WinningBlueAlwaysWins

SMG2 blows. Ask any true Bimmer enthusiast, and they'll tell you why the traditional 6MT is the better choice for the E46. And are you talking about Launch Control? Because that wasn't available on the US market M3s anyway. But yeah, I do agree that the S54 engine in the M3 is delicious.. especially the sound after 4500 rpms.

Sorry.. I think I'm discussing this in the wrong forum... I love the 8!!

DrDiaboloco

If you think THAT was hostile, you're reading way more into it that was there. There's a pretty big difference between matter-of-fact and hostile.

47mph is for acceleration (actually I think it's 46), not for cruising. There are separate charts for each.

And I'd bet my pink slip that my mediocre mileage has nothing to do with cruising in 6th at 45mph, it has to do with the frequent impediments in my local driving, as listed above in post #47.

Raptor2k

Cheers

19mpg city ftw

zeblien

really? I get 27mpg average city/highway 50/50.

zeblien

when driving my 8, I get 20 usually, but the engine has less then 2k on it.

alfy28

ok, like i said im glad its not my 8 that is driving in 6th gear at low mph. if you want to drive that way that is you. But hey i read that im suppose to get 18/25mpg when i bought my 8 back in 04.

DrDiaboloco

So I have to ask... Mazda, who engineered the car and printed the manual, says that you should use those speeds as a guide... And they're WRONG?

Basically that's what you're saying. Every car I've ever had prints numbers in the manual for speed-in-gear, and they're always predicated on some mileage consideration. Do you really think that Mazda is recommending speeds that will damage the car?

While we're at it, what RPM does Alfy recommend? What gear at 45mph? And why? I'd prefer it if you would give me solid evidence (not anecdotal evidence) that 2200-2300rpm in steady-state driving (presumably irrespective of gear) will lead to engine damage.

dillsrotary

no way this turned into a gas mileage thread

NoTears316

No one is perfect. those of us who started with our 8's back in 2003 have gone through about 20 "updated" flashes. I guess Mazda didn't get that info correct from launch either.

NoTears316

Truth of the matter, you NEED to run your 8 at high rpm's (not all the time) or you WILL damage the engine.

puch96

hmm... I think you might be prone to getting carbon build-up a lot easier than other people...

puch96

By the way.... Diaboloco.... how long have you been driving stick???

Coleman8

i know that is what mazda put in the OM, but that still is not going to convince me that cruising the car in 6th at 42mph is good for it. I know for a fact that it is better for this engine to be kept at higher rpm. Maybe if mazda hadnt messed up their information on several other things i might not be so prone to dismissing it as false. But thats not the case is it... i wish i could think of a link of the top of my head that could show u some "solid" evidence of this...ill find one.

Anyway remember the catch phrase: "DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT!"

Ike

I twirl my finger in the general direction of this thread.

Coleman8

back on subject, this isnt a gas miileage thread, its the 1000th z vs. 8 thread. geeez.

HCTR154

I had to have 4 seats, due to having two kids. I test drove a couple of Infiniti G 35 coupes, an '03 and an '04. Both were AT. I liked the power, no doubt, much (not just a little bit) faster than the 8. I also think the aftermarket is friendlier to the VQ 35 than the Renesis rotary.

So why did I buy the 8, it came down to price. Even the '03 G35 was about 3 grand more than my 8. I just couldn't justify the extra dough, so I bought my 8.

sosonic

Z has 2 seats... No need to go further. I like 4 seats and the real ability to actually sit people in the back. Now more people can enjoy my ride and double the fun.

People twist head and body to check out the RX-8. Z's are not that special to look at and remind you a bit of a small tank.

The ONLY thing the Z has got going for it is a little more power in 0-60. Put a good supercharger or turbo in the RX-8 and that advantage is gone. There is no reason to look at a Z, if you have a supercharged or turbo RX-8.

DrDiaboloco

Anyone with a 2006 model care to clue us in to any changes in the manual as pertains the recommended speeds? Surely they'd have known by the time they printed the '06 manuals if the speeds they published for '04/'05 cars were responsible for engines failing.

Ike

Hurray for ricer logoc!

DrDiaboloco

Maybe so. But hey, just about everyone who's telling me that I'm frying my engine is under the impression that I drive everywhere at 2000rpm, ignoring what I've already posted about my driving style... So I give up. I'll just continue to drive it like I didn't steal it.

To answer your other question, let's just say that I drove my manual-transmission car to the theatrical premiere of Top Gun on the one-year anniversary of the day I got my driver license, and every car I've owned since then has been a manual except for one that I had for two years when Bush1 was in office. Conservatively, I have about 300,000mi of driving MT cars.

Coleman8

ahhhh

alfy28

im not going to tell you what gear you should be in Dr. di.And i was nott telling you should drive like a speed racer either. if you want to drive in 6th gear at speeds of 42 mph then that is you. but if me i would be using 5th gear as a over drive instead of 6th. 6th i use at 65+, but that is me. I did not mean to sound argumentive to you. like i said its your car, you can drive it any you please. i just only questioned the reason of using the 6th gear as a overdrive at 42 mph. Any how its friday WOOOT

DrDiaboloco

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

The Z has two seats. Orwell said it best:

4 seats good, 2 seats bad.

Well, at least for me in my current situation.

zeblien

The porshe 9/11 has 4 seats. They even sell a special porshe baby seat for the back.

Coleman8

A porshe baby seat!?