There have been a ton of vs. thread but this one I haven't seen and not many deal with the automatic.
So i went into the dealer today to talk about the hp issue and make sure i got the compensation package(del wk 1 oct.)I do . And it just sohappened i got to drive the 1st auto that the dealership got in --yes i ordered without a test drive--and I was completely ready to just canel the order if there was going to be performance loss from my current vehicle ('93 3000gt AT w/ 160k miles--225hp 205lb/ft). Boy are they close. The gt is a little heavier so that was in the 8's favor. I felt like acceleration was right on par mph wise but there was definite difference between the smoothness of the rotary(rotary virgin) and the grunt of the v6. One thing i noticed was that the rx-8 does not tlike to down shift when floored at hwy speeds-- problem solved by using paddle shifter-they are soooo coool:) I could go on forever but basically the 8 is exactly what I was hoping for -a quieter, more feature packed, updated version of the type of sports oriented car I love with some tricked out options.

3000gt pros

better stereo (custom)
Better A/C ( it was 95* today)
Wider windshield


Rx-8 pros

everythiing else

now I really can't wait for mine to come in a in a couple of weeks.

Glad to read your comparision. My current vehicle is a base model '91 Stealth AT, the Dodge version of the Mitsubishi 3000gt. Since it only has 160HP, my RX-8 AT, on order, should be quite an improvement.

I wish the Stealth/3000GT were still being made. I'd probably favor it over buying the RX-8. My Stealth was close to the ideal car for me, except for the lack of horsepower and noisy interior, which would probably be fixed on a 2003 Steatlh. I liked the size, weight, stability, and the hatchback which could hold huge amounts of cargo when opened and tied down. I once carried a whole lawn furniture set, with glass table, umbrella and chairs from Sears to my house. Who needs an SUV?

In 1991, I drove my then new '91 Stealth up Pacific Coast Highway, California, and stopped at a snack shop near Lucia just south of Big Sur. A bus full of Russian tourists also stopped there and every one of them with a camera photographed my car as if it was an exotic Ferrari. They had never seen such a fancy, radically styled car.

But the ECU crapped out last month and it takes weeks to get parts , so I'm going back to Mazda. The car before the Stealth was a new '82 RX-7.

Can't wait for my blue RX-8 due in mid-October.