racerdave

True... which is why the Car and Driver 5-60 "Street Start" test is my favorite. It's closer to "real-world" performance without abusing the car.

That test does favor cars with low-end torque, but that shouldn't be any surprise.

But it's a better realistic number.

Astor

I didn't buy the car for 1/4 times, I'm more into drifting and with the nanny turned off with the right tires this car is great with 50/50 and able to rev up to 9,000. Even in the cold with the bridgestones it's very fun. I've driven the Dragon twice in the 8 now, very fun, going back in a couple of weeks. I like to do it at night so you can see headlights from oncoming traffic. If 1/4 mile is your thing, get an evo, or wait and get the 2005 Cobra 390bhp.

Ike

Grrr, I hate it when people say stuff like if you want stoplight racing or straightline speed get an EVO or an STi... It's not like these cars were made for going fast in a straight line, they just happen to be very fast doing so, and are equally impressive in the twisties.

Sue Esponte

Remember, it's Zoom Zoom...not Vroom Vroom.

The way I see it, there's more to Zoom than Vroom.

Or maybe it's all Zoom has Vroom but not all Vroom has Zoom.

You decide. :D

-Eric

Ike

Cake or death?

Sue Esponte

Can't a guy have his cake and eat it too?

Sanguine_Dark

Cake please....

Well were all outta cake....


So my choice is....or death?

Ike

Booooooo, you beat me to it

Sue Esponte

Isn't that a B-side Dr. Dre song if you play the album backwards?

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

Didn't Cake do that song "Race Car Ya Yas"?

Astor

I watch WRC, I know what the STi and the Evo are capable of, I also know what the Ford Focus is cabable of, that said I didn't mention the STi I did however mention the Cobra and Evo. Cobra's are straight line cars, Evo's weren't designed for that purpose but they do the job, and at Evolutionm.net that seems to be their favorite passtime. The aforementioned cars may be "impressive" in the twisties, however AWD drifting sucks.

graphicguy

Truth be told, any of the numbers that you read about in C&D, for example, are posted with the understanding that they abuse the car/clutch/tires/engine to get those numbers...regardless of what the car is.

The RX8 is fast, without a doubt. But, there's a difference in the way it goes about the rest of the driving experience in the 8 that sets it apart from everything else out there.

0-60 is one very small part of the driving experience. Until you drive the 8 over all types of roads....twisties and straight line, good pavement/bad pavement....feel the shift action and the remakrable steering, will you get a complete picture of what the RX8 can do.

123V

Thanks for the replies everyone. Apparently I gave the total wrong impression of myself. I'm not a straight line speed fiend and my questions were purely inquisiitive. In a roundabout way, they were really so I could answer someone else's questions/doubts. I'm about the whole driving experience. I particularly enjoyed the posts about downshifting and making high-rev passes and those about working clutch-shifter-gas around winding roads. Nothing is better than that, and I got the replies I expected/hoped for. It reminds me of how fun a car can be. I'm stuck in an '03 Honda Accord V6 (AT, ack) for the moment. Even it's *fast enough* in a straight line, but I don't get the feeling it likes to be pushed, so I hardly ever do. It basically sucks to drive. No handling or breaking whatsoever...I could go on... What I liked the most about the 8 compared to the 350Z, the C5 and other cars I've driven is that the car WANTS to be driven and it WANTS to be driven fast. This is priceless IMO. Also, the car is totally unique. ZOOM, not VROOM. I like that. That describes it perfectly, a different kind of speed. Unfortunately, driving the aforementioned cars I developed a taste for whiplash (especially the C5). But, as you all mentioned, that's not all there is to driving. Now, based on my own experience examining different vehicles and what I have learned on this forum, I know exactly what to expect out of an RX-8. For that reason, I'm going to stick with my first choice...

Katchoo

IkeWRX - What ARE those bananas doing? Reminds me of a joke IF they are doing what I think they are doing...

Anyway, the other day I was sitting in this tavern when in walked these two guys. Now you know I am not one to snoop but I did overhear a bit of their conversation. It seems that these two hunters went moose hunting every winter without success. Finally, they came up with a foolproof plan. They got a very authentic female moose costume and learned the mating call of a female moose.

The plan was to hide in the costume, lure the bull, then come out of the costume and shoot the bull. They set themselves up on the edge of a clearing, donned their costume and began to give the moose love call.

Before long, their call was answered as a bull came crashing out of the forest and into the clearing. When the bull was close enough, the guy in front said, "Okay, lets get out and get him."
After a moment that seemed like an eternity, the guy in the back shouted, "The zipper is stuck! What are we going to do!?"

The guy in the front says, "Well, I'm going to start nibbling grass, but you'd better brace yourself."

racerdave

Not true.

The 5-60 test is done with the clutch completely out. All they do is floor it in 1st gear at 5 mph and go from there.

Rotarian_SC

I seem to remember C&D saying that the difference in time between the rx8 0-60 and street start was double that of the cobra and G35 one test.

JimW

123V: I had and 03 EXV6 Accord AT as well, fortunately it was a lemon and Honda repurchased due to the rotten egg stink so many people are complaining about. The RX8 exceeds that car in performance in every catagory and I couldn't be happier, it has plenty of acceleration and the handling is awesome for a 4 door, I think you would be extremely satisfied.

Ike

Yeah, it was from the article Rotary Revival and the RX-8 did 7.5 sec 5-60. You can most likely add a little to that as a result of the new fuel map.

racerdave

mmm... maybe not. The "L" map may put it close to that again. Anyway, yes, that's true about the street start in that issue. The S2k had a similar discrepancy between 0-60 and 5-60 (different road test, but it was like 5.4 0-60, 6.9 5-60, while the 8 was 5.9 0-60, 7.5 5-60).

graphicguy

123v....that push you get from the Corvette is something that only good old V8 muscle can give.

When I was car shopping between the RX8 and its likely competition, I stopped by the local Infiniti dealer for a drive in a G35c. It wasn't nearly the same feel as the Corvette and unfortunately for the Infiniti sales person, I had just come from a test drive of the RX8. I made the statement to the sales person that the G didn't have the "push" of a V8 nor the refinement and "fun factor" of the RX8. He put me in an "M" series. It's the little brother to the Q with the Q's V8.

If the M would have been a bit less expensive and had a little more handling, I would have been the owner of it as opposed to my RX8. V8s can be intoxicating in the right car.

Ike

The M45 has one hell of an engine, unfortunately the praise doesn't go much further than that.

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

Sort of like the new Acura TL...

Ike

THe bluetooth technology is pretty damn cool

Killerking1964

I've done the Dragon 5 times (since I got the 8 last September) and it handled great. The fastest I got on it was 67 mph. was flying around thoose curves so quick that my hubby was hanging onto to OH **** handle and doing a catholic genufleck..SP? All the while I had the rubber burning and a big smile on my face! I recommend everyone coming to E. TN to run it!

Sue Esponte

Then you've never driven an ///M Coupe. Say what you will of its styling, this thing rocks. When you mash your foot on the right pedal, it'll put you where ever it wants you. :D



-Eric