Hey guys, this will be my first post, just got my rx8 2 months ago and been searching this site since, curious about some upgrades. Now I am comming from a wrx, which was modded beyond it's capabilities. 495 awhp that is. Only problem is I could never get the damn thing run consistant, it idled for crap, and my dump truck was getting better gas mileage, seriously. After 3500 bucks thrown away at 3 diff. tuners with no success I gave up hope.

So I bought the rx8, because I liked the looks, performance and handling and the price. Thinking I wasn't going to do anything to it, I learned my lesson no more modified cars. YEAH RIGHT, It's only been 2 months and it's killing me. It looks like the only way to get some significant gain is to drop 4-7 grand on a supercharger or turbo kit. Am I correct on that, I remember when I first put the new exhaust on my wrx it was a big noticable differance, for 800 bucks you where getting 25 to 30 extra horses out of the gate with a faster throttle response.
But it seems to even get that much with the rx8 I am looking almost tripple the cost. Am I correct on this as well, am I missing something.

How more can I acheive without going to forced air or nitrous, forced air is definately in the future but distant future. Keep in mind I want to stay emission legal or least have a fix for the 02 sensor like I did in my wrx which tricks the computer in thinking I still have a cat and it's working, when it's really not there...

Any thoughts opions, anyone achieve this and if so how much did you spend and on what.

Thanks in advance.

 

The only NA mods that will give noticable results are:

- 4.777 diff
- cz/emanage/int-x fuel management. (~15-20 hp)
- lightweight flywheel (faster rev, ~6 hp)
- midpipe (Just barely, ~8 hp)

Exhaust, intake, etc. will either cost you hp, or give you 1-4 hp max.

No matter how you look at it, unless you go with FI, the bolt ons will be costly and give you barely noticable results.

Greddy kit will run you about 3k. If you can install it yourself, and then get it professionally tuned, it will run you under $4,000. If you get the greddy, the int-x (much nicer than the emanage), it will run you just shy of 5k professionally tuned. Bump it up to 6k if you have a shop install it too.

 

Here are some *****....

 

you could ask your girlfreind to give them back?




WHAT ? WHAT? you know you were all thining it!!!

the only kit really available in the states currently is the Greddy. you could also do a custom juob if you had the right shop in your area. you could also get PTP TC and Petits SC is not far away

 

I think porting plus tuning will yeild some considerable results. Look here http://www.rotaryheads.com/

 

Id like to see what THe interceptor can do with a good street port.

 

It would probably do pretty good. A 4.77 rear end is completely worthless for the street and your gas mileage will go down the toilet. Not that it's great now. Why anyone wants those overrated wastes of money on a street car is beyond me. The car has TOO MUCH rear end in it now! You need a 4.10 and some boost.

 

Be patient, find a good shop to do some porting, get a F/I solution with good EM and supporting mods, be done.

 

You can't beat the bang/$ cost of a N20 system. For around $500 plus labor, you can easily add 55hp. You can check the Nitrous.... thread.

 

cosmo swap is always an option. reliable 400+ whp, but $$$$$

 

I agree. I have six gears and 6th is still only 20MPH/1000RPM? Going to a 4.77 just means more time shifting gears and spooling your flywheel.

I have the Mazdaspeed flywheel and I think it is really worth it ... but it is going to run you $300-400 to have it installed making it questionable. (Man, I really wish Mazda but a lighter flywheel from the factory.) The car drives easier in my opinion with the lighter flywheel.

The midpipe might be good for 8HP but I'm not quite sure about that. I own one but I'm not positive I am getting 4% more power or not. (It is hard to tell since the car varries good 10% from day to day it seems.)

Changing exhaust is more for looks and sound.

I think the thing to do is to hook-up with a local tuner in you area. Start using the fuel management systems they like with the ultimate goal of maybe going to a turbo. I do think you can get 15-20 from fuel management alone since the car runs pretty rich from factory.

Fuel management from one RX-8 to the next so the important that you can tune the fuel management for your specific RX-8.

My 2 cents,

-Mr. Wigggles

 

If your goal is get good slip times, you are correct. Nitrous isn't an everyday solution unless you can fill the bottle everynight easilly.

-Mr. Wigggles

 

If you want more *****, ask MNAO to drop their friggin pants already and give us some *****! (Mazdaspeed)

Sorry, not trying to kill your thread, but the aftermarket parts are OK and OK only. For the money that these aftermarket parts cost, they aren't worth the amount of HP per dollar, even some of the turbo kits aren't worth the cost. From what I see the interceptor X is pretty good with the turbo kits out now, but I'd personally would rather have a factory installed, warrantied kit. If you want better sound and a bit more hp then the aftermarket exhausts are pretty good, i've had RB and B&B.

I just wish Mazda would bust the FI nut already so I can feel some relief!

Sorry for the rant.

 

Well for now i guess I will shoot for the inteceptor, midpipe, and maybe a catback, I should be able to notice some kind of differance. Just untill I get some pennies for the turbo I guess It would give it some more time for more to come out or fine tuning of the ones that are out. Nitrous is fun but no good for the everyday performance. An Intake seems to be a waste of money, a pulley kit just doesn't seem worth it. What is cosmo, is there a website I can go to to check it out.

 

cosmo is an old rotary sedan that had a 3 rotor engine in it. If you have to save your pennies for a turbo kit, the cosmo engine swap will be out of the question. It's not a cheap thing to do.

 

u dont know what cosmo is? ............
well i dont know the website but here is a pic........

 

the 3 rotor was just an option. they also came with a 2-rotor.

 

I like how there's two threads in use right now named:

- I'm new searching for some more *****
- Vesectomy results?

Maybe we should merge these threads.

 

lol. where are the mods when you need em

 

I also just recenlty bought my rx8 and with the research i did i found that K&N redid their short ram intake system adding between 7-10 whp for the cost of around $300 includimg shipping. also with that the claim is increased fuel economy and better throttle responce...

i recently ordered it and i am waiting for it to be shipped ... i figure between that and the greddy sp2 exhaust im looking at around - 15-17 whp correct me if im wrong im still concidered a newby myself but if im right thats 15-17 whp at the cost of around $900

From what i have read for the price of FI i feel like there are too many problems for the cost if i were to go for and FI it would be the Petit Supercharger however i dont have 5grand and if i did i would probably put it towards a downpayment on a house...

Please correct me if im wrong

 

If K&N could really give you 7-10 whp, everyone on here would have one.

 

Unless you dyno before and after, you won't know if you are wrong. Keep in mind, NO aftermarket intake will allow your engine to make 7-10whp, unless your current intake is plugged solid.

The items you purchased 'may' help your engine make a few hp over what it'd do stock...but as I said, w/o before and after dyno's you likely wouldn't know the difference.

 

well im just going by what the website said i bought it from vividracing.com
take a look

but thanks for correcting me

 

wrx factory exhaust was horrible the muffler was half blocked restricting the air thats why if u replace that u get such a big gain. our car was out the factory almost as good as it could get NA ><

 

Right - (almost) Never go by what the website who is selling the part says. Especially true of K&N. :D