Hello, I was just wondering if there are any who have driven M3's and know if there is a BIG difference in handling compared to the Rx-8?

If so how big is the difference?

Thank you.

 

The difference between is so great that the RX-8 will keep up with the M3 through a tight turn road course. However... the M3 will pull away pretty fast on straights. ^^

 

^^ Exactly what he said somewhere on here is a clip from fifth gear tv show showing the 8 keeps up time wise with the m3. Do a search and you can find it.

 

Yeah i saw that too. It was a clip on the 8 when it first came out. They took it out to some track where they test all their cars and the RX-8 ran the exact same time as an e46 m3. The 350z also ran the same time.

 

the rx8 also has less weight to throw around in the bends!

 

that was top gear. i'm not sure if tigster is talking about that too or not.

fifth gear and top gear are both british car shows, but the guy from top gear adored the rx-8 and i think fifth gear said he liked the 350z better?

 

It took me a minute, but then I remembered that Nabil had a great video where he was chasing down, and catching a C6 Corvette. Granted, it is not an M3, but it is interesting to note, as a Vette does handle very well and the 8 can hang.

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...68287#poststop

 

don't let it go to your head, the driver can make all the difference in the world.

 

my dad has a M3 which i drive all the time, the M3 handles better overall, better steering response, less bodyroll I just feel in control. RX8 on the otherhand is more nimble and lighter, and it feels like its more tossable, but the bodyroll is kind of nervous, and the steering response is a bit slower. I can see advance drivers who prefer the rx8, which IMO takes more skill to drive well. both are great handling cars, i give rx8 big props to be able to handle almost as well as a 50k car. I think if the rx8's camber can be adjusted to increase the stiffness, then RX8 would be the better handling car, but less... of a daily driver

 

Tests like Top Gear where one driver put in times in both cars says the 8 can hold. I can tell you that in practice, I have driven behind cars like late model corvettes and M3s and EVOs and the horsepower advantage is hard to overcome when the course is not tight and twisty. I am not embarrased yet as I am just beginning to drive on the track - but I want both. Better driving skill and a kick in horsepower. Until I develop the first though, the horsepower would not be that helpful. I have also followed a viper on a big track like VIR and stuck in his tail pipe whenever we had to brake or turn... But when the track was straight... all I could do was watch him go.

 

In the case of Top Gear tests they use the same driver known only as The Stig. He is an ex race car driver who's identity is kept a secret. Last year they gave him a Renault F1 car to drive, so the presumption is he is ex F1 because they don't just let anyone drive a F1 car.

 

I know its not the same car, but my dad has a 911 carrera which ive driven quite a bit. Technically it probably handles a little better than the 8, grips better etc, but in real world cornering the 8 is much more nimble and forgiving. The 8 also could probably hang with it around a track, even though it would get hammered in the straights.

 

The Stig is actually Perry McCarthey. He was in F1 for less than a year and was the 2nd driver for a horrible team so he never actually qualified for a race. He was however very succesfull in sports cars in the US and Europe. His autobiography, "Flat Out-Flat Broke" is an awesome read for anyone interested in what it takes for an average joe to become a professional racecar driver.

 

The rumor has it that Perry was given the boot once he revealed himself as the "Stig" in the book. So it may be a different Stig now. Also another rumor is that Damon Hill was the "Stig" a few times.

 

The question is why keep his identity secret?

One thought is they don't want to pay him scale for an on camera appearance.

But I think the real reason is this way he's replaceable. He's not a TV personality, just a driver. If he's unavailable, they can always pull someone else in.

 

I think it was more fun that way, and it kept the performance focus on the cars rather than the driver.

Even if it's an anynamous job, it'd still be fun :D

 

It may be fun to compare the performance differences of M3 & the RX-8, but they're in totally different price brackets. A new, loaded-up M3 runs just under $60K after tax & licenses vs. $35K for an 8. I understand it's interesting to see how they measure up. But, c'mon. For a buyer "on a budget" for a new 8, it's not like if the M3 is better he can afford to buy a new M3. (Besides, there are enough M3 ****** on the road already anyways. Need I say more?)

=P D

 

Camber has nothing to do with stiffness.

 

Yup I meant top gear, I get those brits all confused! :p :p

 

I think the point is that Mazda has created a vehicle that can be compared with the likes of an M3 at a much cheaper price point. Of course they are in totally different price brackets, but that's what makes the comparison fun. And some of us on this board can afford cars like a new M3.

Here's a view from an M3 owner on the RX-8 when driven on the track. He seems pretty impressed and validates that the car does handle better than his M3. http://www.teamwtf.org/index.php?opt...d=86&Itemid=81

 

that's an autocross course not a track.

 

^ but mind you that rx8 was modded a bit... shocks and sway bar.

 

picky, picky, picky

 

the real comparison is when the *real* Mazdaspeed RX-8 comes out, then it'll be really interesting to run that against a E46 M3 back-to-back

 

But at the rate Mazda is going, it will have to contend with the 400hp E90 M3.