pieter3d

iTrader: (7)

Hey all

I was curious how cool of an upgrade it would be going from a 91 Taurus SHO to an RX-8. Also I am a huge fan of the rotary engine design

My SHO is pretty fun to drive when not loaded heh (~220 hp, 5-speed stick) and practical with a reasonably spacy back seat and a decent sized trunk.
Unfortunately there is no Mazda dealer in the area here, so I haven't been out for a test drive yet.
One of my buddies has an Eagle Talon with a boost controller upgrade. That car is fun to drive for sure, so much that I was wanting a tubo charger for my next car. Overrated? Sounds cool...

Anyway, would it be a real jump in performance from my SHO, and how would it compare to that Talon?

Just doin some wishful thinking here...

Go48

CAUTION: DO NOT DRIVE AN RX-8 UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED TO BUY ONE!!!

Just kidding. Comparing an RX-8/rotary-engined car to those cars is like making the proverbial apples to oranges comparison. Totally different animals. The RX-8 is an incredible smooth-accelerating, road-hugging sportscar. It is not a brute-force, rubber-burning muscle car like those you mention. If you are expecting neck-jerking, tire-shreiking acceleration, you will be disappointed. Not to say that the RX-8 is a slug (~6sec, 0-60 times) or that you can't burn rubber, but that's not the forte of this car, IMO of course. Take it out on the twisties at speed and you will see what I mean.

The RX-8 is a car for those who can appreciate the uniqueness of a refined sportscar with more than adequate power and amazing road-grabbing cornering ability. If your paradigm includes that description, go for it. If not, you will be disappointed.

BoomerBurt

I agree completely with the above "old guy". I'm another old guy and I absolutely love the 8. Don't rev your engine at a stop light next to a Corvette or something with a hemi. But I have run through west Texas at 120 mph and felt very comfortably in control. Of course, I wouldn't want to run over an armadillo at that speed and I don't make a habit of it, but the car does handle beautifully at highway speeds. The controls and guages are very well thought out for easy access while driving, including the stearing wheel control buttons that are stock items. You don't really need the upgrade packages, except for the performance-related ones....I can't imagine why anyone would buy an automatic - hell, get a Civic if that's what you want. Like he said, there is no way to compare an 8 with a Taurus...they are from two different worlds.

chrism

coming from a yamaha built engine i can say i prefer the 8....i had a matrix xrs and it was pretty strong and could haul enough...but you really cant compare the 2 with the exception of an astronomical redline.....test drive it and then tell us how you feel.....i did and wound up buying one

Wurmfist

If you aren't ready to buy one, don't test drive it because it will be your downfall. You will think of everyway possible to buy one once you test drive it. It happened to me, and I'm sure there are many many others here that can tell you the same story.

I also wanted to add that if you are younger and are looking for a screamer this is probably not your car. The 8 is more refined and, don't get me wrong, has plenty of power on hand. But if you are looking for some serious power try looking for a used RX-7 FD or something similar. If you plan on buying a 30k car and want it to be faster by slapping a turbo on it, there's plenty of cheaper alternatives. Just my humble opinion of course. And we all know what opinions are like.

Go48 said: "It is not a brute-force, rubber-burning muscle car like those you mention"

>When I think "brute-force, and rubber burning" I don't see SHO's and Talon's on that list.

chrism

its a revver like the sho....and i can assure you its faster than my buddies awd talon tsi....(auto) but you will have fun in it

shaolin

haha doesn't conan obrien drive a "sho?"

"Under the hood I call this the ranch"

"why?"

"because that's where I keep my 220 horses..."

BWAHAHAHAHA....ha.

ha

ha.

V_for_velocity

Oh God, here we go again. Some people simply don't like stick shifts, some people have wives who don't like stick shifts, some people have physical disabilities that preclude using a clutch . . .
Beyond that, the sport shift auto in the RX-8 is fun in its own right.

velocity8

Hey shaolin,
did you see when conan took his SHO to a ferrari dealership to try and trade it in? That was awesome.

Ike

It will be faster than the SHO but it may not feel a whole lot faster due to the torque. As for the DSM it really depends, there are some rediculously fast DSMs out there and just a few free or very cheap mods can make them faster than any RX-8 that isn't running N20 or boosting. There's nothing overrated about turbo cars, they're quite fun and take very well to mods. So drive some of the turbo cars currently on the market and drive the RX-8 and see what fits you best.

beachdog

I had a 92 SHO back in 92-95. It was a fun car and fast for a n/a engine. Highest hp to displacement at the time and a high revver. That's where the similarities end. The SHO was your basic sleeper. The 8 is better in every way except for passenger/cargo capacity and fuel economy.

You just need to go for a test drive.

Xyntax

uh, what's a SHO?

Ike

A Ford Taurus lol

Elara

Coming from someone who owns an 8 and drives a 95' SHO (and a 91 before that) often, here's my 2cents:

Power- SHO feels faster, but the 8 is probably a tad bit speedier. The torque on the SHO just really knocks you back in the seat. The 8 is so linear you don't realize you've accelerated as fast as you have.

Handling: The 8 has it, no doubt. You'll feel like you're driving a boat (albeit a very well handling boat) after testing the 8.

Brakes: no comparison. I about had a heart attack after going to back to driving the SHO after driving my 8- the 8 stops on a dime, the SHO feels like you're trying to stop a cow with your foot.

I don't know if your SHO is a stick or auto, you didn't say- I've driven both- the 95 is an auto, the 91 was a stick- but if it's a stick you're in for a treat. The 8's shifter is 10X better and smoother. Much less picky (I** think). Auto, can't really compare, since it's an auto.

In any case, the SHO is much more of a muscle car, with a nice refined interior. The 8 is much more delicate in comparison. Both are amazing cars, so you'll just have to drive the 8 and see- I love them both. If I had an extra money, I'd pick up a SHO just to scare ricers at stoplights.

khtm

lol :D

pieter3d

iTrader: (7)

Yeah my SHO is a '91 5 spd manual. I actually went out and did a test drive in an rx-8, but the damn dealers take off the shifter know to prevent thefts. They couln't find one , so I hat to shift with the bolt
Anyway I liked the car, but my SHO is still fast and it was such a good deal ($1700) that I think I'll stick (no pun intended) with it for now.
And yes messing with clueless ricers who think they'll win with their v-tech decals is great fun.