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| Mazda RX-8 |
| Article | Image gallery (8) | Specifications | User Comments (26) |
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Add your comments on the Mazda RX-8
| Love Hate Relationship |
| hollyfrog 12-31-2004 |
I read all the reviews, increased my working knowledge of a rotary engine, and took the plunge buying the fully loaded RX8. The car is amazing, people are always checking it out. The four doors is great for getting my briefcase in and out for work. One Problem: The rotary engine is still prone to flooding. I am highly aware of the special treatment required, after 3,000 miles I can honestly say I have NEVER driven her cold, or shut her off cold and yet she doesn't start. Mazda has done an update to address the issue, however I can tell you from experience that the no start is still an issue. I love this car and every time I see her towed away on a flat bed truck I shed a tear, I really want Mazda to be open with its owners and address the problem because the car's potential is amazing. |
| 650 miles - no issues so far |
| newowner 1-7-2004 |
On flooding - I read about the problems, but I've had no issues. I've killed the engine a lot through inexperience on cold starts, and sometimes more than once, but it hasn't flooded yet. However, I bought the car in early June, so the ambient temperature even at night hasn't dropped below 50 degrees farenheit, and the temperature gauge has always jumped to normal operating temp whenever I start. Also, there have been a few updates since January to the programming for the chip controlling how rich the fuel mixture is on cold starts, so these may have already been flashed onto my chip. If I have any issues later, I'll comment. |
| Flooding and Snow Woes (Whoas) |
| paddywagon 5-1-2004 |
"Have had my RX8 out and about CT and DE and in between, it's a great road car. However, have to agree that you need to park it in the snow/ice. Uphill on ice is almost impossible from a standing start (or otherwise) and 2-3 inches of snow is enough to get stuck in. So its home for the winter. The second strike (if you count not being able to drive a sports car in the snow a strike) is the FLOODING problem. I learned about this little feature when I had the oil changed and have been following the mechanics instructions to the ""T"". But, the other day when the car did not fire on the first try, it must have flooded and simply would not start. This necessitates a tow to the dealer for fixing. WHAT and inconvenience and what idiotic group of engineers come up with an engine in this day and age that performs like this! Its worse than my 64 XKE and the lovely Lucas wiring. Come Mazda - FIND A FIX..." |
| winter road handling |
| moumer 15-12-2003 |
took the little red scooter out for a spin a few days after a recent snowfall. Bish is exactly right. I had a lot of trouble keeping the front end ahead of the rear end the whole time I was out. So back in the garage she goes until spring. I have also noticed less mpg than the published stats, but I am not driving this thing the same way I drive my sedan. I suspect that mpg will improve as soon as I get over the kid in a candy store feeling I have when I drive it. Other than the service issue I noted in an earlier post, and the fact that Am Ex has been unable to get the debit card to me, I am a completely happy camper. Zoom Zoom |
| Rx8 and Snow |
| bishman 14-12-2003 |
I love the car but I don't love the $1400 I have to slap down for snow tires and wheels. I drove it in the snow for the first time this past week, and it was a no go. At the dealer and auto show all the mazda people could talk about was the 50/50 weight distribution and that will be critical in bad weather. It doesn't matter. This car will not operate in the snow without winter tires. And the gas mileage has been around 14 mpg overall. If these two factors are not important to you, the Rx8 is a great buy. I love everything else about the car. |
| the best thing about this car... |
| wasabi 3-12-2003 |
"...is that it is hard to put into any one catagory. is it a sports coupe? most definitely. 228hp and 1394kg makes for for some rapid movement. who cares about the low torque; most cars can't match it's pace. is it a family saloon? well kinda, yes. admittedly it's a bit cramped at the back but those seats are more comfortable than a lot i've been in. and hey, i'm short so the guy behind me get's more than enough legroom. it seems to suit most markets. this car is a reason for potential owners of bmw 325, audi tt, vw golf and even the baseball capped (in uk anyway) hot-hatch brigade to walk into a mazda showroom. and those doors. you might not like it but i think it more than matches the drama of the sl55s roof. it looks great, sounds great, great price, great pace. it really is a sensible car for all sorts and that, is its best feature." |
| bmw |
| eaze 28-11-2003 |
Well, a 328i -is- an ordinary car. I drive a M3 SMG myself, and you can't compare a 328 and M3. That being said, I do agree that the RX8 is an excellent car, but I'd never trade my M3 for one :) |
| Happy new RX8 owners |
| BMWdriver 11-11-2003 |
We recently traded a BMW 3-series for the RX8. We considered buying a BMW M3, but we actually preferred the RX8. We'd been happily driving BMWs for ten years, and we've owned one BMW with a Dinan upgrade. Anything we drive has to compete with BMW's feel, handling and comforts. The RX8 makes our remaining 328i almost feel ordinary! From the excitement the RX8 causes on the street and in parking lots, we must own the first one in town. It's just amazing to drive and so comfortable to ride in. The shifter is so smooth, the ergonomics are excellent, it's reasonably quiet, the trunk holds a set of golf clubs, and the insurance rate is reasonable. Our only gripe is we're paying the dealer to remove that stupid vision-blocking handle-bar from the trunk lid (ok, spoiler -- it spoils the car's look). Mazda needs to ship some 6-speeds without spoilers for us over-50 year olds. I hope the stock Potenzas turn out to be better than the Potenzas on our old Toyota Celica, which were dangerous in rain and snow. And thanks to the person who warned about servicing rotary engines. We will make it a point to visit the dealer in the nearby bigger city. |
| RE: Winter RX-8 |
| Literatii 9-11-2003 |
The biggest factor for winter performance is tires. If you have winter, you should have all-seasons or designated winter tires (mountain with the snowflake). The vehicle type is largely irrelevant. Our city had about 22cm of snow over the past 10 days, and although I got caught in my 8 with the OEM RE040s on (which simply don't work in the snow), this guy had some High Performance Winters on: http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13622 If you need more education about winter driving, try www.tirerack.com. |
| I love this car! |
| she zooms 7-11-2003 |
"I was hesitant at first about buying a rotary powered vehicle. I purchased my vehicle in the end of September and have been loving it ever since. I live in Maryland just outside of DC and I have only seen two other RX8's out on the road. I was going to get the basic model without any accessories, but i am so glad that I got the touring package with the 18inch wheels and the accent package for the ground effects. I also had a sunroof installed(scary); it was the first time the shop had done an RX8, but they did a very good job. Everyone is always giving a thumbs up or yelling nice car out the window as they drive by. I love it just as much as the day I drove it off the lot." |
| In my neck of the words.... |
| FastCarGirl 3-11-2003 |
We have this natural happening called snow...and although I want this car badly I am waiting to see the reviews after all current RX-8 owners endure the winter...It would be nice if I bought this car I could drive it year round instead of needing an additional winter car...There are not a lot of mustangs in Cleveland due to Rear wheel drive preformance in snow. Since the RX-8 is rear wheel I am really concerned on its perfromance..I know mustang weight ratio distribution is different than Mazdas...50-50...but until I know and hear for sure this girl is sitting on her hands so I dont sign for one....As soon as anyone has driven in the snow, please let me know! |
| Love my RX-8 |
| arv105 6-10-2003 |
I bought my RX-8 in White Plains, N.Y in August. In fact, my car was one of the first to come off the delievry truck and I have yet to see any other RX-8's in the area...even though dealers are supposedly overwhelemed by the numebr of people trying to get an RX-8. The car is great......I recently took a trip to Boston and it was such a pleasure to drive this car. The horsepower is a little bit of dissapointment but the comfort and ride more than make up for it. The handling on this car is amazing. I was about to buy a 350z...but when I saw the RX-8, I instantly fell in love with it. The 350z might have more horsepower but the RX-8 blows the 350z away when it comes to style, design, and comfort. People STILL stop me almost every time I go out to check out the car. So even though I would rather people not buy RX-8's in my area....I cannot deny that it is an awesome car to own. |
| observations after one and a half months |
| moumer 1-10-2003 |
"1. After 2,600 miles i love it. Handling, acceleration, appearance, and finish are more than I expected. As an old man of 55, this is like nothing I have driven before. I have owned three Maxima's, a '65 Vette, a mid 80's Prelude and the usual bunch of pedestrian station wagons and sedans. I wish I was 25 again and in possession of this car. Well at least I feel like I'm 25 when I drive it. My only complaint is with the dealer I bought it from. I am from Central Wisconsin, which is not a hot bed of the rotary engine. Around here the word ""Rotary"" is always associated with a group of business people who have lunch together monthly and do good deeds for the community. I began hearing a cluncking sound coming from both the front and rear of the car , either going forward or in reverse, after the car had been sitting for a while. Of course I thought the worst and imagined that I had a loose motor mount , or worse. What I found out ,when I took the car in for service, was that the local Mazda dealer did not have one single full time trained techician on board trained in rotary engine repair, nor trained to work on the new RX8. There was a guy in the area with some rotary experience at a former Mazda dealership, that they could call in to look at the car, but he was on vacation for 2 weeks. It turns out that the problem was sticking brake shoes. But the dealership had to consult with Mazda USA to make the diagnosis. Not a very reassuring situation. I really don't want to be the guinea pig for their mechanics. The service manager told me that although schools had been offered by Mazda to train their techs on the RX8 the dealership G.M. had not been proactive in sending anyone to the school. I wouldn't want a brain surgeon working on me while referring to a text book at his side, nor do I want a car mechanic aperating on my car that way. I had ""WORDS"" with the dealership G.M. and was told by him that he didn't care and the service issue is ""my problem."" I have bitched about this to Mazda USA, but to date have had no response back from them. (Which also ticks me off.) I own a nice sized small business and pride myself in our customer service... (the RX8 is my company car)..I find it hard to accept Mazda's, and the dealers lackadaisical attitude. So my advice is to check with the dealership to see if they have skilled rotary technicians on staff first. If you are considering the purchase of a new RX8 and are living in Central Wisconsin,I will be glad to provide you with the name of the dealership I am going to avoid like the plague. I have resigned myself to the fact that I will have to travel 1.5 hours to get to the nearest responsible Mazda dealer to get routine maintenance etc. performed. My e-addy is [email protected]. But one , you will like it........but beware of who you buy it from....." |
| Great car at a great price |
| happydriverRX8 29-9-2003 |
Every once in a while a product comes along that the average person can afford that is a winner. That is what I think about my car of 2 months the RX8. The first time I saw one of these was on the front cover of Road and Track a year or so ago. I could not believe the price for the look - that exotic car look. I drove it and the rest is history. I shopped for months prior to the release of the carlooking at G35, S2000, 350Z and BMW. I am picky and my previous bimmer was a great car but I hated to toss out mega $$$ again. The G35 was nice but it had a silver spray painted interior and was just okay to me. The 350Z touring that I drove was harsh in ride - I heard and felt every bump in the road I drove on everyday. It was really torquey but it was missing refinement - rode like an older vette. The S2000 was great. I can understand why it beat the 350Z in the auto mag. for overall fun. The only thing there was the size. I liked/talked it so much that my boss went and bought one. Then the RX8 came in and wow. Excellent handling 50/50 balance, nice power,(remember the 159 ft lbs is increased with the gearing on the high rpm engine people forget that when comparing), super braking, great sounding engine- revs out great. Then there's the practical side with 4 seats. I am getting 18 mpg in city now after break-in. I really like this car. Be careful listening to some of the negative comments on certain boards. Nearly ALL of the professional reviews praise the car highly. If you read the design features of the car from the engineers the chassis is to be used for an upcoming Jag. It is based upon M3 suspension performance and I could say more. Check out the book by Yamaguchi. It is a sports car and also a sedan. Trouble is you cannot compare it easily. Sports car people point out the doors and the other 2 seats while sedate sedan people point out any sports car roughness. It is both and in my opinon does bother well. Apparently other manufacturers are scrambling to copy it like Subaru and VW. THe recognize a good thing too. I have seen pictures of their concept cars like the 8. oh, best of all it runs great on 87 octane. Most cars like this require 91 $$$. |
| Test drive comments UK spec |
| alistair 16-9-2003 |
Having pre ordered when the car first went on sale, it was some trepidation that I went along to test drive the car 8 months later. It was with utter relief that the car proved to be everything I had wanted and more. First off I totally agree with previous contributors that the photos don't do it justice. In the flesh it is fantastic. It cleverly combines the muscular lines of a Toyota or a Mitsubishi muscle car with a more European builder finesse. Anyway down to the test drive........the dealer accompanying me kindly directed me to a dual carriageway where there were no speed cameras. The car just took off when I gave it some trottle and the exhaust note is exquisite. Having covered 6 or 7 miles in a blink I glanced down at the numerical speedo prior to heading for the ramp and couldn't believe the 138mph reading. Nor could my wife who was holding on to our 5 month old in the back!. Taking a switchback road the car showed impressive handling. It is a drivers car, not a glorified sedan as someone suggested. The overall value for money proposition is trully amazing (albeit I suppose I am slightly biased) but I can quite see how a 911 driver could also be swayed at one third of the price. Finally the 4 seater concept works for me with one baby already and another on the way. |
| Warning: |
| ken830 23-8-2003 |
I believe this is a worthy note for potential buyers of the new Mazda RX-8: The RX-8 does -not- make the advertised amount of horsepower. Mazda (MNAO) will be revising their HP ratings soon. All current owners will be offered a choice between: 1) Mazda will buy back the car (details are not clear yet) 2) Mazda will provide free scheduled servicing for the duration of the standard warranty plus a $500 debit card. They are going to change the current rating down to 238hp for the manual and 197hp for the automatic version. The car's power rating appears to be grossly overrated, but Mazda is only admitting to a 9hp difference. |
| Driving Impressions |
| The_Man 30-7-2003 |
"Today I drove the Mazda Rx8. It looks much nicer in person thatn it does in magazines. The lines are muscular and sleek and the car looks very sporty. The inside of the car is sporty as well. Red and black leater seats are supportive yet soft and cushy, and feel good for long drives. There are circles everywhere on the inside of the rx8. I guess that is kind of saying ""hey look, i have a roatery engine. The shifter feels smooth and crisp, with short throws that are easy to master. The clutch feels good too. The Backseat is roomy enough for short 1 hour trips, but after that you're really going to want to stretch your legs. In the back There are rear windows, more like air vents that open for some ventalation. The rear also has a compartment to slide skis or 2X4's in due to lack of trunk space. A big deal has been mad about the suaside or as mazda calls them ""Freestyle"" doors. Yes they make it easier to get into the back seat, but who the heck cares about that. You don't get this car because of a stupid gimmic like that. You get this car because you want to drive. This car drives very smoothly at low RPM's like an economy car. Onche you get into the mid to high range, the power kicks in. 0-60 mph is no sweat. The car swirls up in about 5 seconds. It is kind of weird not having a usual speedometer and having a digital on. On the test drive, I hit 105 mph and then looked down and to my suprize i was smokin' ( no wonder the dealer was scared) . The car also felt very nimble and easy to throw around a track if i wanted to. Handaling was good. The tires made little squeel and felt glued to the pavment. This car however is not pure sports car. It in a way felt like i was driving a bmw 525 coupe but just proformed better. However in this price range in my opinion i think the rx8 is outgunned by the nissan 350 z. It feels more powerful than the mazda handles about the same, but doesent have the same features (toys) as the mazda. But if you looking for a sporty car that can be pushed to sports car limits and have room to take a weekend trip or a car to strap a couple of turbo's on anr race all of your friends and then do skiing this is your car. Highs: Acceleration,handaling, backseat Lows: interior head room, luggage space, poor views" |
| Got an RX8 |
| OverLOAD 22-7-2003 |
"I just got my Black GT RX8 on July 18. All I can say is that it truly is a work of art that I am having a great deal of difficulty in finding any flaws. Low down torque? got plenty here.. 90% of the 165 Fl-lbs at 3800 rpm, and getting better all the way up to 9000. Accelleration is great, the 5.9 (or 5.8) seconds listed all over the place is pretty accurate, but you do have to do a very clean clutch dump from close to 7000 rpm to do it. The GT is amazing, the Dynamic stability control is actually subtle, instead of a complete loss of power. I got mine from a dealership I had called in Michigan, after I put down a deposit at another one. Just my lucky day ;).. The power and ride of the RX8 rivals even the likes of Porsche in my opinion, (and I do speak with experience of the 2002 911 carerra 4, and 2000 boxter). Mazda have truly made an excellent showing out of this car. They would do well to continue in this direction." |
| displacement fact |
| motoracer47 14-5-2003 |
ok. I see someone has brought up the old argument of the rotor should be considered a 2.6 liter engine. Lets look at how the displacment of an engine if measured. The sae (society of automotive engineers) rates displacement of ANY engine as the swept volume of ALL cylinders through ONE complete revolution of the crankshaft,or eccentric shaft for the rotary. As an example, a 2liter 4 cylinder engine through its bore and stroke dimensions will displace 500cc per cylinder, through one revolution of the crank for 2liters. For lack of a better term, the rotary does have a total of 6 combustion chamber(faces?), (3 per rotor) that are rated at 653.2cc (not sure about the .2) per face. However, when the eccentric shaft(crank) of a rotary has done ONE complete revolution, only 1 face of each rotar will have fired(rotars run at 1/3 eccentric shaft speed). Therefore, the displacement of all rx7 and rx8 engines is 1.3 liters. (653.2x2) for a total of 1306.4 cc. The only reason the FIA rated the rx792p engine at 2.6 was to handicap the car. Why does the rotary make so much more power per displacement than most all production piston engines (yamaha R6 motorcycle produces 200bhp per liter with the ram-air effect)? 3 reasons: weight, friction, physics. The reciprocating mass of a rotary is lower than a piston engine of same displacement, which allows the engine to not only rev quicker, which does not change peak horsepower, but all areas under peak horsepower will be improved. Also, with no valve train, much more power is available to tranfer to the crank.(estimates for a 2l 4cylinder engine are about 10-15 horsepower(maybe more) to power the cams, valves, springs,ect. Friction: With only 2 rotors that contact at the apex seals(3 per rotor)and the side seals, and a 3 main bearing crank, the rotor consumes far less power through friction. Physics: I dont know this for fact, but i believe the rotary engine applies its combustion pressure to the eccentric shaft in a smoother, more effeceint way allowing for more pressure to be exerted on the shaft. Hope this helps clear things up :) |
| The RX8 will do well if Priced Accordingly |
| markhp48g 25-4-2003 |
"The Mazda RX8 has the features & excellent engineering that Toyo-Kogyo is known for, but it must not reach into the pricey realm of the Vette, least it will wither away & probably for good this time from the US. It along with the new Z have to start in the mid to upper $20k's & not escalate beyond $35K. Both are nice, solid performers & you can't go wrong with either, since the RX8 & 350Z are the ONLY Japanese vehicles with a somewhat enduring linear heritage No one will remember the Godawful Toyo Supra for very long; the only possibility for Japans no. 1 in the sports car field is a derivative of sorts of the 2000GT or is it GT2000; I always get that one reversed. MLH-you've got questions-I've got answers, & questions." |
| no need for a hairdryer |
| bigV8man 31-3-2003 |
ok the i've read a lot about this car in magazines and so far it looks great, the rear seats look great for any legless passengers you might have hehe. however this car was never about passengers, its all about the driving, and from what ive read and heard theres not a lot to fault it by. i hope this car isnt brought to shame by having multitudes of people putting big vielslide kits and huge chromes on it as just too many cars are ruined these days by such a method, vielslide kits r just plane hideous anyway, who would actually spend money on one, they completely ruin the image of every car they are fitted to. ive heard from reliable sources that for a top spec model they are unlikely to turbo the rx8. they are looking at alternative methods of increasing power, the head honcho's at the rx8's design team are looking at one of the following three options. A)give the engine an increase in capacity. B)add a third rotor. C)crank it an additional 1000rpm or so. so far it looks like the design team is leaning towards option C, some modifications to the engines porting might be required, also the internals would need some toughening, and there we have our top gun rx8 model. yes i have also heard about the new rx7 and apparently its engine will have an increase in capacity over the 1.3l, which is part of the reason their not that keen on increasing the capacity for the top gun rx8 model, because the large rotor is, reserved, if you will, for the next rx7. the top gun rx8 is under development and is at least a year away, but it will have a more advanced aero kit and enhanced suspension, better brakes, better exhaust system and sports seats. also the increase in power has been claimed by mazda to be 22kw more than the current version, which will bring the total output to 206kw/276hp @ a likely 10,000rpm. wicked |
| 250HP for 1.3L |
| engineer 18-3-2003 |
I keep hearing ppl saying how the rotary engine cranks out so much horse power per liter, even more than s2000. But this is not a fair comparison. You gotta understand that the way rotary engine works is completely different from the conventional engine. It is not a fair comparison because the 1.3L displacement in a rotary engine is actually equivalent to 2.6L displacement in a conventional engine due to the space re-use in the rotary engine. When a chamber gets compressed, the freed space is used for intake. Go to www.howstuffworks.com to get more detail. |
| wow, what an engine!! |
| modena604 15-2-2003 |
I cant believe how some people can think this car is weak. If only they would take in the consideration that this is only 1.3 litres and still producing 250bhp and 168 lbs of torque, I mean sure it can use some more torque but what can you expect from a 1.3L engine. This is a great achievement by Mazda. I think this car looks and preforms better than the s2000.Cant wait for the turbocharged rx-8 to come. What a mistake it would have been if the leaders of ford had stopped the development of this dual rotary engine. As far as the rx-7, RX-8 will replace the RX-7. The RX-7 was discontinued in 1997 and developement on the rx-8 dates back to 1996 |
| ok.. |
| VT Fusion 3-2-2003 |
the car is ok. but the design is very audi like... why do designers think that is a good thing these days?? pretty soon it wont matter where a car is made it will look german, well i certaintly hope not!! no it isnt an RX-7 replacement, but it is a view of what is probable to come... and i hope they make the rx-7 sportier than this... i see this as a family rx-7 and thats fine, as long as the real rx-7 is less audi like :') sorry audi, but i hate it when manufacturers clone a design which doesnt look better than their old design to many people. Also this has less power, hopefully thats because it is the 'family Rx' while i hope they get like 300bhp out of the rx-7 this time around. |
| rx-7 replacement? |
| FDRX7Driver 14-10-2002 |
"nope! a lot of people think that the rx-8 is a replacement for the rx-7. but it really isnt. the rx-8 is simply just the next model in line to carry a rotary engine. the rx-7 was meant to be mazdas ""2"" seater sports car...and the rx-8 is just another new inovated sports car that has 4 seats andd for doors. so if you have heard anything about the rx-8 replacing the rx-7, it is not true at all...i guess since it carries a higher number ""8"" which is above ""7"" many people assume its a replacement. infact if you do some research mazda is actually in the process of designing a new rx-7 coming out 2004-2005.""" |
| Potential Beast |
| Rotor Head 9-8-2002 |
I believe that with the help of Mazda Speed, this baby could be pulling 400 kw and kicking anything down the 1/4. Give it a Vielside body kit and 18 inch rims and this baby would be a prized possesion. Keep up the good Rotor work Mazda May the rotor be with you and also with you! |
| Article | Image gallery (8) | Specifications | User Comments (26) |
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