Wishing I'd gotten the automatic
 

Blasphemy, I know.

I got my RX-8 in late October 2009, as an alternate-driver when I wanted to drive something sportier than my VW Passat. The Passat had been a money pit, and I wanted a newer more reliable car (the RX-8 might seem like an odd choice for reliability, but it's actually been a champ), and since I had the flexibility of already owning a practical car, I went all-in on the RX-8 and got the manual transmission.

Shortly thereafter the Passat overheated due to frozen coolant in one of the coolant lines (who knew putting an un-insulated metal pipe RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE GRILLE would be a bad idea?), and the following summer it started refusing to start in hot weather -- like, turning the key did nothing, no clicks, no dimming dashboard lights, nothing. At that point I finally said "to hell with it", cut my substantial losses and trashed the Passat. The RX-8 has been my DD ever since.

I've taken it on a few 10-hour trips, but most of the 54,000 miles on it have been city miles, which means that I don't get to wring it out very often. Instead I get to feather the heavy clutch in traffic and do lots of rapid gear-changes pulling away from stoplights, and when I do get to sustain speed on the freeway I end up using the cruise-control to avoid getting tickets. So my left foot is tired and the drone from the exhaust on the freeway stays at the exact same pitch for long periods of time, which is somehow hypnotic and extremely annoying at the same time.

If I'd gotten the automatic I never would've learned to drive stick, but I also wouldn't have to put up with the constant frustration of driving this car in heavy traffic. Sure, the engine in the automatic is rated 20hp lower, but this engine has such a flat torque-curve that the only reason for the lower HP rating is because of the lower redline -- and since I almost never get close to redline anyway, I wouldn't miss the extra 20hp.

I wish I were better at predicting the future. In lieu of that, I wish I could trade for the automatic version without losing my shirt or taking a serious risk of buying an engine near the end of its lifespan. And I can't afford to buy a new car right now, so I'm stuck with what I've got. I never thought I'd hate this car, but circumstances conspired against me.

</rant>

I can't relate.
The cure for your dilemma is to seek out some twisties on your day off and give it a good thrashing.
Spank that Wankel.

The nearest twisties are an hour of boring freeway driving away from me. Unfortunately due to health issues I can't handle that much freeway driving right now, and the way things are going I may never be able to again. Stupid panic disorder, stupid blood pressure disorder, stupid disorders combining their powers of evil to ruin my life.

im sure you could find someone here willing to trade you. autos are not in high demand cause they suck

What makes them suck? The Series 2 automatics use the same 6-port engine as the manuals, and I've driven an automatic NC Miata before and the transmission programming is pretty damn good.

Someone tell me this thread is a joke. Please?!

What rpm do you shift at? You mentioned rapid gear changes, but unless you're shifting at like 2k, that's not really necessary. You can easily let it go to 4-5k. I often just use 2nd in city traffic.

Anywhere from 4-7k as traffic dictates. (I can't remember the last time I had enough space in front of me to rev all the way to 9k.) I can go through three gear-changes in 10 seconds, then have to stop 15 seconds later because I'm at the next stoplight, and do it all over 5 times before I even get to the grocery store, to say nothing of longer drives.

I think you guys don't understand how bad traffic is here. Sometimes on the freeway I can drive for an hour and a half and never get out of second gear. I'm usually shaking with tension by the time I get home on those days. And going to the mountains 60 miles away for a nice refreshing drive can easily involve being stuck in a 60-mile-long traffic jam with all the commuters who want to live in the countryside and work in the city.

I get it.
Stress sucks.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...4fdd613857.jpg



https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...2fda554546.jpg

That sounds awful :/ At that point I would start to hate my car too. Probably regardless of what it is.

It does suck. The RX-8 is the car I wanted, but it was the wrong car for the area where I live. If only I could teleport myself to somewhere better-suited to the car, without having to pack up and move all my stuff, find a new job, make new friends, etc.

Since my girlfriend lost her job just before Christmas (because it's the most wonderful time of the year!), I've been limping along driving her Mazda 3 when I need to run errands. At 155hp with stock tires, it's far from inspiring, but at least it's quiet and it doesn't force me to manually make the car work correctly. Seriously, driving stick stops being fun when you realize you will have no choice but to do it several times a minute for the rest of the life of the car, which could be ten years or more.

this thread makes me sad. ive only ever met one 8 owner on here that should have an autotragic and thats cause hes in a wheelchair

Now. I know something about MD. My brother works over at MA. Fuck your traffic. It sucks. I'd say I feel you, but I recall the east coast having WAY better public transportation than CO. I could be wrong, but wouldn't it be cheaper to take that if you can? If you can't for health reasons, understandable. That seems like the best option to me, unless you trade it out for an autotragic. I mean, if you could reprogram the transmission module in the auto cars to shift better...

We have pretty good public transportation, but waiting for the bus is SLOW, and walking long distances is not always a good idea thanks to stupid blood pressure BS. Anyway, nothing is cheaper for running around town than a paid-off car, unless you drive a Lamborghini or some other ridiculous car that gets 8mpg.

Not sure why people are bashing on the automatic transmission programming. Mazda's automatics in the past 10 years or so are the best automatics I've ever driven. They even do stuff like staying in lower gears when you're futzing with the gas pedal a lot, and downshift-braking on hills.

IIRC the big issue is that the RX8 autos have a shitty redline that doesn't get them into the high revs that they need to for survival.

Heavy clutch? :lol: If you think Mazda automatics are the best then you have just driven shitty automatics. It's all preference, but buying a slow automatics sports car makes no sense to me.

That said my friend is disabled and tracks his auto RX-8 but at least it's a 6 port and trust me, if he had a choice it would be a 6MT.

What a VW is a money pit?!? OTTH automatics are rather boring even for city driving. Enjoy what you have and drive it hard.

Well don't drive the auto RX-8 too hard or you will break something. My buddy who tracks his has gone thru two transmissions. We installed a cooler on the last one though and it has held up.

9krpmrx8,

Man that cooler is phenomenal.

On a 60 degree day I can drive hard, and get engine temp up to 200-210, and then, cruise easy, and water temp and trans temp both go back down to 170 where you can tell the themostat closed back up.

I wasn't gonna incite more auto bashing, but auto is so smooth, quiet, and still hits 115 mph pretty quick.

To the OP, I'm sure the auto has slight drag on power, but main reason it's 20 hp down is that redline is 7k rpm on the auto shift.

At 33k miles, it's like a garage queen, and I hope lasts for 10 more years.

Thanks again for your help.

I think the problem is where you live, not the car :)

The statement about walking and high blood pressure could not be further from the truth. I am not going to bash auto's in general, I own 2 and I love them in Dallas rush hour traffic. My 8 has always been recreational. Back to your blood pressure. Waiting for Public transport can suck, I know. however, your health could really benefit from that daily walk. I don't know you or what you do to manage it. If you eating like your supposed to adding exercise in the form of walking to the bus stop everyday and walking from your stop to work and vice versa will be an added benefit and could lower or even eliminate it all together. My uncle had high blood pressure and I encouraged him to walk 1 block and back home everyday and as he felt like it extending the length and pace His blood pressure was lowered and over about two years (still ate some crap) he manged to get off the medication altogether. He has since lapsed and gotten lazy again and needs medication. The point being do not under estimate the power of being active. The simple act of walking to that bus stop could add years to your life. Your life...live it as you will.

The rx8 is the wrong car for traffic ,auto or manual ..... And an auto has no place in a sports car . /thread.

In all seriousness, I can relate in some ways. My daily is an automatic, because it sucks to drive a manual in bumper to bumper traffic. My 8 gets driven on nice weather Fridays (traffic is light) and at the track. A tool for every job, if you will.

I got the double clutching down shifting out of my system with a 73 RX3, and I don't miss Mazda's bad synchros.

I do see a flaw with autos in that you can hit gas while going for brake.

A manual allows the clutch to stop pulling the car if that occurs.

I bought a MOMO hand brake control off Amazon.

I wonder if I can use it at track day?