Rawdog

I do not own an rx8 (yet) but i was just wanting to know how many miles is average for a rotary motor to last? Of course abiding by the usual maintenance. and y i am i hearing about all this bad gas mileage? Is there anything in particular i need to know about them before i buy one.

RotrDoc

Yeah, there are a number of things you ought to know about this car before you buy it; and you've come to the right place to learn them. The "General Discussion" forum is the place to start, especially the first sticky threads. If you have particular items, use the "Search". Otherwise, just browse to your heart's content.

I love my RX-8. It is, by far, the best match of a vehicle to my personality that I have ever found. (Second is my wife's 2001 Miata). And it suits my needs beautifully. That said, this is a very unique automobile, and it isn't for everyone.

Straight-out performance is not its forte. Wonderful handling is.
The Renesis requires attention: monitoring oil level (no big deal), correct warm-up procedures (minor irritant), and regular maintenance. Its rewards are tough to describe: smooth, even throttle response and power delivery, especially into the higher revs range, the unique rotary sound (I've always a car that sounds like a jet), blah, blah.

Browse this forun, test drive the car (and its competitors) and find the car that suits you.

Rawdog

well i have searced and couldnt find. How long is the life expectancy of one of these rotary motors with regular maintenance.

TRZ750

I have driven rotarys since 1973. Never had one let me down. Had a 77 rotary pick up that is now in New Zealand! It had over 200K on it and 75K on the last motor. If you keep them cool and full of oil don't worry. Even the early ones lasted 100K if mainly driven on the freeway. The early ones were sensitive to cooling problem as they had a poor radiator hoses and pump. They were also sensitive to the warm up period when the AL housings expanded differently than the cast iron end housings. The oil seals are what wear out first on the old ones. When they did the owner could miss it and the engine would run low on oil and seize!

Don't know on the 8 as it is too new. The flooding problem is not a rotary problem, but a EFI problem. I haven't had any flooding or other starting problem since I had the M flash.

Don't worry about the life expectancy of the engine. Other parts (clutch, transmission, rear end, etc. ) will probably wear out first.

Raptor2k

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/rotary-engines-76045/

spieder

Well, since it is a new engine, the general life expectancy is to be determined. However, I don't see Mazda investing all this time and money into an engine that they didn't have high hopes for. There will be, of course, problems with the first couple of years. These are due to manufacturing problems and other things that crop up during mass manufacturing.

If you like the car then buy one. No risk no reward.

yiksing

Go get the car, just make sure you give it enough oil and it will treat you good