Racer X-8

How sweet it is!

I'm gonna borrow this from Wakeech's sig here for you...

http://www.rotaryengineillustrated.com

Go there, check out all the animations in the animations library. Bookmark it for later reference. It truly is the best! I especially like the "Chamber-Centric -- 848K GIF" (third from the top) cuz you can really relate this animation to a piston engine, with the 4 cycles, where the "combustion chamber" is standing still instead of spinning around with the rotors. Way cool! (If it isn't animated online, it should be. Save it to your hard drive & bring it up with something else that makes it animate. I had to.) Then the other animations make more sense.

And I repeat, way cool!!!

R32

Wait, so the RX-8's best efficiency "sweet spot" is around 5500 RPM?

Imagine that, run higher RPM and get more efficient gas mileage.

Everyday, I begin to like this car more.

sjt

speed is far from everything.

especially for me.

style is enduring and will never get you a ticket.

speed is temporary and can be created through other means, and will definitely get you a ticket... just a matter of time.

cruzdreamer

I am currently a 2002 Protege5 sport wagon owner and I thought my next car was the Mazda 6s. I have never driven the 6 or the RX-8 and all I can say based on my Protege5 is that if either was as fun and with as great handling and performance as my 4 cyclinder 130 hp car I am sold. Granted, I know I will be spending quite a bit more but the exterior beauty and the awesome interior is well worth it to me!! I am not in to the car for speed... but for handling, performance, reliability and of course looks!!! I consider myself a car enthusiast...not so much mechanically, but I have never been more intrigued, excited and in awe of a car. Hands down it has it in looks in and out!! I have a 4 year old son I need to cart around and to have a car like this which fits him and his car seat with ease is awesome! I am ordering a silver automatic, GT pkg, red/black leather w/rotary accent package. I am sold no matter what the 0-60 is!!! We all have our opinions...thanks!

Ike

Enthusiasts shouldn't buy autos. Unless it's a grand national or something like that, then it's ok :p

Lethalchem

I disagree. What about the SVT Lightning?:p

Ike

I disagree, I think what a car looks like plays in to how much the police will pay attention to you. Unless you drive the speedlimit all the time (if you do, go buy a freaking Volvo) style can most certainly get you a ticket.

Ike

Enthusiasts shouldn't buy SVT Lightnings :p

Lethalchem

:D

Many a second place felt the same way.

acer

Hi,

Since these discussions have been going on and on just thought I may clarify a few things.

Mazda did not go with lower power for the auto because of technical reasons. In all other markets outside the US and Canada RX8 is sold in two versions, 192 and 238 HP (a litle higher numbers in Japan due to emission laws there). The 192 HP version comes with a 5 speed as opposed to 6 speed on 238 HP. Austrian mags had tested RX8 as recently as July, and came up with 0 to 60 6.4 for 238 HP, 7.2 for 192 HP. Some numbers achieved in tests of 238 HP were actually better (saw 5.9) so one could extrapolate that manual 192 HP is capable of around 6.7 s at best. Add about 0.5 s for auto, and you have roughly 7.2 v 5.9. Difference of 1.3 s. Looks like a lot but only if you're drag racing. It might be good to remember that normally aspirated 220 HP Supra had similar performance and was still a nice sports car with plent of punch.

Also, official manufacturers 0 to 60 numbrs should be treated with caution. Mazda has always been very conservative with these, including posting a 10.5 s 0 to 60 for 2.0 L Protege, which actually achieved mid 8's... In a similar mannner BMW gives 330s number at over 7 seconds, while eveyone knows it can do low 6's.

Sports cars are not about 0 to 60 but about style and handling. If one wants 0 to 60 you're better off with a turbocharged compact, but hey, it aint gonna look or handle like a sports car. Having an Alfa GTV with 150 HP which did 0 to 60 in over 8 seconds manual, it was still heck of a car to drive ona twisty road, and thats what its all about. In Europe for example many think of overtaking abilkity (i.e 80-120 or 60-100) as more important than 0 to 60.

Automatic vs manual is a question of preference. If you want to switch gears on RX8, still can do that. As for sportiness of using a clutch... try SMG (or DSG which is roughly similar system). Why do you think rally cars sudenly slow down when SMG fails and they have to switch to manual ? Because its faster to switch without a clutch on an SMG ! So please lets end this silly long debate about using a clutch being very "sporty". And as for 6 gear box, a lot of people do 95% of driving in town. Gears above 4 are pretty much useless on a 200 HP car in town when you rarely exceed 50 mph. Again, rally cars nowadays revert to 5 or even 4 speed boxes (peugeot has one for most of this year) and still manage to be as fast a six speed cars. In town I'll take automatic any day, although would prefer and SMG of course, but its not available on that many cars yet. There are also boxes similar to SMG essentially a manual without a clutch, some can change gears by themselves, but others not. Euro Toyota Yaris (Echo hatchback) has one, and in automatic mode it is more fuel efficient than the manual. Cannot handle a lot of power yet, though.

Cheers,

Acer

DOMINION

You know people keep comparing the AT/T with the MT/T. I don't give a rats butt what the hell you think. We all know Auto's are slower than the MT unless you get your AT/T rebuilt by level10 or a sequential. This is like saying "if you don't have a Turbo your slow".

marigold

yeah, i agree to what someone said earlier. seems to me the underlying issue is that he's trying to convince himself he got the right car.

mngpao

A 6s Owner: Interesting review. Most of what you said is correct.

Good luck with your 6s (even though you overpaid).

Rotary Nut

With the average price of a car sold in the U.S. being $26,000 I would not have picked any other car other than my RX-8. I only paid $24,900 for my AUTOMATIC equipped baby. And it is only a little bit slower that the 6 speed not like all you manual types make it out to be. For the money I laid out it was a no brainer. No other car on the market has the sex appeal styling and performance like the RX-8.

I have two bad knees stemming from my military service so a six speed was out of the question, although I can drive a maual and did so for over 20 years, The automatic is more in tune with the massive urban traffic I face on a day to day basis. I got rid of my last six speed (Acura RSX type S) after spending 2-3 hours in an I-64 traffic jam stuck in the left lane behind an accident in the HRBT. My knee was swelled up like a football!

Never again!

Don't knock the auto, for one day that left leg may be laid up and you will be hard pressed to get yourself around.

stangmatt66

Ugh, i'm so tired of defending the auto 8...move along troll...

cortc

The auto is slower but not bad if you keep it in M mode... Now an auto on a twisty road vs. a M6, I am sure the 8 will come up ahead... Now the 6sp RX8 is the real sports car and with the MS setup will completely destroy the M6...

My wife drove the auto RX8 and liked it very much; there is a market for this car...

Gord96BRG

Guys, this thread was dead for over a year until someone resurrected it yesterday. Just leave it dead! The original troll is loooong gone.

Regards,
Gordon

Nubo

Actually, we couldn't care less. Words have specific meanings.

twisty7867

A few observations:

1 - the auto 8 has substantially diminished performance. If you want a real sports car in this price range, you're not buying an auto.

2 - your car, while it might outdo an auto 8 in the straight line acceleration bit, much like any cheap American sports car, would fall by the wayside at the first curve. FWD sucks, almost as much as automatic.

3 - The MSRP of the 8 is irrelevant, it's what you'd actually pay for it: local dealers have been selling 8's for as little as $750 under invoice in the LA area. That's just under $25000 for a basic 6MT 8. I don't see a compelling reason to buy anything other than the base model - the Bose stereo is nothing amazing, the sunroof lowers your headroom and will eventually leak, and the DSC is a substitute for good driving. The only thing I wish my 8 had that it doesn't is xenon headlights.

shelleys_man_06

I was about to get to that.

MTLbroker

"Condolensces"? I think your sympathies are misplaced and your intentions misguided.
Enjoy your 6.
'nuff said.

jerij

So true. That's why my Cooper S (the S stands for "stumble") is for sale.

jerij

Twinturbo2800

well christ.... by your thinking, why didint you get a Srt-4 its MUCH faster than your 6, and costs LESS

my Auto is pretty quick from roll, but from a stop the torque kills ya a bit, 0-60 feels like mid 6 secas to me

Racer X-8

Well, my MX-6 is now over 11 years old & over 201,000 miles & it will still be my daily driver while my 8 slumbers in her beauty, in the garage...

Ah, the good ole troll wars days.

So,,, how 'bout them Panthers?...

RodsterinFL

Some people enjoy the car's looks and want an automatic. I met a couple during delivery of their RX8 auto that were thrilled with the car. I was waiting for mine in service.