R&T RX8 Review...
 

For those who haven't read it, I would sure hate to get that press car after them... it's nice to know to get the best 0-60 times you should drop the clutch at 7500 RPM, but I can't imagine it lasting more than 500 miles... :eek:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....article_id=496

Are the pictures on the following link the Titanium Grey or the Silver ????

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....ber=1&preview=

Re: R&T RX8 Review...
 

Keep in mind you're only dropping 159lb/ft of torque onto that clutch...

What would hurt the tranny more?

1) Dropping clutch on a V8 truck with 200lb.ft torque @ 2000 rpm.

or

2) Dropping clutch on a 159lb.ft toque engine at 7500-8000rpm?


Keep in mind the clutch plate is rotaing a zero rpm and has to match up to the flywheel speed. Taken into consideration the force is multiplied by the radius of the clutch plate (lever arm) I'd say the 7500rpm drop will kill your clutch A LOT faster than the truck. Please just refrain from drag racing people in a RX8, this is not what the car is built for. Think of it as a 4 door 4 seater Miata. (only faster) Don't count on the trannt to last a long time if you play to to 7k-8k clutch drop on a weekly basis. Most likely something in the drivetrain will snap or shatter before the clutch burns out..... which is even worse than replacing a clutch.

Look on the brighter side. The R&T report indicated the RX8 is faster to 60 than a G35C with 280hp 270lb.ft torque..... but not as swell in handling. Kind of a complete 180 from the C&D report awhile back. Guess you can't trust these magazine comparos afterall. ;)

That's why you read them all and try to make the best decision you can.

Either way I don't intend on dropping the clutch at all... Just to take the car flying thru twisties... *drool*

Or, hold on to whichever fits your preconcieved notion the best.

Actually, if I remember correctly, C&D doesn't do high RPM clutch drops, R&T does...

As far as the clutch goes, you're still causing something rotating at high RPMs to start rotating something that's stationary - torque or not I would expect the higher speed differential between the two surfaces to cause more wear than the torque available...

If memory serves me correctly, Car & Driver got a 0-60 time of 6.0 sec, based upon an 8,000 rpm clutch drop.

Well, to be fair, R&T says:
Its [G35] chassis delivers more grip with flatter cornering, but the Mazda has the edge in its lighter, more agile handling feel.

So the G35 puts up better numbers and is better around a skidpad (at least R&T's skidpad), but it does sound like they like the handling better in the RX-8.

Both R&T and C&D do clutch drops on takeoff.

i agree... both C&D and R&T do the clutch drops... or in auto situations, they brake torque. neither is really good for the car

i believe that they call it a Hard Launch and soft launch wud be to take off from 0rpm (well idle wont be at 0 so whatever idle is wud be ur starting RPM)

but if u dragrace, and want ur best times, ull have to drop the clutch

Is a clutch drop something that C&D and R&T are going to do on every sports car that they test? Or is it one of those things that isn't always needed- for example, would they have done a clutch drop on a 350Z while testing it?

Clutch drops are typically done on all cars that are reviewed.

this is why if a person states that they matched the 0-60 time of C&D or R&T on the road (without droppin the clutch or brake torquing), they are full of it...

but yeah, they usually do the hard launches that most dont duplicate on the road

Ok, not to hijack the thread- but why are so many people (not here) complaining about the times if ALL sports cars go through a clutch drop to get the numbers listed in magazines? I'd assume you wouldn't want to do a clutch drop on ANY type of car on a regular basis.

I guess that they are complaining because their cars cannot be clutch dropped as high as the 8 can due to their lower redline, but all cars (not only sports cars) are tested this way.

not to pick on SkylineManiac, but i really don't think that this is it...

the forces on the clutch (assuming that the wheels instantly give way, which they don't) in a spinning wheel start is overcoming the inertia of the drivetrain behind the engine: the gearbox through to the wheels... the more force the engine is putting onto the clutch the faster this will happen, but then the clutch is obviously more stressed: so, in the end, what i'm saying is that there's more to the picture than rpms (which if you slip the clutch would be worth considering, as you'd burn your clutch pretty bad) and the amount of force the engine generates (at maximum) at that rpm... i say at maximum becuase if you're only giving the throttle 30 degrees to get the revs up to 7000 ('cause the moving bits in the wankel are so light), it's certainly not producing its maximum force at that rpm.

i highly doubt its due to the RPM that the rx8 can be dropped vs other cars. some cars dont need to be dropped that high since peak power isnt there. if the peak power is at a lower RPM, they wud just go to (an example) 4000 or 5000 to drop it

why people complain about times is cuz they want the car to go faster ... but very few people are going to duplicate those times on the street... they might just feel better THINKING they can go faster

Yeah, they clutch drop nearly all cars, but most may only be at 3-4000rpm, which isn't quite the strain on the drivetrain, although it still isn't something you'd want to do regularly.

The complaint is that the times for the RX-8 drop off considerably, or at least more than many other cars, if you don't do a clutch drop. E.g., for C&D, their 5-60mph measurement which is done with the clutch already engaged (at 5mph). Most cars lose about a second on the 5-60 test; the RX-8 loses ~1.5 seconds. Some, usually slower and less performance oriented, lose even less - half a second or something. I think I've seen one or two that are actually faster 5-60.

...but wasn't it in some higher gear?? there's a memory itching at me saying: "they didn't take the gearing into account" or something... can't remember... ummm... :confused:

Their top gear 50-70 or 30-50 or whatever tests are usually done in (obviously) top gear, so the overdriven 6th for the rx-8. However, I'm pretty sure C&D's 5-60 is started in first gear, clutch engaged at 5mph, then they floor it until 60. I don't have a mag in front of me, but I can check sometime if anyone is really curious.

All this means is that it's not a stoplight racer, and most people already knew that. Race a G35 (stick) from a light and you'll probably lose, assuming you actually own the 8 and need to pay for replacement clutches. You'll also likely need to keep the revs up for serious power, and downshift more than in a, say, Mustang. You'll probably even have to work the gearbox and rev up a bit to beat a well driven v6 accord and watch out for v6 stick altimas (watch out their torque steer doesn't ram them into you too :) The 8 is a sports car more in the Lotus spirit than the Corvette spirit. Both are cool, choose what you like better.