I really enjoy my AT. I too use the paddles or the autostick most of the time. As the previous poster said it is the best way to get the most power and enjoyment out of the car. But it is nice to have the automatic mode when you are stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, or you are tired and/or not feeling well and just need to get somewhere.

RX8 is a pretty car. There are prettier cars also for almost the same amount of money. Some say Eclipse is good etc. All I am saying is its upto you. You are investing a good amount of money, consider what your priorities are. By buying an automatic you are losing a good amount of power and control over your car. There are other automatic cars which may have a better mileage compared to RX8 and which may be equally pretty :).


SUMMARY: WEIGH YOUR OPTIONS WELL.

At the same time, dont do something bcos you want to be accepted in a group of people, or dont do it bcos you want to look cool amongst a group of people.

Ah, too many AT & MT RX-8 threads..

As for me.. I have a AT. I love it though.. Might get a stick on my next car. This is of course my first car so I didn't want to push it by getting a MT. And, the car is fast enough.. Especially those old ladies that always step on it and try to race you..

+ 1 more for AT, if your in Socal, I really recommend one, god damn traffic jam, my clutch will be dead by now if I had a manual either that or its my leg

I've driven both but I preferred the a/t due to personal preference. While very happy with it, I wanted a little more power in the low end so I just modded it to achieve that. Stop by the a/t forum occasionally and see whats new.

I bought a 2007 RX-8 Auto (I am expected to get this car later this week from the factory). Except for the de-tuned engine output (as the auto cannot take 9000 rpm power peak), I just find there won't be much of the performance difference between auto and manual under the normal public road driving environment. I was told sometimes the automatic is faster in changing gears than a driver changes the gear with a manual transmission. I used to drive a manual; but I opted to the automatic cars thereafter (because it just fits with my driving needs and conditions).

ask the guys at the autobac meet to see how fast my AT is compared to the MT

Congrats! You are really going to enjoy this car.

One thing I've found that i'm told would be hard to do with a manual. When you are slowing down into a corner and get into the low to mid 20 mph range (at least on the 4AT), you can downshift into first and really get a good shot out of the corner. Probably not the best for the tranny so I don't do it very often, but it is fun to do once in awhile.

As far as shifting speed vs manual, it all depends on the skill/experience of the person driving the MT. It is still a torque converter automatic, so its not going to be insanely quick shifting like some of the DSGs. I myself am hoping for a good DSG on the next gen RX. Oh wait, the rotary is dying, I forgot.