Everything being equal, would any difference be noticed in driving the 05 vs the 06? What about a Shinka vs a non Shinka?

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No and no.

 

Mazda changed very little from 05 to 06. New colors were added while some were taken away and the leather side bolsters were smooth in 06 instead of ribbed as in the 04-05 model years. Trim level and option packages were the same.

 

I thought I read somewhere that they did something different to the engine that involved better oil flow. I do know that auto and 5 speed tranny had 4 ports vs 6 speed having 6 ports, which I'm guessing had to do with air flow. In 06 didn't all the tranny',s go to 6 port? Does the number of ports improve performance?

 

Transmissions don't have ports, engines do. 04-05 automatics had the 4-port, low power engine (170hp or so), while manual cars had 6-port 232hp engines. 06 and after had the same 6-port engine for automatics and manuals. This is applicable in north america. Europe and Japan had other combinations.

 

I think there are some minor differences. The early 05 have weaker starters, I think. The Eccentric Shaft Sensor is also shielded, I think. They were a bit more exposed on older RX-8s.

In Europe, they sold 4-port 4AT, 4-port 5MT and 6-port 6MT for Series 1. In North America, they sold 4-port 4AT from 04~05, 6-port 6AT afterward and 6-port 6MT for Series 1.

 

-Seat surfaces changed to full leather in 06+ cars, prior years were leather/vinyl
-OMP calibration (ECU code) was adjusted to increase lubrication in 06+, this change was backdated with most 04-05 cars receiving the updates via service
-At some point the starter was revised, several 04-05 cars received updated starters under warranty/hard-start claims.

Shinka cars received a urethane injection fill on the front sub-frame, which increased sub-frame mass and rigidity; improving steering feel (slightly) and improving harmonics/noise. They also received Bilstein dampers, which will ride slightly rougher and handle slightly better than a Base automatic, or any of the other trims (or manual cars) that received the Sport suspension option.

What really makes the Shinkas stand-out is their cream colored interior and for some of them, the unique exterior colors (Black Cherry Mica and Copper Red Metallic, dependent upon year). Shinkas are one of the best iterations of the RX-8 to me, due to the color combination. Any 04-08 RX-8 will feel essentially the same, with slight suspension/weight variances.

 

I wasn't referring to the trannys, but the engine. If you have an auto or 5 speed they were 4 port engines. If it is a 6 speed it has a 6 port engine. I guess I wasn't clear on my previous post.

 

I guess what I had read may have been the OMP calibration. Can it be determined if my 05 has had the upgrade?

 

A dealer should be able to check which flash you have.

 

Ok, I'm a noob. What is a flash?

 

a flash is an update on the cars ecu (computer)

 

I test drove an 06 just to compare it to my 05. The dealer said it was a Shinka but it had cloth seats and was the velocity red color. Don't the Shinkas come in leather only?