I got my 8 back in February and have done NOTHING to it, still has the Bridgestone Potenzas on it (originals).

background: I am the founder of the 3000GT/Stealth National Gathering and ran the event for 5 years. This year we gave the event to another group. But I still drove my car all the way from Vegas to SW Michigan for the annual event (1900 miles, 23.5 hours of actual driving, which by the way was enjoyable!)

So we had a road course event at Gingerman Raceway in South Haven, MI. It's a fairly easy 1.9 mile track (http://gingermanraceway.com/track-layout) with a couple techical areas.

I've run the track 2x in HPDE courses in my highly modified Dodge Stealth (lightened, suspension/brakes, and running about 450hp) as well as 3x on track days in the same car. I probably have 6-7 hours of driving time just on that track. That car was FUN... 120mph in the straights... but 12 minutes into the sessions I'd have to stop to let the brakes (upgraded!) cool. And, it felt like I was fighting the car the entire time. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED IT...

So I took the 8 to the track and was nervous as I'd never driven a RWD car anywhere other than on the roads of Vegas. So I left the DSC on

Let me tell you, that car HAULED. First of all it was thoroughly enjoyable driving it... never felt like I was "fighting" it... I just turned and it went. It never felt unstable (although the DSC saved me twice), it was smooth as heck.

Now, check this out.. my best time in the Stealth on this track was 1:43 with averages around 1:45. In the 8... 1:50's all day long, consistantly. Remember, this is versus a 450+ car that topped at 120mph. The 8 only topped at 90mph but of course excelled in the turns.

In the Stealth, lots of times I was braking before the 1st braking pole... on the 8, I was waiting until the LAST one, and sometimes PAST it!

I also made it thru ALL of my sessions with NO BRAKE FADE WHATSOEVER (completely stock brakes with ORIGINAL PADS!). The only time I had to stop was in my 2nd session about 13 minutes into it, I was running out of gas. LOL

This car LOVES being DRIVEN. The track is a "3rd gear" track. Most corners are 40-60 mph corners, slowest speed on the track was 40mph. Top speed 80mph. So yeah I could have shifted to 2nd but 3rd was fine by me. I redlined the end of both long straights but the car didn't complain. 20 minutes of 5000-9000rpm runs, hard braking, and pedal-to-the-metal driving and the car didn't care. Open the hood after the run, and it was barely warm feeling. The Stealth would crackle and make noises for 15 minutes.

Brakes on the 8 were hot but not overly hot... I've actually exploded a caliper on the Stealth before!

My favorite time was running against another highly modified 3000GT, this car had Azenis 615's, TEIN suspension, Stoptech Brakes, turbo upgrade (running around 425hp). I was KILLING that car in the turns, he could only run 80% throttle on the straights or he would pass me... at the end of straights he'd be on my butt, but after every turn I was 5-10 car lengths ahead. He never passed me but claims he could have.

Anyway, both cars have their pluses (the Stealth was more comfortable and did 11.9 @ 120mph quarter miles), but the 8 has gotten me to LOVE ROAD COURSING AGAIN!

Now the mod bug has hit... tires and suspension are first.

Anyway thought you guys would enjoy the read.

 

The RX-8 is a fun car for Gingerman, I've done 6 days there with the RX-8. The key to a fast lap time is turn 10, followed by turn 11. If you carry enough speed through those, you get into 4th gear on the straights between 10-11 and 11-1.

For even more fun, you can downshift to 2nd for turn 3. You'll track out at the top of 2nd (around 66 mph) and have a ton of power to set up a pass between 2 and 3.

 

Yes. The 8 is an incredible road course car, even in stock form. Cheers!

 

Glad to see some one enjoy driving and doing what their cars were designed for

 

Congrats! You've quickly discovered many of the excellent handling/braking/track behavior attributes the RX-8 does without straining, even in stock form. It's a rewarding car on track and amazingly will still respond to mods done right to enhance it's track behavior to even higher levels of performance.

Enjoy and be safe.

 

and people still wont believe you that it will smoke their cars on the corners!

your car will NEVER be the fastest car in a straight line.

taking that speed around the corner is what puts the rx8 right up there above the rest of them!

 

Just got back from another great lapping day at Homestead in the stock 8 (all stock except for HP Plus pads and ATE Blue fluid). Stock Dunlops are still holding up very well (5th track day for them)! Lol!

 

Hey SouthFL, are you going to hit Sebring in August with Chin? I rode with you last time in Sebring. Traded in the Prelude and got myself an 07 Me and some friends are going to Roebling Road on August 11-12 with http://www.seat-time.com/ Check it out.

 

Got back last night from a two day event at Autobahn (2.1mi), car did great, I actually overheated before it did. Almost passed out on track. Note to self hydrate. Mazda did a greta job.

 

Hey. What's up! That was a nice Prelude.
Remember my car was pushing slightly that day you rode with me? Well, that seemed to be a Sebring specific push (thanks in part to the concrete surface).
Car was neutral and rotating as it (always does) yesterday at Homestead.

I won't be at Sebring in Aug., but will probably make it sometime later this year.
I'll be at Homestead again on Sept. 2nd (running NASA HPDE 3).

Cheers!

 

Great Write up...I love to hear fellow 8 owners and their road course experiences...