Full-house RX8 or ???
09-12-2007, 06:39 PM
#1
Shootin' from the hip
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 7,584
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Full-house RX8 or ???
Okay, we haven't had a decent pub discussion in here for a while, so let me pose a question for debate. 
Your RX8 is starting to get on in years and you want to replace it with something a little bit faster and harder. Unfortunately, Mazda aren't playing fair because they are focusing on MPSing their shopping trolleys instead of giving the 8 more *****.
Assume a budget of $80-100K and the need for 4 useable seats (or at least a 2+2 for anklebiters). Sports sedans and hot hatches don't do it for you (although the Evo X is starting to come close, lol). You want to track it occasionally but it must be able to cope with street work, including the abysmal state of Sydney roads. It must have more power than a stock 8 and at least equal or better handling dynamics.
Do you:
1. Buy a brand new RX8 and turn it over to the aftermarket wolves for everything from forced induction to cosmetic touches and damn the warranty/resale/insurance torpedoes?
2. Just buy a 2nd-hand 996 911, ignore people in traffic thinking you're a ****** and forget about modding headaches?
3. Save a bit harder and buy a new 335i (or wait to see what the 135i is like)?
4. Consider something else?
5. Drive your current RX8 until the wheels fall off so you can pay your mortgage and tut tut about pathetic mid-life crisis sufferers (I had to include an option for the boring pussies amongst you, lol).
There are big pros and cons for these choices and before anyone jumps in with the obvious I agree you could probably save some $$ even after modding the 8 to within an inch of its life but let's assume $$ isn't the only consideration here.
Over to you...
Your RX8 is starting to get on in years and you want to replace it with something a little bit faster and harder. Unfortunately, Mazda aren't playing fair because they are focusing on MPSing their shopping trolleys instead of giving the 8 more *****.
Assume a budget of $80-100K and the need for 4 useable seats (or at least a 2+2 for anklebiters). Sports sedans and hot hatches don't do it for you (although the Evo X is starting to come close, lol). You want to track it occasionally but it must be able to cope with street work, including the abysmal state of Sydney roads. It must have more power than a stock 8 and at least equal or better handling dynamics.
Do you:
1. Buy a brand new RX8 and turn it over to the aftermarket wolves for everything from forced induction to cosmetic touches and damn the warranty/resale/insurance torpedoes?
2. Just buy a 2nd-hand 996 911, ignore people in traffic thinking you're a ****** and forget about modding headaches?
3. Save a bit harder and buy a new 335i (or wait to see what the 135i is like)?
4. Consider something else?
5. Drive your current RX8 until the wheels fall off so you can pay your mortgage and tut tut about pathetic mid-life crisis sufferers (I had to include an option for the boring pussies amongst you, lol).
There are big pros and cons for these choices and before anyone jumps in with the obvious I agree you could probably save some $$ even after modding the 8 to within an inch of its life but let's assume $$ isn't the only consideration here.
Over to you...
09-12-2007, 07:13 PM
#2
New Member
Seeing the above option... I think it is more economical to stick with your old car.
I will get something ridiculous in a year's time. Mostly likely an EVO, but I don't think my 8 will be worth selling then since it will not worth much.
I will get something ridiculous in a year's time. Mostly likely an EVO, but I don't think my 8 will be worth selling then since it will not worth much.
09-12-2007, 07:21 PM
#3
Shifty Bastard.
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Melbourne, Australia.
Posts: 4,835
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm biased obviously (because I'm looking at purchasing another RX-8), but I reckon you'd be mad to go the krautmobile route.
A new RX-8 is much cheaper than it was in 2004. It's got three years of improvements built in. It's a known quantity.
The 2nd hand Porsche is secondhand. It'd be hard to find a manual one so your choices are limited. $90K is at the lower end of the 996 911 market and the ones in that bracket are old enough to remember the movie Titanic! God knows how many laps they've done.
A BMW is a BMW is a BMW....you know my opinion of them already
.
That said, I'm still wary of aftermarket solutions for obtaining more power from a Renesis. Lets see what Hymee comes up with at SSX.
A new RX-8 is much cheaper than it was in 2004. It's got three years of improvements built in. It's a known quantity.
The 2nd hand Porsche is secondhand. It'd be hard to find a manual one so your choices are limited. $90K is at the lower end of the 996 911 market and the ones in that bracket are old enough to remember the movie Titanic! God knows how many laps they've done.
A BMW is a BMW is a BMW....you know my opinion of them already
.That said, I'm still wary of aftermarket solutions for obtaining more power from a Renesis. Lets see what Hymee comes up with at SSX.
09-12-2007, 08:17 PM
#6
Shootin' from the hip
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 7,584
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
09-12-2007, 08:24 PM
#7
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
09-12-2007, 08:31 PM
#8
Shootin' from the hip
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 7,584
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm biased obviously (because I'm looking at purchasing another RX-8), but I reckon you'd be mad to go the krautmobile route.
A new RX-8 is much cheaper than it was in 2004. It's got three years of improvements built in. It's a known quantity.
The 2nd hand Porsche is secondhand. It'd be hard to find a manual one so your choices are limited. $90K is at the lower end of the 996 911 market and the ones in that bracket are old enough to remember the movie Titanic! God knows how many laps they've done.
A BMW is a BMW is a BMW....you know my opinion of them already .
That said, I'm still wary of aftermarket solutions for obtaining more power from a Renesis. Lets see what Hymee comes up with at SSX.
A new RX-8 is much cheaper than it was in 2004. It's got three years of improvements built in. It's a known quantity.
The 2nd hand Porsche is secondhand. It'd be hard to find a manual one so your choices are limited. $90K is at the lower end of the 996 911 market and the ones in that bracket are old enough to remember the movie Titanic! God knows how many laps they've done.
A BMW is a BMW is a BMW....you know my opinion of them already
.That said, I'm still wary of aftermarket solutions for obtaining more power from a Renesis. Lets see what Hymee comes up with at SSX.
I'm not necessarily sold on brand new anything and actually think that's how most people lose a lot of money on car purchasing. You may not be her first but if she can still perform, who cares. And although there's been some incremental improvements to the RX8 (and some de-bugging), it's still essentially the same car that came on the market in 2003/4.
You're also kinda forgetting that Porka's are extremely well made, usually well-serviced, are also a known quantity (especially the 996) and aren't generally treated the way 50k rice-mobiles get treated. Buying second-hand also saves you the massive early depreciation that all sports cars except Ferrari suffer from.
I agree I'd probably be better off spending north of $100k for a more recent example but they are still a lot of performance/practicality for the price and it sure as hell beats spending less on a clapped out 928.
If you don't like Beemers, fair enough. Gotta admit the styling still leaves me a bit cold too but that twin turbo six is a bloody ripper of an engine.
Your last comment confirms my trepidation about throwing $20-30K at hardening up a stock RX8 (and I don't care what anyone says - to do it properly is not a $10K proposition). To me, there's a risk of over-capitalising and just buying reliability headaches. Kinda funny how you don't hear much from the people who have force inducted their cars, huh? (Dave excepted).
09-12-2007, 08:35 PM
#10
New Member
09-12-2007, 08:36 PM
#11
Shootin' from the hip
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 7,584
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Plus, I get a newer, shinier toy to play with.
If I'm going to throw a decent chunk of folding at it, I'd prefer it to be in top condition in all depts (e.g. paint, interior, etc).Warranty doesn't worry me either.
09-12-2007, 08:38 PM
#12
Shootin' from the hip
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 7,584
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
09-12-2007, 08:40 PM
#13
Shifty Bastard.
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Melbourne, Australia.
Posts: 4,835
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The Porsches are without doubt stout. That level of engineering doesn't come cheap though, so I'd educate myself on running costs before diving in. If you've got the folding then they're the best bet, I agree.
Race bred engineering, safety and pedigree....that goes a long way.
09-12-2007, 08:42 PM
#14
Shootin' from the hip
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 7,584
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There's only a marginal improvement in the new model, which also makes me think the performance/practicality tradeoff isn't worth it. I'd rather have 911 performance/handling if I'm gonna squash the kids into it (not that I carry them in my car often but I need the option).
Last edited by Revolver; 09-12-2007 at 08:54 PM.
09-12-2007, 08:43 PM
#15
Shootin' from the hip
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 7,584
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
09-12-2007, 08:49 PM
#17
Shootin' from the hip
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 7,584
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
And you've heard very little about his major dramas.
The Porsches are without doubt stout. That level of engineering doesn't come cheap though, so I'd educate myself on running costs before diving in. If you've got the folding then they're the best bet, I agree.
Race bred engineering, safety and pedigree....that goes a long way.
The Porsches are without doubt stout. That level of engineering doesn't come cheap though, so I'd educate myself on running costs before diving in. If you've got the folding then they're the best bet, I agree.
Race bred engineering, safety and pedigree....that goes a long way.
Fact is, if force inducting the RX8 was such a good, reliable way of improving the breed, this board would have at least a few converts by now telling us all how bloody fantastic their cars are and boring us silly with stories about lower laptimes and giving more expensive cars a fright on the street.
The near absolute silence worries me.
I'm also not a tinkerer and couldn't be bothered having to run the thing into a tuning shop every other week to get something looked at.
Otherwise, you mention things about the Porsche that also appeal to me. The 911 is still the most practical day to day way of getting that kind of performance.
09-12-2007, 08:51 PM
#18
Shootin' from the hip
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 7,584
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Exactly.
Buying a 997 just isn't going to be an option anytime soon unless the big red ball drops. So we go back to:
1. Playing with a new RX8.
2. Buying a 996.
3. Watching my current car deteriorate with age while I wait.
Buying a 997 just isn't going to be an option anytime soon unless the big red ball drops. So we go back to:
1. Playing with a new RX8.
2. Buying a 996.
3. Watching my current car deteriorate with age while I wait.
09-12-2007, 08:54 PM
#19
Hmmmmmm.........
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 3,564
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes
on
4 Posts
Can I digress and ask what happened to the 2 Daves? I wasnt aware of problems. last I heard NSW "Dave who had been to both Nats" was running just great with his "stage 50" MazFix kit.
09-12-2007, 08:57 PM
#20
Shootin' from the hip
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 7,584
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm just concerned that he's still in a very tiny minority and the conservative side of me baulks at being one of the guinea pigs. I'd much rather see a bigger herd to run with.
09-12-2007, 09:03 PM
#21
Guest
Posts: n/a
I think when it comes to FI'ing the RX8, and you look at how much the RX8 cost, lets say on average $50-60k for most, then you add on getting the turbo or S/c to a decent set up another $15-20k (incorporating any dramas that need fixing if needs be), you are looking at a Mazda costing $65-80k. You can buy a car thats already FI'd and stock standard with just as much power if not more for around that price? Some people may prefer the RX8 look and can justify paying that - I most certainly do not though. But thats my view!
09-12-2007, 09:16 PM
#22
Shootin' from the hip
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 7,584
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think when it comes to FI'ing the RX8, and you look at how much the RX8 cost, lets say on average $50-60k for most, then you add on getting the turbo or S/c to a decent set up another $15-20k (incorporating any dramas that need fixing if needs be), you are looking at a Mazda costing $65-80k. You can buy a car thats already FI'd and stock standard with just as much power if not more for around that price? Some people may prefer the RX8 look and can justify paying that - I most certainly do not though. But thats my view!
It's not just a matter of bolting on a huffer. To do it properly requires a thorough drivetrain overhaul IMHO and then you need to think about suspension, brakes, rims, etc, etc.
It is kinda tempting on the gee whiz scale to have something heavily modified and unique but let's not kid ourselves. If Mazda couldn't make the factory-fast FD RX7 a viable prospect at $80K, why should something similar be feasible for the RX8 in aftermarket form?
Anything I throw at the 8 (whether the current or a new one) is $$ I'll never see again whereas something like a 911 will still hold some value until it gets Methuselah-old.
09-12-2007, 09:18 PM
#24
Hmmmmmm.........
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 3,564
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes
on
4 Posts
Well if you go by what Archie is saying then he has upwards of 20 RX-8's in various stages with his Turbo kit. I know of 5 with the ProMaz, one of which replaced the Rotormaster S/C.