official word on 2006 SMG and 5-speed auto - when?
01-05-2005, 10:31 AM
#26
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Remember that the U.S. is majority auto tranny buyers and that 'SMG' is the rage right now. BMW is having success with offering 3 tranny options on its cars--why not the RX8?
01-05-2005, 11:11 AM
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well--for '04 auto owners--I can see alot trading up--Me personally I was considering trading into a 6 spd manual after 4 or 5 years--but if the SMG unit is good then I would check it out. Currently I'm content with my auto--I've had my speed needs met for a while from my FD days.
01-05-2005, 11:48 AM
#29
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Originally Posted by JeRKy 8 Owner
Unless Mazda does something about the horsepower - the current 6spd manual willstill out perform SMG and 5speed auto Rx8s andwill probably cost less than either of the two. Why wouldthey release the same car next year w/two new transmissions and no power changes? Seemslike a waste of money to me.
In other words, I'm betting that ALL 2006 RX-8s (with any of the 3 transmission options) will have the HiPower engine. THAT is one of the main reasons why it's worth waiting for the '06 5 spd auto trans if you have to have an auto, and it's also one of the main reasons why the current 4 spd auto cars with the LoPower engine will depreciate more rapidly than the same-year manual trans cars - they'll be obsolete after only 2 model years.
Regards,
Gordon
01-05-2005, 05:03 PM
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Originally Posted by co3
Are you gonna take that Auto RX8 drivers? Or are you gonna let the manual patriots win?
Ight Gordon, I may just wait based on this info your giving me. Hope its accurate. Although I wish I had some idea on how much they are expected to cost.
Ight Gordon, I may just wait based on this info your giving me. Hope its accurate. Although I wish I had some idea on how much they are expected to cost.
I just putter on by and when I get frisky jump in my other car and zoom down the road rather smartly.
01-05-2005, 05:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Gord96BRG
Who said they were not going to have power changes? As far as the auto transmissions go - both the 06 5 spd auto and the 06 6 spd SMG will be paired with the HiPower engine. I strongly suspect that the current LoPower engine will disappear in North America when the 4 speed auto disappears after this current model year.
In other words, I'm betting that ALL 2006 RX-8s (with any of the 3 transmission options) will have the HiPower engine. THAT is one of the main reasons why it's worth waiting for the '06 5 spd auto trans if you have to have an auto, and it's also one of the main reasons why the current 4 spd auto cars with the LoPower engine will depreciate more rapidly than the same-year manual trans cars - they'll be obsolete after only 2 model years.
Regards,
Gordon
In other words, I'm betting that ALL 2006 RX-8s (with any of the 3 transmission options) will have the HiPower engine. THAT is one of the main reasons why it's worth waiting for the '06 5 spd auto trans if you have to have an auto, and it's also one of the main reasons why the current 4 spd auto cars with the LoPower engine will depreciate more rapidly than the same-year manual trans cars - they'll be obsolete after only 2 model years.
Regards,
Gordon
01-05-2005, 05:17 PM
#33
Originally Posted by Katchoo
I don't worry about the manual guys anymore...not after I finished reading about lost 6th gears, clutch problems, shifter wobbles, stop and go traffic, etc.
I just putter on by and when I get frisky jump in my other car and zoom down the road rather smartly.
I just putter on by and when I get frisky jump in my other car and zoom down the road rather smartly.
It's just another case of a vocal minority giving the misconception of wide spread problems. Overwhelming majority have none of the issues you listed, including myself.
01-05-2005, 06:09 PM
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Originally Posted by JasonHamilton
btw, the rx-8 is the second manual that i've driven. The first was a honda civic. The shifting patterns are very different. The rx-8 took a lot longer to get used to, and requires more attention. Even though I knew I enjoyed driving a manual, the rx-8 was wearing on me and somewhere around my second month of ownership, I was wondering if I had made a mistake with buying it.
I'm somewhere around 8 months of ownership now, and I'm completely at ease with driving it. If you can remember how it was like when you first learned how to drive - how your mind wasn't able to look for important events, so you had to scan everything, and a busy street appeared to be a formidable foe.. the same is true with learning a manual. It just takes time to adapt and get used to it. It's not worth it for everyone, and I would never claim that there is only one right choice in regards to buying an automatic or stick.
... but that doesn't change the fact that the manual rx-8 IS better than the automatic.
I'm somewhere around 8 months of ownership now, and I'm completely at ease with driving it. If you can remember how it was like when you first learned how to drive - how your mind wasn't able to look for important events, so you had to scan everything, and a busy street appeared to be a formidable foe.. the same is true with learning a manual. It just takes time to adapt and get used to it. It's not worth it for everyone, and I would never claim that there is only one right choice in regards to buying an automatic or stick.
... but that doesn't change the fact that the manual rx-8 IS better than the automatic.
01-05-2005, 06:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Paul_in_DC
co3,
I've owned manuals my entire adult life. I wouldn't have it any other way, but that's personal preference.
A major factor to consider with the manual/auto decision is the type of driving environment. Heavy urban stop-and-go traffic is a lousy place to try to learn a manual transmission. You mentioned the LA auto show - do you live in downtown LA? It could be a nightmare trying to learn a stick if you do. OTOH, if you live in suburbia or rural CA then it's much easier. Personally, I enjoy driving a stick much more, but if I lived in downtown D.C., I'd seriously consider going auto instead.
I've owned manuals my entire adult life. I wouldn't have it any other way, but that's personal preference.
A major factor to consider with the manual/auto decision is the type of driving environment. Heavy urban stop-and-go traffic is a lousy place to try to learn a manual transmission. You mentioned the LA auto show - do you live in downtown LA? It could be a nightmare trying to learn a stick if you do. OTOH, if you live in suburbia or rural CA then it's much easier. Personally, I enjoy driving a stick much more, but if I lived in downtown D.C., I'd seriously consider going auto instead.
01-05-2005, 07:33 PM
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manual isnt hard... i learned and got it down in about an hour on my frnds civic... and took me about 2 or 3 hrs to have nice starts in the 8. Dont get an rx8 cuz honestly ppl will look down on you which might not mean much but still wouldnt ant people doing that. It's like seeing an automatic porsche. (nuff said)
01-05-2005, 09:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Mikelikes2drive
Dont get an rx8 cuz honestly ppl will look down on you which might not mean much but still wouldnt ant people doing that. It's like seeing an automatic porsche. (nuff said)
I'm just as capable of making the passenger's scream "OH SH*T!!!" through a tight bend as someone with a MT RX-8, and that's all I care about ultimately. I like to do it without a clutch, you like to do it with one. It's still an RX-8 in the end.
01-06-2005, 01:46 AM
#39
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Originally Posted by Gord96BRG
Who said they were not going to have power changes? As far as the auto transmissions go - both the 06 5 spd auto and the 06 6 spd SMG will be paired with the HiPower engine. I strongly suspect that the current LoPower engine will disappear in North America when the 4 speed auto disappears after this current model year.
Gord my point was that this isnot a power upgrade from the current 6spd manuals standpoint - which alreadyhas the high power engine. I was talking about an actual horsepower upgrade to the high power engine itself - not going from low power to high power. Imtalking about the incentives for an 04 6spd manual owner toupgrade to an 06 Rx8.
01-06-2005, 05:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Vertigo-1
I'm just as capable of making the passenger's scream "OH SH*T!!!" through a tight bend as someone with a MT RX-8, and that's all I care about ultimately.
01-06-2005, 07:19 AM
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Well--an automatic Porsche is still a Porsche. And a tiptronic 911 can still hand RX8s and many other cars their ***. Not to mention the auto 911 turbo (0-60 3.8 seconds) nuff said.
but--there is no arguing that SMG or slushbox is not more fun than rowing the gears yourself.
but--there is no arguing that SMG or slushbox is not more fun than rowing the gears yourself.
01-06-2005, 10:20 AM
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To the point earlier that Mazda is not likely to add further options to the 6spd or 4 spd manual list, this seems to suggest they are willing to expand the product offering...
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...light=hydrogen
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...light=hydrogen
01-06-2005, 11:14 AM
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you guys have to keep in mind, if Mazda does release a SMG transmission, and this transmissions is able to handle the 9k redline and 238hp engine, it will be faster than any manual transmission. I've heard that bmw SMG's shift gears in 0.9 secs! thats insane!
01-06-2005, 11:31 AM
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Originally Posted by sohcpunk
you guys have to keep in mind, if Mazda does release a SMG transmission, and this transmissions is able to handle the 9k redline and 238hp engine, it will be faster than any manual transmission. I've heard that bmw SMG's shift gears in 0.9 secs! thats insane!
Just out of curiosity, does any cars in the entire Ford family have anything similar? A true SMG with a clutch instead of a manumatic like we have right now?
01-06-2005, 11:41 AM
#46
Bummed, but bring on OU!
01-06-2005, 11:49 AM
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hmm...maybe in the Aston Martin lineup--but I think those are conventionaly autos. The DB9 may have an SMG unit, the only automatic-esque trannies in Fords lineup are 4 speeds, 6 speed auto that will go into the Mazda 6, the 6 speed autos from the Jaguar family, and the CVT unit found in the Freestyle and Five Hundred.
01-06-2005, 11:54 AM
#48
Bummed, but bring on OU!
In the UK, the Ford Fiesta 1.4L Duratec has a base price of 10,245 pounds, the same model with the Durashift EST andvanced manual transmission (which is a true sequential manual gearbox) adds only 500 pounds to the price of the car. and adds 19lbs to the curb weight. (according to ford.co.uk, build your own)
01-06-2005, 12:27 PM
#49
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Originally Posted by DreRX8
hmm...maybe in the Aston Martin lineup--but I think those are conventionaly autos. The DB9 may have an SMG unit.
Originally Posted by sohcpunk
you guys have to keep in mind, if Mazda does release a SMG transmission, and this transmissions is able to handle the 9k redline and 238hp engine, it will be faster than any manual transmission. I've heard that bmw SMG's shift gears in 0.9 secs! thats insane!
Think about it, then look at a stopwatch and time 0.9 seconds - that's slooooow for a shift. I don't speed shift or anything abusive like that, but I can beat 0.9 seconds when just cruising around, in fact I'd have trouble shifting that slowly! Humans can manually shift in 0.2 - 0.5 seconds. The SMGs are getting down to 150 milliseconds, or 0.15 seconds, in their fastest shift modes (except Toyota, who's SMG is still sloow). The big advantage of SMGs isn't shift speed, it's consistently shifting that quickly every shift without ever missing a shift.PS - Mazda's 6 speed SMG is being developed for two applications - not just the RX-8, but the next-generation NC Miata, due in mid-2005 but being introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March, will share the SMG and the 5 speed auto transmission with the RX-8.
Regards,
Gordon