rx-7~rx-8

While servicing my parent's Jeep. I test drove a SRT-4... power is amazing. I am only 17 therefore dont have that much practice driving a manual. The tranny feels like crap. I test drove a 300ZX 1993 and felt much more nicer through the shifts. This SRT-4 had only 2 miles on it by the way. It's a swet ride tho for the price, but i wouldn't but it. I would rather buy a 240SX which i am. Its so darn sad... power doesn't do it for me.... turns do.

draco067

Welcome to the world of Mazda.

cas2themoe

Glad to hear that, to each their own. I was walking to my car after watching a movie last night with my girlfriend and I happen to see an SRT-4 drive by. My girlfriend happen to say something and I looked over. Her exact words were "Cas what did that guy do to his Neon". I laughed and said "He gave it a shot of steroids".

And as soon as the little teen drive saw my getting ready to enter my 8 his floors it. Ahhh reminds me of why little immature teens like buying them.

Spyder_doo

The SRT-4 is a death trap. It has a lot of straight line power, but down think for a sec that you can hug a turn like you can in the 8. I was driving my friends SRT and it's a nightmare when it comes to turns. Plus the local dealer lots have about 5 used SRTs with only 20,000 miles on them. The people that I've talk to that owned them said that the engines made wierd noises and would cut out all the time. They had to have the engines worked on, they blame this on the high boost level that's set by the factory and the low quality of the engine parts used.

It's Ugly, lacks control, unreliable, but still very fast.

Jamie

BlueEyes

Put down the crack pipe Spyder.

I very recently drove the srt-4 as I am looking for a cheap track day car. It is not a death trap. It is not a nightmare in the corners, it handles really well. As well as the 8, no, better than most cars, yes. Finally, the engine is not low quality, it is well made, and incredibly strong. It's not pretty but it wasn't designed to be. It was designed to be fast and cheap, so they didn't call the high $$ designers in.

No more talking about the SRT-4.

snizzle

not to mention the insurance.... i had a guy the other night park his SRT right next to my RX8 which was so far away from any other cars it was damn obvious

so I took out a piece of paper, wrote "it's still a Neon" and fastened the paper to his wipers

TxRx8

Not the Srt4 discussion again.

cas2themoe

Thats great........................ and very true!!

BlueEyes

I hear ya buddy. I am as sick of it as anyone.

That's HIlarious, you really are an idiot extraordinaire

Pkskull77

Here we go again! I'm suprized IKEWRX hasn't chimed in yet, maybe his computer is broken.

Pkskull77

He probably laughed, and thought to himself, “Yeah but it would embarrass the heck out of that RX-8 that was parked next to me.”

donaldjr87

I drive a rx-8 but in a few week I am looking at purchasing an srt-4 for a daily driver to keep miles off of the 8. It is ugly, but it is cheap and I would like a little more power every now and then. Hopefully it will work out.

Spyder_doo

Well I might have been pushing the little neon a little too hard around the turns, but I swear that my mom's $14000 mazda 3 takes turns better than that thing. Maybe something was wrong with both the ones I drove, but I dont think so. I guess I'm just use to the 8's cornering capabilities :p

Well no matter what, the thing is still a neon.

czr

iTrader: (3)

R&T High Desert Showdown

I love this article. Besides the reviews, note that the Celica GT-S beat the SRT around the track, so ..handling what? I know it's the track, blah, blah, blah. :D

Pkskull77

I read most of that article, and I never understood how the SRT-4 did so poorly. To me it felt like the magazine editors had some personal issues with the car, and they let them come through in the article. You know, the kinds of issues a lot of people on this forum have with the SRT-4, the same ones that have nothing to do with quality and performance but instead with jealousy.

czr

iTrader: (3)

Pskull, I have no jealousy issues whatsoever. The majority of people can afford the Neon but decided to pass. Some didn't even consider it because besides speed, what does it have to offer? I don't think people cross-shop 8's and Srts but that's not even what I'm comparing it to. Don't get me wrong, I respect the SRT-4 and just wanted to bring an outside source into this. It's all in perspective. Have you been in an SRT?

snizzle

I could afford the SRT when I bought my RX8 (anyone w/an RX8 could), I knew I could get faster for the money.... some people will compromise performance for quality/looks, it's a concept that's hard to understand i know

Pkskull77

I have to admit that I have never been in an SRT-4, but I did owned a Neon, so I can’t imagine it’s all that different. My comments were not directed at you, but at the countless people, who usually respond to these threads with irrelevant comments about quality, class, handling, and style. I hate to admit it, but you would be very hard pressed to find a track that the RX-8 would beat an SRT-4 around. It bothers me because I paid a lot more for my car, and got a lot less in the performance category.

That being said, I realize that all of us could have purchased an SRT-4, and like most of us I never thought about looking at a Neon, but now that I realize the value that the car offers I regret not giving it a shot. To answer the question “What does it offer besides speed,” I ask you “What does the 8 offer besides looks?” One buys a sports car for speed. The person who bought the SRT-4 N got more of it at a better price. From there out all measurements of a car a strictly subjective, and therefore are matters of opinion rather than fact.

canaryrx8

iTrader: (3)

ah geez, let it go already, it's fast and cheap, all cars have problems, of course if you boost the buhjezus out of a 4 banger it will have problems too, just as if you boost a rotary, 8 cylinder etc etc. The market for the 8 and the SRT are miles apart so why do they keep coming up in the same discussions? I for one think the car is cool, it has opened a lot of doors for people in the autocross circles, it is one of the best performance bargains out there, is it high quality? probably not. is it refined? porbably not either. Do you honestly think anyone considering that car cares about that stuff though? And saying it's just a neon etc. is just like saying an EVO is just a lancer etc etc, they may share body styles, but there are many differences that set those cars apart from their kin.

snizzle

I don't get it though. I'm not attacking you personally but didn't you do your research before you purchased a $30,000 car? I knew that the RX8 lagged in the performance category during my search but it fit exactly what I wanted in a car.

If you don't like the RX8 and rather have an SRT, then eat the money you'll lose.... buy the Neon and get on w/your life. Most of us here enjoy the RX8 for many other reasons.

Pkskull77

This is a discussion I’ve already had at length, so I will spare the forum the long version. The short and sweet version is that the speeds the RX-8 was purported to have in the mags were a little unrealistic. While it is possible to launch an 8 at around 6, you do so at the risk of dropping your transmission or clutch. When I bought the car I was new to stick, so I had to rely heavily upon critical opinions. As we all know the RX-8 is a critically acclaimed car, and that’s why I now own one.

There are many things I love about the 8, so I don’t see any reason to let it go at this time. However, once my finances are in better order, I will probably be taking a step up into an STI.

spork

I think it'd be easy to find a track the 8 can beat the SRT-4 on. Just like it'd be easy to find a track the SRT-4 will beat an 8 on. They're both fast cars that are better at different things. Find a more windy track and the 8 will win. Find a track with lots of straights and the SRT-4 will win.

It's kind fo funny how you say "quality, class, handling, and style" are irrevelant. Style is subjective so it IS irrevelant. Class though isn't. If you were say 40 and taking someone out for a nice business dinner, having a 40 year old client hop into your STi or EVO wouldn't exactly impress. (Unless they were car performance buffs). Seriously ask yourself if you were a business man and had to take an important client out, would you rather take them out in an RX-8 or a STi? Quality is obviously INSANELY important. But I suppose you could say it's irrevelant in this case since the RX-8 has below average reliabilty (though reliability and quality are a bit different). Handling being irrevelant though? Are you kidding me? That's equally absurd to people saying "straight line speed is irrevelant when talking about sports cars."

And you're sadly mistaken. People buy sports cars for the following reasons:
1) straight line speed
2) handling
3) looks

Everybody is different so how important each one is depends purely on the individual. Every car has their advantages and disadvantages. That's why people buy different cars. If there was a car that was just flat out better than another, then everyone would be driving the same car.

The one thing I don't understand though is if you wanted performance only why you didn't get an STi or an Evo. If performance was what mattered to you, you should've targeted the two leaders in "cheaper" performance...

guy321

Speed or more aptly, acceleration is not the only definition of a sports car. The RX8 certainly has speed. It is in acceleration that it lacks a little in comparison to some of the other cars currently on the market. You ask, "What does the 8 offer besides looks?" The answer is (disregarding style and appearance ) handling, balance, quality components, aerodynamics, better fitment (body panels, etc).

There are certainly lots of "sports cars" that do not carry high HP numbers, or are even quicker than the 8.

I wouldn't be and am not jelous. If you require a little more accelration then spend a little more and get an FI kit. You get all the other benefits PLUS quickness. The 8 stock is not a slow car, it is just not as quick as some of the other cars out there.


[QUOTE=Pkskull77] One buys a sports car for speed. QUOTE]

snizzle

no doubt, look at the NSX numbers.... then look at the price tag, it's not all about speed