Just thought some of you guys might like this video and there are a few bits in there that I learned more about the RX8 from! Some I had heard before but it’s nice to hear it from a Mazda designer.

Also I’m suddenly curious how many of you RX8 owners also drive or have driven Miatas and what you think about them.

 

I have an NB Miata and had an NC MX-5 for a while. I had an S2 RX-8 for 8 years. I wish I could make a direct comparison in stock form, but I never owned them that way at the same time.

I was never able to make the RX-8 handle as well as the two MX cars, nor could I make it as fast (in terms of lap times), and I tried very hard.

In my mind, the NC wins overall among the 3 cars, but the NB is more fun, which is why I still own it.

The RX-8 was similar in handling to the NC, but more refined and generally more stable, while being more sensitive to rear travel and more prone to snap oversteer. The NB is more like an overgrown go-cart.

Honestly though, the ND.2 slays them all. It is faster and handles better. It truly is the next evolution of the platform.

 

Thank you for sharing the video!

 

Ya his ND video just came out and now I kinda want one lol!

Maybe I'll keep the RX8 and get an ND "for the wife!" It might be an easy sell since it's a convertable too. Hmmm soft top or RF.....

I'm dreaming lol.

 

Hey man it can't hurt to try. Maybe a his and her car...one she can drive as well...

 

First I was like.. 24 minutes.. that's too long. Now I'm at the end wanting more info. A lot of Rx8 info in there that surprised me.

 

That video is outstanding. So many of these sort of videos are marketing kind of talk, here's what is so wonderful about our cars, but this was totally different. Coleman is telling the story, so obviously is invested in every decision, every location of bolts and nuts and geometry and weight and stiffness, it is fascinating to listen to him.

In the last 90 seconds or so he explains that staying true to what the car is supposed to be means that 170 HP is what it should have, not bulking everything up to 350 HP. I feel like that applies to the RX-8 as well. I posted in another thread where a few people say the Renesis is feeble, the weak point of the car. I get it if you are trying to race it but like he says about the Miata, for me as a new owner the Renesis IS the car, the reason I bought it, the character that sold me. I also liked the host's comment that he can wind the Miata through 2nd and 3rd and not be going 100 MPH, meaning a road driving enthusiast can enjoy exploring the potential of the car. Cool stuff!

 

Yeah, I liked the technical talks of the video, and you get to see a very clean NC with a very fresh undercarriage. That helped visualize the points.

The main problem with the Renny is the low-end torque. Especially in the age where your average Civic comes from the factory with a turbo, a 4-seater with an N/A rotary is going to feel slow below 4k RPM. I have driven a VW Jetta when my 8 is in the shop for a repair and that's actually easier to drive in the city with the 1.4T engine and the 180+ ftlb torque it has available at 1500 RPM or so. Even S2000 has to compromise and have a 2.2 engine for the AP2 just to have a bit more torque off the line.

Now when you wind it out, yeah it's a lot of fun and whenever I show people pictures or videos of me driving it, I just remember how much I miss it. The gearbox is really good - geared very appropriately and with a good mechanical feel.