 8. Do you need the back seats? keep the 8. Looking for a collector's car? Get the 7 if you can live with the other factors mentioned above. Want a weekend project car? Definitely get the 7. If I had the time, money and space to keep a weekend project car, I would have kept the 7 and bought the 8...to me that's the ideal scenario, but unfortunately it didn't work for me. I loved my FD and spent a lot of time, money, sweat and blood proving it. Sometimes I still miss it. But given that both wasn't an option, I don't regret my decision even for a minute.

jdsFormer FD owner here as well and I couldn't agree more.

As much as we all loved our FDs, there's really no turning back, at least not for me. I don't have the time nor the skill to keep the car running on my own. I barely trust the local Mazda dealers with the RX-8, no way I'd let them at the FD.

And even with my fond memories of my '93 RED R1, I'm lov'n every minute of my 8. There's just no way I'd go backwards. I'm holding out for a FI Mazdaspeed RX-8 or a 4th gen RX-7 (if they ever make one.)

So I say NO, don't trade. Buy one as a weekend project car if you must.

Tough choice. I bet your brain is saying no but your gut is saying yes. Here's my take. I say get the FD. If it doesn't work out, sell it and buy another RX-8. If you don't do it, you'll regret it later. What do you have to lose?

If it's the mintest you've every seen, then go for it!!!DO IT OR I WILL!

I'll agree it's a tough one. I could easily sell my 95 FD and buy an 8, but I haven't. 16 silver R2s from 95 (57 R2s total) make it tempting to me to have something you never see. A low milage stock FD shouldn't have many problems. As long as it hasn't been sitting too long at any one point, the motor should be fine for a fairly long time, if you leave it stock. I've seen stock R2s recently go for mid 20ks with low miles, so you could get your money back out of it with patience.

They are just amazing to drive. But it really depends what you are looking for. If you want a daily driver, it may not be your best choice. It'll do it, but they occasionally have quirks. I've had mine for about 2 and a half years, and the only problem I've had is a stuck heater temp control motor. But mine is a weekend car pretty much. It's not very practical, doesn't hold much, no cup holders, but that's not why I got mine.

It's really down to whether you want something a bit more practical but still a lot of fun vs something that was made purely just to drive. That, and if you are willing to give up the warranty.

I'd probably do the trade. If you haven't driven it, do it. They are a rush.

Bannor: there is a great rotary shop over in Mareitta called Mazcare. Have always taken great care of my 1st gen and my FD.