robrecht

Of course I would. I would test drive anything and I might even buy it if I liked it enough. But don't forget that the MS3 has 60/40 front-end heaviness, front-wheel drive, and only gets 18/26 mpg. Put that in a RWD car and you will get less power to the wheels and less fuel efficiency. Doesn't really address the topic of this thread. Personally, I'd much rather look forward to a 16x that has 23% greater displacement than the 1.3L Renesis, is 20% lighter, and will have all the fun and chassis dynamics of a rotary. That's why I'm glad Mazda is still investing in rotary R&D. We'll see what the fuel economy is, with direct injection, etc, but that just isn't my highest priority or I wouldn't be driving an RX-8.

Shoafb

You compared the businees model of VW producing the Bugatti Veyron. There is a big difference between producing a few very high end cars (that are likely sold before they are even made) at a loss and the mass production of the RX-8.

champi0n

iTrader: (1)

This thread sucks

Why are people complaining that they want better gas mileage? you should be complaining you want cheaper fuel!

just goes to show that everyone is willing to bend over and take it from the government and oil companies.

CyberPitz

Needs more reiteration.

JRichter

What comparison? I'm showing examples of car companies not being conservative. Mazda is obviously not conservative in insisting on keeping the rotary engine in production.

EdwardsB

I just wasted 15 min of my life, indeed this thread sucks!

alfy28

Its pretty obvious that mazda makes the RX series for its rotary fans. I mean since the beginning of the rx series it has always sold poorly compared to other car companies that is not something new. Even 7 sales in japan where dominated by Skyline GT and GTS, S13-15, Supra's . I am pretty sure mazda knows rx series is not a car that they are hoping to be banking on.

Even when i had a FC in okinawa japan, out of 20 of my friends only 3 of us owned FC rest owned s13-14. but we also owned motorcyles as a daily driver. ppl think japan every one is driving these tuned cars, but to be honest its not like that. These car companies such as daihatsu are banking on small FF cars, and that is where mazda, nissan and toyota are banking on to small ff cars. and if ppl do owned tuned cars 99% of them own a small DD car, scooter, or motorcyle or take local transit.

also when i go home to visit my family all you see is small cars. these companies who make these sport cars are only making it for the ppl who want them, its not their main goal to sale as many as they can. that is what the small cars are for. also in japan every year we have to pay for tags, but the price goes by the size of the engine etc. these tags cost us anywhere from 800.00-2000.00 which pays for good roads etc. so i can tell you nissan and other car companies that make sport cars their sales numbers are low. ppl rather have small cars due to small engines so they dont have to pay alot for a yearly tags. so like Jrichter said earlier, i dont think mazda is crying over rx sales, yes they would like to sale more, but it's not something they are loosing their sleep over. they have other cars for that.

Robonaut

I would consider buying a RX8 with a four-cylinder, but that four-cylinder would have to be more like the one in the S2000 than the one in the Miata.

Could Mazda really put a four-cylinder in there and keep the same driving dynamics, though?

champi0n

iTrader: (1)

absolutely not. it changes everything

CyberPitz

The weight ratio would be screwed. Would have to probably change the way it sits in there a bit. The handling would be compromised a bit.

jzief128

iTrader: (1)

In defense of this crazy 4 cyl idea (which I do not support), the MX-5 has about 51-49 weight distribution front and back AND it uses a shortened RX-8 platform. Throwing the MX-5 4 cyl in the RX-8 wouldn't necesarily change things all that much. Granted, the 2.0 4 cyl probably does weigh a little bit more than the rotary, but it all depends on WHERE the extra weight of the RX-8 comes from in the chassis (it weighs about 500 lbs more than the MX-5).

And I'm pretty sure the RX-8 doesn't have "perfect" 50-50 distribution...I think it is weighted slightly to the front. As Mazda says for the MX-5 "nearly 50-50 distribution

jzief128

iTrader: (1)

PS, the driving dynamics of the MX-5 are not compromised in any way over the RX-8, chassis wise. Now some stiffer springs and sways would definitely make me happy, though.

robrecht

Of course, the Miata is proof that you can still have great chassis dynamics with a 4-banger, but I'd still much rather have a Miata with a 16x rotary. Less engine weight, mounted lower and further back. Who can possibly argue with that? It's possible to design a car for both engine options--the Kabura is proof of this concept. I think I know which one most of us here would prefer, but hopefully others will have the choice. The same car could have a small 3- or 4-cylinder fuel efficient piston engine or an even lighter high performance rotary. To my mind, this dual platform car would better illustrate the genius of the rotary engine, both its advantages as well as its disadvantages, which are at least minimized in a light-weight 2-seater. As much as I love my RX-8, I believe the particular genius of a small rotary engine is better illustrated in a lighter weight sports coupe. Who knows, could be that a rotary Kabura could sell better than an RX-8. Seems most of the rotary enthusiasts have not necessarily bought into the compromise of a 4-seater sports car.

CyberPitz

True, but the Miata was made for a 4banger, while the RX8 was made for the Rotary. Changing one thing and dropping in another doesn't mean it's going to be the same thing...and you're right, ti's not 50-50, it's, what, 48-50 or something.

The MX-5 is MUCh lighter everywhere than the RX-8, so it finds it easier to drop that engine in there and make that balance, as it was built with that engine in mind, as the RX-8 wasn't is what I was getting at.

I am not incorrect in saying the handling will be compromised a bit. I'm not saying, "HOLY ****, YOU WON'T EVEN BE ABLE TO TURN!" Just saying it will be different.

delhi

I think Robonaut hit the point here. If we all wanted a high-strung 4-cylinder capable sport machine, we'd be in S2ki.com by now.
The RX car will not be the same with rotary. Mazda intended this to be their signature product. Many automotive car companies have it too. The rx8 like the rx7s before it appeals to certain types of folks. Not everyone. People like shoafb is not one of them. But what's puzzling is his incessant troll-like vendetta against it. I understand that the lexus forum like its cars is a <yawner> but surely miata.net is a busy place to learn.

CyberPitz

Shhh, Shoafb isn't trolling, he's just putting in his input.

*If you can't tell, I've been down that road, and can already tell his response*

In all honesty, I expected him to have made this thread. Kinda dropped my jaw when it was another.

Shoafb

Hey I just advised someone to buy an rx-8 on a thread the other day... I did say to stay away from the 04-05's but still.... that's progress.

All I did on this one was answer the OP's question.... ok so I shouldn't have thrown the dig in about the 350 sales but boy did that get people fired up quick.

robrecht

Actually, you completely ignored the point of the thread:

CyberPitz

Good to see the shadow is looming slightly less

disanti

I heard that Hinson Supercars is working in a LS-X kit for the rx-8 for about the same price than the rx7s

Shoafb

Original OP's qestion : would you buy an rx8 with a 4cyl.

My reply : Yes

I tried to leave no room for misinterpretation this time.

cmr333

this is true in many ways. i hav had to reverse engineer alot of things that mazda did when they made this car. Mazda built the entire car around its engine and it was pretty much as good as it gets as far as placement and making the low tourqe high reving rotary get down the twisties hauling ***.all of the tolerances were very tight low and tucked away. now the sr sits about 3" higher than the renny did and i maintained stock ground clearance. the entire engine is about 6" longer but we had to cut out part of the lower windsheild cowl to fit the cylinder head further back , by doing this we shifted more weight to the center of the car and only had to move the eps rack 4.5" forward from where it was. also after all of the mods we made to the subframe with tubular steel the front end is way lighter than it was and with stock springs sits 3.5" higher now. I already know that my car is not going to handle like it did before . but it does not mean that this car will not be fun to drive anymore. i tryed to mimic as much of mazdas design but ofcorse i couldent, so it wont handle as good. this being said i agree that if mazda wanted to put a 4 cly. in the rx8 they would have, but they built it completly around the rotary wich puts it in a class by itself.

robrecht

Try again:

Shoafb

Originally Posted by Shoafb
Yes, definatelly.

Throw the MS3 setup in there and they could keep up with 350z sales.

I allready admitted I should not have thrown in the 350 dig....after I answered YES to the OP's question. What else do you want?

robrecht

I don't care about your 350 dig. The only issue is you're in favor of the MS3 turbocharged 4-cylinder but not in favor of a 150 hp 2.0L 4-cylinder for the sake of increased fuel economy in the 8, which was the actual question. So, if you really wanted to answer the OP's question (and not just argue), I think your real answer would be, "No, definatelly (sic) not."

Now, don't you have anything funny to say about Jessica Alba's *****?