Hey, just noticed I got an Automatic!
 

I've got a section of my commute that often gets bogged down in slow-and-go or stop-and-go traffic across a bridge that's a couple miles across. Yesterday I was going along, shifting between 1,2,3 as the traffic was doing its "accordion" thing. Then I realized - hey why not put that huge rev band to use? So I put it in 1st gear and as Ron Popeil would say: "Set it and forget it"!

Modulating along the rev band between idle and 7000 rpm I was able to keep up with, and slow down with a wide range of traffic speeds. What fun! The 8 sounded fantastic like some kind of military jet as it "spooled up" and down. It never seemed to be working too hard. I didn't even have to use my brakes at all. AND, I was following the "break-in" procedure by driving in a VARYING range of engine RPM :D :D :D

Im getting my 8 in a month's time.......and i still havent gotten around to test drive one......

but is the rotary engine REALLY like that?! thats amazing!! cruising in 1st gear at 7000rpm?!

In my current ride ( 01' MP3 ) if i do that my car will for sure blow up hahah

I personally don't rev a brand new engine over 4000 rpm or exceed 60 mph for the first 500 miles. It is very hard to do. After that I slowly get the rpms up until they are about at redline at 1000 miles. Up to this point there is no hard acceleration. That's just how I've always broken in new rotaries. The 3rd gen RX-7 had engine rooms where Mazda would break them in on dynos before they ever went into the cars. They knew that everyone wouldn't break them in properly. I wonder if they still do this?

Remember, for this engine that's 2000 RPM below redline :) I'm trying to be a good boy and keep away from the redline. Mostly.

Probably didn't hold it at 7K for more than 20 seconds at any one stretch but it certainly felt at ease doing so. Worked the whole band back and forth a number of times in a smooth and gradual fashion. I figured it was a good chance to "exercise" the engine through a complete range of rpm with all of the associated harmonics, resonance frequencies and whatever other magic that's behind the instructions to not hold a constant rpm during break-in.

Interesting to see how a first gear (automatic) drive affects MPG. More of an issue here in the UK than the US I know, but I'd assume high reving in first would significantly lower the MPG.

A daily/weekly redline jaunt is good. Blows out those carbon deposits. :D

Don't let Viking hear you say this. He will have a fit.

You can almost drive around town in 1st or 2nd gear!

The huge powerband is a lot of fun, I use it on on or off ramps to the autobahn in 2nd gear. It's great to come off a corner, slam the gas and merge into 120 (kph) or higher traffic

I don't know about renesis except for the break-in suggested in the owners manual. It looks like as long as you don't set the cruise and leave it there for a couple of hours or run it up to redline all the time that you pretty much can do what you want.
I have broken in a couple of piston engines. One of them had to be run at 75%, or better, of rated HP for the first 15 hours to set the rings and prevent glazing the cylinder walls. If you ran a car piston engine at 75% of its rated power for that long it would probably self destruct. However I think the renesis could do it with no problem; would it be about 7000rpm?

The manual says there is no break in period. Just says not to rev it out in sudden bursts and don't cruise at one constant speed for long periods for first 500 mi. . Reving to 7k while keeping up in traffic will not hurt the engine. If anything it will help break the engine in faster. Babying on break-in does not help much. I've read over and over the first 60 to 100 miles are the most crucial on engine break-in. After that drive it normal.

Dealer told me the renesis engine was tested by Masda at steady 9k rpm for 24 hrs. , broken down for inspection and then ran for another 24hrs at 9k. After breaking it down again there was no noticeable wear on the engine. The engine is bullet proof. Nothing else like it.

Same here. My Mustang would die if I could ever get it to 7K. I get really tired going from 1st to 2nd, back to 1st, etc. for an hour on my commute home every night. Not to mention the rock hard clutch that my GT is equiped with. No wonder my left leg is stronger than my right!

I noticed that on the test drive. The dealership is on a highway that had bumper to bumper traffic, so for the last mile or so coming back I just kept it in 1st and it was very well behaved. My MX6 is similar, I can just about bring it to a full stop in 1st with out using the clutch.

i guess i have been driving piston engines too long. i have never wound mine up over 7000 rpm. i guess i need to wind it up more ut it seems so wrong.

I feel like your holding the car back and not 'breaking' it in ... when I breakin a car, I like to drive it like I regularly drive which is aggressive but not abusive, I probabaly hit aroud 7000 rpm's but not more until I hit around 400 miles. Then I like to bring it closer to redline once every 75 miles until I hit the recommended 600 miles and then I start to drive it more aggressively and hit the redline more often. I'd say now with over 900 miles I hit redline probably everyday, sometimes a few times a day . . .

One thing I have noticed is this engine is VERY tight and I am hoping it loosens up a little as I put the miles on, I already feel the gear box getting smoother which is nice !!

My cars have always ran well and seem on the quick side and I am sure the breakin helps it.

I hope you were j/k about the redline. Autos are set at 7000 for a reason. Usually in rotary automatics the counterweight on the engine is much different (usually larger) and who knows what the new auto tranny can hold. It's may not be able to take the higher rpm range (7000-9000rpm) to long.

No, he was j/k about the auto. He has a 6 speed.

You guys need to start riding some 4 cylinder motorcycles with redlines at 14K. Then you have no problem revving the RX out. I have bounced off the rev limiter a few times in my 1,700 miles.
This is the reason to own a rotary!

This is right up your alley. If you hit a traffic jam, you should test out mpg during them, testing various rpm levels in each gear while driving, and compare numbers for 7k as opposed to second gear al lower rpm levels on the stop and go. Make sure you record all your stats, and analyze them with other members of board, so we can once and for all solve this gas mileage problem, ans make our cars efficient, even under the most extreme conditions. It would all do us a world of good if we can know not only how to get high mpg on highway cruising, but also i traffic jams. I know how happy that would make you if you could save mpg while being stuck in traffic. GOOD LUCK!!!

Well you could shut off the engine every time you stop like in the hybrids, since idling uses so much fuel in a rotary ;)

I love the streptronic shifting! Great to accelerate on the onramps and also to pass people by, just downshift and enjoy the power boost! I try to enjoy doing this on a couple of days but not too often and mileage is a thing I keep track of.

That is classic! LOL!

However, the sad part of your post is I know what you meant... :(

holy thread revival batman!

Almost? I do! The urban speed limit in UK is 30mph - 3rd tends to slowly creep over that unless you're paying close attention. If you're paying close attention to that you ain't watching the road. Therefore I go round town in 2nd - and it doesn't seem to hurt mileage either.

I find that 2nd gear works better than first in traffic - you can let the speed run all the way to 40-some mph before it gets noisy and you feel like shifting (although 2nd gear is good all the way to 65 mph or so), and it will pull from second gear as low as 5 mph.