RX-8 Versus Porsche 968
 

I have been looking for a second car to drive on nice days and on the weekends. (My current car is a Mazdaspeed 6.) I've been a fan of the 968 since the mid-nineties. I have also been a fan of the RX-8 since its introduction. I didn't want to ask this on a Porsche website because I didn't want to get "it's a Porsche so get the 968" responses.

968
Pros:
-Great looks
-Outstanding road feel and handling
-Decent torque
-Feels solid even though it’s an old car
-It's been a dream to own a Porsche for years

Cons:
-Old age which makes it more maintenance intensive
-Expensive parts and availability of parts
-Expensive maintenance
-Usually takes days to get maintenance and repairs done

RX-8
Pros:
-Great looks
-Outstanding road feel and handling
-Newer car with warranty (extended warranty can be purchased)
-Great shifter

Cons:
-Possible flooding
-Oil consumption (Gas consumption is not an issue for me.)
-Low torque

Which one would you buy and why?

Obligatory Pics
https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...chmentid=46570

http://webpages.charter.net/rob360/RX8-10.jpg

http://www.drifting.com/forums/attac...tid=7691&stc=1

http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/dsc01644.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...prelude017.jpg

I love the 968. Rare to see them on the road. Basically a 944 look body, and 928 look front end.

Given the maintenance history on my last 3 porsches, I wouldn't bother buying another. But if I were in the market, the 968 is still an attractive car.

So it looks like the RX8 has no 'cons' :)

After my last 3, I swore to never own another Porsche again. (or an Italian car)

Thanks for the reply. Can you tell me why you would never own another Porsche again?

It seems like the third Porsche is the charm.. or deal breaker in this case.

I would go with the rx8. I think you will have much more fun with it.

Italian sports car are another world, trust me :D.

By the way, if i were to buy one i'd take the rx8. I know what it feels like to drive old cars now, much more fan than the "drive by wire" generation but lap times are pretty clear. My grandpa owned a 968 and it was brilliant but hey, unless you are a collector you must consider "time" as a very important factor.
I personally own a Ferrari GTB Turbo (never imported in the usa i think, 2.0l 255hp) and it has no controls (abs-tcs whatsoever). Even though it is a brilliant car the comparison can't be made.
The rx8 is on another technical planet, marking the other car's age as a problem.

So, in conclusion, if you want something to have fun with go for the rx8, if you want something to take care of, go for the Porsche. Both are great to drive though but in opposite ways.

Hope you got what i mean, i am pretty stupid :D

Can you give me an example of the maintenance history you referred to in your first response?

Sure. Basically every other month something breaks. Sometimes it's just a few hundred to fix, other times it was much more. For example, the AC twice broke, resulting with 200F air blowing out the vents and had no way to disable it. Rack and pinion steering broke, needing to be replaced. Automatic window motors would die out on me. Bushings needing to be replaced, the list goes on and on. I never had any engine problems, but one transmission died on me. I might have been to blame because I was banging on it a lot. All were DDs.

Basically after a few years, they got up in age and shit happens. If you're used to more mainstream cars like Toyota or even GM, it's different buying the higher end sports cars.

Last time I checked, Ferrari, Lambo, etc usually offered 2-3 year warranties, while econoboxes get 7 to 10 year warranties.

I thought I was done with sports cars when I had my Son, but the RX-8 came along and I don't regret it for one second.

I would say the 8, just from looking at the cons. Sure, the Porsche is a beautiful car, but what everybody else is saying, the older cars, and that one in particular, will more than likely be a maintenance trap.

especially the 968. There weren't many made, so replacement parts are going to be difficult to procure. But I haven't looked into the components. Maybe it shares parts with the 911 or 944.

That would be nice, but still would be a lot for parts. That's the problem with those rare/expensive cars, haha.

I really appreciate your replies. This information is really helpful.


Off Topic:

My buddy just purchased a Saturn Sky Redline. I would have considered one of these based upon looks and performance alone. The problem is that I don't want a convertible.

http://sky24gt.com/images/gt/sky_24gt_02.jpg

The Sky is definitely something that came out of the woodworks for me. I never expected Saturn to make a sexy sports car! I'm not a fan of verts, but I might have to throw that away with the Sky :P

i really dislike the look of that porsche....so id have to say go with the 8 or the redline. you get a warranty with new cars and more availability for parts. heh get the 8

I only owned older ones. 1986 being the latest.

If you take it to a dealer, you get raped
If you do it yourself, it is normally more work thatn it need to be
The parts are NEVER in stock
They are expensive as hell
They need more general maint. than most cars
They are like a dart thrown backwards


But if you have the time and money, and dont mind the "cons" of a Porsche. . . . . they really are a ton of fun to drive. Just like the 8, that fun factor is huge.

Thats a hard question.

I would check and read up on the Porche maintenance. Look for problems ofor that year.

Then find a good Porche mechanic.

After research its your choice.

PRO The Rotary is cheap to rebuild about the price of A top end rebuild for a piston engine.

Get the AP chip or high performance ignition, that will kill th eflooding issue.

Of all the front-engined Porsches, the 968 is my favourite. It looks great (to me atleast), quite modern compared to 944 and 928. The 3.0l 4-banger is probably the largest 4-cylinder engine for a mass produced car. It has awesome torque. But it has issues. Check out some 968 forums. Went to check one out many years ago. During the walk around, my wife quipped "I thought you are looking for a Porsche, what's with the Integra?". I dare not look at the seller's face. It was a pristine 968 too.
Having said that, for the reasons mentioned above, I would pick the rx-8 over and over and over the 968. If you really want that Porsche badge, might as well get a Carrera 3.2 or maybe a 964 (if you want to experience true unreliability).

i sat in a sky at the DC auto show last year and to be honest I was underwhelmed. The drive might be good, but I hated the seated position.

After you put the turbo or supercharger in the RX-8, then I think you can compare it to a Porsche.

My cousin had a 968, and I used to drive it all the time. It really was a great car. Love the feel, and for it's time the power was just impressive. I loved that BIG 4 banger in it, and it really felt fantastic. Hard for me to compare my RX8 ownership to that though, as too many years passed, but I'd likely go with with the 968 if I could find a well maintained low mileage one with updated service records. I can't speak for the car as a whole, but my cousin beat the living stink out of that thing, and he sold it after 60k miles, but it held up incredibly. The owner after him probably had hell, but he never really maintained that car, and it made me sick how he just didn't care because of his wealth. Very solid car in my onw experience, and at one point in time, it was a DREAM car, as I was cruising around with him in my Mitsubishi Starion, so I was chopped liver. ;)

GOod luck on your decision. :)

I'd recommend the rx8, not because I have one now, but because I owned them both. I can't really do too much of a comparison because I got rid of the 968 over ten years ago. Mine was a 1994 convertible. It had the pop-up non-zenon headlights, it was a six speed 3L four banger.

It was fast and felt planted and had that heavy solid quality feel. it was fun, but now I think it would be a little old looking. I got rid of mine because of maintenance. And remember I'm talking about gettin rid of it over ten years ago because of mainenance. i can't imagine now. It was hard to find the right people to work on it, and parts were a bitch and EXPENSIVE. a friggin oil change was 300 bucks because they had to remove all this shit from underthe engine.

now i drive the 8. it is much more modern so i think in a way more solid, more reliable, better handling, just as fast, looks better, etc.

the exact problem i had on the 968 was some rear bearing. i had it replaced, it cost 2000$ and a few weeks later the creak came back. now unless you can get it from some porsche dealership and get some special warranty, i would not touch an old porsche with a ten foot pole. but if you're familiar with working on these things yourself, then it might be a good choice. in my opinion, it is totally impractical to compare the porsche with a car that would be much more modern and newer like the 8. they are too different. get the 8, there is an awesome community here and a lot of support!

Until recently, the standard Porsche's pretty much had shit for horse power.

AP chip?
 

Could you tell us what the AP chip is? I did a search for "AP chip" and your post was the only one referencing it. Thanks,

Check out Cobbtuning.com.

http://www.cobbtuning.com/products/?id=3812

I havent owned the porsche, I personally wouldnt choose the rx8 anyways. It handles great, the flooding really isnt an issue, my 04 has never flooded. The oil consumption really depends on your driving and its really not a big deal at all. I go through about 1 extra quart per oil change. Not to mention oil changes are cheap, the thing holds like 3-4 quarts and has a normal off the shelf filter. The torque is an issue though, there isnt ANY. Mine is auto so it makes it 10x worse. I would assume that with the 6spd it wouldnt be near as big of a deal.

I loled at the guy that said porsche is an italian sports car

wtf, its stuttgarde germany yo!

Age is the key. A 968 would be great but I wouldn't want to have to fix anything on it (which I'm sure you will).

A 968 is the newer 944 which is basically the newer/upmarket 924 so I see them sharing parts.

A 968 was a 944 that was upgraded/reworked so much that Porsche called it a 968 instead of 944.

I've coming up on 2 years with my RX-8 and overall it's been a great car (except the poor mpg, lack of torque and horrible traction control in my opinion). Recently I got a 1994 Porsche 968! They are certainly different cars but after driving both cars, I love the 968 better. In my opinion the suspension (ride quality) is better, engine roar is more pleasant than the rotary and 968 is more torquee (better 0-60 feel). The 968 just feels more like a true thoroughbred sports car. The 968 exterior looks and feels surprising refreshing (front has cues of the 997 / 987). MPG on the 968 is far better than the RX-8... which amounts to something in this $4+/gallon world.

The worst thing I hate about my RX-8 is how invasive the traction control is at the cars limits. The rear end gets twitchy on tight cornering. The 968 is much more progressive and you feel you're getting more feedback on tight cornering.

Photos of my Porsche 968: http://gallery.mac.com/armando_santana#100018

That's actually why i hang around without controls :lol:
Without the controls you'll also lengthen your rear pads life.

sweet. Looks like you got a cherry 968.

def. a sexy car IMO

never owned/driven that porsche but based on looks:

RX8>Porsche

my .02

I like the 968 alot as my previous post. But 968 apart from the torque, it is not in the same league as the rx-8 when it comes to driving dynamics. Older suspension technology, chassis design, powertrain etc. But as you just got the 968 I can understand your thrill.

Good luck. Save money for those parts and servicing.

I had a 944S2 (the 968's immediate predecessor in the naturally-aspirated front-engined line) for almost 2 years. It was quite reliable, although parts and maintenance were pricey.

My fetish is handling and feel...and in these respects the RX-8 is at least equal to the Porsche but in many ways the 2 cars are similar (resistant to understeer, adjustable, communicative). Both cars have a lot of personality and a certain mystique about them. But in the end, the RX-8 is a modern car and the 968 is not, and adults can fit in the back of the RX-8 but not the 968, so for me the choice would be clear as I need a 4-seat daily driver.

As a toy, though...it is not so clear. Whichever puts the biggest smile on your face, I guess. :)

Its Stuttgart, Germany

I live in the land of Porsches and I would only buy a new one because of a warranty.

:Eyecrazy: OMG these cars are SOOOO cheap on the inside its not even funny, plus that tranny gets in the way of the drivers side + you cant recline your seats, and the big ass front end! OMG, i seriously got in one, and asked my self why would anyone buy this car? you would die if you were closterphobic...

Love the way that car looks. Beautiful. But there's no way anyone who really understands sports cars would choose one over an MX-5... a vastly superior car.

when I test drove one, the first thing I noticed is that my right leg could press on the side of the center console and the entire thing bent and make creaking noises.

Let's also not forget the ergonomics in the vehicle is non existent.

sounds like my RX8:banghead:

I guess my Porsche experiance must be unique. My 28 year old 911 Targa has been quite reliable. I've spent $2946 on repair AND maintance in the 7 years that I've had it. And that includes $1700 to replace the heavy clutch with a new, lighter unit. I use it as my sunny day DD. If it's nice out I'm in it. Any car can be a money pit. My first Acura legend went 170,000 trouble free miles, our second one had some issue almost every other week. If you want to learn about Porsches check out pelicanparts.com. A great group of very knowledgeable and helpful people. Learn all you can about the car of your intrest, and take your time finding the best one you can. You only live once, enjoy it.

The Zuffenhausen built 911 is a night and day better built car than the Audi/VW built 924/944/951/968 cars, and really can not be considered in the same ball park of reliability and build quality.

Porsche parts are very pricey, and you will need them. Much more often then Mazda parts.

The RX8 drives better then the 928 GTS does. Can't relate that to the 968, just worth mentioning.

The con to the RX8 is a lack of bottom end grunt. But it revs so freely not having all those valve springs to hammer down, the missing torque sin is quickly forgiven.

While you may have the 968 in mind, if I were going to buy another vintage Porsche it would be a restored late 70's 911, 1974-78. Those cars are simply timeless classics. Thyssen steel chassis made them hyper-resistent to rust and it was just before Porsche began to follow the annual body weight profile of Kirsty Allie so they were reasonably light cars. Fun to drive, and maximum head turning for the price.

umm...i'm going to have to disagree with everyone here. get a low mileage porsche and you wont be unhappy. my dad's 1995 911 convertible has 40k miles and has only had one major problem. the car could probably be purchased for high 20s to very low 30s--similar to a gt rx8 i guess. the part that broke was the convertible mechanism, resulting in 5k dollars, but you wont have that problem because you dont want a convertible :) there is nothing like driving that car, seriously. probably would get annoying as a dd though. i say get a 911 :)

I have never been a fan of the 968 hardtop bodystyle. The convertable bodystyle, now that is sexy as hell.

But the hardtop bulbous rear, not a fan.

I personally would only get the Porsche if I really, really wanted a Porsche, I didn't mind it being in the shop, and I had the financial means to have it in the shop way too often, and I had a daily driver.

Additionally.......the flooding problem has been fixed, if I am not mistaken.
At least in my case, 2004 MT, it has never flooded.

The '75 to '77 911's were the WORST. Count on an engine rebuild every 60,000 miles at least. And only the post-75's used galvanized steel. The 911SC and Carrera models ('78-'89) are more expensive but much more desirable (and still very svelte and diminutive!)

^^^Correct! The 2.7 liter engine had major head stud issues and non-galv bodys. The 3.0 SC that came after was a much better car.
I'll agree with Icemark on the 924, but from the 944 on they were real Porsches. Built in Stuttgart with what was half the 928 engine.

if it was a daily driver i would have recommended the rx8 but since its going to be a toy car I think the porsche is the better choice