I love my 8. I have driven a ferrari and other various fast cars and none have given me goosebumps driving it or just looking at it like my 8.

 

Does the BMW Z4 have a horsepower problem? Instinct would tell you "No" but let us look closer:

2004 BMW Z4 2.5L 184HP @ ~2,950 Lbs......Hmm car has less horse power and weighs about the same.

But what about the more POWERFUL (snicker snicker) Z4 version:

2004 BMW Z4 3.0L 225HP @ ~3,030 Lbs......Hmm car has less horse power and weighs more..not good for them..not good at all.

2004 RX-8 238HP and weighs around 2,925 lbs (ZeroBanger and E3/M3/P3 or something like that)

If people have issues with HP on the 8, then they would on a $40K+ BMW Z4. Plus the 8 holds four people versus 2 for the Z4.

Chew on that some.

 

[QUOTE=IkeWRX]Nahhhhhhh! Don't worry!

[To do list: charge camera battery....]

 

Bear in mind those are generating a nice amount of thrust without stressing the engine from down low in their band.

 

Good to see you back in top form Ike.

No "problem" with HP, you can always tune (aftermarket) most of the lost/missing HP back to 238 with ECU piggybacks and the like.

Personally, I don't give a crap, I love my car, I love driving it.

Will I get FI or other aftermarket upgrades after the warranty expires? Probably.

If Mazdaspeed comes out with a warranty supported Turbo, SC or upgraded ECU, you can bet I'll be in line the second I talk my wife into the purchase .

 

The Z4 runs low 14s (source) while the RX8 is stuck in the mid to upper 14s, so it is quicker than the RX8 through the 1/4 mile and most likely beyond. While your comparison brings up a valid point, the fact that neither Mazda nor BMW is completely up front with their power ratings leaves a lot of room for error and makes the comparison a bit more complex than simply looking at factory published figures.

This is probably the best quote in any of these power/gas mileage threads. If you enjoy driving your car, then why worry about how much power it has or how much fuel it sucks down? This car is not meant to be a drag racer or an economical highway cruiser. It's meant to be great fun to drive and very responsive around the corners, and it accomplishes these goals admirably. The car isn't perfect, and although it would be nice if the RX8 could hang with low 14/high 13 second cars or be able to smoke an Altima from a stop light, that doesn't make much less fun to drive according to most of the members on this forum. Enjoy your car for what it is rather than obsessing over what it isn't, and consider yourself lucky to even be able to own a great machine like the '8.

 

Well, if 238 bhp is the worst problem, then the rest is pretty good, isn't it?

The RX-8 outhandles pretty much everything that doesn't cost twice as much and has a power band second to none. Whoever seriously complains about performance of this car is driving the wrong roads.

 

Actually, it's not the number 238 but the actually straight line acceleration. In a class where average 1/4 mile time is a 14.0 @ ~100 mph, the RX8 is well behind with an average 14.8-15.3 @ ~93. Add to this the low torque and around town you can feel pretty underpowered. For some this is not a problem...for others it is.

 

If you drive around town on more than 50% throttle, you should be shot.

 

Well you better get the machine gun out. :p