RX8

[128er]

I've noticed that a few people here have RX8's! I love those cars and that is my main option with the 1er. What do you guys think?? Is the RX8 Good or Bad.



Explain your reasoning please

[inTgr8r]

I didn't vote because to me it's neither.

It's a completely different type of car.
I looked at it when it first came out....
Not much in the torque department & you have to keep the revs up to get it to perform.
IIRC, there are also oil consumption issues.

IDK if things have changed or not...
I haven't really kept up to date with it.

[Vornado]

?? Define good and bad otherwise this poll is pointless.

[ducati]

I wouldn't characterize it as either. To me, it's boring.

A friend of mine owns an RX8 and a gen1 Miata. He drives the Miata 9 times out of 10. An owner's opinion of boredom...

[Spoonie]

Really, really bad.

The car doesn't have any torque (159lbft).

You have to rev the engine to 5000+rpm to feel any power.

The car gets 19mpg highway. While much faster, heavier, more powerful cars can do much better. There's a reason why no other manufacturer has developed a rotary engine.

[ducati]

Originally Posted by Spoonie

Really, really bad.

The car doesn't have any torque (159lbft).

You have to rev the engine to 5000+rpm to feel any power.

The car gets 19mpg highway. While much faster, heavier, more powerful cars can do much better. There's a reason why no other manufacturer has developed a rotary engine.

Well, although I don't like the RX8, I still like the rotary. My father owned a Gen 2 RX7 for 15 years, which was pretty fun, and the Gen 3 was really really fun.

Add to that the Integra Type R that I owned ('00 #892), which had *less* torque and was an absolute, unbridled riot.

But the RX8... I dunno, Mazda lost their way. It's not an RX7, it's more bloated, and not really very sharp. I actually found it more boring than the Gen 2... which was a real disappointment after the twinturbo. Handling is OK, but nothing terribly special. Motor is OK, nothing terribly special.

The thing is: the rotary needs a light, sharp car. That is not the RX8.

[ibeam81]

Originally Posted by ducati

Well, although I don't like the RX8, I still like the rotary. My father owned a Gen 2 RX7 for 15 years, which was pretty fun, and the Gen 3 was really really fun.

Add to that the Integra Type R that I owned ('00 #892), which had *less* torque and was an absolute, unbridled riot.

But the RX8... I dunno, Mazda lost their way. It's not an RX7, it's more bloated, and not really very sharp. I actually found it more boring than the Gen 2... which was a real disappointment after the twinturbo. Handling is OK, but nothing terribly special. Motor is OK, nothing terribly special.

The thing is: the rotary needs a light, sharp car. That is not the RX8.

Agreed. The RX8 is a compromise and as with most compromises it cannot cover all bases well. Rotary engines like to rev and in the right car they can be very effective. The first generation RX7 was an absolute blast to drive, but as has already been noted the RX8 is not a RX7. If you stay away from the AT and can deal with the less than stellar gas mileage, then the RX8 is a good car. But if you want great then look elsewhere, like the MX5 or hopefully the 1er.

[There Can Be Only One]

I own the RX-8 and like it a lot except for the poor gas mileage issue which I agree is a major concern. Previously, I was never concerned with the mileage but my job has recently been relocated so now I drive about 90 miles each day (previously commute was abou3 miles/day).

The RX-8 in sport trim is lighter than many cars. Mine weighs about 2950 lbs.

I've done over 20 track days in my car and find it to be very capable and find I can usually hang with many cars that cost twice as much (my car was 23K new) depending on who I'm on the track with.

The car is a bit quirky though and has had some annoying reliability issues (I've had a clutch and catalytic converter replaced under warranty and some other scares) so I'll be looking to replace it with another car (possibly 135) when the factory warranty is up.

Overall though, it is a nice compromise car for the price if you want something with four seats that you can still have fun with on the weekends.

[ducati]

23k? What RX8 model was that? I thought they all ended up around 30-ish.

I don't mean to say the RX8 isn't capable; it certainly is. And I totally agree with your assessment--it's a nice compromise car. I just personally found the chassis a little dull.

Being on a track is much more about driver than car. I can't tell you how many fast-as-heck Porsche's I lapped at PCA events in my old Integra Type R. The ITR was easy to drive fast, and loved the track, for sure... But there's no excuse lapping for any modern Porsche hardware (or an RX8, for that matter!) other than a loose nut behind the wheel

[There Can Be Only One]

Originally Posted by ducati

23k? What RX8 model was that? I thought they all ended up around 30-ish.

Usually you can pick them up well below sticker price with the factory incentives. I bought mine for about 7K below sticker price.

I agree on your track assessment. Integra Type R is a great car too. I've seen those at the track and always admired them.

[ducati]

Thanks for the info, I didn't know that. At 23k, that is fairly attractive.

I miss my Type R

[There Can Be Only One]

Originally Posted by ducati

Thanks for the info, I didn't know that. At 23k, that is fairly attractive.

I miss my Type R

I actually could have taken an even better deal but I didn't want a red or yellow one and the dealer didn't have my color in stock so they had toswap with another dealer.

sadly, a clean low mileage type R still costs about 20K from what I've seen.

Oh, and BMW has 5K marketing support for the ///M Coupe (Z4 based) so you should be able to get one of those for 5K below MSRP until the end of the month. My wife already shot me down on that one...

.

[ducati]

Originally Posted by There Can Be Only One

Oh, and BMW has 5K marketing support for the ///M Coupe (Z4 based) so you should be able to get one of those for 5K below MSRP until the end of the month. My wife already shot me down on that one...

.

Mine, too! I already tried :frown:

I know what you mean about the used ITR prices. I sold mine for $22k back in 2002, I thought I made out like a bandit. Little did I know.

[There Can Be Only One]

I'm off to the track for another weekend with the RX-8.

[Vornado]

Originally Posted by There Can Be Only One

I'm off to the track for another weekend with the RX-8.

Are you Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod?

[Victor.L3IchibanM3]

1 word

[Y2A]

I'd much rather have an FD (3rd gen) RX7 than an RX8

[kurichan]

GOOD = FR configuration and high revving engine, interesting design

BAD = fuel hog, no torque, horrible emissions, interesting design

On balance, I voted bad.

[1drive]

Just the Wankel engine, and the weight, it's one of my favorites.

[Propagator]

RX-8 is an odd proposition.

The RENESIS engine has many characteristics that make it suitable only for a lightweight enthusiast's car like the RX-7. It has absolutely no torque, gets gas mileage of an American V8, needs to hit the red line periodically to function properly, and it requires a lot more maintanance and care than regular reciprocating engines.

The upside is of course that it revs like a mofo, and it is very small and relatively light weight. So it's a great choice for a low production sports car that will be taken care of properly by an enthusiast owner. But it is definetely not something you should recommend to your mother-in-law.

And that's where Mazda screwed up in my book. They wanted to make the rotary more mainstream with the RENESIS, so they put it in a semi 4 door that weighs more than 3000lbs. The result is a 4 seater that gets 18/25 EPA with 159lbs-ft of torque. Only other car that I know that has torque-to-MPG ratio almost as bad is the S2000, but that is a much more focused car. I know it handles brilliantly, but that's really the only saving grace. It's still not terribly practical, and above all the gas mileage and reliability issue make it a poor choice for a family man's sports car.

I think Mazda wanted to catch two birds with one stone and missed both.

If they bring in DI on the next generation Renesis and put it in a 2500lbs 2 seater coupe to get at least 30MPG highway, I'll consider it. But the current RX-8 is just not what I would buy.

[atr_hugo]

Here's the deal about the 9,000 RPM of the Renesis motor. The ecentric (the central shaft that ties the two rotors together) turns at three times the speed of the rotors. The rotors themselves are only spinning at 3,000 RPM. (But that's hustling a hunk of aluminum ingot at a fairly good clip, nevertheless ; -)

[BForbes]

Originally Posted by spinzero

Only other car that I know that has torque-to-MPG ratio almost as bad is the S2000, but that is a much more focused car. I know it handles brilliantly, but that's really the only saving grace. It's still not terribly practical, and above all the gas mileage and reliability issue make it a poor choice for a family man's sports car.

I hope I didnt read this wrong spin. I average 25mpg driving my s2k. I'm barely on the highway too!