Exhaust>midpipe?

exhaust and midpipe are great for FI also because it lets the motor breathe alotbetter....(as long as it's properly tuned for it)

I was questioning his statement of saying catback -> mid pipe for NA.

Tuning (Be it AP or another device) + Catless have proven to be the best bang for $$ as far as NA power-getters are concerned as far as I know.

just be wise on what you'll be spending your money on with this car.. however while yes it's true that boltons don't giveback the sort of power they do on an ordinary piston car.. they DO do something.

Is that the same as saying installing a BHR flywheel will cause the car to gain 15 whp?

True.

Thats why I stopped modding for performance. Next step will be for Nitrous or FI, no more wasting money for little 1-5hp gains.

I'd rather focus on the exterior for now and make the car LOOK faster :lol2:

like Bees. if I only had a flywheel. :banghead:

cockroaches in japan "float" ;)

[QUOTE=Charles R. Hill;2844628

Remember, mathematically, certain bugs aren't "supposed" to be able to fly, either.[/QUOTE]

Flywheels aren't smart enough to break the laws of physics

220 whp =
 

ignitions/plugs and wires, intake, exhaust, pullies, bigger thottle body, headers, minus cats, plug n ecu, if each one of these add 3hp = 27hp so 230 to 257... give or take im know the engine can't push big numbers but if someone can tune everything right... hitting 220 to the wheels or close should not be a problem.

so that settles it - i have found the flywheel i'll be using for when my clutch goes.. now need an equally suitable clutch to pair it with ;)

NA has always been the least return on investment but I think the 8 platform has got it really bad. Can't be all that bad though b/c we can thank Mazda for maximizing the efficiency of the 13b over the previous gen (which ~220 is still significant over the last 160hp). I like to think of the latest 13b like Honda's S2000 motor. Almost tapped out NA from the factory.

Imagine spending all that money only to barely creep past an S2000 or RSX-S with bolt-ons (realistically it may even be a dead even run). At least that's how I see it.

add to the fact this will only further fuel the RX-8 owner inferiority complex when you still come across the more powerful and more potent 350/370z, EVO, STI, GTI, SRT-4, Cobalt, etc... on the roads. It'll just be non-stop :banghead:

FI seem the smarter way to go if were gonna give the 8 some real powar!!

just a comparison, nothing more than that. Now if we remove the FI, its a more equal comparison.

Right there with ya. N2O is a lesser expensive method.

Is the 5th gear gearing optimal for top speed with the 2004-2008 final drive ratio or would a taller or shorter final drive ratio be better for top speed? For instance, would the taller ratio from the FD-3S (4.10 I think) be better? Would the final drive ratio from the 2009 (4.77 I think) be better? I'm strictly talking about top speed, not acceleration. I'm asking in the spirit of the original poster, presuming that the goal is to produce the highest top speed while staying NA.

5th gear only? If we used the additional 6th gear I'd say the shorter 4.77 fdr would be better because it's better to at least be able to max out the gear (6th) and stay near peak power than not at all and be drag limited in the lower rpms (current 6th gear).

I said 5th gear simply because I'm given to understand that in 6th, we're so far down the powerband that we don't get to the horsepower peak. Assuming that my understanding is accurate, it seemed like tweaking for top speed in 5th would be easier.

Would a 4.77 fdr even be enough to get us near the horsepower peak at maximum speed when in 6th gear?