Unfortunately I didn't get enough seat time in the practice cars (or the competition cars for that matter) to notice a difference. But then I'm relatively new to autocross (2 years) and probably couldn't tell you even if I did have more seat time.
Name's Robin Yang and this is what I'm currently autocrossing with my wife:

However when she's away on business I prefer autocrossing my own car, a BMW 540i.
________
Iolite portable vaporizer

 

I drove a 3 the other day (while looking for a Miata for the wifey) and was extremely impressed.
Plenty of power for such a cheap, tiny car.
More to the point, it carried its power better than the 6 which has the same motor.
Since the 6 was last years Rev-It-Up car and was properly prepped, I'm expecting the 3 to be similarly satisfying.

It is true that the courses are extremely short, but they weren't designed with the experienced driver in mind.
Also, they didn't want to give you a chance to "settle in".
The averaging that occurs over a longer run or back to back runs will work in your favor and Mazda wouldn't want that.
Add to that the previously mentioned "browsing" factor and I think Mazda did a remarkable job of disguising a marketing event as fun.
You try to find something comparable!

 

I had more fun at last year's event with the 6 than I had this year with the 3. It may be the newness of last year, but I felt the course was longer and more interesting. I wasn't impressed with the 6's capabilities but felt it was much better than the 3.

Something comparable? I think last year's RevItUp event is emminently comparable and that was much more enjoyable. There were some things they did better this year (8 practice runs of whatever choosing, in-car video of the competition course) but the overall fun factor was seriously down.
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LovelyWendie99

 

Hmm. Sorry to hear that.
Well, hopefully, the DC event won't be a letdown.

 

Hey rX8rEdLiNe, I didn't get to compete coz I was very late in having an interest to signup. I had so much going on before I finally decided to go do it. I'll try again next year. It looked fun. The Mazda 3 they used were impressive, but I wouldn't know from the inside since I didn't get in to one. I was just there to scope out the place. I really liked the Red MS RX-8 they had over there. Took some pictures, won a Falken cap, and that was pretty much it. Oh yeah, and I definitely know what you're talking about (chicks). And no, I didn't get their numbers. I have a girlfriend and she was with me there :D
I must say, they were fun for the eyes.
I was kinda tired when we got there and I didn't feel like lining up just to test drive a drive that I already drive everyday
The Kart racing disappointed me. I thought it was bigger, and had more turns. All they had was a NASCAR type. Always doing left turns.
Anyways, the drive there was the adventure for me. We got lost so bad. And then I noticed that a couple cars were lost too, so we kinda just followed each other. I probably made a lot of illegal u-turns that day than I normally would. RX-8's oversteer really helps with that.

ps. did anyone notice the attention your RX-8 got when you drove around the parking lot?

 

thanks for the pictures

thats the first red ms 8 i've seen

 

Very cool Robin! You should race at Atwater with us sometime: http://www.americanauto-x.com/schedule/

We get a large Bay Area crowd and Atwater has one of the nicest large surfaces around.

Hope to see you sometime!

Vince

 

I think the first REV it UP of the year is always a learning curve. The folks from Mazda noted that the llines were long for the Ride and Drive on the RX 8 and the Mazdaspeed Miata and were talking about getting more cars for future venues. The other thing that happened is that the attendance doubled from last year to this year so I think everyone was a tad surprised.

The enthusiast tent displays owners cars and will allow any clubs to come and display their banners or literature.

I agree that there should be VIP parking for those of us who own a Mazda (RX8 or any other Mazda)...I will pass your suggestion along. Barb