Which is correct? I always thought that SE3P was it. However, I keep seeing FE3S in places, like the 3/09 issue of D-sport.

Are they just regional variances?

 

se3p is the right one

 

OK, that's what I thought. Then, where's this FE3S coming from?

 

i thought FE3S was LHD and SE3P was RHD...any truth to that?

 

The RX-8 is an FE.

All tech documents/bulletins refer to the FE code, SE is not mentioned.

An Aussie member, 8rotor8, summed it up nicely -

Mazda platforms -
DA/DL/DB/DW/DG/DY - subcompact FWD (ex: Mazda Demio)
SS/SR/SG - subcompact minivan FWD (ex: Mazda Bongo)
BD/BV/BF/BG/BA/BH/BW/BJ/BK - compact FWD (ex: Mazda Familia/Mazda GLC/Mazda 323/Mazda Protege/Mazda3)
CA/CB/CG/CP - mid-size FWD (ex: Mazda Lantis)
GC/GD/GV/GE/GF/GW/GG/GY - mid-size FWD (ex: Capella/Atenza/626/MX-6/6/Ford Probe)
MA/MB - mid-size FWD (ex: Mazda Persona)
TA - mid-size FWD (ex: Mazda Millenia)
HC/HD/HE - full-size RWD (ex: Mazda Luce/929)
JC - full-size rotary RWD (ex: Eunos Cosmo)
LV/LW - minivan FWD (ex: Mazda MPV)
FB/FC/FD/FE - rotary sports cars RWD (ex: Mazda RX-7/Mazda RX-8)
NA/NB/NC - piston sports cars RWD (ex: Mazda MX-5)

ergo, if a new RX-7 comes out it WILL be an FF or FG,
and if there IS an SE it would be a minivan!

S

 

you guys are all wrong.its B16A..

 

well... you would think logically it would be fe, but strictly speaking it's se3p in terms of the chassis code/type that car nerds, especially the jdm ones, refer to. see the attached spec sheet. the row that's circled is titled car name/type, and it's cba-se3p and aba-se3p, the former for 5-speed stick cars. i think it was la-se3p for the 1st series rx-8s. in our (US) tech documents, fe shows up but only for the purpose of the vin. this is like the 1st gen rx-7. it's type/code is sa22c, while in the vin of the non-jdm cars it said fb so a lot of people thought it's fbs3, while it's *strictly speaking* sa22c. it's a very subtle, almost arbitrary, nuance...

 

i thought all Rx8 in Asia written down with SE3P

 

why is it changed for the vin? it just creates complications.

 

Good question.

 

I call it FE since it's following the same convention as it always has.

 

S and F are interchangeable.

Both are correct, but need to be defined by what the VIN in the actual car is.

So in 90% of the world, FE is correct.

And all Mazda rotary sports cars had been the second part of "3P" if you look at the Monroney.

 

VIN vs chassis code but that's been answered already

I actually ran into the issue on 7club a couple weeks ago, apparently everyone else refers to them as FEs

 

If you've owned an RX-7 before, it's an FE.

If this is your first Rotary, it's SE.

 

my vin says FE in the same place that my other rotary cars said FC soo.... FE it is