another8owner

2005 Mazdaspeed Mazda RX-8


By Stuart Fowle
Photography: Mike Dushane

Young America has changed. In Generation Y, silly things like war protests and civil rights movements have been tossed aside to make room for the important stuff. You know, vinyl graphics, huge blingin' dubs, and pounding car stereos. Whether you're drift-racing through the hills of SoCal or cruising South Beach, body kits and lowered suspensions are required, and you'd better be prepared to be made a fool of by some punk in a '92 Civic. Aftermarket performance parts sales are in the billions, and the fever has spread from L.A. to Kalamazoo to Timbuktu.

It is no surprise that Mazda wants a slice of the aftermarket pie. And what better time than now? The 3, the 6, the RX-8, and the Miata all have been on the market for a while, meaning the lights are out in the Mazda Party Hall. Success in the aftermarket is the corkscrew tugging at the top of the next bottle of Cristal-that's where Mazdaspeed comes into play.

Owners of Miatas, 6s, and RX-8s now can visit their local dealers to fulfill their wing and wheel desires. And if that isn't enough to lure you from late-night Google searches for the shift **** of your dreams, parts installed by Mazda technicians are covered by the original warranty, whereas self-installed parts are covered for a year.

Unlike the Mazdaspeed Miata and the upcoming 6, which differ slightly in appearance from their regular, higher-production counterparts, the Mazdaspeed-accessorized RX-8 is adorned with gobs of boy-racer goodies. Extended air inlets and a ground-scraping lip spoiler make the front end look like a cow-catcher, and low-slung side skirts and a rear under-spoiler join in to make the car so low it doesn't fit through a standard car wash. Which is actually a good thing, considering the danger of the flimsy adjustable rear wing adjusting itself right off the car with one swift swing of the scrub brush.

Beyond the unchanged engine and the comical appearance, the people at Mazdaspeed have indeed made a great car better. Lightweight Ray's Engineering wheels look cool, and they lower unsprung weight at only 17 pounds each, while new springs drop the ride height 20 millimeters, bringing about a lower center of gravity and increased spring rate. Along with larger front and rear stabilizer bars (resulting in less body roll) and strut tower braces (for increased body rigidity), these bits and pieces make a package fit for Laguna Seca. Track lovers should avoid the optional sunroof, however, as it brings with it a painfully large loss of headroom for helmet heads.

So now you've got all the street cred you could dream of. Girls in plaid miniskirts scream your name as you cruise by, and you're at the top of your class in local SCCA events. The situation in your wallet, however, is more on the losing side. In all, the body modifications total more than $4,000. The wheels run another $2500 (unless you want the even lighter $6800 set of magnesium wheels). And don't forget the $1500 for suspension parts. That's $8000 before installation, putting a decently spec'd Mazdaspeed RX-8 in the $40,000 range, where predators such as the BMW 330Ci and the Nissan 350z patrol the waters, offering more power and more refinement.

In terms of uniqueness and personalization, however, Mazdaspeed's RX-8 accessories have a lot to offer. In a car culture where $20,000 of custom parts is the norm and expensive tires are burned up in the name of fun, this car seems almost reasonable. If you're more go than show, a $1500 suspension package is quite a bargain.

So is Mazda ready to storm the aftermarket? For a brand based on the principle of zoominess, we think it's only natural. But true RX-8 aficionados may want to wait for the turbocharged RX-8 rumored to be in the Mazdaspeed pipeline, which surely will offer a price-speed-style combination unmatched in the RX-8 aftermarket.

BlueEyes

Sounds like Mr. Fowle doesn't like the MS 8 very much. Although, he made me laugh more than once while reading that.

poolsidenaz

I couldn't find anything to argue strongly against. Unfortunately.

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

ah good read lol

Deslock

Why the thumbs-down? That article compliments the 8 and is more-or-less on target with its characterizations.

another8owner

this is the Mazdaspeed EQUIPPED RX-8 not the actual MAZDASPEED car they are referencing in the article, thumbs down because im the guy spending that cash they discuss in the article along with a few others on this forum.

BlueEyes

You have to learn to laugh at yourself man.

another8owner

Dont misunderstand me, This article did make me laugh quite a bit, its llike one of those things when a buddy talks trash about you with a good zinger and you have no reply. It didnt offend me at all.

rx8wannahave

I've been reading about all the mod's people do and I really can't understand some of them. I'm all for personalizeing your car but paying $2,500 for rims seems CRAZY to me. You can pick up some 16-17 pound 18inch rims for WAY less than that.

Heck...talk to philodox, he got another 65HP for $3,250 (or so) so with all respect, Mazda, you can keep those rims.

pret

so you taking ur mazdaspeed EQUIPPED 8 out to the track or local autoX?

another8owner

If i could ever get a day off from work when one is happening i absolutly would. here are some pics having fun.

SHOWOFF

That opposite lock photo is sweet.

PaulyG CT

Thought the article was right on target. When you end up at $40K all in, used BMW M3s start to look pretty interesting. Hey, my '88 944 turbo S with suspension mods, exhaust mods, roll bar, 5 point belts, racing shells and chipped engine comes in a lot less than $40K. It's not really drivable on the street anymore, but it's damn fast on the track and would easily kick my RX-8's *** on tracks with long straights. Might be a closer contest at a technical track like Lime Rock, however, since the RX-8 handles so well right out of the box.

Besides, spoilers and wings dont do anything below 80MPH anyway. In fact, if I wanted to track the RX-8, I would do the suspension before anything else.

Bottom line in my opinion is that for the money, the RX-8 is awesome right out of the box and clearly the Mazda engineers did their R&D as there is not much more to improve it without some really big cubic dollars..

PaulyG

AQA101

The author certainly ain't all wrong.

I have only very few mods on my car and even these sum up to > $1000. Anyway, they felt worth it and they still do. Life without a short shifter wouldn't be the same, period.

The point is that our cars are our hobby. And people act irrational when it comes to hobbies at all times and places. Some people probably dream of a wing on their 8 every night. They look at that wing ten times a day in the internet. They don't want a different car, they want that wing.

I'm 36 years old, grown up somehow and will hopefully raise a little family in the very near future. But even I felt a sensation when that short shifter finally arived and I remember how I excited I used to be about similar things when I was younger. People are like that.

The article is OK, but one could easily write such an article about every other hobby, including that of the author. Other people need the newest mobile phone, a certain stamp or coin and I for myself decided that I need a short shifter.

The article can't be contradicted because it says that some humans tend to be extremely into things that others don't care about. Which is true.

PaulyG CT

you are a wise man AQA101.

AQA101

Wise men don't browse internet forums for sports cars.

MazdaspeedRx8

I really think the Mazdaspeed Rx8 is not going to be USD 40,000. Its going to be more around mid 30's.

He forgot to take into account that its going to be Mazdaspeed parts price minus Stock parts price.

Deslock

The article talks about adding MS parts to an RX8, not buying a MS RX8.

If you buy an RX8 and tell the dealer to swap all the stock parts for MS ones, I assume the dealer isn't going to refund you the prices of the stock parts.

MazdaspeedRx8

oh ok. I didnt thoroughly read it. I thought it was talking about buying a MS Rx8 from factory.

truemagellen

this article was rather pointless....

it is clear he is caught up in the HP war....as he doesn't focus on the suspension upgrades

if he was a real reporter he would have done some research and with his credentials found information that isn't readily available from Mazda's website

Deslock

He mentioned suspension upgrades in a few places, including "If you're more go than show, a $1500 suspension package is quite a bargain". What information would've made him a real reporter and given this article a point?

rudy8

hey, he mentioned my home town, kalamazoo!
what can be better than that.
i will be up around 40 k before its all over and thats okay!
i love my car tremendously, and hopefully more when i put on the turbo!

RodsterinFL

I can. I know that bashing a car is unproductive but when opinions are shared I must share mine. IMO, the 350 Z may have more power at higher speeds as indicated by figures but I would NEVER agree that it is more refined as the article states.

truemagellen

u are completely right

the fact the author labeled the 350z more refined discounts him since the 350z is like a pitbull...ugly and crude

interior on the z is shlok...the exterior is not very sleek...the handling is FAR less refined

ok I continue to think the author is a ******** :D

Razz1

$ 1500

Check out Racing Beat suspension springs. They're around $ 500 and are made to work with stock shocks on the racing track.

You'll never rub your wheels on the inside of the fenders with their system.

But he is correct, you can spend a lot of money with little gain on the RX8.