StrifeX

Im just looking for some opinions on some cars. I love my rx8, but theres not much I can do with it. I would like to turbo it, but I dont know a lot about turbos (I'm constantly reading to try and figure it out), and it seems like its difficult to do. I have a 2004 with only 34,000 miles but from what I read that doesn't even mean my engine is good enough to turbo.

So I've been looking at a few cars. I've come to the genesis coupe and the saturn sky redline (looks better than solstice). Both are already turbo'ed and have upgrades available that actually do things. I don't care that its a convertable and I want to autocross. Any advice? Am I being to harsh on the 8? thanks

LifeAfterRx8

iTrader: (17)

You say your engine isn't good enough to turbo but you want to trust Saturn Reliability??

Personally, I'd keep the 8 or wait for the Subaru BRZ. That looks like a great platform to work with.

monchie

You could turbo the rx8, but it needs some tweaking here and there.

StrifeX

Well, i haven't read to many problems on either of them. And I dont know if the engine is good enough to turbo. It has low miles, but from what they say one here that doesn't necessarily mean its good for turboing. Since these both come turbo'ed already I thought they might be better for me to learn from. I still dont understand everything about turboing.

RX8Soldier

iTrader: (24)

If you don't, then either keep researching, or stay far away.

comebackqid

iTrader: (13)

you can go turbo, I don't think you should go buy a whole new car unless you ballin like that, then go for it but I would just save up rebuild and go turbo, or just throw on a turbo check your compression first if it's good I would go for it. but of course you should do some research before doing so.

8 Maniac

iTrader: (1)

Turbocharging an RX-8 properly is a bit of an investment... Getting a different car isn't necessarily a more expensive option, depending on what you're looking at.

ARK

My advice is to go test drive these cars you think might be better than your RX-8. After much research I was certain I was going to buy a Genesis coupe, 2011 3.8 Track... very nice looking car IMO. All the numbers were right: performance, power, price, etc. Then I test drove one... All of the subjective stuff was wrong with that car. The feel of the shifter was terrible, visibility wasn't great, the car felt a lot slower than it actually was, the brembo brakes looked cool but the feel wasn't right, the interior was cheaper than it looks in photo's, and the trans ground on the 1-2 shift a little. "That'll break in" I was assured... I was majorly disappointed.

Right after that I stopped in at a Mazda dealer (to look at a 3 with my sister) and there was the RX-8 that I ended up buying. Honestly, I wasn't even considering this car. But then I sat in it. All of the switchgear was in the right place. The feel of the shifter, brakes, and suspension were so much better than the Gen coupe. And even though it's probably not, the RX-8 felt a whole lot faster than the Gen coupe. It was clear that Mazda has experience building sporting cars, and Hyundai does not.

And the Sky, assuming it drives like the Solstice, feels similar to the Gen coupe in this regard. On the inside the car feels tiny, but on the road it feels heavy or big. There is more interior space in a Miata, but the Solstice feels twice as big on the road. I didn't push this car very hard at all, but again it was the subjective stuff (and that terrible top design) that turned me off to this car.

So my advice about purchasing a sports car, is to go out and test drive these things and don't waste a lot of time comparing magazine or internet numbers. After driving what you think you want, you might be surprised to learn first hand that your car is one of the best for autocross. I understand the desire for more power, I have that too, but I think you should give your RX-8 a chance. The RX-8 is really easy to drive fast - very neutral and forgiving - unlike a lot of other cars. And for autocross, adding big power is not the first mod you should make anyway. You can make your car a lot faster with other mods: suspension, tires, weight reduction, etc.

Best of luck, and most importantly, have fun :-)

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

some of the most sensible, factual information I have ever seen on this forum.
Damn good job Ark.

StrifeX

Thanks for the insight Ark! That truly was helpful. I understand what you mean about the feel fo the genesis coupe but I want to see how the 2013 feels. I dont dislike the current feel, but its not my 8. I have taken care of my friends corvette for 6 months and while it was fast, it didn't feel like my 8, like it was ready to race at any second. It seems like I have to have a degree in automotive engineering to turbo the 8 as well as a ton of money, but I guess thats how it should be for anyone tinkering with their engine.

ARK

Thanks Olddragger, I really appreciate that

StrifeX, I think you are wise to wait for the 2013 Gen Coupe. I hope that with the engine upgrades, Hyundai made some improvements to the rest of the car. After driving the 2011, I do remember thinking that for a first try Hyundai did a good job. It wasn't a terrible car by any means, just not as good as I had hyped it up to be in my mind.

The way I see it, the RX-8 isn't about big power adders or straight line speed - but you already know this. At the risk of sounding cliché, the 8 is about the art or essence of driving. It is about being a good driver, rather than having the fastest car. An 8 driven well has the potential to beat much more powerful cars. The 8 is about conservation of momentum and picking the perfect line, not tail out power slides. Few cars (in this price range) will transition through the corners like ours do. And for not a huge amount of money, suspension and tires and improve this even more.

I'd stick with the 8 for now, provided it is reliable, if your main intent is autocrossing. If nothing else, it might teach you to be a better driver while you wait for a better car for you to come along.

If you have the itch to try something new (I get that a lot) try to find an 06-08 BMW Z4 3.0si, coupe or convertible to try. The "si" bit is important on this car ;-)

Are-Ex-Eight

iTrader: (1)

I had a genesis coupe rental for a week and couldn't wait to get back to my 8. I've also owned a Saturn Sky Turbo. I loved it for its power and looks but it's not comfortable to drive, not as fun on the road and not an 8. I would have loved it more had the value of it not dropped in half when Saturn went under.


Honestly I suggest you hang in there with your 8 until some of the new cars coming out are available to test drive. Try the BRZ when you can. Also look at a used 135i.