why no mazdaspeed rx8!?
 

Is anyone else bitter about the fact that mazda decided to make a "mazdaspeed' model of the 3,6 and miata but not the 8?? i know i sure am. Why couldnt my rx8 come with a factory mazda turbo with 300hp? the only gripe anyone ever seems to have with performance is that theres no real punch with the 8 and for the most part i'd have to agree. I've just alway wondered why mazda never made one and if anyone else was thinking the same thing.

Nobody ever thought of that... not even Mazda :)

+1

I wouldn't say bitter exactly but disappointed for sure

this has been discussed a few times.
IIRC, Mazda did consider a supercharged MS RX8 for a 2005 model. I'll have a search around and post a link

here are a few. Not the particular thread I was looking for, but you get the idea...
https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-media-news-11/motor-trend-eludes-supercharged-mazdaspeed-rx-8-a-20659/
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-major-horsepower-upgrades-93/unofficial-us-mazdaspeed-supercharged-rx8-43727/

i really didnt think i'd be the first person to bring this up. i just want people to be pissed with me. i dont have 7k to spend on a turbo/supercharger so it woulda been pretty nice if Mazda had been bright enough to make one for me. plus to gain any power with this thing is damn near impossible without spending a ton of money. not that i dont love my 8, it just woulda been really nice if i coulda have bought this car and then got a chip flash like my brother did in his 04 STI and got 365hp just like that. also thatd be a nice way to shut all the rotary haters up.

no, that wouldn't shut them up. That's wishful thinking.

Reliability concerns.

i guess im just a "glass half full" kind of guy. but stil! i'd like to make those hondas look like they're in reverse! not just beating them by a couple feet.

well since we already have those, whats one more thing to worry about?? haha jk tho. i've never had a problem with my 8...((knocks on wood))

Well, it's not only the reputation but the costs involved.

They would have the goal of making a moderately reliable design that makes relatively consistent power that also gets an acceptable/marketable level of fuel economy and meets emissions. After that, they'd have to decide if they could accomplish that with a reasonable price and consider if the potential for profit is there when any warranty work is factored in as well.

So even if they had put some serious development time, it might have been safer to abandon the project rather than to move forward and produce it.

Just put the Mazdaspeed body kit and its a Mazdaspeed. :D:

Exactly what 8 maniac said.

Also think, a true Mazdaspeed edition would've costed more, it would've been approaching, if not, over $40k new. (I believe the new Spirit R coming out in Japan, when converted from yes is just over $41k, but I could be wrong. And it's not much different than a normal R3 it seems, other than being an even more limited edition.)

It'd be real nice, but again, as with everything else said, as well as the price would've been upped as well...

You don't think a Mazdaspeed version would cost more than what we all paid for our current RX-8's?

well of course it would have cost more but i have a 2008 40th that had 11k miles on it. paid 24,000...i think i could have gotten an older model for cheaper or the same even if it had a factory turbo. example: my brother's 2004 subaru sti had 30k miles on it when he got it and he paid 20,000. the sti would be a perfect car to compare to an rx8 with a higher hp, suspension and appearance than the other models. its like the difference between the wrx and the sti only itd be the rx8 and the mazdaspeed rx8....and dont people with turbos and sc's claim to get the same or better gas mileage?? and how much could forced induction really affect the emissions of the exhaust? idk. i'm just a dreamer.

ALSO: the way every performance shop is around here, i think that a factory turbo/sc would really be safer and more cost effective than an aftermarket. there are so many things that go into installing a turbo/sc that can go wrong and do we really trust with our touchy rotaries? so the bills for install, tunes and fixing everything that might go wrong has to be more expensive than a few more grand(my guess is 5k) from the factory.

isnt it a bit too late since they stopped selling?
also I never remembered there was a mazdaspeed rx7 either but there was a mazdaspeed protege.
I guess mazdaspeed is more like a high power version of the family car.
RX's are already sportscar so theres no reason to make a mazdaspeed version.

It would definitely affect the market of able and willing buyers, but it could at least be financed with the price of the car instead of having to be paid via credit card or straight up cash. Monthly payments would be much easier for some people to manage.

I'm not sure I would agree with that. A lot of stock turbo cars have a decent list of "reliability mods" that are highly recommended. The second you start to do aftermarket modifications, you'll see even more weak points that need to be dealt with in order to maintain reliability. A huge difference will also be the tune. A stock turbo car would have to use a safe and consistent tune that can be applied to every car produced. That means it will be a more conservative tune than what will often be used with an aftermarket turbo kit. If you're installing a turbo kit, you'll probably have a more aggressive tune than a stock tune, even if you have a "conservative" custom tune.

Also, I forgot to mention another complication. Heat is significant reason for some of the reliability issues. Turbos will naturally create more heat. Mazda would have to ensure there is proper compensation for the extra heat generated.

A lot of these details are easier to deal with on a single car, rather than having to find a cost effective way to safely account for the variability of each and every car produced.

I wouldn't quite use that logic. The protege was the first consumer vehicle mazda offered with the MS name and that was after the production of the 7 had ended. Plus, they offered a mazdaspeed MX-5, and I don't think that fits the family car category. Since they hadn't made the decision to produce MS vehicles during the time of the RX-7, I wouldn't say that's a reason to rule out a MS version of other rotary vehicles they produce.

At the end of the day, MS is just a name... people just wanted to see an even better performing vehicle than the normal RX-8, and the R3 package definitely wasn't enough to satisfy those desires.

Forgive me if I'm wrong but I think MS in Japan still carries aero parts for the 7, while MS completely dropped the 8.

I agree a turbo powered rotary Mazdaspeed RX8 would definitely have my attention and it would have addressed one or two of the reasons I bailed on the Rx8, but according to Mazda they only sold 664 RX8s this year. Demand has just about completely evaporated for the beloved Wankel...:scratchhe
http://autos.yahoo.com/news/r-i-p--t...12.html?page=2

Too many heat issues and blown engines. Turbos compound the problem. Mazda learned from the rx7 turbo. Besides it would be cost prohibiting for a car that already sells for 32k in gt form. Out of reach for most. Besides it already is speedy little sports car. Mazdaspeed 3 and 6s don't have a whole lot over it other than torque off the line. There are lots of aftermarket 300 hp turbos if you want to spend another $8k on your rx8.

after turbo, cooling mods, MS springs, shocks, sways, struts, body kit, etc the cost would be too high...think $45-50K
not too mention less realiable which would raise warranty claims even more
sounds good in theory but, not really feasible :)

Because the Mazdaspeed Rx8 is what the people deserve but not the one it needs right now...

TNC FTW!

OP- a turbo charged version from factory would have cost the extra $7-10K you said you don't have now do do it with aftermarket parts. I agree with other posters - the price tag on a car like that would have been close - if not beyond - the $40K range brand new.

So at the end everything seems relative:sad:

If you have the money - meaning, at least 10 grand - I am sure a good rotary tuner can do a good job in bringing your car to the next level as many have done here - probably better than a factory set up would be. (Of course, there are lots of trial and error stories, but many success stories as well. Look at the "major horsepower" folder here on the forums)

Point is, whether you paid the money for a turbo installed at the factory for a "Mazdaspeed" version(if that was an option) or aftermarket...you still needed the money!

And it doesn't sound like you have it, LOL.

There was a Mazdaspeed RX-8 in Japan. I'm not sure if it hit anywhere else but there was one in japan then the Mazdaspeed RX8 Ver2 as well. The upgrades included suspension, body kit, brake pads and also a tuned PCM. There was an option for the the MS to have a full roll cage in it as well. I'm sure there was a few more things that were added, seats and all but I'm not too sure about that. Also, with a FI RX8, problem would be reliability, low MPG and cost. The RX8 is tuned well as an NA and relatively reliable. Add FI, you lose MPG and reliability and on top of that, for a factory car, how large will the gain actually be? 5-10% just to keep it somewhat reliable? We live in a different age now where MPG is a big deal and emissions, things are not like it used to be back before 2000 sadly enough :(

There was no MS RX7 but they did have many parts for them including wheels, suspension, body kit and so on.

Just my two cents.

what my brother-in-law told me was that it was the turbo that killed his 7.