18ME

Stone him (or at least let his tyres down), he's been fratanising with the enemy:D :p

renegade_si

...at least I didn't say I preferred the sound of the 350Z on their site



he he.....

RX8BoiUK

tut! bloomin clarkson!!!

wish he'd said the rx8 was a pile of poo and maybe change his mind in 3yrs time when i come to sell mine.


i wanted a car people dont see too much on the road, ask what it is, blah, blah...., not be compared to other cars in it's class (tho the rx8 doesnt have any direct competition), just hope this car doesnt get the image of the TT or subaru or M3. not sure about the nissan as its damn ugly imho.


comon Mazda, hurry up with me car!!! there's valuable head turning time passing!!


i can hear more n more people whisperin, "oooh it's an rx8.... we've seen that on telly......"

hope the above conveys me feelins.


3 cars can go round a track in the same time? errrr who cares?

druck

Its very nice to know that the RX8 which could be written off by some as a jack of all trades, can match BMW's legendary engineering on a model costing twice as much, and Nissans supposedly no compromises two seater, and be nicer to drive.

Even if you never experiance the full potential of the RX8 (and if it means driving like the Stig did, not many will) is good to know its got the cohones where counts. :D

Cheers
---Dave

RX8BoiUK

not sure i agree.

the track and the queen's highway are completely different places.

you can always find a track where one car is better than another. and even then, if u want to stage a race you can make any car win by fixin the number of laps.

there is no car directly comparable to the rx8 so can't we stop tryin to?

the car is gr8 for the money, just please dont go tellin every1 or its gonna become mainstream fast. i aint no muggle :-)

ChrisW

If we were arguing about half a second over a civic Type-R then I would agree with you, but if it can tie with a 350Z on any sensible track, given the power to weight deficit I think that says something pretty major about the cornering, and you will see some of the effects of that on the road.

Don't worry. Mazda can't make more than 60,000 RX-8's a year, that's their factory capacity for this model (I think about 3000 a year are destined for the UK). And they are already selling at that rate. Any extra demand just extends waiting lists and improves residuals.

RX8BoiUK

yup, da clues are in my posts :-)

I know I've made the right choice. Will quietly let everyone else realise that.

cmon mazda, hurry up with that car!!

bugbear

and 0.7 seconds faster than a lotus esprit V8!!

RickB

Guys,

I would step back from believing the topgear hype if I where you.

The 350Z tested was either a slower JDM car (with old stig) or a UK car in the wet for starters.

Secondly - the new stig is considerably faster than the old stig - look at the Lamborghini Murcielago times a couple of weeks ago.

I wont even mention that Clarkson is trying to get on to the order books for a Ford car that is already sold out....whoops.

More importantly though - the RX8 is too softly sprung for track work - its more suited to fast road use - Clarkson lied to you guys !!

RickB

druck

RickB less of the excuses, if the 350Z ran in the wet, they would have side so, as they have done for every other car.

The 350Z might have been a JDM model as they had it in quite a while ago. But JDM spec cars normally have higher power - is this not the case for the Nissan?

The JDM RX8 has 248bhp compared to the UK model's 228bhp (US & AUS 238bhp). And before you run off to the 350Z formum claiming another consiparcy about it being a JDM RX8 - it wasn't.

Cheers
---Dave

RickB

Druck - the only day they had the UK Z for was raining all day - last wednesday, so the only time they had a 350Z in the dry was last January and it was a JDM model.

The JDM model (as tested in Australia is a mid 6 second 0-60 car) and it has the old suspension.

Many of us have driven the JDM car and its not as quick as the European or US car.

The time set by the Mazda was definately a UK car - no quibble with that at all.

RickB

RickB

Oh and why is the 350Z the only car with a time posted on the wall that we have not seen any footage of ? Because it was the Japanese car and that was lent to them on the understanding that it wouldn't be used as a demonstration of the european car.

RickB

18ME

I could sit back and feel smug that my RX8 is a fast car, as fast as an M3 and as fast as a 350Z according to Top Gear but I would be lying to myself. I find it very hard to believe that the RX8 is that quick, I've had a few cars recently in the same ball park speed (on paper). I was not expecting it to get anywhere near the time they recorded for the R32 that I had previously, on the Top Gear track (1.33, I think) nevermind the M3 time. Remember the Autocar test, 0 - 100 in around 18 seconds, what does the M3 do it in? approx 11 seconds. They maybe a little out but surely not that much, and the handling can't be that bad on the M3 either.

I like my RX8 for what it is, a contempory, practical, comfortable sports coupe with a good amount of toys for the money, but its not that fast.

BTW, I'm not sticking up for anyone else, just my own beliefs and my own experiences.

RX8BoiUK

still comparing the rx8 to cars that arent directly comparable?

tho, when it comes to trade in time in 3yrs the rx8 will be up against the nissan and bmw and tt.

whats gonna have lost the least?

druck

Can anyone tell me how a 0-100mph figure is remotely relavent except at the ome 1/4 drag stip in this country at Santa Pod. If that was all that counted, I'd be driving a top fuel dragster.

Racing away from lights probably isn't even getting up to 60 on UK roads, and in urban areas thats for ******* not wankels, any way.

There are two real tests of the car in every day driving. Over taking on the motorway, with the 70-90 figure probably being the most appropriate. I'd expect the M3 to absolutely walk away from the RX8 unless he was asleep in top, and the RX8 dropped down to 3rd.

The other test being cornering ability (nice quiet open roads only of course), where the more nible RX8 should be able to hold its own against the more heavy but more powerful M3 - up to a point - dont drive it like the Stig unless you are on a track.

Cheers
---Dave

Toadman

Gentlemen, if you havent downloaded JC's RX-8 segment you can get it at the website below.

http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forum...0&referrerid=1

rael

I saw a post some time ago which probably defines the 8 the best by saying that it is not the best at anything but as a sum of the whole is the best car in a very broad class on the market.

rael

RobDickinson

So how do you explain its time = to the M3 AND the 350z. both I assume dry (although the 350z is ambiguos).Both old and new stig always give it a 100% round that track, and always get plenty of time to practice with the cars. And if you've been keeping up with the suzuki shed the guests race, its very easy to get (as a decent driver) comparable lap times, time after time, on that track.

Sure the track is tight and twisty which will suit lower weight cars, and not give all the advantage to higher BHP cars, but thats the test track they have, same for all.

Oh and have a look at the AutoX threads in the US racing part of this forum. The RX-8 is plenty competative in autox (stock) against porsche boxters, s2000's, m3's evo's and STi's.

Because the suspension is relativly soft in comparison does not mean it'll be bad round a track. Yes it might have a lot of travel, and sometimes a touch to much, but overall its a great setup. And the RX-8's lower weigth over the M3 and 350z realy showes.

https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?postid=136561

ChrisW

The US Z's have 10 hp more than the UK cars, right? Is that not true of the JDM cars also? 0-60 times are all about launch technique and some magazines just don't do agressive launches anyway so this probably explains the anomalous time from the Australian mag. And I thought the problem with the JDM car's suspensions was that they were too firm? Perfect for the track, surely.

The 350Z, of whatever spec did NOT get that time in the wet. You can tell this by looking a couple of places up the Top Gear board - there is a Porsche 911 Turbo which got a time just 0.8 seconds faster in the wet. You're surely not claiming that the Z is within a second of the Porsche (4 wheel drive and all) in the wet?

The old Stig was a Formula One test driver. Who's the new one, Michael Schumacher? Anyone who can handle an F1 car on the limit would have no problem with any of our puny road cars. They could do it in their sleep and they'll all be within a second of each other.

I'm glad you didn't mention that. Why would Clarkson waste his time praising a car from a remote part of the Ford empire that only sells 3000 a year in the UK and already has waiting lists? Now, if next week he suddenly decides that the Mondeo is actually cool after all, then you may be onto something.

So Clarkson just decided to falsify the time for the RX-8 and his co-presenters just said "fine, we'll go along with that. We don't mind looking like idiots". And the producer said "no problem Jeremy. I don't care about the credibility of this show at all."

The irony is that while most of us over here are surprised and delighted at the time the RX-8 got, we wouldn't have been bothered if it was slower. As you say, it's designed for fast road use and it does that job very well thankyou.

ploszek

Nice response Chris

druck

Well said that man!

I was honsestly expecting it to be up to a second slower, but had it been two seconds, I wouldn't have started throwing my toys out of the pram, and crying fix.

Over on the uk350Z forum, the conspiracy theories have even eclipsed 40 years of paranoia from the Kennady assination.

350Z fan boys: Get over it! It was a good car before TopGear, and still is after.

Cheers
---Dave

RickB

Chris,

The JDM cars have 11bhp less than the US cars - being 276bhp. The UK car is supposed to have the same 276bhp - however it has been supplied with the US exhaust as opposed to the JDM market one. The JDM market one being much more restrictive. Feel free to test drive both cars - the UK one is convincingly quicker - and please dont take my word for it - try it for yourself or ask any of the other guys over at the 350Z forum who have driven both.

Australian magazine times where pretty consistent with times owners where getting at the strip. 1/4 mile times where 1/2 second slower than US cars.

The UK car actually has increased damper rates over the JDM car - this eliminates the pogo effect present on japanese and US cars. The fix has been deemed so succesful in improving handling (and strangely ride) that it has now become standard fit on all market 350Z's. The Euro 350Z doesnt have softer suspension - just much better damping. The suspension was designed during sessions at the Nurburgring.

Never said the 350Z posted the time in the wet - read the post - I said it was one of two choices - the slower JDM car or a UK car in the wet - I said it was the JDM car hence no footage.

Regarding the Stig - could you please answer how the new stig was able to suddenly improve the laptime of the Lamborghini Murcielago by a number of seconds if he wasn't a better driver?

Clarkson has a habit of doing this - why is he so far out of step with every other motoring journalist / TV program about the Z? Even his own magazine (TopGear) prefers the Z - as does Autocar and 5th Gear. You give me a reasonable explanation?

Clarkson runs the television show and has done this numerous times before - he insisted on having overall control before agreeing to do the series.

Never said he falsified the RX8 time - its a damn good time and driven right on the edge but I see no reason to question it.

The problem - whilst you guys are surprised and delighted - everyone else is baffled - not about the laptime - more about his attacks on the 350Z.

The RX8 is a great car - hopefully have my order in for one shortly - but the Z is faster and better handling and is capable at cornering at higher speeds than the 8

Dont believe me? Okay - Road and Track magazine - slalom speeds for both cars - RX8 - 65.4mph - 350Z - 67.3mph.

Regards,

RickB

RickB

Druck,

Sadly the conspiracy theories are known fact - we have 'insider' knowledge :D

You guys seriously need to relax - im not slating the RX8 - far from it - im buying one !! All I am pointing out is that for some reason Clarkson has one on him about the Z !!

RickB

jimbobjoe

RickB,
The original time in the Lambo was done in the wet. The reason the new stig got to drive it was because they wanted to see what kind of dry time they would get.

bulkhead

The one thing struck me about the Top Gear RX-8 review was that it was similar to the Lotus Elise review a few months back in several respects. At that time JC drove a new Elise around the track, and complained that it wasn’t as good as the earlier versions and had more understeer. Lotus responded that this was deliberate to make the car less prone to break away quickly at the limit and was due to standard fitting of narrower front tyres. They also countered that the car was quicker if you drove it right. TG took them up on this, and the Lotus test driver came in to do a few laps. It was the manner in which he drove the lap that I was reminded of last week, i.e. fairly manic with oversteer being deliberately provoked to counter the understeer. But is was very quick. And then JC says the RX-8 is twitchy in the wet and it’s due to the tyres.

So there you have it. RX-8 handles like an Elise, only with 4 seats and a better engine. QED. ;-)