After the 1st 1k miles I'd have to say highly satisfied...though it's the second favorite car I've owned...

 

I waited a month before responding to this thread, and I voted highly satisfied. Almost everything about the 8 has me grinning ear to ear every time I drive it. The only thing I wish it had was just a bit more horsepower, otherwise its a 10 in my book.

I've had virtually no problems with it thusfar. Its one of only about 3 in my area, so I'm always getting looks over it. The only thing I hate about it is how protective I've become of it. I check on it at work 3-4 times throughout the day, and I always have to sit at a window facing my car at restaurants. Its borderline obsessive!

 

Thank you for the hospitality! I'll definitely look for the car. The closest legal track to me is Pacific Raceway and I've decided to hang low until the next racing season. I have some very specific modifications that I'd like to do to the car before I take her to the track.....well, the professional track that is.

Oh, yes - she's definitely black. The one I originally test drove had the dual color black and tan interior. I would have preferred the black and red - but they didn't have it in stock at the time. However, I was told by the dealer not to get the dual colored ones from him because I could get better on the outside.....which I truly believed anyway.

Where does your brother race? I don't really know of too many tracks here except Pacific and Bremerton raceways.

Kindra

 

long throw clutch? the one i test drove had the shortest (and softest) clutch of any car i've ever driven. did they change it mid-year??

 

It's nothing they've changed... it's an issue that's been mentioned in the RX-8 Discussion here since the beginning. Even in his fairly glowing review of the car, Dan Jedlicka (Chicago Sun-Times) mentioned that it was a bit of a problem. Good article, though, and here's the link (click on the Ratings & Reviews tab): http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/je...=10703&src=vip

Anyhow, here's the problem in a nutshell. The clutch pedal has to go to the floor... period. Otherwise, you're grinding gears. OK... so you move the seat up a notch right? Well, then you find that your right foot is a little too close to the gas pedal, so you have to keep your knee bent just slightly. After about half an hour in the car, it starts to hurt. After an hour, you need a chiropractor! Actually, that's not much of an exaggeration!

If you screw around with the positions of the seat back and the cushion height, you might find a workable compromise.

Apparently, not everyone has noticed this in their 8s that have a 6-spd. There are a few guys on this board, however, who have mentioned it. Mazda says there is no clutch adjustment for this, and they aren't getting any complaints about it, anyhow (not true). A couple of guys have actually designed some modifications to fix the problem. It's not real serious, just a minor annoyance. Even so, I LOVE this car! :D

 

Funny you should mention Bremerton... there's a double regional there tomorrow! He should be there although I haven't actually asked him. He's in SCCA NORPAC, GT2 and that's a conference race, so, he should be doing it.

If you go online, there are websites. To name a few of the other local tracks that I know he's raced at, SIR, PIR, Leguna Seca, Mission BC, Thunderhill, uh, er, hard to remember them all when you live on the other side of the world. I dunno, a handful in California, a few in Arizona, uh,... yeah, so hit those websites. Maybe get involved in SCCA , lots o fun even if you don't actually do the racing!

 

I have to say "highly satisfied" I just got mine on Tuesday, and I absolutely love it. I went drinving for an hour last night just because the car is so fun to drive.

It may not be the best thing out there, but it is the best car I have ever had. I really enjoy driving, but I didn't know it could be this fun!

 

"I didn't know it could be this fun!" - That's a good one - gotta remember that one.

Welcome to you too, and where did your name come from? I can't even pronounce it, and I'm pretty good at pronunciations. :o

 

I've actually been around here for 2 years. Just haven't posted that much.... And as far as the name goes, it has to do with my occupation. Aesculapius was a greek physician who was so good that he could raise the dead. He ended up pissing off the gods so they killed him.

Pronunciation is a-skul-a-pee-us.

 

Oh, well, the heck with those gods anyway. With gods like that, who needs enemies?

And, why, yes indeed, I see now, you are definitely not new here! Wow!

Glad to hear you got one now - that's good testimony - a well informed person buying one...

 

In my humble opinion: if you have to get the pedal to the metal (clutch-wise) you are not driving it correctly. I can understand someone doing that on a 1-2 shift but, not on the rest. I've realised about it a while back...I noticed I was taking too long to change gears. I stopped and realized I was pushing the pedal all the way. Since then, I've made a mental note to be a little more gentle with it...and you know what? it worked.

I've been able to shift smoother and faster than before by simply being more gentle with the clutch. Even the 1-2 shift is getting better and better. Just take your time to shift, let the synchros do their job. If anyone has any doubts, I volunteer to provide driving lessons (for a fee) to anyone with problems in my area! :D -of course...not in my car!

 

Gas mileage is tough but it is a small price that I am willing to pay, absolutely love my 8. Highly satisfied.

 

I have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised about my mileage. Sure, the first tank went quick because I counldn't stay under 4k.

But I just made a trip from Minneapolis to Chicago with the air conditioning on (which worked great BTW) and got 23mpg.

Maybe my expectations were low, but I was thrilled!

 

I was just attempting to let you know what some of us on this board have experienced. Even my Mazda dealer's tech acknowleged it, and said that he noticed it too, in some of the other 8s he's driven into/out of the shop. He felt that it was designed that way, and explained why. I don't know if he's right, but that's not the point, anyhow.

I would also have thought that Dan Jedlicka, with all his experience testing cars, would know how to drive a stick, but he even wrote about it in his review of the RX-8 (link was in my other post-did you look?). So... much as I appreciate the offer, I'll pass on the driving lessons, since I'm not in your area. It was real nice of you to offer your help, though, and I was hoping you might be able to find the other posts on this topic to volunteer your assistance to the other guys who have dealt with this. I'm sure they'd like to learn how to drive correctly!

 

After reading this complaint I tried to take notice in my 8. I have no such problem, I shift very fast and like the short shift pattern. I shifted 3rd-4th-5th-6th with no clutch at all and that worked to, just can't shift very fast with no clutch.

 

I've heard many horror stories about shifters going diabolic under certain circumstances. My take: well..like I said before, either you (not necessarily you..) are not shifting right, or there is something wrong with the cars tested and/or owned in particular. There has been some people with blown clutches, loose throwout bearing plates(?) and so on. Sorry...I just tried to give things some humor..anyways, looks like you took it that way.

 

Hey, Butch-

It looks to me like we have identical cars. I get tons of compliments on the Winning Blue. Anyhow, the clutch thing doesn't show up on all 8s... just a few. I was recently browsing thru the posts about the issue, and it looks like there actually may be an adjustment that can be done. I guess it isn't easy tho. My Mazda dealer's tech is fantastic with the 8s, but he doesn't know of any adjustment... Mazda says there isn't one. I'll research it more, then pass the info on to him and see if he can fix it.

The problem isn't major at all... it's just annoying enough to notice it. My 8 shifts beautifully, and I don't have to go to the metal with the clutch on anything but starts and stops... into first/reverse, basically. If I keep the seat adjusted back far enough for my right leg to be comfortable, I can barely get the clutch pedal down far enough. Normally in stop and go traffic I just move the seat up a notch. For a trip, I move it back. It's minor, and doesn't make me any less happy with the car. I'm even ok with the gas mileage. :D

 

Hey, TX -

Yup... I took it as intended, and gave a little humor back, too!

I was looking thru some of the more recent posts on the issue, and there actually may be an adjustment for this. I guess it's kinda complex, but my tech is good and can handle it. He just didn't think there was any adjustment possible... echoing Mazda's stance that there is no adjustment for the clutch.

This seems to be an uncommon (and minor) problem. Some people have experienced it, and others haven't. A couple of guys on the board have added 1" to the clutch pedal height, and they said it made all the difference. I'll resort to that if I have to, but I'll see if that adjustment thing can be worked out.

I still wouldn't trade my 8 for anything! The car really turns heads (or else I'm just hotter than I thought- LOL)... great car! :D

By the way, just an aside, but a friend has noticed that there are several 350 Zs in used car lots around here. I wonder why? Are there owners not as happy with the Z as we are with the 8?

 

had less than week, running great I really enjoy the car.

 

A Neon can do what better? Dodge Neon?

I was inferring nothing linear performance-wise, just the concept that there's nothing near the RX8 in price that's as appealing to me (IMO)....personally, I'd stick with the RX8 over the Corvette, 350Z, S2000, and quite a few others.

 

I don't think the rpm's are as important to saving gas as how far you press the pedal unless your talking about highway driving. I noticed on a trip to Florida that at 85 mph I got about 20-20.5 mpg and at 70 mph under 4,000 rpm's I got 24 mpg. At home, country driving, hills and curves not much stop and go usually not more than 65mph but I love to accelerate quickly about 1/3 throttle and just wait to shift at about 6500 rpms and I get 20 - 21mpg doing that. I used to have a 440 Charger that got 10-12 mpg and a Suburban that got 16 so 20+ is good enough for me.

 

Hey my first post! Just wanted to say I'm happy with the my new RX and I only had it a week without reving past 4k. Can't wait to take it to 9k!

Dave

 

My 1st post!! I've just got my rx8 (sunlight silver, black interior). 2 days driving and I simply love it.

Paolo

 

I have the silver too. Good luck with it and stay with the forum. It's the best source of info on our cars.

 

** Highly Satisfied **

The car is simply bitch'in. I've owned the V8's.....the Rotary is the way forward.