mazda rx8

G

gunnerhorn

100+ Posts
you may have seen my saab 9-3 thread, but now we are thinking about getting an rx8. it appears that there is a mid-life crisis going on, but i won't complain.

what's your take on this car?

move me, loopy, move me.
 
I drove one at the Mazda Driving Challenge thing a few months back and it was pretty cool. Very impractical, but fun to drive. Nice interior finish-out and a POWERFUL engine. I dig the whole rotary thing, if that's what you plan on getting.
 
I, too think that they are kind of ugly. Gas mileage is very mediocre considering the power. The back seat should be reserved for very special ocasions. Handling is supposed to be great. Some people are speculating that a Mazdaspeed version will have good power.
 
I think it's damn good looking. Decent straight line performance, but when you get into the curves is when the car really shines. Has some of the most neutral handling of any car out there. It's a blast to drive on the twisties. It's a good car for people who enjoy driving, although a tad pricey.
 
I think it would have looked good and was on it's way, but they kept adding and changing things and now it looks very over-done.
 
I drive one of these as my daily driver. My take:

Highlights - Wicked steering, phenomenal brakes (better than just about anything that doesn't cost 100K more), good styling (subjective and polarizing no doubt), pretty good acceleration, RWD, good traction control system (saved my *** several times so far), lots of enthusiast owners.

Lowlights - If you drive it hard all the time, your milage will suck (I get 20 in the city); there are a few squeaks and rattles in mine (but it was built in the first month of NA spec production);you need to understand a little about how it works (re: the fact that it's designed to inject oil into the combustion chamber and needs to be checked frequently); tires are wicked expensive (250 a pop); foot room in the back seat is tiny (once you're back there, it's comfortable, but I can't hardly get my feet into the floorboard and under the seat in front of me); small trunk; no spare.

All in all, I love the car - the competition didn't stack up for me (G35C, IS300, 350Z), and it feels very reminicent of driving my 83 RX-7 - but with MUCH more power, better steering, and unreal braking. The drawbacks just aren't significant for me, and once you hit the twisties...
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Check outThe Link for more info and to see what a bunch of other owners think. BTW if you do buy one, this site is super-informative and has been of immeasurable help to me.
 
cheeky, i referred to my saab 9-3 thread, that talked about my parents wanting the new car. i get to take it every now and then, but it's mainly their car.
 
I had an RX-7 and loved it until it had about 70,000 miles on it. Rotary engines do not last like piston engines, but they are great while they are humming.
 
Not true about rotarys being short lived. If you understand them (that they need to have their oil monitored, and that overheating is fatal), they are pretty damn bulletproof (until you get to forced induction - a la the FDs). There are many first generation 7 owners that have 250K+ on the original engine. Just think, there's no valves, pushrods, camshafts, connecting rods, and so on. Don't let reliability scare you off from these cars - the design is pretty well proven, and since it's N/A, I wouldn't sweat it.
 
Rotary engines are incredible. One downside I can think of is that the RX-8 is either among or on the top of the list of sought after cars to steal and get chopped, etc.. So if it is for your folks, consider that. Your mom at a gas station one day, who knows, weird things happen. Not maybe a major concern but still should be thought about. They may not be as alert all the time as you may be.

Take the safety factors into consideration too. That Saab will haul *** for sure so they are getting a good sporting touring feel w/ that as well and prob. a safer car all the way around. Insurance may be a factor too but maybe not depending on age and stuff like that. Moved yet by my concern?
 
I didn't know my car was at the top of so many wish lists. Oh well, it's insured for a reason. If it does make you feel better, the security system is quite advanced on the RX-8 and by most accounts (see the above link for MANY threads about the subject), the only real practical ways to steal the 8 are with a flatbed or getting the owners keys.

Loopy - if you've got a link, I know quite a few other interested owners...
 
Concerning longevity: I took great care of my 1986 RX-7 (changed oil regularly, checkups), but it started giving me problems around 70,000 miles. Nothing hugely terrible, but it wasn't running the way it should have and had some trouble starting. I took it to two different Mazda mechanics and they said the engine did not have much life left. I was shocked considering it was my first new car and that I had taken such good care of it. Since I also had trouble with the interior plastic starting to degrade around 60K I decided that the car had significant planned obsolescence built in. (It was not garage kept, but didn't see much time in the sun.)

My next car was a Toyota (which I still drive) and it has 144K and still drives like the day I bought it.

These guys seem to think that longevity is not a problem for the RX-8:The Link
 
i am weary of the rx8's early track record and my mom already has a benz, i think that's a pretty good target as it is.

the look and the rotary is sweet.

and to discuss the rx7, you can't improve on perfection. it was great in every way.
 
I don't recall where I saw this other than once on tv, maybe CNN and another place, maybe Car and Trend (whatever my friend subscribes too...it was bathroom reading material). I think I saw that a LeSabre was a commonly stolen car too. I will try to find out if I remember.

They are sharp cars to many and I think the chop shop that was raided here in Austin had lots of the Honda/Acura engines and some Mazdas if I recall what they said.

A Mazda salesperson should know for sure but would they shoot straight?
 
MAZDA Showroom:

"Yessir you will love this car. Do you have a gun sir? Because you know that you may get car jacked, right? There are alot of people that would love to get their hands on your car so you gotta snap it up now. Let me tell you about the alarm system, the panic alarm in specific..."

That is almost good enough to be a skit on MAD TV.
 
Gunner - You are wary. You may be weary too, can't tell from here, but you are definitely wary.

But the real reason for this post is to remind everyone that my friend Chitwood and I still share the now almost 20 year old Wilcrest to MLK record, 1:37, which will never be touched now that the LaGrange bypass has ****** everything up, and he was driving an 83 RX-7. I was, of course, in the indomidable 1984 Nissan 200SX Turbo, with the vans skate art upholstery. Sweet.
 
Wilcrest to MLK in 1:37?
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I had some 1:45s in my Big Dark Park, but I had to contend with Bastrop and my route was from Katy to 183 and Rundberg. If you'd like to try for your record again, I'll be more than happy to part with my 83 RX-7 for the right price...
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Look at the 350Z too if you are going to look at the RX8. I drove my friends RX8, and was underwhelmed with the performance. She had the auto (w/ padles) and it seemed sluggish to me, even in "manual mode". Didn't get a real chance to take it thru the curves, but the suspension and handling seemed real nice and tight, just needed some more power IMO.
 
I do not like the style of this car at all. Looks goofy. I'd personally much rather go with the 350 or G35 coupe. Seems to be a decently performing car, but the styling is so darn awful I couldn't drive it no matter the performance.
 
My daughter has one. It's not a bad little car at all. I don't like the fact that you have to really keep on top of the oil which most women won't do.
I would rather have an Evo or Sti if I wanted Japanese performance.
 
The G35 coupe drives great and might be a little more practical (though I am not crazy about the intrerior.
 
The problem with longevity on older rotaries was in the seals that wipe along the sides of the combustion chamber, they had some material breakdown problems in the older ones, my RX-3 engine died at 59,000 miles but since I had a 60,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, Mazda replaced the engine free of charge.

That is suppose to be fixed in the later model RX-7s and the RX-8.

I piced up a car mag yesterday and thumbed through it and there was a bit about the new Miata, they were speculating that the Mazdaspeed one would have a roatry available, which would be sweet.
 
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