I was driving happily along and I decided to look down at the tach and I noticed that I was driving at 80mph at approximately 4000 rpms. Then, I was driving my '03 Accord and I noticed that at the same speed, I was humming just a shy under 3000 rpms.

Why does the RX8 have a higher RPM at the same speed? Is it just because it's a rotary?

 

it's the gearing

 

ever heard of gear ratios??? Never thought about shifting up?

 

Different tourque, power, everything is different.

 

Shift to what? 7th gear? 80mph at 4000rpm is in 6th gear.


Back on topic, it's all gearing.

 

Good thing your redline is 9000.



:-)

 

Don't worry .... you can drive all day at 4,000. ... it redlines at 9,000 ... lots of room !! I've had many cars and they were all diffrerent. It is the gearing.

 

Sooo...you guys think it's the gearing?

 

I dunno about that. It's probably the gearing though.

 

are you SURE that it's not 'cuase the wheels are 18's?? those things can scr00 wid ur sp33do y0!!111!!11one!!

 

stop that keechdawg!! seriously though it is because of the way the geared the car. do a search for "true overdrive" and you should a couple of discussions concernign fuel consumption in relation to 80mph 4k rpm 6th gear ther were/are many people who wished for a 6th gear which would run at 3k at 80 for bettter mpg on long highway cruises. bu tthe above posters are right- 4k aint stressing this engine

 

OK, so how far up the rpm range does it hold true that mph = 20X the single digit on the tach in 6th? (3k rpm = 60 mph, 4k = 80 mph) Or, where do aero effects begin to upset the apparent linear relationship?

 

again gearing is an issue of absolutes, even though the car can theoretically go 178-180 mph at 9000rpms, you wont be able to get to those rpms, you'll be stuck at 7500 in 6th gear due to drag...even though you have 1500 rpm to go to redline the car cant push any harder. even with 2400 hp this car will be limited to 180mph in 6th gear because thats what the ratio is set as. to get more velocity you need a different gear ratio, but that affects torque, a gear that'll give 3000 rpm at 80mph wont let you accelerate as much as a gear that gives 4000rpm at 80.