Mazda made this a cakewalk by supplying a base 2010 RX-8 Sport ($27,245), mounting our four sets of 225/40ZR-18 tires on their own spare RX-8 wheels, and inviting us along for two days of lapping at the 2.2-mile Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey, California. At about 3100 pounds, the RX-8 has feline balance, firm clamps for brakes, and a suspension so connected and forgiving that the car will run with Porsche 911s and BMW M3s through the track’s tighter sections. The stock W-rated Dunlop SP Sport 2050s provided safe passage from Los Angeles and adhered valiantly to the surface for four to six laps. Eventually, however, they dissolved into yowling, scrubbing meltdown, so we initiated the first of many tire changes.