By all means get the AT, just don't go around telling people how gutless the 8 is after you get overtaken by a civic.

 

Overtaken by a civic? What are you 16 years old? Who cares about racing unless it's on a track?
Little kids and morons race for real on public streets. Take your car to the track.

 

just test drive...

 

Try telling that to AT owners who had trouble overtaking when some other drivers don't let them pass. Hang around the forum long enough and you'll find many AT owners complain about this. I certainly don't encourage people racing on streets but if you seriously think most people get the 8 just for the tracks, you are the one who's immature RICHIE boy!

 

I traded my 01 Bmw 325ci for my 8. And I am still loving it, not to say that the bmw wasn't a good car but I just have more fun in the 8.

 

My point is that when you talk about "overtaking a civic", it makes you sound like a little kid who just got his liscense, who gives a s@*$! And I NEVER said that most people buy 8's for track use, I said that "little kids and morons race for real on public streets" and they are also the ones who give a flying f#$@ about overtaking a civic ! Basically I don't wanna hear any war stories about street racing cause it means s#$@! Take your car to the track against the civic then tell me about it, maybe I'd be intrested. Go waste someone elses time moron.

 

dude... relax. He said he wasn't encouraging people to race on streets so why are you still calling him a moron?
Since you're so much older then "Little kids and morons", at least act that mature when posting.

 

Mind your language, you so called "Old and mature businessman". "Overtaking by a civic" was meant to be an analogy, its a fact that the 4 port AT 8 is weak, noone mentioned street racing and I certainly didn't make up any kill stories. Maybe the one cruising in the 8 drinking coffee is the real moron.

 

The guy interested in buying the car to begin with was interested in an AT Rx-8. I was just defending his interest cause so many morons on this site try to tell people that that the AT has less power yadda yadda yadda and can be overtaken by a civic, and it's weak, and you can't drink coffee in your AT cause it's like being drunk, some of you guys think that people buy the Rx-8 solely for it's power, and thats where you've got it all wrong. Some of you guys need to face the fact that the Rx-8 is much more designed for handling, i see the the power of the rx-8 last and after every other attribute that this car has. I mean there are so many faster cars in this price range, I knew this when I bought my car and didn't think twice about anything else. You guys can't knock the AT so much when someone says they're interested, cause thats all people wanna tell new buyers. AT or MT they are both sick! Don't tell people that AT isn't worth it, cause I've driven both and I can't say one is better than the other. The difference is def there, but hardly noticeable while driving. I gave both a healthy test drive. It shows more on paper than when your in the car, the handling on both MT and AT is enough to impress anybody, not everyone cares about a second faster 0-60. But if wanna overtake a civic then maybe you'd care :o)

 

And by the way, cjkim, I don't need someone telling me to act mature when posting thanks. You sound like an elementry school principal.

 

After reading this thread for awhile it is important to note that all this cat-calling and hostile behaviour is not necessary. The point is- whether one drives an AT or MT is irrelevant because everyone is in the same boat- they own an RX-8. Instead of fighting with each other, we should all be supporting each other for owning a very unique car.

As an AT owner, I do agree with many others about the weakness of the engine. There are times that I wish I could have a little more zip in my drive. But do I regret buying an AT and not an MT? Absolutely not. I have to support Rich RX-8 for the most part because honestly, many people jump against owners of ATs- raising the same old tired points about not enough power, acceleration etc. There are people folks, who only drive Auto (for good or for bad) and people have to learn to RESPECT this fact. There are enough owners of MTs out there, so it is important for AT owners not to feel intimidated or chided just because they choose to have an lower-powered engine than the rest.

There are of course a few advantages of having an AT:

1/ In bumper to bumper traffic, having an MT has no discernible advantage! In fact, having to shift gears constantly (wearing out the clutch) is not going to help anyone go faster during rush hour traffic. I take the highway most of the time which in my city (Toronto) is rather congested.

2/ In winter time, although MTs have more control, it can be argued that one can lose traction more easily during shifting. AT also makes it easier to rock the car out of a tough spot.

3/ With an AT, the concentration is all on the steering- many times during a snow-out or where poor visibilility is present, I was able to direct my attention fully on maintaining my road holding without having to shift gears to match the driving conditions. More attention on the road meant that it was a safer experience for me.

4/ All this talk of having an MT does not make one necessarily a better driver. This car is known for its exemplary roadholding and so it is important to know how to maintain good car control during lane changes etc. I can't tell you how many people cannot hold their lanes properly- in other words driving without veering from right or left constantly.

5/ AT was invented for the sole reason that many people find it convenient. Yes- you give up some control and speed, and maybe a little bit of that fun and excitement, but if I want to drive this car like a luxury sedan, I can afford to do so.

6/ The AT although 1.5 seconds slower can be a bit of a handicap in certain situations, is still certainly quite zippy when need be. It has more power than I could ever need and most of the time I have never had trouble passing most cars when I need to.

7/ Anyone with a driver's license can drive an Auto. In an emergency, or other times, the wife etc will have no trouble driving it.

So, let us support each other. Help others make an informed decision. If one is comfortable with driving manual and likes to experience the higher RPMS and a little more speed, then the MT is an excellent choice. If one wants the convenience, and hassle-free experience and still want the exemplary roadhandling of the RX-8, then they could go for the AT.

Either way folks, let us support each (MT and AT owners alike). We are all here for one reason- to make owning an RX-8 a nice and pleasant experience. It will be a shame for owners of other cars to look into our forums and see RX-8 owners fighting with each other over issues that should be non-issues.

Let us come together- we are an RX-8 family!

Amen.

 

Well said, a little overkill but well said. Maybe this'll end the AT bashing ;o) For the record,
I really liked the MT version and I almost bought it. All I ever do is stick up for the AT cause I don't think it deserves the bad review that alot of MT owners give it. It's the same car with a slightly different engine and tranny, I know that, and people who don't own the car even know that. Plus some people actually like the paddle shifters more. Ferrari's and F1 cars have them, and I think they're very cool :o)

 

Sorry bud, Ferrari's and F1 cars may have paddles, but their transmissions are completely different, and way better.

 

Oh no way! I didn't know that, thanks for the info, I didn't know that a Ferrari had a better transmission!? I'm new to this whole car thing, I just figured out how to pump my own gas.........My point was that the paddles are really cool, especially if you've never owned a car with them!!

 

Not only better, totally different. I agree, paddles are cool...in cars with clutches.

 

Paddles suck, unless of course... nevermind...

 

The people switching out of their AT's into manuals felt the same way many of these first time AT posters did. They loved their cars at first then as time wore on they disliked having a car that literally rivals some economy cars in regards to its pickup.

The whole point is if you don't care one bit about the power aspect and you like the car for its ability to cut corners and stand out in a crowd. Then that’s the car for you. If you care, even one iota, about a cars pickup, you should consider the manual. Why? Because I see more unhappy 1 year + RX8 owners because they realized for just a thousand dollars more or so they could have had such a better made (yes it is better) engine with more power. There is a reason why Mazda makes way more MT’s than autos on this car, and it’s not just because of its sportyness.

And Rich, not many successful coffee drinking business men such as yourself should have a problem driving a manual transmission and drinking coffee. As Businessman 101 teaches us, the ability to multitask is critical in today’s modern economy.

 

Haha good point :o), I can't do it though. I had enough trouble getting the car from first to second nevermind multitasking!! Has anyone else noticed that 1st to 2nd is more difficult than lets say a honda MT or Mitsubishi, cause I had a much easier shift with those cars....
I think that was another reason I went with the AT. I've driven an Evo an STI and an S2000 and they all seemed easier and much smoother to shift out of 1st gear.

 

And paddles are COOL!!

 

With or without clutch :o)

 

And if you think the AT doesn't have one bit of power you're crazy. If you need more power than what the AT has to offer you must be compensating for something? :o)

 

Not sure about your modern science defense. Have any proof? Here's an article that says you are dead wrong...

http://www.insurance.com/Article.asp...ving/artid/140

It actually claims that coffee is the #1 rated distraction as far as foods are concerned.

Here's a similar article, claiming the same...

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/...nce/P51290.asp

another...

http://info.insure.com/auto/badfood402.html

Yeah, insurance companies and the NHTSA seem to think that you dont know what you are talking about.

 

I know a few guys that I would love to see you say this to.

 

Yeah, compensating for the weight of the car.

 

I'm sipping on some earl grey right now.