Having an AT has given me many Designated drivers!!!!

 

when you have alot of power traction and shifts become more important then extra 30 hp at drag race, with auto it is easier to manage both, but that is if we talk at the extream, MT is more fun to drive no mater what...

...i would only date a girl that wants or is willing to learn how to drive stick... my girls begs me to drive stick when ever we drive my car somewhere - it is a treat for her - she is not that good at it, but she like to have something hard in her hand that she can control

 

i really dont think its even a question, if you buying the car for performance its manual, if not, its whichever you prefer

and for the being drunk thing....yes you will be able to get more ppl to drive you home, BUT you still have to let someone else drive your baby so i pick cab

 

you pick cab gives someone the opportunity to steal ur cars or rims without being there!!! or even stereo!! most of the time its a girl driving me so i dont mind!! hee hee hee

 

I must agree I've had more bitches drive my 8 then I'd honestly like to admit...

 

no one ever drives my car, and I dont drive it when i go downtown b/c I love my car and that is just asking for truble

 

its not neccessarily the drivetrain. the rev limit is lower at 7500. hp is almost the same on a MT at the same rpm(6port).

 

So what heck is your point here - that you have low expectations for Mazda products? Or are you impressed that Mazda even included them on the RX-8?

After more than 35 years of buying and driving, including some premium-priced European brands , there are many good reasons my garage is filled with Mazdas and the fact they rarely disappoint me is the primary reason.


Sorry for the Rant - it bugs me when the quality of a machine is equated with its price.

And besides, I Love a bargain!

 

i love mazda and paddle shifters to death....however...the paddle shifters are not real ones like the ones on a Le-mans car...or shifter kart....dont respond as fast as them...however i love them and use them quite often!...i know this because i have a shifter kart!

 

trust me get an MT and the first mod you should get is the SHORT SHIFTER absolutely love it to death...driven the AT and just doesnt feel the same as shifting especially with that ss

 

^^^^^u sure like to jerk STICK RODS!!

 

Look, after being a longtime auto driver and finally switching to stick for my RX-8, I have to tell you: if you buy an auto, there's no point in your car having a rotary engine at all. You won't be able to properly experience its unique powerband with a computer controlling your current gear. Half the fun in the 8 is being able to downshift into second gear when you're going like 80 km/hr and just blast away up to 100 or so before rowing your way back up.

 

we can shift....in M-.....fairly nice.

 

need i remind you 3rd gear tops out at 91mph...and 149mph at 8800 rpm in 5th gear...nothin like downshifting into 2nd at 45mph and hearing the engine screamin till you hear the 9k rpm beep...its addicting

 

i get the same at 8k plus....accessport removes rev limiter!! and top speed no>?

 

I agree the auto dulls the rotary experience some. Can't afford an Accessport just yet - gotta find employment first.

The two biggest advantages I see for the automatic is the ability to shift with my left hand while my right is busy with the stereo, cellphone, etc (I know not good driving practice, but my highway commute can get boring) and better fuel economy.

 

need i remind you 3rd gear tops out at 125mph......nothin like downshifting into 2nd at 70mph and hearing the engine screamin till you hear the 8250k rpm beep at 87 mph...its addicting

05 AT with the Accessport.

 

god that's terrible gearing if those numbers are accurate E lol

 

need I remind you that I can rev at 5-6K and feather the clutch for a nice smooth launch.........its addicting!

TOP THAT

 

Not that most of these questions have been answered several times already but, my own 2c worth:

1. Cheaper (at least at my dealer the AT was cheaper) - No, in most cases you have to pay MORE for the automatic "feature"

2. More selection, again the only Manuals at my dealer are R3's. Cannot find a GT of any year in Manual. - That I can't vouch for, but more MTs were made than auto's so while your specific dealer may have had more automatic cars that won't be the case for most people. Who knows, maybe your dealer sold all the awesome MTs.

3. Some of us have gf's, wives, friends that will be driving the 8 (especially when I am drunk) and most of which do not know how to drive a manual. - I don't ever, EVER drink when I drive my 8 somewhere. Ever. My wife hasn't learned manual yet, so she cannot drive my car, but I wouldn't let her drive it anyway. If she wrecked it, I would have so much resentment it wouldn't be funny. This way if something happens to the car I know exactly who to blame.

4. My insurance is cheaper in an automatic because they are deemed safer by my insurance company. - Bzzzt. Wrong. Automatics do not lower your insurance.

5. Resale - believe it or not, most people only look for AT's even on sports cars for reason number 3. - I can't speak for this for all cars, but as mysql already mentioned it's rather the opposite for this car. This is a "drivers car" so tends to attract more manual enthusiast drivers.

6. A lot of us live where we drive through a lot of traffic daily where a Manual is more of a pain in the *** then fun. - Now this one I will definitely grant you. Driving any manual car through horrible traffic is awful. I would say however that any sports car at all is pretty annoying in bumper to bumper traffic. I prefer driving a beater car in traffic like that. I don't think too much about the driving experience I'm missing.

Despite all those things, I think that people should get whatever fits their driving style, and their lifestyle. The AT isn't as good, but the RX8 is still a great car regardless of which transmission type it has. I would never ever buy the AT version, but I know people that have AT versions and are very happy with them.

 

No no you got it wrong, and right. I am IMPRESSED with the paddle shifters on the RX-8, I didn't think Mazda would have the response time as some other high end imports like Porshe etc but they do.

As much as I want a MT there are certain things I think I take for granted with the AT that I would miss.
One thing for sure is that I will find out when I buy my next 8 or 9 or whatever the next generation is!


Everyone else...please don't flame at me I am just tired of people saying the AT sucks and it's not even really a Rotary Car etc etc as for my 0-60, I clocked it around 6.5 - 7 seconds. IMO that's not that bad for an AT.

 

I love that feeling...especially on the freeway!!! it surprises my cousin in his S2k everytime!!!!

 

Add a 75 shot of nitrous off the line for some smash you into the seat back launching. Instant G's FTW!!!
That's what I'm talking about!

 

I really don't find driving an MT in traffic horrible. The 8 is happy to crawl along at 5 mph in first, and about 9 second without even touching the gas. you just need to be more willing to let a gap open up in front of you in traffic.

Driving through the hills of san francisco every day wouldn't be great for my clutch, but it wouldn't be difficult, and a small price to pay for having an MT for all the hundreds of miles of winding roads in cali.

 

why should resale be a factor?

you're buying an rx-8. you're gonna buy it to have fun, and what not, not to sell it again.