I'm thinking of driving the 8 down from mass to florida its about 1,300 miles each way. The car runs like a champ only has 26k on it I was just wondering if people took theirs on long trips like that and had any issues with overheating or anything. Im going to bring extra oil and check it every 500 miles or so and a definate tune up a before hand.

 

Same as any other car

Strange question, why would you think anything otherwise?

 

Haven't done it myself, but there are several posts that ask the same question and everyone seems to agree it is a very comfortable car for long drives, just need to stop for fuel a bit more often and don't forget a few spare quarts of Dino ....

 

The 8 is the best car I've ever had for long drives, and I've had everything from full/mid/compact rental cars to military humvee and trucks.

My 8 is at 106,000 miles, and from 8,600 when i bought it in OH and drove it home to RI to 95,000 or so, I had an annual commute of about 7,000 miles, but I still did about 22,000 miles on it, with that difference nearly ALL long distance highway trips of 4 hours or more. Including this 8,330 mile drive in Sept 2010: https://www.rx8club.com/sevenstock-a...-miles-197270/


It's fantastic as a long distance car. It's mileage isn't even a severe drawback, as 100% highway miles in calm cruising will get you 22-25mpg.

 

The ride? Great! mine has the center console PERFECTLY placed at the right spot so my elbow can sit nice and comfy on there on the highway . The windows can be open without me getting my face blown off like in other cars. I can pass tractor trailers/other cars with ease in 6th gear so I can comfortably drive my pace. And the whole time I get to hear the motor pur a bit cause your doing about 3.5-4k RPMS on the highway =].

The gas mileage? not so awesome. But, thats what you sign up for with a sports car. I never got the 22-25MPG that other people get in their 8s. I actually drove a uhaul this weekend on a 5 hour trip and got about the same mileage my 8 does on the highway. On a 2.5 hour trip I took in the 8 I went from a full tank to right above a quarter of a tank by the time I got there. Its about a 140-145. Im sure there is an underlying mechanical problem which may cause my poor gas mileage, so lets hope yours doesnt lol.

 

The stock RX8 is great on long distance trips. I've made two non-stop (except for fuel) trips to Daytona for the 24hr race with the car. That's 1200 mi each way.
When you start making modifications to the suspension and the exhaust, then you will increase the amount of fatigue that sets in after a few hours.
Audio books and talk radio is your friend. It keeps your mind occupied. Music will make you drowsy.

 

Thats great to hear, it wont be as comfortable for me since im 6'3" and to hit the gas and brake my leg has to be at an angle or it slams into the steering wheel so my knee feels it after a while. I know that the 8 has some cooling issues and i havent driven it for more then about 45 minutes at a single time without a long break (like a cookout at a friends).

 

Only cooling issues on the track or a poorly maintained rx8

 

Never had my 8 long driven. If I did, I would do a full tune-up and oil change. Ever since I bought the car in 07, the longest I've ever driven it is around 50 miles tops, and it's local too.

 

My 8s have taken me on a few road trips. The next trip will start on the 28th.of July.The trip will start in San Diego and end in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The route will consist mainly of two lane roads, up to and though Yellowstone.

 

Maybe new coils if yours are original. Fresh oil. Extra oil. A bit of extra coolant just in case...
Heat soak was an issue with my car... but is better now with some Cobb AP changes to rad fan turn-on temp.
Comfort level is impacted mostly by tire noise which varies with tire brand and the exhaust system previously mentioned.
I felt very comfortable on my trips which run 4 to 6 hours in a stretch.
With my hi-flow cat the exhaust is more noticeable but the music from Sirius Radio or iPhone through the Grom adaptor make for a comfortable cabin.

 

Drove mine from Detroit to Chicago and it was great. The ride on the highway is just so darn smooth. Getting stuck in a traffic jam where I did 50 miles in two hours was awful, but the 8 itself was great. I'd do it again in a heart beat.

 

I should look into the adapter for an ipod to listen to my own music.

Any stipulations on them and which one is the best?

 

I would only add one thing.

On long road trips at lower RPMs, you may get some carbon build-up. Every once in a while redline it to blow out the carbon.

Other than that, have fun!

 

I'm 6'3"/240 lbs and I don't have a problem. You just have to find the right combination of seat all the way back then seat back rake and steering wheel tilt. Just get comfortable for the drive and don't worry about having to get in/out of the car. You won't have to do that for 5 hrs (unless you drink too much).

 

I had the OEM adaptor from Mazda but recently replaced it with the Grom unit.

Grom has Bluetooth available as well as 3.5mm aux in with USB charger port plus a dedicated iPod cable.

I use mostly Bluetooth for music and iPhone with charging through the USB charger line.
Sirius receiver plugs into the 3.5mm and is powered via an adaptor wired to 12V

 

I installed an AudioLink right after I brought my car back from Arizona. Drove for 8 hours only stopping for gas and I listened to the beautiful sound of the rotary engine the entire ride (I hate the radio and i only brought my iPod, just to find out my 8 didn't come with an Aux input).

Audiolink has worked perfectly for me and it also came with a Bluetooth setup.

 

If you got an R3 the trip might be a little less comfy, those seats can get a bit painful after many hours of straight driving. I drove mine from NJ to CO and I'm 5'9" 155 lb and I started to really hurt about 10 hours in

 

The bluetooh is what is important for me which one did you get?

And i've also read that certian firmware doesn't work with them.

 

I got a XCarLink with Bluetooth option (I think it was $50 extra)

It does not work with the earlier firmwares. Search for XCarLink and you will be able to find which firmwares are compatible. You can check your version by holding down the "text" and 1 button at the same time.

 

with cloth seats? yes very comfy
heated electric leather seats? no

 

Grom works at 9.55 and up (hold down text and 1 while in fm radio mode)

radio firmware v9.55 or later
/v10.1 and v9.81 not supported/,*

Grom bluetooth works great for music and for handsfree voice calls (steering wheel controls)
http://gromaudio.com/store/bt_adapte...eless-btd.html

I have not owned the other units mentioned above so I won't comment on differences.

 

I have a firmware of 9.81 so it doesn't work for me and driving a stick with a majority of my work on my cell phone is a little bit tough. I do need to have my own music going on my ipod because CD's are a pain.

 

It's pretty good. I've made several long trips. Nothing that long, but I've driven from Chicago to Detroit several times straight through. Longest was about 600 miles knoxville to Chicago, stopped once for gas and lunch. Better gas mileage than I'm used to.

 

why does everyone just assume the 8 cant make a long trip without overheating? LOL I see these posts all the time...makes absolutely no sense to think that.