Mazda man

Do you guys think that the Rx-8 should have been 4wd instead of rear wheel drive?

Quick_lude

Nope. Too heavy and not all that beneficial imo.

sheylen

I don't think so. The RX-8 should be one of the best handling cars available. 4WD would only be useful in wet conditions or in countries with harsh weather (not in Cape Town). The 4wd would make the car heavier and therefore slower and less nimble. So give me RWD, cheaper and more fun.

Sputnik

Not if you wanted it to be a lightweight car with a nimble feel to it's handling. *BLECH!*

---jps

BlueAdept

I think that's a resounding NO!...

Plain simple, fun motoring... and in all but the most adverse conditions 4wd just takes away the fun.

Donny Boy

For rallying, maybe. For the street, maybe too heavy.

irresistibo

No need for 4wd, it wouldnt be cool at all if it was 4wd, all true sports cars have to be rwd.

Hercules

AMEN BROTHER!

I was going to go off on a whole spiel about how AWD ruins the fun you can have with a car... but I'll just leave it at your comment.

I would never buy an AWD car unless it was a SECONDARY GROCERY GETTER!

My main car must ALWAYS be RWD.

BryanH

I wouldn't be interested in the RX-8 if it was AWD. Gimme good old RWD any day.

mach

Uhm, do you drive your current cars backwards all the time then? Hehe, j/k with ya.

fuz

There is no reason to get AWD with electronic traction control handling the bad weather element. Of course if you have a lot of snow, it'd be beneficial.

Jerome81

NO.

Hercules

My dad's car is a 325i and I find myself drving that more often than not...

I hate the Maxima from the day I got it, the Millenia at least has upgraded stereo so it's livable... but not a RWD car

block911

YEAH MANG!@#$ RWD forever till you drive over black ice spin out and smash into a pole.


GNARLY DUDE!




Man I can't wait till the AWD IS 300 comes out.










SIC: Windows bashing == homosexual

Quick_lude

Haha... that's a funny yet ignorant post.. You will spin out on black ice with AWD also because all four of your tires will not have traction. AWD only helps to put the power down in slippery surfaces but once you lose grip, it's adios. On a dry road the extra weight/drivetrain loss is counterproductive. So if it is slippery you will not be driving fast anyway, unless you are planning to join rally type racing. As for increasing pure traction in a corner in inclement weather, better tires will benefit you a lot more than AWD.

Btw, I detest your stereotyping inference that everyone here is a "Gnarly dude" kinda person, what ever that means. If you have something intelligent to say to back up your argument please do so, otherwise buh bye.

InBlackPlease

I will add my NO to the list. Pretty much for the same reasons as above, cost and weight. Oh yeah and the fun factor.

Hercules

That implies that I'm (or we) are stupid enough to go and try to drive aggressively when it's wet and cold, with a good chance of ice out?

Go get your AWD IS300, and enjoy the extra weight. I like my cars RWD, I'd take a grocery getter to be AWD only.

ZoomZoom

No!!! Not until hell freezes over.

IWANTanRX8

AWD on my Ford Escape? Sure....it's an SUV grocery-getter/people mover.

AWD on the RX-8? Hell no!!! Any power application to the front wheels ruins steering feel versus a pure RWD vehicle. The traction benfits aren't worth the extra weight, cost, complexity, and potential reliability risk.

mjgc0

Maybe as an option or those unpleasant climates but I would prefer RWD.

Efini

here we go again, the good ol' rwd vs 4wd debate. once again, ill stick with RWD !!!!! even though there are reasons why 4wd is "IN THEORY" superior to rwd, 4wd will never be able to give the uncorrupted steering feel and feedback that only a rwd can provide.

BryanH

If you wanna talk steering feel, you can't beat a lightweight MR car with a manual steering rack. :D

But I agree, RWD is simply the most fun. FWD may be easier to drive at the limit for some, but I feel more at home with my right foot linked to the rear tires.

jay

i read somewhere that it will come with Dynamic Stability Control (ie will detect a spin on the wheels and reduce engine speed and apply brakes accordingly). not sure if it will be an option or standard.

Also below is something i had posted on another forum:

interview with Mazda's managing director of product strategy, design and product development, Phil Martens.


Mr Martens said the modular sports car platform upon which RX-8 is built and a renewed commitment to rotary engine power would allow the corporation to create a number of exciting new derivatives.


"I can see pent-up demand for unique sports car options in the flagship price range," he said.


These "options" include a two-seater roadster, 2+2 convertible, compact hatch and all-wheel drive variants across the range.


RX-8 is also certain to be offered with several tiers of performance following its 2002/3 launch, including an entry level inline four-cylinder and turbocharged versions of the standard 184kW "Renesis" rotary engine.


Up for renewal in the 2004 model year, the MX-5 will shift to the new sports car platform and it, too, is expected to be offered with a range of engines.


The complete article is at:
http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...hlight=2,mazda

jay

this isn't the right thread for this topic but is anyone else really bummed that the 'engine start' button didn't make it into the production model?

rx-8_or?

Yeah. Although the start button DOESN"T have aNy REAL use, it's a cool gadget nevertheless. I guess Mazda can reduce some cost w/o having the start button?