I am a 16 3/4 old. I wish to buy the Mazda RX-8 2007. I wish to purchase this car as a second car. My first car being the Mini Cooper S R53 2003. Personally I hate this car. Everyone gives me **** for driving it and it has the worst transmission ever. Idle on the Mini in 1st is just terrible and it’s noisy. I have found a cheap Mazda RX-8 for about 5000NZD. What’s the insurance like and is it a good purchase for a second car?

 

Beware of cheap rotaries. They're cheap for a reason. Read up in the Potential Owners section on rx8help.com and decide if you're into it then.

Definitely don't buy an automatic RX8.

 

I got mine for 5800 USD. 30k on the second engine. Insurance is acceptable, around 600/6 mo for full converage, $250 deductble, max liability.
Who's paying for it?
Although the car costs me 5800, I also spend a lot in upgrading (reliability mods), mid pipe, catback (this isn't a reliability mod), light weighted flywheel (ring gear broken so does not engage starter), clutch, Sohn, radiator, BHR ignition, Mazmart thermostat, water pump and oil pressure mod and a tuning software (bump up OMP rate). With so much done, I still lose compression.
IMO if you are paying for it, do more search, the stock engine has some design issues that need to be fixed, the upgrade+car cost may exceed your financial ability. Even with these mods, with a unhealthy engine, you still lose compresion due to blowby.
If your parents are paying for it and are willing to pay for all the mods etc, it's a fun.
I'd recommand find one cheap with a blown engine, rebuild it to correct spec (don't bridgeport it, there's no useful overlap), then add all the reliability mod.
BTW, if emission is a thing in NZ, buy a midpipe, swap it after emission, our car is hard on cats, and it is an expensive part.
I kind don't know what I am writing here, just my thoughts and experience.

 

Price of entry to RX8 world may be low, but membership cost is not.
You get what you pay for. Spend time and money upfront to purchase a good turn-key specimen. It's nice to spend time driving the car to enjoy than working on it in the garage.