I currently have a '94 PGT MTX with 100+K miles that I will be upgrading at some point in the not too distant future. I am looking at various potential replacements for the Probe, which has been fantastic, among them, the RX-8.

Have any present/former PGT owners driven the RX-8 and can offer any comparisons and relative impressions? I would like something as fast or even faster than the Probe, both in terms of acceleration and handling.

The RX-8 HP issue had me a bit put off that it happened at all (didn't Mazda learn after the Miata fiasco and their bretheren at SVT's experience with the Cobra? If they missed something as basic as this, then what else have the bobbled -- credibility issue). While I don't necessarily want a road rocket, I do want something that FEELS as fast of faster than the Probe, both at part throttle and WOT. I have every confidence the handling will be every bit as good as the Probe with even better ride and compliance. I would miss the Probe's hatchback as that has been such a great and practical feature.

Other cars I've considered/considering:

Mini S: small and a 4 banger, but just sooo cool and handles great.
350Z: Nice overall and great motor, but thick/plump looking, I'm not at all a fan of this high-sided gun bunker look that seems to be afflicting cars these days.
'05 Mustang: Love a good V8 RWD coupe and brand new chassis ought to be light years ahead of current car's ancient underpinnings, but threat of continued ox-cart axle rear suspension gives me hesitation.

So Probers (or MX-6ers), former and present, any insights???

One thing I can tell you is that the next mustang is still going to have a solid rear axle. The only way to get IRS is to wait until the SVT Cobra comes out.

Originally posted by Rhumb
I currently have a '94 PGT MTX with 100+K miles that I will be upgrading at some point in the not too distant future. I am looking at various potential replacements for the Probe, which has been fantastic, among them, the RX-8.

Have any present/former PGT owners driven the RX-8 and can offer any comparisons and relative impressions? I would like something as fast or even faster than the Probe, both in terms of acceleration and handling.

The RX-8 HP issue had me a bit put off that it happened at all (didn't Mazda learn after the Miata fiasco and their bretheren at SVT's experience with the Cobra? If they missed something as basic as this, then what else have the bobbled -- credibility issue). While I don't necessarily want a road rocket, I do want something that FEELS as fast of faster than the Probe, both at part throttle and WOT. I have every confidence the handling will be every bit as good as the Probe with even better ride and compliance. I would miss the Probe's hatchback as that has been such a great and practical feature.

Other cars I've considered/considering:

Mini S: small and a 4 banger, but just sooo cool and handles great.
350Z: Nice overall and great motor, but thick/plump looking, I'm not at all a fan of this high-sided gun bunker look that seems to be afflicting cars these days.
'05 Mustang: Love a good V8 RWD coupe and brand new chassis ought to be light years ahead of current car's ancient underpinnings, but threat of continued ox-cart axle rear suspension gives me hesitation.

So Probers (or MX-6ers), former and present, any insights???

My daily driver is a Probe GT, '93 to be more specific. I don't think the RX-8 is much faster than the GT. The handling is much better and the ride is smoother/softer. There is alot more room in the hatch of the Probe than the RX-8, you will certainly miss that.

D-san

Actually sat in an RX-8 last night (awright, so I'm a bit behind the curve on this), and here are some of my impressions, relative to my Probe.

Good: Overall layout, design and quality of materials. Obviously a well thought out cabin. Excellent pedal placement and control feel. Seats were generally quite comfy and seemed to offer good support. Back seat access is way better than the 2-door Probe, no surprise there, and back seat room, too, is significantly better, particularly in head room. Liked how smoothly the center counsel lid rolled back, like on ball bearings, smacked of quality. The trunk, sans spare tire, seemed quite roomy if not up to the mini-wagon standards of the Probe. How much would a spare impinge upon that though?

Bad: Like sitting low in a dark bathtub. The glass area, sightlines and overall outside visibility of my Probe are way better than the RX-8, which feels very closed and confining, especially to the sides. I just can't understand the appeal of this slit-windowed, high-waisted look that seems to be all the design rage now -- fine for a limo, but a performance car??? I can comfortably rest my arm on the window sill of the Probe, something that would lead to ligament damage in the RX-8. The back seats essentially cut you off from the outside world -- my Probe at least offers a fine view of the passing scenery for the passengers. The RX-8 offers a peek up at the trees through the small quarter window.

Overall: Generally, very favorable. Definitely a very well thought out and high quality interior. My only significant reservation is how confining it feels. I couldn't help thinking how it would open up so much more if they dropped the beltline 2-3". One of the things I really love about the Probe is the extremely wide open vistas one gets through the ample glass area and how it opens up and brightens the cabin, even my all black interior, and I would certainly miss that in an RX-8.

Now, on to scam a test drive...

Originally posted by cueball1029
One thing I can tell you is that the next mustang is still going to have a solid rear axle. The only way to get IRS is to wait until the SVT Cobra comes out.

Agreed, the base and GT will certainly be live axle, though that presumably will be much improved over the current cars. There is some discussion and hints that the IRS might be offered much more broadly, i.e., sub-Cobra level, than in the current model, but who knows when those would appear.

i recently upgraded from a Probe GT (93) to the RX-8. actually i still have the Probe which i drive every so often so i can compare them. for comparison's sake, my Probe is lowered with eibach's, 17' racing sparco wheels, greddy exhaust, hotshot stage iii headers, hotshot cai, and some other things. btw, i LOVE the probe. it's been my best car forever.

since you've seen the interior, i'll limit my comparison to the drive though i do miss the HUGE trunk of the probe and yes, you can't see shit out of the 8.

acceleration: the rx-8 wins this hands down. though they have about the same torque, the smoothmess of the rotary feels much faster to me. perhaps it's the rwd. plus, the redline is higher so you can hold the gears longer before shifting making it feel like you're getting more out of the motor. i drove the probe the other day and was thinking that the acceleration is nowhere near what i thought it was before i bought the 8.

handling: though the stock probe handles wonderfully, the 8 is in another league. it's smoother and has less body roll. I wouldn't say that I feel more confident cornering in the 8, it's more a question of stability and perhaps the dsc. on the probe, the rear tower strut bar helped a lot in this regard.

ride quality: c'mon, the probe is not known for having the smoothest ride. i'd rank the probe closer to the 350z in this regard. the 8's ride is silky, though nowhere near the softness of a luxury car, even the g35.

hope this helps. you can pm me if you have specific questions.

Originally posted by Rhumb

So Probers (or MX-6ers), former and present, any insights???

I'm a pr0ber!!! :p

anyway, seeing that the dealer only offered me a $1k trade-in value for my 93 PGT, I kept it and I hop betwen cars alot.

Power - the RX8 feels a bit faster then my old PGT... but not much. Honestly, if it was a 250 err 238 hp PGT vs a 238hp RX8, I think the 8 would get spanked. 60-70hp really should be alot more noticable.

Steering - the RX8 has about the same weight as the PGT, but the RX8 steering box is smoother and more precise. The RX8 also has a smaller steering wheel which feels more sporty.

Suspension - The RX8 has a lot smoother ride then the PGT - ALOT! The RX8 also has a bit more body roll. At the limit however, the RX8 has alot more grip and feels very stable. Turns I use to squeal the tires around in the PGT don't even seem to phase the RX8 - of course my PGT does have some shitty tires.

Seat - I actually prefer the drivers seat in the PGT over the RX8, as I really miss the power side bolsters that wrap me in the seat.

Interior - PGT has about oh say 5,679 squeaks and the RX8 has 0.

Driveability - Both are about the same, leave the revs fall too low and you don't go anywhere. It is alot easier and a lot more fun to keep the revs up in the RX8 though.

... oh yea, the RX8 suprisingly has more ground clearance then the PGT - haven't scraped yet in the places my PGT would scrape.