The only reason it was faster is you get more RPMs with the paddles, not because it shifts any faster which was the point he made.

The reason why the Manual will be faster around the track is because with a manual it's easier to control entry and exit speeds.

By the way, you should stick to interiors and Crossfires.

Not necessarily so, Ike 6 gears will beat 5 gears, with a low torque engine.

Ike do you own a RX8? You still haven’t answered that question. I'm seriously starting to think that you started that thread in the Crossfire forum with my name; you talk about it way too much. It was funny at first but getting kind of childish now. You need to take some pics of your 0-60 sec car so everyone can see it. Where I leave in Maryland you would have fun going from street light to street light. You should consider moving to Maryland! There are about 10 to the mile!

Ike you can't control entry and exit speeds with the car being in manual mode?

I think that the manual is your only option, as it shows the true personality of this car, it is what it is.

If you just plan to go straight as fast as you can; get the manual. If you plan on real driving get the A/T.
I just spent 10 years with a manual and a racing clutch in stop and go traffic in LA. We got the RX-8 last weekend and headed to the mountains. WOW! Twists and hair pin turns...YYYEEEAAHHH! The paddle shift if great. Driving to work on Monday in A/T mode, no problem.
I love this car! (problem is now my wife wants to trade her M3 for one.)

Personally I'd go manual. It's just me. I lived in Manhattan, NYC for a long time and I've always driven a manual.
I've driven stick so long I really don't notice it when I am "just driving" - but I don't do much "just driving" in the 8 - it's too much fun to really drive the thing - and working the gears just makes it that much more fun to me. I don't think there is anything wrong with the AT - I thought about getting it briefly so that it would be easier for other people to drive - but I am glad I didn't. It's just too damn much fun with the MT.
And to quiet the "stick is for straight line speed" nonsense, I really don't get my kicks from peeling out of a stop and straight line acceleration. I get my kicks doing turns, driving the hills and tight turns around here... etc. One last thing - when driving the 8 I am much more likely to take the scenic way home - so it limits the time in stop and go just by that virtue alone.
Everyone has to drive what they are most comfortable with - and I do - my SUV is a MT!

oh - and my SUV gets slightly better mpg... 22 last tank. It's a 99 Rodeo LS.

I'm not a MT "bullie", but I live in Ouhu HI, and anybody who lives out there knows what a morning commute is like. I'm still a MT fan, I've owned automatic and manual cars, and I love the feeling of total control you get with a manual that I just don't feel with the auto. I don't even notice when I'm driving to work, I'm too busy watching the Idiots out on the road. If you don't like shifting when traffic gets heavy, Go with the Auto, you'll lose horsepower, but you'll still love owning an RX-8

In the best of both worlds, you would be able to switch from an auto to a true manual (not tiptronic) on the fly. Unfortunatly that's not on option. I own a MT and after driving the auto at the local rev-it-up. I am soooo glad I got an MT. That said, it originally was a tough choice and I do not fault anyone for getting an AT. In life there's always trade offs, and sometimes an AT over an MT is the right choice. Each buyer needs to weigh the pros and cons for themselves, and MT owners need to be more respective of AT buyers. As said above either way it's still the best looking car out there (or at least one of the best, the RX-7 is sweeet also among a few others).

I think the opinion here would have been a little different if both AT and MT had equal power.

Sorry Islanders, I meant Oahu.

Superfluos Rambling to Further Confuse the Masses:
Fuel for the Flames:

I don't think I've ever seen a car (that came in both AT and MT variants) have the same power output in both transmissions. There's something about the design of automatic transmissions that don't allow it to operate at the same limits of a standard transmission.
In the case of the RX-8 AT, the engine is rev-limited to something lower than that of the MT. Lower revs in this case means less power output. The motor itself has a different breathing port configuration which seems to generate more torque, which in turn gets eaten up by the torque converter/flex plate assembly which might weigh a lot more than the MT's clutch/flywheel/pressureplate assembly.
The 4 speed AT obviously (assuming it is geared so it can achieve the same top speed as the MT) has taller gears than the 6 speed MT, so comparing speed vs rpm/power/torque between the two cars will be confusing, albeit favored towards the MT in all aspects. The MT will have the advantage not only in straight line acceleration, but cornering control as well.
The "close ratio gearbox" allows the skilled driver to keep the engine closer to its "sweet spot" regardless of vehicle speed due to shorter gearing and more gears. An AT variant will have trouble with such due to the large variation in RPM between upshifts and downshifts at the same vehicle speed. Hence the popular selling term "race/rally-inspired close-ratio x-speed gearbox" - the AT does not have "close ratio" in this sense, and therefore is at a sporting disadvantage.

HOWEVER. There is nothing wrong with convenience. Convenient is good. I <3 convenient. The AT's EPA estimated fuel efficiency is slightly higher than the MT's. That's 2-up for AT. HooraY!

BUT.. I tend to like chirping and burning out and smoking donuts. With the car too.

Well the one car I can think of that is actually quicker (0-60)with an Automatic than a stick is the SLK230; at least per Mercedes printed numbers-as well as tested by magazines.

You're talking about powertrain losses and gearing issues that are different between transmissions and I agree that those are present in every car available in MT and AT.

But the RX8 is the ONLY car I know of that has a lower power rating than the MT version.

6 spd. if you can if you can't you still own a gorgeous car.