Forbes.com often takes a while to get to the point, which is the case on the first page of this article. 2nd and 3rd pages have decent review and some quick comparisons to other similarly prices sporty cards. Best point: "The RX-8 is rare in that it handles so well with so little effort."

http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/2005..._0509test.html

 

nice find

 

a 'fair and balanced' review i'd say :o

 

Does the car really get loud at highway speeds? Elsewhere I read that the cabin is ultra quiet....

 

It's never LOUD loud. My miata with Enthuza pipes was *LOUD*.

The 8 at a steady 80mph in top gear is so quiet, all you (barely) hear is the whrrr of the engine, and the whrrr of the gearbox and diff. Very very quiet. First car I've had, or been in, that *didn't* have wind noise at 80!

The only time it approaches loud is when you stomp on the right-most pedal and get the revs going.. and then, it's not obnoxious-loud, it's just loud 'nuff to be heared, felt and intoxicated by it..

:D

 

The car is pretty quiet at cruising speeds but the damn Bridgestones are loud as hell --- overall my 8 is loud in the summer and quiet in the winter with my Dunlaps on

 

I hear more tire noise than engine noise at 80mph...
The engine is audible, but I guess it's more than what you get compared to the competition...

 

It's all relative. I find it louder than the BMW 540 I had before it, and also louder than a friend's BMW 330. That said, those are quiet cars.

 

Great article. very unbiased. I have to admit, when you have the engine screaming on the highway it's far from quiet. Yes the cabin is free from exterior wind noise, and such. But you definately hear the hum of the engine resonating in the cabin. This is with the stock intake and exhaust. It would be interesting to be inside one that has had these two mods. I don't mind the sound, however it does make it dficult to talk on my speaker phone. Well I guess I could drive slower :D

 

This review linked to another Forbes review called "Almost Great Cars"? by Dan Lienert. One of his "almost great" cars is our beloved RX-8. According to this review, our 8 is "sluggish off the line" and its "severe looks" are "decidedly unbeautiful".

I suspect that Mr. Lienert is not going to win the Journalist of the Year award from the RX8Club members.

I'm glad I don't look to Forbes are the authority on sports cars.

 

Nice review, though it says the RX8 is 700 pounds lighter than the Z (the difference is actually about 300 pounds).

FYI. the "Almost Great Cars" review gets to the RX-8 on slide 11:
http://www.forbes.com/2005/05/06/cx_...hisSpeed=20000

 

between this and the edmunds(both of which arent very notable sportscar judges) im thinking about writing a page on misconceptions of the car and why the majority of people that put down the RX-8 are retarded and/or misinformed.