Hey ya'll 🙂

I am wanting to purchase an RX-8 as soon as I find the right one! Just need help with private sellers being potentially dodgy?

I inspected a 2008 Automatic RX-8 today which was very neat & tidy, had been looked after and owner knew to maintain Apex Seals and has upgraded coil package to a better after market brand. Everything checked out and I loved test driving it.

However it has done 162,000kms and has never had an engine rebuild. Owner also claims that the model is a Series II but It is from 2008 and I heard the Series II were from 2009 onwards?

I've heard pro's and cons of having the auto (I can drive either transmission) it's just this one was a great price so I am conflicted as the car itself had been maintained very well but I dont wanna go broke keeping it alive.
Pictures below,
Any feedback would be really appreciated
Thanks x

 

Here in Australia, series 1 & 2 are available in model year 2008.
So that is correct here....
The dash of that car in your pics is Series 2.

 

If you don't have a reliable car now I wouldn't buy a 100,000+ mile RX-8. If you do have a reliable car, get a compression test and judge from there.

 

that is an s2 but i would look for a lower mileage one and would stay away from the autotragics

 

Engine health is independent of kilometers, age or maintenance. Get a compression test before buying any RX8 so you know exactly where it stands.

RX8help.com has a Potential Owners article compiled from this forum.

Don't get an auto, barf. It can't make the engine's full power potential, may as well get a Corolla at that point.

 

Don't get it... too many kms. My 2008 series 2 engine just lost compression at 167,000kms and it has been flawlessly maintained. There is a reason the seller has priced it soooo low... he/she is anticipating a rebuild (which could cost upto or over $10,000) is just around the corner!!

 

Always get a rotary-specific compression test. That will give you a good idea of engine health.

With an RX-8(and really, most Japanese sports cars), don't buy the automatic if you can help it. They aren't efficient, shift too slowly, and probably don't have good shift logic.