WTF does that have to do with actual paddle shifters?!

 

I believe that....

That being said, the manual gearbox really IS one of the best on the market. The shifter is situated directly above the transmission, which provides EXTREMELY tight throws and short shifting. Never been in a car with such a great feeling gearbox, including my friends Mustang GT (his was actually one of the worst shifters I've tried, except for my brothers Altima) and my dad's Corvette.

That being said, you also feel everything through the shifter. Every time you step on the gas, you feel it through the shifter. Extremely satisfying for a sports car. In an automatic, the feeling completely disappears.

 

It makes me sleep better at night thinking my paddles are similar to those on F1 cars. Plus, it's always better to have a free hand when you have a nice female in the passenger seat

 

lol, I would have to agree with you on this one. Of course, regardless if you have the manual or automatic, she can still pleasure you.....

 

When that happens im sure you;ll just leave it in Drive and let the AT take over

 

'My friends you are all correct! Don't get me wrong, in the grand scheme, MT's are funner to drive than AT's. I've just had 4 MT's, Mustangs, Camaros, etc....and nothing is nicer than after a long night out, throwing it into Drive and cruising home with a nice female and a free hand!!

 

Ah.. Thanks for all the replies.. I'm still undecided though. I think test driving it will be the best choice. I'm still leaning toward auto though. I'm too lazy to shift.. Haha.. I'm not too confident with manual yet.

Thing is, it's basically the same car.. Just a different driving style. But you never know..

 

Bro, I live in Miami too.. I hear ya with the traffic..

I'm also hearing the 06++ 8's have 6 spd auto with 212 hp. Should be a better buy.

 

It may look the same, but I don't think you can say it's the same car. the automatic a decrease in horsepower although a slight increase in torque. Also, you're really missing a lot of the car if you get the automatic 7000 RPM redline. A lot of the fun falls into the 7 - 9k margin that you would be missing out on (hell, the car doesn't even really begin to move until like 6k. That only give you 1000 RPM til redline). If you don't really care that much regarding the high revving, high output given at the peak of the spectrum, you might as well go with an S2000. Even the S2000 with it's piston engine redlines at a higher RPM.

Make sure you test drive both manual and automatic. You'll see what I'm talking about. Not really the same car at all (a co-worked owns an 04 Automatic, and it's nowhere near as fun to drive as my manual is).

 

You conveniently forgot to mention stuff like the torque converter, and the power loss when going with an auto.

The epa numbers are BS, you should know that by now.


PS: The automatic RX-8 shares about as much with the Ferrari F430 as their price tags are alike.

 

You should be able to shift with only one hand.

 

Disadvantage: no fun in owning a sports car and don't feel one with the car. And the Auto 8 is Honda Civic slow, maybe the 06/07s are Accord slow. Lower redline, smaller breaks, etc. Automatic supercars may perform slightly better, but I'd rather enjoy a $100k investment.

And chicks dig sticks.

 

Is it that bad..

 

Do what you want. I test drove an automatic RX-8 before attempting to ever drive a manual car and almost bought it. Thank god I didn't is what I say all the time. There's been a plethora of forum members who have traded their AT 8s for MTs. Despite the loss of thousands of dollars, they always end up more satisfied.

If traffic is a serious problem for you, then another car would probably be a better idea.

 

Is what bad?

 

Drive an AT get a different car with more torque.

 

Driving auto on a 8. But I guess you just stated that.

 

Oops, I read what you said as 'is that bad?', was wondering if that's sarcasm.

Well yeah, the 04/05 Autos go 0-60 in about 8 seconds. That's ridiculous. I think the 06/07s have it cut down to about 7 with their new 6-port engines. The MTs get it in about 6 seconds with a good launch and DSC off.

 

Don't know bro. I'll test drive the 8. I've always liked the RX-8. Too bad I can't have fun with it, driving auto. I'll find out though.

I'm liking the quick replies. Hah.

 

Np. And it's not just the speed, it's the option of having more control of your car's engine that really makes it a good experience. Granted it may take you a week or two to get 'good' at it and even after that you still might make some mistakes, but soon enough, shifting gears up and down will become second nature.

 

someone earlier asked about the site dedicated to manual transmission...

http://www.standardshift.com/forum/

lots of great info there.

 

Yeah, I know. The MT has more HP, stratospheric redline, gives you the feeling of being "one" with the car and gives your left foot something to do but, lets face it, MT or AT you're not going to win any street races with this car. So going MT just for performance just makes little sense. Drive them both and you make the call.

 

I drove the auto and with 4 gears the engine is often at low rpm's where it has much less power, I bought the 6 spd manual, allows me to control the rpms by using the right gear for power. The 2007 auto will be 6 speed so if you want an auto the new one should be pretty responsive. I'm considering trading on a new one mostly for a light color interior but I would stay with the manual, I don't have to deal with city driving so shifting is part of the joy of driving it.

 

Coming from 3 automatics before the RX-8. i have to say the RX-8 is one of the most forgiving rides in manual form...its very easy IMO to get a feel for the car esp with the gear box being so close and tight. the clutch catch point is also very easy to grasp....it not long and high nor is it short. I've test driven freinds cars throughout the years and when i bought mine MT....it was one of the easiest manuals to get into. Plus its just plain more fun and added pride and joy that you're driving a manual which to me is a dying breed among young people. I contemplated a while back about an auto but soemthing told me, its a freakin sports car, it deseves to be matched with a manual!! dont deprive the car....haha

Actually the gearbox is similar to a miata, so if you ever driven first or 2nd generation miata...its very easy to drive and forgiving. I say learn to drive stick or have a friend drive home RX-8, teach you the basics and learn and pratice in a parking lot. RX-8 is one of the most direct manual gearboxes i've ever driven. Its very precise and accurate and not vague.

 

Yes, and the other hand should be on the wheel, leaving you with....wait, wait, wait........No Free Hands! Well unless you're cruising on the hwy and set it in 6th.