I took my car in yesterday to get the 'M' flash. On the way out, I ran into one of the sales managers. We started talking about the RX 8 and customers desire for more power from the car. He mentionned that he heard through one of the reps from Mazda North America that Mazda might be making a performance chip for the Rx8 that should increase output to close to 300 hp. He said to expect more info from mazda in about 4 - 6 months. Has anybody heard about this?

 

With just a chip?? I'd be impressed.

Oh, BTW, I haven't heard anything. Then again, I have no Mazda connections or anything like that. I get all my "inside" news here :D

 

a chip producing 300HP!!!...ummm....OK..

that would be cool, but highly unlikely on a N/A engine such as ours already squeezed for power..

 

Could they change fuel mappings, ignition, and raise the rev limit to 11000? :D

 

I think I'd be willing to pay a grand or so for a Mazda part that raised the HP to 300, esp if it increased the tourque equally, while still being N/A and have stock exhaust and not void my warrenty. I don't know if I believe it is real, but I can always dream. Guess I'll wait until December to do any engine upgrades... it could be a good Christmas.

 

He's wrong (your sales manager). There is no way Mazda can get an extra 60 hp from the Renesis as installed currently by just changing fuel and timing (remember, that's all a chip can do). Further - why on earth would they use a 'chip', when they went to the extra expense of using a re-programmable ECU to start with?? After all, it was Mazda itself who had to de-tune the RX-8s from 247 hp to 238 hp when first delivered to meet emissions durability requirements. If Mazda could get more legal power from the Renesis just by ECU tuning, they'd have done it.

Now, what Mazda IS working on is a MazdaSpeed version of the RX-8. It will have either a larger displacement engine or forced induction (turbo or supercharger) to produce around 300 hp. It certainly will not be done with just a chip, and it will NOT be an easy upgrade for existing RX-8s!

Regards,
Gordon

 

Gord96BRG I'm sure your right, but let us dream.... ;-)

 

my friend at mazda told me the same thing.that their is an aftermaket chip now but it will void the warranty

 

Ok, so where is it ?

 

well, the japanese speed 8 had a retuned ECU, the gains weren't much, it was more for throttle response and midrange power, not that thats bad or anything.

Maybe thats what he was talking about. I highly doubt you could hit 300 NA. I believe with a HF cat and ECU tuning, you cold prolly get to ~260 at the flywheel, assuming the real flywheel HP per racing beat is ~220.

 

screw the warranty

 

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility of getting close to 300 HP out of this engine NA. I've seen it mentioned several times on this board that one of the developmental flash versions produced 280 HP from the Renesis. Consider that Maurice is getting +20 HP for stage 1 and claiming +40 HP for stage 2. Also Mazdamaniac pulled +30 HP with the Greddy E-manage.

Thinking that only fuel and timing are all that Mazda can control is false logic, likely based on the fact that what is available to most of us can only control fuel and timing . Mazda will have full access to the fuel and timing maps in three dimensions with as many programming points as the original ECU. In addition to the fuel and timing they can also control the electronic throttle, the various butterfly valves in the intake tract, and the firing order and timing delay between the plugs. There is probably more electronic wizardry that I'm forgetting but you get the idea.

Mazda also has all the development data, therefore knows the limits of the Renesis better than anyone outside the company will for years. If they choose to dismiss fuel economy ( though some will say they already have ) and catylist longevity then 40 to 50 extra HP could easily be tuned into the engine maybe even 60 at the edge of civility and durability.

 

You're absolutely right - but they can NOT dismiss cat longevity for the car to be street legal. The current tune is the limit of what Mazda can do for a street legal engine. Disregarding emissions altogether, I'm sure Mazda could easily get 300 hp! (But it would still only be a re-flash of the ECU, not a chip! )

Regards,
Gordon

 

i hit 500 hp in my 8 with it still being na..oh did i mention gran turismo...hehehe

 

i hit 500 hp in my 8 with it still being na..oh did i mention gran turismo...hehehe

 

dont do it. it gives you mad paper cuts and never returns your calls afterwards

 

If they smack a " For off road use only " tag on a new ECU and void the engine warranty then they would be off the hook legally. If this new ECU just happened to pass muster with an ODB II scan and the sniff test, well one ECU looks much like another.

The only reason I think that a new ECU or chip would be better is that I, personally, would be greatly upset if my performance flash was obliterated, I think a dual function chip would have to be installed into the ECU. The performance data should be hardwired while anything else should be re-flashable.

 

He probably ment ecu mod. Kinda like what CZ is doing. If it came from Mazda had warrantee coverage and went for $1000 to 1200, it would be worth every second and third I would catch.

Sounds tastee:D

bill

 

This is an interesting topic because I was just thinking how crummy it is that the 350Z is faster on paper than the RX-8--I don't care how much it costs--if such a change exists, I'll make it.

 

well for those how are skeptical there is another thread talking about ALOMOST THE SAME THING maybe it is the same topic. talking about 260hp to the fly if i remember correctly.

 

Canzoomer & Ric Shaw....

 

Just wondering that is quite a bit of a horsepower increase, and these cars arent made for that much power. In other threads ive heard about A BUNCH of people saying that they have thrashed gear sets at the track. Wouldnt this almost for sure tear it up? Maybe im being prudent, but seems like it would be quite a strain on the drivetrain.

 

They had the same kind of chip for my chevy malibu.
It was a scam from what I herd from people who got it

 

Always consider the source.
Sales will tell you want YOU want to hear.

 

Sooo true. I remember a couple of people last year being told this when they went to their dealer with their buyback letters...( ok I was amongst them )