Ducati spinning up.
it's a 1.3l for goodness sakes.... how much torque does a 1.3l piston engine pushes out?

Holy crap is this an old thread. At least we know one person uses the search around here. Sheesh. However, on topic...the main feeling that I get from my 8 is the endless power curve. In a piston engine you can feel it sorta die off after 5K RPM...in an 8 you are just getting started at 7.5K.

4.5 years old!!! Damn, this is an epic thread bump.

As for how it feels, I would have to say smooth is the best description.

I love reliving the past so I look for retro threads and start them up again.
One of my bizarre hobbies.

smooth as thai silk

Didn't read all the posts but if you are listening to sound clips, keep in mind many cars have modded exhausts so not the stock sound.

"feels like it is running on double cream" - Jeremy Clarkson

^^^that´s a VERY good definition.

And apart from that, such an small and light engine allows an almost midship placement with a very low yaw inertia moment meaning extraordinay handling.

jird20

like flying close to the ground.

Power comes on smoothly like being pushed forward by a giant wave.

like warp drive without the warp.

I love the way the rotary makes the suction sound sounds as it drains my gas tank as if I was driving a an M1 tank.

dare we say . .

it has the smooth power delivery of an electric engine

dude, that made me crack up ... hilarious. sad but true.

this doesn't have to do with "sound", more "feel", i let a friend drive it and he kept shifting at like 7k, i had to "coach" him, even though he was older and had driven a lot of cars and bikes for that matter, to hold on to each gear! he loved it, he just couldn't believe it revved so high - he also said he felt it had more torque than he thought it would...

This is why Mazda included that little beap at 8500.

This is no small point. The 'feel' is why so many people criticize the 8 as being 'slow'. For some it doesn't give their butt-dyno that sense of acceleration that they equate with speed. Of course most of us know otherwise.

To me it feels like a silky smooth turbine (well, above idle anyways).

it feels like a car

Its such a smooth sounding/feeling motor. Just sitting in the car in neutral you feel no shake or vibration. The RX-8 is my first rotary, though I did get to ride in my friends RX-7 which was a little rougher feeling (but the motor was rebuilt).

Jeremy Clarkson says it best... "It doesn't feel likes its running on anything as course and vulgar as petrol. Feels like its running on double cream!"

The OP last posted on 4/02. I hope he got the answer to his question...:-/

To be honest, I feel like the uniqueness of the rotary is the feeling you get mentally. Its just the adrenaline rush of a blender like sound and watching your tach climb to 9K as youre taking a corner at 62 mph in second!!! Thats the unique feel of the rotary to me, otherwise it just feels like a lack of torque :lol:

NA its like dropping off the top of the big hill on the roller coaster- the speed just keeps building and building

I like that.
I'm The "EPIC THREAD BUMPER"

i was here lurking and reading it in its original posting

LOL, I don't see anything wrong with it!