Point 1 :

You shpuld never 'kill' any engine from cold. Let alone a performance, tuned engine. let the thing warm up first please.

Point 2 :

The Renesis. It is a fantastic engine, just drive an RX-8 and hit that buzzer in 2nd and 3rd and you'll know why people like it. yes a good V6 will give similar HP and better MPG. But it wont behave like a rotary, and it'll be heavier and over the front axle. You cant take the engine and the car separate. And you cant judge the whole on 1/4mile performance. This car is built to handle not just go straight fast. Look at the racing forum, its more than capable of competing with S2000's and Boxters on track, and it has totaly usable REAR seats.

I've only just got my RX-8 (UK car, almost 700miles on it). I'm still 'running in' but a lot of those miles have been on 'A' and 'B' roads (2 lane twisty, narrow country lanes). Even limiting myself to 7k rpm max, and not WOT (80% max) the car is a blast, because of its so direct and fast steering, handling, ability to soak up the road but stick to it like glue and give the driver enough feedback to let them know whats going on.

A lot of this is down to the renasis's low weight, and the fact that the car has 50/50 weight, most of it being in the center. Lots of cars go on aboiut 50/50 weight distribution, but if its all over the axles its POLAR momentum is gona be horrible.

The engines low weight,low size and position make the car turn qiucker, handle better, stop qicker time after time. But I guess it depends on what you want and how you drive. If I wanted a quick car in a straight line, for motorway driving etc, the RX-8 wouldnt be that car (prehaps an Audi or something). Driving straight isnt fun, doesnt take skill, bores meh. Corners are fun.

IMO, from whats on sale in the UK, this car is the closest to a 4 seater Lotus Elise I'm going to get (what do you think they'd give to have a renesis in the elise?), and that'll do me fine.

[Wish toyota would bring the supra back. [/B][/QUOTE]



you said it brother.......love my RX8 in the meantime..

I have just been suppied with shell Helix synthetic oil! I queried it and they said they guy from shell said it was fine to use! Running in time, mazda told me there is no running in time as warranty is so good! But u should make sure engine is nice and warm obviously!!!
Exhausts, if they r that bad mazdaspeed would not supply them or the intake filters! There are tooooooooooooo many rumours flooding this site!

The rotary's low weight and small size are essential to the RX8 being the world's only 2900-pound RWD 4-door with all of the following: 200+ HP, smooth engine, comfortable ride, and sports-car balance, handling, braking, and road-feel.

Many of the RX8's other positives, such as excellent steering feedback and smooth shifting, have little or nothing to do with the rotary and perhaps Mazda could've tried to design it around a piston engine like the S2000's F20c. But that engine is larger so I doubt it'd work (and the S2000 engine costs more due to its comparatively complex design and precise tolerances, so you wouldn't be able to get an RX8 6MT for $25k like you can now).

The downside to the RX8's rotary are poor fuel economy, low torque, high oil consumption, and a special cold-engine-shutdown procedure. Sure you can get more power and better fuel economy with an engine such as the LS1, but your vehicle won't have the RX8's driving dynamics *and* 4-doors.

Every car is a compromise... choose based on your priorities.

I just got my RX8 a couple weeks ago.

I'm getting 18.5 - 20 MPG mostly city driving.

My build date is 12/03. Not sure if that matters. No clue which ECU flash it is. I don't think that RX8 has MPG issues. This is exactly what I expected to get as it is exactly what the EPA sticker on the side of the window said.

Just my 2 cents on the issue.

Hey you are the one that dug up a thread that died 8 months ago! Actually, there is a lot of great technical information on this site to offset the typical Sport Compact "intake/header/exhaust" school of generic FWD 4 cylinder tuning. Cat-back exhausts are worth a few HP, headers so far do not provide any power, and some intakes provide a bit of power at high rpm, some lose power.

As for MazdaSpeed accessories - just because a company markets something does not automatically mean that there are benefits that you're hoping for. Cause and effect - not to imply that MazdaSpeed products are bad, but how do you explain the 0 added power headers or intakes that make no power on the market? By your logic, "if they're that bad Company X would not supply them!" No, they supply them because people want to buy them, and are willing to buy them without any proof that there is a power improvement etc. Caveat Emptor.

Regards,
Gordon

Gofdon thany you for saying that. I was about to post the same thing.

How many products do people buy everyday that don't do anything but marketing made people think they do? From a business standpoint, you make what sells. From an ethical standpoint, you make what works.

Hmmm, an incoherent reply to a 7 month old thread. (???)