Mazda RX-8
ok, i testdrove this lil coche today and must say that i was impressed. it was my first taste of a rotary and, although i didnt get a chance to really explore the car's potential because of the bitchy saleswoman, found it quite stimulating. any rotory fans out there who know anything about this sucker that wanna share? i'm considering bringing one home--this would be my first mazda and dont know if there's anything i should be aware of beforehand.
Comments
Cold Turkey
If you want speed, don't buy that.
Personally, I already have enough ($30 g's) to buy a 1969 Dodge Challenger.
My website actually gets more hits than I thought. But I digress. Anyway, I have not test driven the Rx-8. If I buy one - which I may in a year - I think I'd end up doing some body work right on the spot and replacing the wheels with the type RZ 17" racing mesh wheels. There's already a body kit that's very subdued, but takes away alot of the bulkyness that I don't like about the body.
As for the car itself, it seems pretty good. the new engine is a great improvement, so I've heard, and being an electrical engineer, I'm taking steps towards writing an engine control program for a blown renesis, so that I can transplant one in my 7 when the go for sale in crate form a year from now.
I wouldn't call the 8 a sports car so much. It's basically a Honda/Acura RSX that doesn't suck. Better speed, better handling, better rear seat room, and better feel. Costs more, but I'd say it's worth it. All the reviews seem to love it, but I'm too busy with work now to go and test drive one. . . . At least my work is cool.
Also, if you drive a lot of highway, you will be astounded with the mileage. My 7 is rated 16/24, and it gets about 16/30. The 16 city is mostly because of the twin turbo drinking fuel. The 8, I think, is rated at 18/26. I would put money on the 8 getting better than 30mpg on the highway.
--Commentary about "big" japanese sports cars--
The 300ZX was an underperformer, and weighed 3800lbs. The Supra needed a really beefy turbo to impress anyone. The Mitsu 3000GT was just plain sucky. The Rx-7 and the NSX were lower powered, lighter, and a hell of a lot more trackworthy. (I'd argue that the 7 is the best of them all. Somewhat biased, yes, but the race results don't lie.)
If you like the big cars, like the 300Z and the Mitsu 3000GT, you should like the Rx-8. It's more comfortable than a true sports car since the shocks are softer and it rides higher. The big cars were underpowered. Any 3800lb sports car really should be packing a V8 or 12. The 8 isn't overpowered, or even fast in my eyes, but it's not meant to be, and being lighter it will most likely have better handling characteristics than the big cars.
--Commentary about 69 Dodges --
(1) I bet the stock Rx-8 has a better quarter mile than the stock Dodge.
(2) Nothing you can do to the Dodge will make it beat the 8 on, say, the Nurburgring.
Originally posted by Splinemodel
Someone called?
Ah, I forgot you were now Splinemodel instead of Norair. Is that summer job of yours that's keeping you from test driving the RX-8 3D-related or EE-related? Are you in DC for the summer?
Rotary engines are simply amazing. You can even get rotary engines for airplanes (Wankel AG and Mid-West Engines). They have the power/weight ratio of 2-stroke engines while burning regular fuel like 4-strokes. But they are still quite a bit more expensive than the usual aviation piston engines.
Cold Turkey
(formerly Escher)
If you like the big cars, like the 300Z and the Mitsu 3000GT, you should like the Rx-8. It's more comfortable than a true sports car since the shocks are softer and it rides higher. The big cars were underpowered
Considering I don't ever plan on going to the racetrack or drag racing someone at a sideshow, I don't mind.
The Rx-7 was never meant to have an automatic transmission, and when it eventually came to offer an automatic option, the transmission used was a modification on the model used for the MPV minivan. It was large, generated a lot of heat, and tended to have a disastrous affect of exhaust system / engine reliability in the 7.
I imagine the 8 has a better automatic transmission, but if you can get it in stick I'd recommend that. Though the transmission is something to ask around about if you want to go automatic.
-----
Personal note:
I'm in Princeton right now (still at work for dinner break
Too bad you need to be 5'10" or less to fit comfortably in an RX7. There's probably a few good deals on abused track cars.
Splinemodel will want to string me up for even suggesting this, but an aluminium small block between the front fenders would ROCK! hehehe The LS6 is actually quite compact, I bet it would fit, hehehe...
Originally posted by Matsu
The RX-7 certainly was the prettiest sports car to come from Japan inc, and probably the only one that will retain any aesthetic merit in 20 years time, the NSX qualifies too, the rest from that era were/are either ugly or boring. The new 350ZX is kinda boring looking, as is the G35, muscular and gentlemanly, but a bit boring and contemporary, forgettable, I'd venture, once the initial awe wears off.
Too bad you need to be 5'10" or less to fit comfortably in an RX7. There's probably a few good deals on abused track cars.
Splinemodel will want to string me up for even suggesting this, but an aluminium small block between the front fenders would ROCK! hehehe The LS6 is actually quite compact, I bet it would fit, hehehe...
I'd more or less agree. I am about 6'1" and can fit in the 7, but I have very lively hair, and I do get some degree of hathead if I sit up straight. More of the problem with the rx-7 is that you have to have a 32" waist or less to drive it. I'm a 32, but my friend who's a 34 thinks it's a bit cramped in the seat.
There's a guy named Jim Labreck who has an FD (RX-7 geek speak for 3rd gen RX-7) with an LS-1 in it, I think. But the real winner is Peter Farrell, who will put in a blown 3 rotor engine into your 7, and mod it out spectacularly. It beats a Ligenfelter C5 in pretty much all respects.
There has been a bit of controversy lately about sticking tertiary ports and/or overly conservative breakin modes in the computer engine management system, allegedly leading to the engine not making the full hp output as claimed. No official word on this debacle has been issued by Mazda, yet. So if it concerns you at all, you may consider waiting a bit or waiting for the next model run when these things have been ironed out a bit more.
Fuel mileage is more like "average" or "mediocre" for the cited hp and a bit "horrendous" when scaled according to technical engine displacement (it is a 1.3 L physical displacement, but functionally, it operates more like a 2.6 L version of conventional 4-stroke piston engine). It only achieves reasonable mpg figures because it is naturally-aspirated in its current state. When or if a turbo model appears, then you may see some really disappointing mpg figures. ...course, it will be packing more power, though, so it all depends on your priorities.
Lastly, engine performance is likened a lot to the disposition of the S2000 engine. Not a lot of torque to work with, so you really have to wring it to the higher rpms to extract the "legendary" nature of the engine. Subsequently, it probably doesn't make for such a great engine to mate to an automatic tranny. There's really much less reasons to dislike automatics then what people let on to, but they do need an engine with some good torque to shine.
I rather like the accelerative feel of the Nissan 350Z automatic over the manual. It actually "feels" more powerful through the midrange. Low-end torque is lacking in either version, however. The manual probably would only show an advantage if you happen to be spending a lot of time near redline (which is pretty far from any typical public road scenario).
what attracted me most to this car is the practicality with a nice blend of performance. i have been looking into the next gen S4, but am not sure if the added performance is really worth an additional 20 grand...
*drool*
Originally posted by Splinemodel
Personal note:
I'm in Princeton right now (still at work for dinner break
Oooh, cool. It's good to hear that there are still some starups around that have the capital to hire college students for development.
Cheers,
Cold Turkey
Here's a great pic. The RX-7 has some mods, but they aren't horrible.
-robo
One thing I didn't like from the reviews I read about the RX-8 was that there is so little torque that you have to rev the heck out of the engine to throw yourself back in your seat.
But then again I haven't driven one yet so I don't know.
Originally posted by robo
Here's a great pic. The RX-7 has some mods, but they aren't horrible.
Gotta love finely-polished super-shiny black sportscars! So many years after the Model T Ford, black is still tough to beat.
Cold Turkey