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oct7th1987
12-13-2005, 06:52 PM
anyone ever driven one?* like it?* drove my gf's today.* felt weak.* i let her drive my evo.* she likes it.* hahaha.* *:coolsmiley:* she says.. "i can feel the boost!"

didnt feel that weak tho. it was alrite. i guess im just used to the evo power. it has a smooth pull. not torqey like the evo's.

1.3 liter making 250 hp.* thats hella good.* high revving engine.. up to nine thousand.* thats fun.

EvoPwr
12-13-2005, 06:54 PM
anyone ever driven one? like it? drove my gf's today. felt weak. i let her drive my evo. she likes it. hahaha. :coolsmiley: she says.. "i can feel the boost!"

1.3 liter making 250 hp. thats hella good. high revving engine.. up to nine thousand. thats fun.


1.3L???? weak sauce

rammsteinmatt
12-13-2005, 06:56 PM
anyone ever driven one? like it? drove my gf's today. felt weak. i let her drive my evo. she likes it. hahaha. :coolsmiley: she says.. "i can feel the boost!"

1.3 liter making 250 hp. thats hella good. high revving engine.. up to nine thousand. thats fun.


1.3L????


yes rotaries make lots of power per liter (but also use lots of gass)

for example the FD was 1.5l (IIRC) and made 255 hp

ANTHONY
12-13-2005, 07:05 PM
yeah drove my cousins felt worce than my stock crx. Then i gave him a ride in my Evo and he said his Rx8 handels better. :2funny: I laughed in his face!!!!

silvery_eagle
12-13-2005, 09:42 PM
yea.. many people says that RX-8 fuel consumption is very bad.. like 10mpg

evo_chip
12-13-2005, 09:46 PM
one of my buddies has one with the greddy turbo on it, its ok, hes putting down like 340 at the wheels, but they break loose all the time

j_nizzle
12-13-2005, 10:29 PM
lol it cant make 250 hp stock...wheel or crank....and yes, it is weak for what it is...wish they made a turbo version though. wouldnt be too bad of a car that way.

oct7th1987
12-13-2005, 10:39 PM
238 hp. my bads.

j_nizzle
12-13-2005, 10:43 PM
238 hp. my bads.


lol that's wrong even....mazda had to retract their ratings after a few vendors and shops bought the car and started dyno tuning....200hp to the crank is believable

oct7th1987
12-13-2005, 10:46 PM
dange.. serious. haha.

Dr. Evo
12-14-2005, 08:39 AM
I used to work at a Mazda Dealer when they came out. They had to give all the RX8 owners free maintainence for the first 60K (including major services). They did the same with the Miatas at one point. The RX8 isn't a bad car. Actually handles pretty well. 50/50 weight, pulls forever (albeit not that strong). But it makes all it's power above 8000. NO torque. If it had about 100 more ft/lbs of torque it would be pretty good :laugh:.

oct7th1987
12-14-2005, 09:38 AM
free maintainence services because the customers found out it didnt come with the 238hp? or the rx8s just came with the free maintainence?

for "200 hp to the flywheel" it drives nice. it does handle nice. i remember this one best motoring video.. the rx8 a-spec came in first place.. but it was against like the s2000 and rsx type r.

how long do you guys think that rotary will last? friend of mine has an twinturbo rx7... only gone about 60,000 miles.. and he's on his 3 engine

Terry S
12-14-2005, 10:19 AM
Since they have no turbos, the engine should last a while... in theory :2funny:

Terry S

Kaneto
12-14-2005, 10:24 AM
Originally Mazda stated the RX-8 had 250hp. After the low numbers from dyno testing, they revised it to 238. In reality the stock dyno numbers vary pretty significantly. They're all generally in the 200-238bhp range, but YMMV.

The problem is since they are only 1.3L engines (as all rotaries have been since 86), they have very little torque. They love to rev like mad, but you don't get that surge you get from a turbo or a larger displacement car.

They do handle pretty well, are are very nice inside. The RX-8 is nowhere near the same league as the Evo, though. Honestly I wish Mazda would just step up and start offering the 3-rotor engine.

silvery_eagle
12-14-2005, 11:44 AM
or bring back RX-7!!!

j_nizzle
12-14-2005, 06:19 PM
for "200 hp to the flywheel" it drives nice. it does handle nice. i remember this one best motoring video.. the rx8 a-spec came in first place.. but it was against like the s2000 and rsx type r.



i remember the video...remember the guy's mods though....fully tuned tein suspension, ecu tuning, intake, exhaust, etc...the cars were limited to 300ps too! the rsx was a fwd and came in second for time trials over an fc, s13, euro accord, and the s2k. the cars known to do damage on that track were all rwd or awd, furthermore, the s2k would have won given the owner wasnt a cheap bastard about his tires. shows a lot is important in making a car fast and driveable.

gofaster87
12-14-2005, 10:17 PM
The rx8 may not be in the same league but the rx7 is, well, beyond. I worked on them and raced them quite a bit. I think its time to get another one. Its very easy to transpalnt a tri rotor into an rx7, just pricey, but damn its strong.




Originally Mazda stated the RX-8 had 250hp.* After the low numbers from dyno testing, they revised it to 238.* In reality the stock dyno numbers vary pretty significantly.* They're all generally in the 200-238bhp range, but YMMV.

The problem is since they are only 1.3L engines (as all rotaries have been since 86), they have very little torque.* They love to rev like mad, but you don't get that surge you get from a turbo or a larger displacement car.

They do handle pretty well, are are very nice inside.* The RX-8 is nowhere near the same league as the Evo, though.* Honestly I wish Mazda would just step up and start offering the 3-rotor engine.

Kaneto
12-15-2005, 01:04 AM
Thing is the turbo RX-7, while quick and incredibly nimble, was really just a time-bomb waiting to go. If you drive it and maintain it exactly perfect, and don't mod it, then it can last.... but nobody is that anal, and even if you followed all the rules the thing could still break on you.

My old NA RX-7 was marvelously reliable, but slow. My old turbo RX-7 was quick and fun, until it broke, which was an inevitibility.

I still love the rotary engine. It loves to rev like nothing else, and it's great fun to run on a track in either turbo or NA form. Trying to daily drive one, however, always ends up an excersize in frustration.

And I still have to stand by my opinion of it not being in the same league as the Evo... even the FD. I still tend to hang out with the rotary guys more than the Evo or AWD guys these days, and every time they tell me it's not fair bringing a boinger that's faster than them.

Incidently, I still hope to pick up a decent FB one of these days and start up in the Spec-7 racing series. In most cased the Evo is faster than the 7, on and off the track.... but the 7 just feels like it belongs on a race track.

gofaster87
12-15-2005, 01:56 AM
Dont know what rx7s youve been around but most of the ones Ive been around, in and drove would rip most things on the road. The only issue was the seals on the rotary, change those and youre golden. Never had a problem with mine as a daily driver.

digitalxdna
12-15-2005, 10:48 AM
not that i'm an rx7/rx8 afficionado, but i've read in a few publications and rx7 websites that the FD had cooling issues...

*chris*
12-16-2005, 03:48 PM
ive got a good friend thats trying like mad to get an rx8 during his leave for christmas. hope things work out for him ...only thing is, he wants the auto. i tried like hell to convince him to get the manual but hes deadset on auto. and for that i like to call him a 'lazy driver'.

j_nizzle
12-16-2005, 04:31 PM
ive got a good friend thats trying like mad to get an rx8 during his leave for christmas. hope things work out for him ...only thing is, he wants the auto. i tried like hell to convince him to get the manual but hes deadset on auto. and for that i like to call him a 'lazy driver'.


your friend is a fkn poser! and anyone who desperately wants an rx8 is a little :uglystupid2: imho...

at least you tried. props for that.

*chris*
12-16-2005, 11:29 PM
lol i wouldnt say hes a poser. afterall he is a friend. but yah, i was actually trying to convince him to get an evo or an sti at the very least ....but hes set on the rex. and yah, everytime he starts talking about it, i wont say anything at some point ...but ill just start making the motions of the shift pattern. i usually get flipped off. :2funny:

Dr. Evo
12-17-2005, 10:26 AM
I beleive the auto has less HP.

*chris*
12-17-2005, 12:01 PM
yah i know ...i believe they claim 198hp with the auto, compared to 238hp with manual. this was a prime reason i was trying to get him to go with manual. oh well, i stated my opinion and its his money so whatever works. :-P

Terry S
12-17-2005, 04:35 PM
My test drive of the auto version of the RX-8 reminds me alot of my test drive of the manual version of the Lancer OZ Rally edition... Only the lancer had better visibility.

Terry S

*chris*
12-18-2005, 12:19 AM
im intoxicated ....what do you mean??? lack of power?

Terry S
12-19-2005, 09:40 AM
I'm saying the auto version of the RX-8 drove the same and felt as powerful as the Lancer OZ-Rally edition. The only difference is the lancer had better visibility and was a little easier to handle.

Terry S

Tarmac02
12-19-2005, 02:54 PM
You can mod the hell out of a rotary,... you just need to be careful and very anal about it. You have to monitor your A/F and EGTs like a madman. YOu need to get a wideband and a very good knock box,... because even small detonation on the rotary can lead to catastrophic engine damage. You have a knock with a piston driven motor,.. completely different than with a rotary. Something has to give,.. and in the design there isn't much room for error. A well put together, modified rotary running the right fuel and well tuned engine mgmt can be very fun and reliable though.

*chris*
12-19-2005, 11:30 PM
ok thats what i thought you meant terry.

he was thinkin about getting some sort of engine management right off ...but i told him to wait until he finds a place that can tune it properly.

*chris*
12-23-2005, 12:06 AM
and he got it, i continued to try to sway him to manual the whole time at the dealership ...but no go. oh well.

http://socalevo.net/gallery/albums/userpics/11451/normal_DSCF0543a.JPG

http://socalevo.net/gallery/albums/userpics/11451/normal_DSCF0534a.JPG

http://socalevo.net/gallery/albums/userpics/11451/normal_DSCF0531a.JPG

oct7th1987
12-23-2005, 12:25 AM
why are the a$$es so dirty? everysingle other part of the car looks clean. i dont like the rx8 in blue. automatic? isnt that like less than 200 hp?

*chris*
12-23-2005, 07:52 AM
yah, 4spd auto is good for 197bhp. its got the paddle shifters on the wheel too. i dunno if mazda calls it triptronic or not ...but thats the word that come to mind.

the back and sides are dirty ...mainly the back though. im still in the frozen land of hellish temperatures and salt laden roadways. so combine salt with snow&dirt. these were just some quick shots, were gonna get a shoot done before he heads back to ol'miss.

Terry S
12-23-2005, 09:39 AM
yah, 4spd auto is good for 197bhp. its got the paddle shifters on the wheel too. i dunno if mazda calls it triptronic or not ...but thats the word that come to mind.

the back and sides are dirty ...mainly the back though. im still in the frozen land of hellish temperatures and salt laden roadways. so combine salt with snow&dirt. these were just some quick shots, were gonna get a shoot done before he heads back to ol'miss.


I give him 2 months before he starts talking to you about trading it in. That car is just so mediocre for the price.

Terry S

Coolguy949
12-23-2005, 09:55 AM
Thing is the turbo RX-7, while quick and incredibly nimble, was really just a time-bomb waiting to go. If you drive it and maintain it exactly perfect, and don't mod it, then it can last.... but nobody is that anal, and even if you followed all the rules the thing could still break on you.

My old NA RX-7 was marvelously reliable, but slow. My old turbo RX-7 was quick and fun, until it broke, which was an inevitibility.

I still love the rotary engine. It loves to rev like nothing else, and it's great fun to run on a track in either turbo or NA form. Trying to daily drive one, however, always ends up an excersize in frustration.

And I still have to stand by my opinion of it not being in the same league as the Evo... even the FD. I still tend to hang out with the rotary guys more than the Evo or AWD guys these days, and every time they tell me it's not fair bringing a boinger that's faster than them.

Incidently, I still hope to pick up a decent FB one of these days and start up in the Spec-7 racing series. In most cased the Evo is faster than the 7, on and off the track.... but the 7 just feels like it belongs on a race track.


The rotary motor is a race motor, it is meant to be treated like a race motor. It's not meant to last. The average life of the engine is about 90 - 110 thousand miles. You can tell when the motor needs to be rebuilt when it feels like it's getting slower and losing compression. What usually needs to be replaced is the apex and corner seals, most of the time the rotor housing also needs replacement. If you break and apex seal, the rotor housing will have to be replaced for sure because the rotor will score the hell out of the rotor housing. Mazda knows this, since it's meant to be a replace-able engine. Mazda sells the rebuild kits. A full rebuild is about $2000 - $3500 (the latter if you want larger apex seals and the rotor machined). You can totally tell how "race built" the motor is. It only has two motor mounts on the bottom so you just take out two bolts and the motor lifts right out after you unbolt the tranny. A friend and I assembled a newly rebuilt 13B in a crate and had it inside and running within 12 hours.

Knock on the rotary engine can destroy the motor, most of the time minor knock doesnt damage anything though. The reason knock can kill the motor is because the weakest link is the apex seal. The pre-ignition can bust a apex seal, in turn destroying that entire rotor/housing because of all the frction.

The rotary is an amazing engine IMO, yet amazingly simple how it works. Oil and gas mix because the rotor housing needs to be lubricated for the rotor passing though. That's why so much oil is burned. Back in racing days the rotary motor used to dominate and even "cheat" because it was so race bred. At endurance races it was be best because it didnt have as many moving joints and the conventional piston engine.

kimletrim
12-23-2005, 10:01 AM
I thought rebuild on those engines was more like 60k miles.

Coolguy949
12-23-2005, 11:47 AM
It all depends on how you drive it, if you track it probably like 60 - 70K. If you baby it probably around 110 - 120.

oct7th1987
12-23-2005, 04:46 PM
rx8 is an okay car. turbo rx8.. thats a different story.

gofaster87
12-23-2005, 05:15 PM
It all depends on how you drive it, if you track it probably like 60 - 70K. If you baby it probably around 110 - 120.


I once ran nitorus through my rotory for a whole year and that motor still lasted to 140k. You guys believe every myth around. Rotories are not as fragile as people think, they just cant be punished like some other motors.

*chris*
12-24-2005, 08:46 AM
i dunno if he'll wanna trade it in ...this is his 'within reach' dream car. like the evo was mine. but if he does wanna trade it, ill make sure to give him hell. he got it at a hella good price ...23k. they had the rx8s on sale big time. they had 2 reds, 2 silvers, white, black, and of course his blue. he wants to get some sort of engine management for it as soon as possible.

on a side note ...those damn backseats are TINY. example, take a porsche, add about 2in of legroom. there it is. the roof sits too damn low for me. i was in the back seat with this sister for about 40min on the way back and my head was always touching the roof. then i got shotgun the rest of the way and my head was still hitting. plus compared to the evo, the visibility sucks ass. im not clostrophobic but damn, i felt cramped ...like i was riding in a coffin with port holes. the acceleration was pretty bad, he thought it was great, but then he doesnt drive an evo or any form of turboed car.

listening to the salesman was hilarious. when i went in for my evolution, all i said when he walked up was, yah i want an evo ...today. ok lets go. 2min later the cars pulled up and the paperwork started. this guy was trying to sell him the car, when in trents mind it was already sold. yah i was kinda there for assistance ...basically if he started spouting off shit that made no sense i was the 'go-to man'.

mom - yah hes wanted this for awhile now.
sister - yah its all he can talk about, kinda like chris was this spring.
salesman - oh you got a new car this year?
mom - yah he got a evolution.
salesman - (looking confused) ahh ok.

salesman - yah it takes a special person to buy a car like this. cuz its a more unique, special car.

me - (looking at the tires) are these summer rated or all seasons?
salesman - yah theyre sport performance tires.
me - (confused look) ....ok
then he went off on some tangent talking about how this car is so great in snow with winter tires.
salesman - so yah, put some winter tires on it and itll just go. cuz with the all wheel dr--- ...all wheel snow tires its no problem.

mom - hows the insurance on these?
salesman - oh not bad. because of the 50/50 weight distribution. that helps keep insurance low. and its got side airbags and yada yada yada.

also there were a couple guys looking at the stis in the lot and trent & i were out there while they were waiting on some shit inside. while they were talking, i look at trent and then said, hey guys. yah? get a lancer evolution.

cascosblueevo
12-24-2005, 09:02 AM
hah funny story

silvery_eagle
02-16-2006, 02:11 PM
yep.. just talked with a RX-8 pilot friend... even if he's easy on the pedal... still get 12mpg...ish