how long an rx-8 engine last?
 

I have an 04 a/t rx8 with nearly 40,000. 90% of the time this is my dream car, and drives and handles like butter. But on some days the car shakes pretty severely when in idle at stop lights and such, and I have even had the car die on me a few times. Also quite often when i drive, starting out I will step on the pedal and the car will barely go, then all of a sudden it revs up really high, jerks, and the transmission sounds funny. I am a college student and can't afford to pay for repairs, just wondering if this is really bad, or ok. and how long the normal life of the engine is? Thanks!

You still have warranty on the car. 5 year / 60,000 miles.
Take it to the dealer. Tell them it dies at a stop. And has a power loss/hesitation around 6000 RPM.
Also tell them that the idle is very rough. Describe to them in simple terms what the car is doing.
I don't know where your at so I can't recommend a dealer to you.
Add your location to your profile. Maybe then someone could recommend a good dealership to you in your area.