I'm off to California to drive the RX-8
 

I was given orders to report to Laguna Seca Raceway @ 7:30 am Friday Morning. I'll see if I can post some pix of my laps around the track in the RX-8. I will also be spinning the digital camcorder if they let me!:D

Very nice... keep us up to date-

You dirty, dirty bastard...

;)

---jps

so with him and rotaryclub.com both going we should get some good honest impressions :D

All I can say is HOLY CRAP BATMAN!!!! This car is amazing! It is almost impossible to get this car sideways. This car handles much better than my FD in the curves! It doesnt have the power of my 20B 3rotor but this 13B runs like no other NA rotary I have ever driven! You should hear it sing @ 10K RPM!!!!! I tried but it was almost impossible to slide the tail out on the corners at Laguna Seca with the DCS on. It was a blast to run this baby full out on the hot laps un shaparoned on the race track!:D

When I get back home from California, I will post more pix to my website. I dont have access to my site from my laptop @ the hotel. (No broadband hook up!) I will also work on the video taken in the car around the track during the hot laps.
The blood is still pumping!!! This is not a dream!!

Oh yeah I forgot to say this: " All the cars we drove were right hand drive! My right hand kept hitting the glass reaching for the shifter that WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE!!! "The pic I posted was the only left hand driver there. Now I can say I have driven the JDM spec RX-8 @ Laguna Seca! I also got to sit in the RX-01, the RX-Evolv, and touch the 787B LeMans winning race car!

How did you, and all the other lucky ones get chosen to do that? Are you some type of media, a dealership, what?

I want to do that. If I could take it for a drive tomorrow morning, I'll be there. Laguna is only 90 minutes from where I'm staying :D

Yesterday was the last day of two weeks of the Global Launch of the RX-8 based out of Laguna Seca. It was packed up and all the cars are going back. I was a guest of Mazda. It helps to know the Pres and CEO of Mazda N America just a little bit I guess! It also helps to be in the rotary repair business. (www.alamorotary.com)Yesterday was the day for all of their bankers and financial people. IT was a no holds event to impress the money folks.
So to answer your question, it won't be there today.

Handles better than your (20b) FD, or a stock (2-rotor)FD? I was under the impression that a 3-rotor would not handle as well as stock because with most 3-rotors the engine is long enough that the car is no longer a true mid-engined car...

You twice mentioned trying to get the tail out, does that mean that it pushed, or are you just referring to on-power coming out of a turn?

---jps

fd's are mid-engine?

My hubby is screaming out that any car with the engine in front of the driver is a front-engine car (like a Corvette). He goes on to say that a mid-engine car is one which has the engine behind the driver and in front of the rear wheels (like the NSX) and that a rear engine car is one that has the engine between the rear wheels (like a Porsche 911).

WTF?!:confused:

clarifications please...:D

:) nice to see another female on the boards....

the deal with "mid-engine" designs is that the first ones were just easier to make with the engine behind the driver, 'cause the engines were long, and couldn't package them behind the front axle without putting the driver on the rear axle and a super long hood...
the 13BREW is pretty shortish, and with the suspension way out at the front corners, the engine's centre of gravity is well behind the front axle, which allows for the definition of "mid-engined"...
the 350Z (Nissan's FM chassis), RX-8, and others have chassises (or whatever :p) designed to keep the engine's centre of gravity behind the front wheels... so, they are all mid-engined, although not in the traditional way... this comprimize allows for better passenger accomodation, that's why they bothered ;)

it's also called a "front mid-ship layout" to keep people from confusing it with the more common rear engined "mid-engine"

He mentioned that was with DSC. So it looks like the system does its job.

What I wanna know is, how was the car with the DSC off? :D

Yes. "Mid-engine" simply means that the engine is completely between the front and rear axles. The engine can be either in front or behind the driver, as long as it is between the axles.

There's a picture that illustrates this, it's a cutaway picture of the RX-8 which shows the engine placement, but I forgot where it is. If someone has it, please post it...

It handles better than any FD. I can't tell any difference between my FD in the handling of my FD w/ the 20B. EXCEPT that it can get sideways a WHOLE LOT easier that a 13B can. The dynamics of the car are almost identical as well. As for the weight issue with the 20B, I weighed my car with a full tank of gas and all my stereo equipment and sub box and it was still less than 3000lbs. 2960lbs. it only weighed about 50lbs heavier than another FD with the same type of set up as mine but with a 13B.

The car has amazing handling with the control on. You can do some amazing power slides around the autocross track with the control off. Just when you get to the edge of the envelope the control kicks in almost without any notice to bring the car back into control. This car bone stock can make anyone a very comfortable autocrosser! It drives like it is glued to the pavement. I never saw anyone spin out in the RX-8 until the instructors turned off the control!

I was trying to power the tail out coming out of the turns but it stayed glued to the track. Even if you came in too hot and heavy into a turn and yanked the wheel with your foot off the gas it stayed glued to the track.

Congrats Derrik...I may have to buy one of these!!

Re: I'm off to California to drive the RX-8
 

What a job!

That's exactly what I was hoping to hear. It's good to hear you liked it. Just hearing the engine rev on the Japanese site when you move the gear shift makes me more and more excited for the 8's release.

fastrx7man:
"Last 3 Years...
94 Montego Blue RX7
99 Silver Vert Vette (For Sale)
99 Silver CLK430
97 Black TT Supra
93 Red NSX
97 Silver SLK230
97 Silver Boxster
91 White Turbo MR2
93 Red RX7
95 Red SC300 "

why so many cars in 3 years?

I guess I can't make up my mind!!!

:confused: :confused:

Tell me about it! ;)

(BTW, this is diane; the short mezzcan girl who went to the track with u and Derrick a few weeks ago...) :D

Where is the link to the website - (assuming you have uploaded now)

I may have missed this but couldnt find it in the thread....

Anyone found any reviews from lagunaSeca yet ?

I just got home and haven't had time to post any pix yet. Be patient and when I have time I will post them to my wesite.:D