Haris

Post all pics of automatic rx8 here. Interior and exterior.

laferle

I doubt you'll get much until US delivery; in Japan and elsewhere in the world automatics are extremely unpopular and make up a tiny fraction of vehicle sales. Coupled with the that this is an enthusiast-geared forum, don't expect any photos of japan-spec autos; I'm expecting delivery in 1.5-2 weeks and should have photos then... but by then you probably will too.

Lex

Laferle, have you been able to find ANY info or driving reports regarding the automatic?

I'm probably gonna have to go auto, but I want to know if the performance/fun hit is gonna be severe or just mild.

Gord96BRG

There have been some reports posted here or linked here - the performance hit and the fun hit is severe. Why do you have to go auto? If that's truly the case, then wait a year (maybe until the 2006 year at the latest) when Mazda will introduce a 5 speed auto with the hi-power engine, as well as a 6 speed SMT transmission, also with the hi-power engine. The current 4 speed auto with the lo-power engine is a lame duck that will be obsolete within 2 years. Mazda just couldn't afford the development budget to do the new transmissions at the same time as the entire RX-8 was under development, so they used an existing 4 spd auto and crippled the engine so it wouldn't blow up the marginal trans to be able to offer an auto trans option.

Regards,
Gordon

Lex

The reports posted here on the auto are pure speculation from people that hate automatics on principle. I havene't seen a single report from someone who's actually driven one. And it *is* possible to have a fun-to-drive automatic. Scour Edmunds reviews and there's plenty of evidence.

As for why I'm going Auto: the wife. I'm not gonna be a huge ******* and buy a n awesome car she can't enjoy. And no, she can't learn

And, as for the SMT next year ... yeah, well what if it turns out to be a 2-year wait, or 3 years? Mazda has been so delayed already, there's no reason to expect them to hurry on the *next* model.

Haris

I agree, I mean just because it's auto doesn't mean it cant be fun to drive. All megazines rated Mazda6 automatic the fun car. So RX8 should be even more.

OmegaBob

I've read all the posts about a "new" high power AT being released within the next model year. However, no one has actually provdied any info from Mazda about this. Also, why the heck would Mazda make a MAJOR change like that in only the second year?

I'm not denying that this might happen. My guess is that if they do change it, it wouldn't be until at least the third or fourth year (or never).

edit: It's NOT much of a performance hit to me. Why? B/c my last car (2k Celica GT-S - rip) was 180 hp. So 207 is an INCREASE! Woooo!

ReX-8

Back to the subject....

red_base 95

Huge ******* chiming in here :p

My wife can't drive my current car, and she wont be able to drive my next car (unless she learns on my current car) :D

It does cause minor inconveniences, but only occasionally. If the manual tranny does not fit your needs/situation, the auto version will still be plenty of fun. You do get a shade more torque, and it will still be a terrific handler.

rotarynews.com

Guys,

At the long lead press event in January at Laguna Seca, a well respected journalist, an editor of the old "Rotary Rockets" magazine, was able to take the auto for a test run from the bose tent (in the center of the pits) to the entrace on the 68 and back (maybe a mile or so) He was very displeased with the performance.

Berny has quoted the reporter before.. and I remember him saying something like "Even a grandma would want more get-up-and-go"

We haven't had a chance to test the auto, and we're not sure if we will get a chance.

Gord96BRG

My source is in Mazda - understandably, they don't want to be quoted disclosing confidential information. Mazda wouldn't talk about it publicly because they don't want to kill sales of the 4 spd auto version this year. That's standard procedure in most sales businesses - you don't talk about the future models too far in advance to avoid killing sales of the current model. But it's true - by the 2006 model year at the latest, the RX-8 will have a 5 spd auto and a 6 spd SMT, both with the hi-power engine.

Why would they do it in the second year? Because they couldn't afford to do it in the first year! (Either due to time or budget constraints). Anywhere above econoboxes, 5 speed autos are where it's at these days, and Mazda has to be competitive. If they had been at all able to, they would have put a 5 spd auto box in the RX-8 for the launch. For auto buyers, though, the current 4 spd version doesn't compare well to the competition's 5 spd autos (like the 350Z or G35 Coupe, etc). The HP deficit with the current auto doesn't help either. Mazda will introduce the new transmissions as soon as they can.

Regards,
Gordon

Hercules

I had made mention some time ago that if I had to choose get an automatic car, it wouldn't be the RX-8.

I don't need obscene horsepower... but it should be reasonable.

OmegaBob

Gordon: Thanks for the clarification!

No matter what, I'm still getting the AT - mainly b/c I need a car right NOW (Celica RIP), can't drive stick and wont be able to learn (my left leg, ankle & heel are always sore -guess I should get a doctor to look at it), and b/c of the uniqueness of the 8 itself. From my recent accident to the long wait for the 8 (though, not as long as those who pre-ordered), I AM GETTING THIS CAR AND NOT WAITING TILL 2006!

That being said, I will prob have this 8 paid off by 2006, so I'll just trade it in for the SMT version. SMT has always intrigued me since I heard that the MR2s have this type of tranny.

Just wondering: any guess on what my 8 would be worth as a trade-in in three years? I know it's impossible to predict at this stage... but wadda ya think? 18-20k? I got 18k and some change from the insurance co for my 2k Celi GT-S AT.

Haris

Your the one always telling that power isn't everything and now you say power is important as well. Come on, it's not like Automatic RX8 will compete with G35, etc. It's $25K so it might compete with V6 eclipse, celica, RSX, etc. So for $25K, a car with 210 HP is pretty awesome. There is new Acura TSX, that has 200 HP and 166 ft.lbs. and it sells at like $27,000. RX8 is RWD, handles better, looks better, etc. and it's cheaper. So Automatic RX8 is still awesome car for it's competition.

Haris

I think RX8's will have awesome value just like Rx7s. It'll definetly have better value for longer time than G35c because I remember RX7 had alot better value than the 300zx.

rx7aggie

the mazda 6 also has pistons, and with that V6 comes a lot more torque than the RX-8.

you cannot slip the clutch at 3K with a auto. you take off from the line at 750 rpm, and zero torque. it will be slow, and the "sport-matic" is a joke. my mom has it in her mazda 6, and it's SLOOOWWW during shifts.

i had an auto FC, and trust me, it's only fast when you're going 40 and you push the gas hard enough to shift down to 2nd. otherwise, it takes a day and a half to get up to 4K rpm and subsequent power.

Lex

I test drove a Mazda6s with shiftable automatic, and the shifts were very fast. Not much different than normal manual shifting.

Haris

I don't get how you can't drop clutch at 3K RPM with auto? Considering RX8 has little shift auto mode, it's possible to use neutral on it. It might hurt tranny, but it's not impossible at least.

SPDFRK

OUCH! no, its called a torque converter, upgrade it!

Haris

Upgrade torque converter? Why? It still wont be able to go like from neutral into Drive without causing problems later.

Gord96BRG

The way to get best acceleration from an auto trans is NOT to do a neutral drop - that's the way to destroy the trans pretty quickly. For best acceleration, put the trans in gear, then stand on the brakes and stand on the throttle. The torque converter will load up to the stall speed and hold the engine rpm there (varies, probably somewhere around 2500 - 3500 rpm) - then release the brakes, and off you go.

(I can't resist this dig - you might as well get the manual trans, since it sounds like you don't know how to drive an auto either! :p Sorry, couldn't resist! :D )

Regards,
Gordon

neit_jnf

Ok, I don't know if this comparison serves any purpose but the Euro spec low power model is rated at 192 PS and comes with either a manual 5-speed or the same 4-speed auto we're getting. The thing is, it was tested with the 5-speed manual and got 0-62mph in 7.2s and the reviewers really liked it. Since US is getting 210 PS (207 hp) and the 4-speed auto, don't you think the times could be similar? I know auto trannies are always slower than their manual counterparts but US is getting 18 PS more and we measure 0-60 instead of 0-62mph so that may balance any difference don't you think?

ReX-8

I was browsing Car and Driver (Hong Kong) web site, and they have a mini test on the RX-8 4AT. The reviewers say there's insufficient amount of torque, shifting is slightly slow, and the rev dropped quite a bit during each shift (especially from 1st to 2nd gear). But overall it's a fun car to drive...

neit_jnf

Any performance acceleration numbers?

ReX-8

Nah, sorry... there's no any technical data. What they put on the web is just a tiny part of the whole article, the rest have to buy the magazine and see.