I've seen write-ups on the RX-8 that discuss excessive body lean.

To be honest, I didn't feel it, and I put it through the paces pretty hard on my test drive.

I'd like to track and autocross this car stock. Not looking for phenomenal performance, just enough to raise the eyebrows of my Audi and BMW friends.

What are your thoughts of the stock RX-8 as a track/autocross car?

 

assuming all your bmw/audi friends also have stock suspension, your car should be able to whip them good in autox, assuming the nut behind the wheel isn't a loose one :D

 

Body roll on this car is probably more than it's competitors ie 350Z, G35 and more expensive one, probably more so than less expensive budget pocket rocket too. It's not as noticible in daily driving but once you push it, there's a lot of roll which takes some getting used to but the car holds right there.

 

On a track, if the curve is properly banked, it would not be very noticeable.
On the road you can definitely notice the body roll if the road around a curve is not banked.

 

Do you think the body roll would prohibit the RX8 from being a good track/autocross car?

 

if the driver can overcome their instinct to slow down as the body starts leaning, it will do just find in autox/track. Of course, an 8 with a stiffer suspension will naturally have better handling (which includes less body roll), but I think in stock form it is quite good.

 

My former car was an Audi S4, I've tracked it and the RX8. While the speeds in the S4 were greater on the straights the lap times were faster in the 8. Now I can't speak for the new model M3, but the S4 was very comparable to the 330 (probably why they were both in D-Stock).

To answer your question. You may find that the RX8 can embarrass some BMW's and Audis. It can also embarrass Turbo Porsches and Ferraris, driver dependant of course

The body roll is not as severe as you may think (especially compared to the S4), but to be competitive sway bars and stiffer shocks is the way to go.

 

Alex, are you talking about the V8 S4 or the previous generation S4?

That would be a beautiful thing watching an 8 embarass a Porsche or Ferrari... I know I wouldn't have the skill to do it, but it would be neat to watch someone do it.

 

I had the V6TT


...yeah, it was fun They put me in Green Run Group at a NASA event

 

"body lean" is not inherent in a make and model of car. it can be calculated based on the suspension geometry and components. you can easily modify your rx8 to have almost any amount of lean you want, primarily through spring and sway bar selection.

the rx8 has a wonderful handling dynamic, in part because of the low, small and light engine. but like most street cars, the suspension is tuned very soft and exhibits a lot of 'body lean' (also called 'body roll').

james

 

If I fit in our RX-8 with a helmet, I'd be happy to take it on the track or autocross it. Yeah, it leans more than my S2000, but it's not "excessive," IMO. If you're just out to have fun, the RX-8 with its stock setup should be very serviceable, except I would replace the stock pads with a racing/street hybrid pad if you were to take it on a track.