hey guys. My friends are amazed and evious I'm getting the new RX-8, but they think the rotary engine isn't all it's cracked up to be (morons!). so my best friend has a 2002 Subaru WRX and he thinks he could take me once i get my 8 this summer. I don't see this happening. He does have an AEM CAI and just installed a 50 shot NOS direct port injection nitrous kit which he can run safely. The thing is he wants to start the race at about 60mph and then drag a 1/2 mile from 60mph, whoever finishes the 1/2 mile first wins. I don't know how the 8 will perform from that speed vrs a WRX, although i know the RX-8 does the 1/4 mile from a standstill faster, and i do have a 9000RPM redline. what do you guys think? If he used the nitrous will he kill me? thanks


Dave

 

I think if he is going to use nitrous he will beat you.

From 60mph+ you will probably win because the STi/Evo aren't designed to go insanely fast, they are rally cars. Top end power on the RX-8 is where it's AT.

Either way, I wouldn't be drag racing anybody... I just wanna go have fun

 

i don't know how accurate this graph is but from the looks of it, he would beat you (us...i'm getting one too) without the nitrous...

 

From 60-100 mph, the RX8 is slightly faster then the stock WRX based on Road and Track's numbers (10.0 sec. - RX8 - 10.3 WRX), but that's close enough where other variables (i.e. test conditions, driver, etc) could account for the difference. Of course, if the the RX8 R&T used suffered from this port problem that's been discussed the difference should be bigger. :p

However, in your race it looks like you'll well exceed 100 MPH, so I think the RX8's better coefficient of drag, higher horsepower at the wheels and the WRX's AWD should help you pull away eventually. His intake mod. might make it interesting. If he uses the "NOS" or trades the WRX in for an STI or EVO your done
Hopefully, you'll be doing this at the track and not the street I live on!

 

haha, thanks for the help guys!
I know........if he had an Evo or STi i would be cooked! But luckily he doesnt. I told him it would mainly be a drivers race.....we'll see this summer! i like to think i can shift better, considering i got a 14.67 1/4 mile pass with his WRX (with intake, no nitrous) and he did a close 14.71 pass, so i think i may be a tad better at the fancy footwork (or at least i hope!). i hoping i can drop the clutch at 60 down into 2nd and carry it to 9000RPM which will hopefully give me a good jump, but his turbo is spoolen for sure by then. It's gonna be close :D

 

personally, I think it's an unfair comparison. I mean the WRX has a turbo the 8 does not. Sure the performance is close even with the 8 being NA, but he has nitrous too? Now that's even more inequal.

Tell him to race you when you have a turbo in your 8 and then compare..

 

Even though the RX-8 is not a dragster and street racing is plain stupid I would do it. Why? To see your jackass friend's facial expression after he holes a piston for running his engine at full boost and with N2O for 0.5 mile.

 

I agree... but I didnt' say it first :P

 

it may be an unfair compraison, but the 2 cars are close to performance so.......
yes, street racing is stupid, but sometimes it is the only way to settle an arguement sadly...........
and he told me he won't be using the nitrous during the race, so it's a WRX with intake vrs a stock RX-8 from 60mph for 1/2 a mile......

 

:D i can just see #3 melting under that load now... BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPP!!! POP!! *smoke billowing out of your buddy's REX as you streak by him*

 

i reckon u tell him to wait till u slap on a turbo.. and a N20 kit on.. then ittl be "even".. then u take him to the strip and make him beg for forgiveness.

 

Just disconnect the IC out pipe on his WRX. Then you'll toast him for sure.

 

Street racing is never the ONLY way to settle an argument.. especially if the "argument" is immature and childlish in the first place.. We need a "rolleyes" smiley..
Does it really matter that much which car can "pull" on the other on the street? shrug.. I never understood why this is so important..
Does your friend have a small *****? Do you? :D

 

go ahead and street race on public road

hope you and your budddy crash and kill some innocent bystanders

********

 

HAHAHA.. get over it oldie.. its only a crime if you get caught... and no one is gonna catch you if youre faster than them HE HE HE damn old people.. a new law has just been passed so now youre not allowed anything more than 25mm (1'') larger mags than the factory standard, and a whole bunch of other crud stoping performance exhausts.. (In New Zealand) goodness knows what next. ... thanks to the boring old people

 

Or perhaps to stupid young people?

I'm 22, I know how to have a blast in my car, but drag racing is pointless and merely a test of cars rather than drivers.

That said, the RX-8 isn't a dragster by any means. It's a nimble car that will carve corners and slap a big smile on your face.

It is apparent that those who love the 'straight line racing' have no skills to take a car around a corner properly, and thus rely on the sure-footed 'thrill' that my grandmother could have by popping the clutch at an elevated RPM in order to impress the moron next to you that's doing it as well.

Hopefully you don't hit anybody except each other, and then you can think about why 'old people' put these laws in the first place.

 

Dood... No way in hell your rx-8 could smoke his WRX.

#1 You have never even raced the car you don't have yet... and your gonna need time to get used to it.

#2 He's pushing turbocharged AWD which is a bitch to beat off the line.

#3 You probably couldn't beat him on a curved track either, see #1.


Deuce.

 

My point is made.

The RX-8 isn't a dragster anyway... and drag racing is a measure more of car than driver.

So I still do not see the point.

 

you should tell him
a) no NOS
b) have him sit idling in traffic right before your top gear pull

btw, i have a wrx, semi modded, at 60mph 5th gear, i am at 2600rpm

stock wrx spool at 3400
stock+intake spoll at 3000rpm

IIRC, AEM makes a short arm intake, so your best bet is to have your buddy's car sit in traffic to heat up the I/C and intake air.

i don't know what rpm range the 8 is at at 60mph, plus, you'll be in disadvantage if you are pulling off 6th gear instead of 5th in a top gear pull

it'll be more fun to do a 80-100pull cuz everyone would be in the fun zone

 

Jest with intake mods? No exhaust mods, or boost controller mods, or ECU mods, or timing mods, or anything else?

---jps

 

yes...
cuz with exhaust (cat back/catless up pipe/race cat)
manual boost controller

mine starts to boost at 2600rpm

...

 

Starts, as in the manifold pressure goes positive at that point?

That's strange about the intake. Normally, factory setups are more restrictive at higher rpms, and higher flow, instead of down low. Unless there is a lousy air filter, and severe resonant tricks for sounds (which are less necessary when you have a turbo, because it quiets both the exhaust and the intake).

---jps

 

if you are talking about a modified wrx... of course it will win if he has a boost controller, easy 30whp

 

let me rephrase
mine doesn't start to boost at 2600, full boost can be achieved at 2600rpm because mostly of the MBC. btw, mine's a long arm intake, which to my personal believes increase low end more so than top end due to the nature of the long intake arm.

however, when i mod, my sequence was, intake, cat back exhaust, up-pipe & MBC, down pipe & race cat. Remember, wrx has 3 cats, pre turbo at the up pipe, post turbo at the down pipe and another one right after the down pipe.

the stock paper filter at the wrx is extremely restritive, not to mention the intake mouth, which is basically tapped into the passanger side fender. Stock waste gate is also extremely unresponsive, turbo boost starts at 3500 or so full boost at a tad over 4k rpm and taper off around 6.5k.

so, back to original question, depending on the power range or rpm rage of the 8, 60-100 mph pull would definitly depends on gearing. my money is on the 8 provided the wrx isn't squeezing

 

"but drag racing is pointless and merely a test of cars rather than drivers.

That said, the RX-8 isn't a dragster by any means. It's a nimble car that will carve corners and slap a big smile on your face.

It is apparent that those who love the 'straight line racing' have no skills to take a car around a corner properly, and thus rely on the sure-footed 'thrill' that my grandmother could have by popping the clutch at an elevated RPM in order to impress the moron next to you that's doing it as well."



Damn straight.... but the little wally's who race IN THE STREETS.. ruin it for those who (such as myself) just love to have a good car.. and enjoy the experience of it. so i'm pissed coz they screwed it up for all. ....considering 25% of the populatuon is over 60... you can imagine the nagging the rest have to put up with.