exsequor

iTrader: (1)

Yea this thread sucks..in fact rx-8 vs anything threads suck in general. It's obvious none of us bought our 8's to have the fastest car on the block. if we wanted that we would have bought a corvette instead..

vndr09

iTrader: (2)

ya...just another $30k though. i got my 8 cuz it's a modest sports car that gets respect from other sports' car drivers...and the handling is absolutely amazing...and a lot of mods can be done to it.

nuke0907

iTrader: (2)

most people around me hate RX8's. too many Honda fanbois.

exsequor

iTrader: (1)

I got my 8 because of my addiction to mazdas handling & "feel". I was actually practicing manual with my dad, because I was going to test drive speed6's the next day. Came across my 8 by chance and bought it out of instinct. Love my car still. I think speed is like a lot of other stuff in life, you either want more and more or you can be content with what you've got. Either way, there will always be somebody faster and either way it won't matter in the end. It's all for good fun.

vndr09

iTrader: (2)

Lol in my part of town, Honda's (i'm assuming ricer civics???) are trashed. Everybody makes fun of them. Z's and Mustang GT's dominate where I'm at, so I like having my 8 cuz it's pretty rare imo

Snrub

I bought my RX-8 last weekend. Before driving a Cobalt SS, I honestly thought that the '08-09 SS was the car I wanted. I'm not a fan of FWD, but the reviews of the SS made it sound incredible. For instance, look up C&D's lightning lap results. The Cobalt SS is a giant killer and for some reason it is ridiculously fast on a road course - significantly faster than a RX-8. Driving the SS it feels good for a FWD car, but upon driving a friend's Solstice GXP immediately after the SS, I realized how much the SS was lacking. It just doesn't feel great in the corners and for 260hp it feels a tad slow in a straight line. The steering isn't very good either.

There is just something incredible about how a good RWD car with a LSD applies its power coming out of a corner. What sold me on the RX-8 was the increidible handling, the controllability and ease at which one can drive like a maniac, the terrific steering, etc. The price was the other factor. I bought a my '06 for almost 1/3 of the new price with 22,200kms (13,700 miles). That's a steal. Other RWD cars are more expensive and aren't as enjoyable to drive. The downside of the RX-8 is lack of mid-range punch, overall power and fuel economy. I'm going to guess that the RX-8 is a faster autoX car than the Cobalt SS, etc.

J03K1LLARX8

iTrader: (1)

yeah get the SS. the 8 sucks no power at all.

YaXMaNGTO

Chew on this for while, tough guy!
Chew it slowly... then get back to us with what you think.

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS
List price $22,335
Price as tested $23,490
Curb weight 2935 lb
Engine, transmission 2.0-liter I-4t; 5-sp manual
Horsepower, bhp @ rpm 260 @ 5300
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm 260 @ 2000
0–60 mph 5.5 sec
0–100 mph 12.9 sec
0–1320 ft (1/4 mile) 14.0 sec @ 101.8 mph
Top speed 160 mph*
Braking, 60–0 mph 117 ft
Braking, 80–0 mph 207 ft
Lateral accel (200-ft skidpad) 0.92g
Speed thru 700-ft slalom 72.4 mph
Our mileage, EPA city/highway est 23.0, 22/30 mpg
*Drag limited.

2009 Mazda RX-8 R3
List price $31,930
Price as tested $32,580
Curb weight 3110 lb
Engine, transmission 1.3-liter 2-rotor Wankel; 6-sp man.
Horsepower, bhp @ rpm 232 @ 8500
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm 159 @ 5500
0–60 mph 6.3 sec
0–100 mph 16.4 sec
0–1320 ft (1/4 mile) 14.8 sec @ 95.2 mph
Top speed 148 mph*
Braking, 60–0 mph 122 ft
Braking, 80–0 mph 218 ft
Lateral accel (200-ft skidpad) 0.90g
Speed thru 700-ft slalom 70.8 mph
Our mileage, EPA city/highway 16.6, 16/22 mpg
*Electronically limited.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Wait...the 09 R3 is electronically limited to 148mph? Seems....low.

Besides, what is the point of those numbers anyway? If you live on those numbers, then an SS will not satisfy you, and you clearly don't have fun driving anyway, just bench pressing your ego.

Not a single one of those numbers translates why I love the 8. The 8 is FUN, an extension of me. The closest a Chevy can get is a male enhancement pill for your prosthetic c**k. Stop talking number like they matter. IF you love the 8, you love it. If you hate it, you hate it. And I doubt either emotion is ever related to the numbers even for a pico second.

RufusVonStorm

Man has anyone posting actually sat in a Cobalt?

Such a piece of crap. I climbed inside of one at an auto auction in Fort Wayne, Indiana and sweet bejeezus such terrible interior workmanship.

Reminded me of a Dodge Neon or the Hyundai my parents owned in the early 90s.

The shifter was minivan class. Not in the same class as the rx-8 when compared by ANY metric.

vndr09

iTrader: (2)

Well ya what do you expect from GM?? The solstice and sky both have horrific interiors...corvette is decent, and everything else is bad.

SCarter

http://www.mazdaspeeddevelopment.com...-daytona-2009/

dmazda

Yes it was a SS.

dmazda

Well, That is an 09 stock. I did tell you I have the RB flash, catback, RB intake, and I left off the high flow cat. If I'm not mistaken, Car and Driver listed 0-60 times for the 04-08 at mid to low 5s. They launched at very high RPMs. Also, consider the human element (The Drivers) This is also indicative of the outcome.

Dmazda

shazy

/\ They got a 5.9second 0-60. Pretty damn hard to get with the stock version. But I remember that Motorweek had the Proto version of the rx-8 when they got that number, so it could've been different.

Wouldn't a MS6 VS Rx-8 be better than this?

Dream20B

iTrader: (1)

This thread = Epic.

Renesis07

iTrader: (1)

Cobalt is faster
Cobalt Handles Better
Cobalt Gets better MPG
Cobalt is Cheaper

RX8 isnt gay

End of comparison.

cas2themoe

I agree +1

CarAndDriver

I think the Cobalt SS is a pretty good car considering what the SS team had to start with and the schizo place that is GM. It is let down by a really pedestrian interior.

And also agree, if anyone who is values HP and acceleration stat is not going to buy the 8. For the time it came out it was okay, but now its really behind. However, it doesn't take away from the fact that the 8 still has one of the best chassis on the planet 5 years after arriving.

Renesis07

iTrader: (1)

The 8 is a drivers car, the SS is a go-fast car.

Two different animals, two different purposes.

YaXMaNGTO

Agreed. That does sum it up.

But I find the overall lack of respect for this car here hypocritical. So much time and effort is spent on this forum trying to explain the finer points of the RX8 because it is undestimated by the "ignorant" automobile world. But, we're talking about a car that's also underestimated, and I'm hearing a bunch ignorance about the Cobalt SS's capabilities.


Here's a quote... what's not to like about being able to throw it around Buttonwillow for 30 laps, and being fun to drive even though it's FWD?
"Toss the Cobalt SS into a corner and one immediately appreciates the finely tuned details of linear brakes, quick steering, superb ride damping and the car's composure. I tested it for more than 30 laps around Buttonwillow Raceway and can verify that it provides the driver a grin that will last for days. On the street or track, the electric power steering assist is spot-on. Even with the extremely sporty steering ratio of 14.8:1, there are only mild tugs when pulling out of corners under power. "

And another in that a same article, comparing it to the MS3:
"I haven't enjoyed driving a front-wheel-drive car this much in ages. The Cobalt's FE5 suspension is stiffer, better damped and infinitely more compliant than the previous car's. I dare say it's the best-driving fwd sports compact out there, matching the power of a Mazdaspeed3, but easily out-handling it. At the limit the Cobalt SS is predictable, controllable, balanced and should make any driving enthusiast quite happy. "

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....rticle_id=6702

YaXMaNGTO

This is this strangest post I've ever seen. Calling the Cobalt SS a male enhancement? Are you kidding? It's just fast little toy and nothing more. You have a bad inferiority complex if you think a Cobalt is an ego booster. Man.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

I was making a reference to this fascination with nothing but the numbers... Chevy can pump numbers all day long, but that doesn't make their cars an extension of their drivers, the critical component that makes cars truly fun, and therefore, worth owning.

I have driven most Chevy vehicles currently produced (most models, not most trims), and not a single one has felt any where better than a couch on wheels where the driver has only a vote in where the car goes. A few don't even give the driver a majority vote.

jones75254

iTrader: (2)

Performance in the Balt SS will beat the 8 in pretty much every way. Its just a hard pill to swollow due to its origins and the way it looks inside and out. But hey, we arent the only ones, it beats ALL the compacts and alot of sport coupes in OUR class in a number of performance categories. Its a little beast, thats a fact, deal with it. Now, take into account ANY other attributes besides performance and it bites the big one.

BlueEyes

Don't feel bad guys...My Integra Type-R designed 13 years ago will match the 8's performance numbers. Cars are about more than the numbers in glossy magazine articles....but I'd still own most of you in my ITR hahahaha.