Where are the 216 hp ?
 

Hi,
I have a 2009 Automatic RX8 with about 48K miles, I bought it as used car but it was (is) in excellent condition.

The thing is, this is a sport car that is supposed to have 216hp (I think), but I clearly don't really feel that power inside.
I had before a 2.8 V6 180hp, and the acceleration was stronger, or at least the feeling.
The rotary engine clearly don't have the torque of a regular engine, but in the whole I don't really feel much more power than a 160hp car.

This is a feeling when I am alone in my car. No need to say that when we are 2 in the car, there is no way to impress anybody.

Is there something wrong in my car ?

use the forum to search. You could be experiencing power loss due to an issue with your engine. Or, you just had too much expectations out of this car

may need to do an ignition tune up ...

Your comparing a rotary engine to a piston engine and your looking for torque. The torque in a rotary doesn't come on until higher in the rpm band. You won't feel the hp on take-off.

I have a 2009 Automatic RX8 with about 48K miles.......

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@sebarx8 : I didn't get the purpose of your message.
Mostly because I bought the car not as brand new, you cannot have everything you want, you just take the one that you prefer in the whole.
If the car was brand new I would have a manual transmission, probably a different color (even though I like the current one), etc.

Also I tested before a manual 2004 rx8, and it was even less powerful than mine, but the car was old and the engine probably tired.

By the way I drive using the sequential "manual" mode, not in automatic mode.

I guess I am feeling the lack of torque at take off.

Trollolol
Plz moderators you're not serious about believing in the earnestly of this thread

no troll, just high expectations.

Didnt you test drive the car before purchase? Wouldn't you have known that the car lacks the power you are looking for before purchasing your vehicle? Seems like you made a bad choice if this is the case.

If you just got the car, you don't know how to drive it yet. When I want to take off with tire squeal, I have to rev to at least 5000rpm before dropping the clutch. When trying to take off fast without tire squeal, I still have to rev high, and slip the clutch a lot as well, to keep the engine from bogging down and losing power. It sounds ridiculous, but that's only half the engine's real redline, so it's no different than revving a piston engine to 2500-3000rpm for a fast takeoff.

Unfortunately you can't slip the clutch in an automatic, but you can at least brake-rev when you need to jump off the line, like if you're crossing a divided highway.

Anyway, the torque on the Renesis engine doesn't pick up until about 3000rpm, and then it stays constant all the way to redline, so if you're expecting a punch-you-in-the-back burst of low-end torque, you're not going to get it. At all. Ever. This car goes fast by revving high and pulling consistently regardless of RPM.

You might need new sparkplugs, though. The sparkplugs get the shit kicked out of them, because the engine revs 50% higher than a comparable piston engine, AND each sparkplug has to service 3 combustion chambers instead of just one.

Manual mode on an auto is still at a disadvantage to an actual manual. The redline is 1500rpm lower, and since that's where all the power is, you're missing out.

If you're really worried about impressing someone in an 8, you'd better find a twisty road stat. Because you're not going to do it with acceleration. The torque just isn't there.