Tony_Montana

hi, im new to this forum website, ive been looking around for about 4 days and decided to go ahead and join.

Well before coming to this forum i was at the g35 coupe forums, im pretty much forward on purchasing the g35 cause of its looks, good handling, and power.

THen i saw a rx8 down the street and i was in awwww...

Well i did a bit of research, and saw the car handles like nothing else in its class, has great looks, BUT!!! my only compiant is the torque... the horespower ( hp ) is good at 250 but the Torque ( tq ) is low at a mere 138? or around there, well adding on to this issue is the rpm range, it gose all the way up to the 9k!!! im just thinking to my self how long will it take to blow this motor up, it peaks its hp at what 7k 8k? same with tq, so im guessing to just get to car moving at a good speed you would have to get the RPMs pretty high up there.

And at first i thought this car would be great because of its 1.3 liter engine... WRONG! i read all the post about the poor gas mileage, maybe its because u have to rev so high to get a decent amount of power?

Well i just want to know is, when you floor your car, is there any power that pushes you to the back of your seat? i need that in a car....

Thanks ahead of time fo your replies and thoughts, so what do you guys think about handling, performance and the mileage?

zoom44

238hp and 159T. there will be no engine blowing up because of revving to 9k. the car loves it. besides the rotary is internally geared so the rotors only spin at 1/3 the output shaft. at 9k on the tach the rotors are only doing 3krpm. yes the car will push you in the back when you floor it in the appropriate gear. go drive it. to drive it is to love it.

Mitch Strickler

The torque is 159 at 5,500, hp 238 at 8,500. Revving will not hurt the engine. Mileage is lousy, worse than the EPA 18-24, but the G35, while it should be better, won't be super economical if you use its power. The 8 is geared to give pretty good acceleration if you use the excellent gearbox to get lots of revs, but the G35 is definitely better at push-in-the-back torque. There's a simple way to tell if the 8 is too weak for you -- go to a dealer and test one.

Ike

Welcome to the site. First, do a search on the mileage there are several threads to sift though. The RX-8 handles great and will outhandle a G35, though both handle very well. I will not have the push of a G35, people will come on here and tell you they raced a G35 and hung right with it blah blah blah, take that with a grain of salt. I've driven both cars and without a doubt the G35 pulls harder, especially at higher speeds. Now whether or not the RX-8 will push you back in your seat depends on you... Some people think it's fast, others are unimpressed with it's acceleration. I drive a modded WRX and walked away disappointed in the acceleration, while it's very clear that others feel the car is plenty fast. The only way you will find out is by driving it, so no matter what anyone says on this thread drive it and the G35 and base your decision on that more than anything else.

Lastly, it's a pretty hot debate on this board about how much HP the RX-8 really has, it's without a doubt not 250 hp, and many feel it's not even 238hp (closer to 220) based on dynos and other performance numbers. But don't let those numbers mean much to you, if you drive both cars and like the 8 better, then what hp number is on the window sticker is not all that important.



Ike

beachdog

You didn't indicate if you're looking at auto or manual. Can't speak for the auto, but the manual has a 4.56 rear end ratio. If you didn't read the spec before going for the test drive you would never know it's only 159lbs of torque.

Take the test drive. This car is all about balance. If you're into smoking the tires and a bone crushing ride, get something else. If you want to drive a fun car that will make you, the driver extremely happy, get the 8.

zoom44

correction- ratio is 4.44

Trx8

I think the AT has more torque than the MT ... but I also think the MT is faster than the AT ... Horsepower, torque, RPM, gears, number are fine, take take a test drive.

Another issue is the RX-8 power is quite linear and I think that means you don't get the non-linear acceleration that other cars get. Further its a quiet/smooth car, so it takes a while to get a sense of how fast the car is really going.

Sea Ray

When you go for a test drive, see if they have a demo that is already broke in. This engine really shines at 5k-7k so find some nice twisty roads, drop it in 3rd, and hang on.

Sue Esponte

Only you can tell if the car meets your needs. You need to test drive it to see if it handles/accelerates in a manner that is satisfactory to you.

With that in mind, however, it sounds like the RX8 is not the car for you. Do some research on first time drive posts. The RX8 is not a Mustang SVT. If you want/need a car that will throw you into a seat like a muscle car, keep on moving..."nothing to see here". It's not a car that will throw you in the back of your seat if you drive it like a 'regular' car. Then again, it's not a regular car. It begs to be driven differently. It's engineered to rev to 9K rpm for a reason...

Also, your numbers are a bit off. The hp and torque figures for the 6 speed are: 238 @ 8500 rpm (not 250) and 159 @ 5500 rpm (not 138).

I'd equate the driving experience more to an S2K than a big block domestic...but more sublime in that the engine doesn't sound like it's being torn to shreds. It's not a stoplight queen but it'll carve through the cones with the swiftest of sports cars. The only way to know if it's right for you is to drive it.

-Eric

6speed8

The RX-8's power delivery is very deceptive, you do not feel or hear the speed like in other cars. If you NEED to feel and hear it, don't get the 8. Test drive one and see for yourself.

Booster MPS

I will say that I think that you should drive the car to check it out, but from your own words, I would say that this is not the car for you. If you have to get the biggest boy on the block that throws you around and has the best numbers on paper - you will not be happy with the 8 long term. I hate to not recommend my car to someone (as I love it to pieces), but you would be better served by another vehicle.

djmano

well said. although there is not much torque, the way the power is delivered is much more important in the real world. it develops most of its tq at a relatively low rpm so city driving is not as dismal as one may have thought.

the rx8 and s2k are very similar in very many ways the biggest which are the small displacement but high hp motor and the awesome rear suspension!

crumpmd

My wifes S-type 4.0 jag will out accelerate the 8. It (the jag) cannot keep up in the turns and is only marginally more comfortable to drive on a long trip. If you want a straight line car don't look at the 8, it is a sports car. I am dying for a 'vette to ask me to run some cones.

Rotary Soul

hi tony, before you start goin on about numbers, here's the deal. the numbers, as tempting as they are, are JUST NUMBERS. a car's performance and feel CANNOT, and i repeat, CANNOT be defined by numbers. judging a car by numbers is a very big mistake, because really, the only way to find out is to drive both. there is a world of difference between looking at a magazine and saying "wow i like this car but look at this number, i don't like that" and saying "i drove that car, and i don't like it". Numbers are only numbers. you can tag any number to any car, if you like the way it drives it doesn't matter ****. the rx-8 is a top-notch car, and so is the g35. but if you're not happy with the torque, try flooring the 8 at 5500 rpm at 2nd gear. remember to hold it til the 8 sings its love song (the buzzer).

cas2themoe

remember the 0-60 stats, I'm looking at the road and track magazine right now and 0-60 for the RX8 is 5.9 sec and the 350Z Roadster is 5.7 I mean come on, the RX8 has 49 less hp and 115 lbs less of torque and still manages to stay close to the Z. Dude get an 8 their way better looking anyways. You get more people looking at the RX8 then you do the Z or G35! Fast is fast and good looking is good looking! GET THE 8

Rotary Soul

0-60 time is not the forte of the rx-8. if you want 0-60, honestly, rx-8 is not the best car for you.

Victor E

Haven't bought mine yet, but I currently own an s2000, and previously owned a 98 trans am. Without a doubt, the s2000, (and I suspect the RX-8) is a much more enjoyable ride. It's not as fast as the transam was, but nothing...NOTHING is more fun than watching the car next to me slow to shift just as I hit vtec and take off.
At around $30,000, everyone on this forum had the oppertunity to buy a faster, straight line car. We all didn't make the wrong choice and buy the slower car...We bought our cars because the way they look, drive, and make us feel when we drive. And everyone on this site feels like a king driving around town in this beatiful machine.

P.S. if you think being pushed back into your seat when you floor it feels good, test drive the Rx-8 and slam on the brakes. This thing stops faster than my s2000, and I LOVE waiting till the very last minute to stop at a light. The drivers next to you won't believe what they see.
Then there is the handling.... I could go on and on.

My standards are now set Very high after the s2000, and the rx-8 exceeds all of them, plus I get heated seats, a gps, back seats, and still retain the admiration of every other driver on the road. I just have to sell my s2000...$21,000 <-------detroit area......the sooner the better

Tony_Montana

ya thanks you guys, im just goin to go ahead and test drive the rx8. But what i dont get about the rx8 is it has less hp and less tq then the g35 and still waste more gas? kinda odd but o well, if it rides good and handles good like you guys say, then it must b worth it.

So now how about performance mods, are there any quick and easy not warranty voidable upgrades that can get my tq #'s up? and HP? And what are the average gains from these?

I cant wait till i test drive one of these cars, im gonna open it up good! any recomidations on how to drive it? shift points?

OBryanRX8

i test drove one for 3 hours this past saturday, the car is a blast. ive drove the Z, G, S2000, is300, none impressed my the way the 8 did in total all around performance, handling, comfort, design: could keep going but i think you get the point. im ordering my silver 6sp 8 in a month or two.

ps insurance floored me its cheaper than the grand prix i have
they consider it a 4 door coupe 4 cyl. :D :D :D

enjoy man you wont be disappointed heres a pic off the one i test drove saturday

zoom44

a. drive it like you stole it
b. WOT to the beep at 8.5-9k/shift/WOT to the beep/shift that should get you over any speed limits.

Rotary Soul

remember, the car doesn't really open up until 5k+

Ike

Well, like any car once you start doing mods you are running the risk of having denied warranty claims. About the only mod out right now that's going to give you decent gains is Canzoomers ECU remap (do a search). Intake you're lucky if you don't lose performance, and a catback is going to give gains that you won't even notice. As for the mileage, it's just one of those things that goes along with the rotary, though the Renesis seems to be a little thirstier than other rotaries, probably due to it running rich.

Ike