RX8 as a track car?

[teabagger]

I have been window shopping in the pistonheads classifieds and found myself looking for a rear wheel drive, 200bhp plus sports car to be used for road and track duties. I gave myself a budget of £4k.

I have done the bmw and kit car thing so found myself looking at 944 s2's. I then checked out the prices of RX8's.

I cant belive you can buy the 231bhp version for less than £4k now. I am thinking they could be a fine base for a track car. I was wondering how these cars put up with track use.

I know they use oil (they are designed to), they dont get high mpg (no problem for a track car), I read the have a screaming engine with a 9k red line and great handling.

Anyone here use one on track? What kind of weight could one strip out of an RX8 (rear seats, carpets etc).

[wackojacko]

4k is a fair price.

High mileage would be a problem as the the rotor tips will break down after a while 100k plus miles and hard track use will go bang.

Good cars to drive although with all long coupe's there's weight that is in avoidable like my coupe the doors and roof are uber heavy as it has frameless windows etc, similar story with the rx8's rear suicides doors they add alot of weight in the roof and structure of the car.
But that aside it'll be a good fun with an engine that loves being cained, just get the rev limiter beep muted for track use as it come in 200rpm before the actuall redline so it gets rather annoying

I'd imagine you could take 70-100kgs out of the interior on a serious diet.

Go for it !
Or there is a turbo mx5 in the track car classifieds

[anonymous-user]

I was looking at these a couple of months ago to use for a similar sort of purpose. Silly running costs, rumours that aren't THAT great on track and the gutless nature of the engine put me off. Right off.

[Minel]

they have no torque....

[teabagger]

Simps said:

I was looking at these a couple of months ago to use for a similar sort of purpose. Silly running costs, rumours that aren't THAT great on track and the gutless nature of the engine put me off. Right off.

What are the running costs?
I know they use oil but mazda spec a relativly cheap oil for use in the engine.
An engine that needs to be rev'd isn't so bad in a track car.
As for the handling, i've only heard good things up until now.

[Minel]

they have no tq even when you rev them...

there's a reason why they are selling for 4k when the equivalent 350Z for example will fetch probably double that...

Edited by Minel on Sunday 6th March 15:26

[Steve H]

As a budget road car that you'll use on track it would be OK although I think there may be better options, as a track car that's road legal I think you'd find it's a bit heavy and compromised for regular track duty.

[pikeyboy]

For 4k an E36 M3 is probarbly a much better car and loads of one's round that have been prepered for track use. Also think about 944s2 or if you're lucky a 968 but a decent one will be out of budget.

Friend of mine worked at mazda main agent a few years back those RX8's have a few issues with that wankel engine......

[wackojacko]

E36 M3's are awesome , but they're the obvious choice.
Personaly I like something abit different "hence" my project.
Stupid colour and a standard look but goes like stink.

RX8 would be certainly different, what about saving up another grand and getting an S2000 ?

[stabbed rat]

wackojacko said:

E36 M3's are awesome , but they're the obvious choice.
Personaly I like something abit different "hence" my project.
Stupid colour and a standard look but goes like stink.

RX8 would be certainly different, what about saving up another grand and getting an S2000 ?

Is your project your every day car, or have you got another car as a project?

Also, what engine is in the astra?

[pikeyboy]

wackojacko said:

E36 M3's are awesome , but they're the obvious choice.
Personaly I like something abit different "hence" my project.
Stupid colour and a standard look but goes like stink.

RX8 would be certainly different, what about saving up another grand and getting an S2000 ?

This is true but there is a reason everyone uses them for trackdays and also ensdurance racing take a look at the britcar entry list! even though they are quite long in the tooth now.

They are good, relaible and can be made excellent on track although this does cost some £££ and they are heavy and thus hard on tyres brakes supension etc.

S2000's are good cars....I think you need to find a another grand and buy one of these or haggle very hard.

[MKnight702]

Took my wife's RX8 on a handling day after my car lunched a wheel bearing, and it was a pig. Couldn't get the nose in and the lack of torque meant that getting the rear round was a pain too. After driving my car round the track (until it broke) it was a real disappointment.

On the road it's fine, but for a track I'm not so sure.

[wackojacko]

stabbed rat said:

Is your project your every day car, or have you got another car as a project?

Also, what engine is in the astra?

Have a work van so gets used to go to the gym and at weakends, the sense of occassion with harnesses and no interior is awesome.
And eerrrrr erm it's a Factory 1.8

[ExPat2B]

Didn't they use Rx8's in the single make "Formula Woman" championship ?

[stabbed rat]

wackojacko said:

Have a work van so gets used to go to the gym and at weakends, the sense of occassion with harnesses and no interior is awesome.
And eerrrrr erm it's a Factory 1.8

By that do you mean that's what it once had in it...when you bought it?

[mr2mk1chick]

they aren' that quick considering the bhp etc.
I had one for a while, mostly as a road car. you have to keep the revvs in the second half of the rev range to feel 'nippy' mostly >6000 rpm, but then you find hitting the limiter really annoying.
I love them as raod cars for excellent value for money for all the lovely spec.
I also found down the corkscrew at anglesey and on the angers gp left onto back straight the auto-aids or a fuel cut would come in, despite me turning ALL the aids off. its kinda like the car felt it was going to crash and didn't like me throwing it around and auto stuff kicked in like a self preservation mode LOL. i wasn' tthat hard on the car either LOL.
Round rockingham the car felt lardy despite me hitting the limiter too many times, as the gearing didn't quite suit.
I've overtaken other RX8's round Spa and zandvoort in my old 120bhp mr2 mk1, purely as the mr2 handled better IMO.
I don't know how much of an improvement you would get if you stripped the car out, but then you loose the nice comforts that make the car great value for money.
for 4-5k i'd buy an S2000
Yes - they did use them on formula woman

[wackojacko]

stabbed rat said:

By that do you mean that's what it once had in it...when you bought it?

Still a 1.8-ish

Serious weight shedding literaly nothing in it only 1 seat.
Intake
sticky tyres
and a few other bits and bobs, when
twinned with a willing driver it goes rather well.

need to get her on the rollers to see what she makes.

With Regards to the thread ...... As I said above ..... Save another grand and get an S2000.

[stabbed rat]

wackojacko said:

stabbed rat said:

By that do you mean that's what it once had in it...when you bought it?

Still a 1.8-ish

Serious weight shedding literaly nothing in it only 1 seat.
Intake
sticky tyres
and a few other bits and bobs, when
twinned with a willing driver it goes rather well.

need to get her on the rollers to see what she makes.

With Regards to the thread ...... As I said above ..... Save another grand and get an S2000.

Nice Does it see much road use or do you use the works van for that?

Got any pic's to share? perhaps a Readers Rides thread to create?

[wackojacko]

Occassional road use usually weakends etc In all weathers, serious lift off oversteer in the wet

I will set one up possibly tonight it's essentially a budget Cain it to death bit of fun, still passes scoobies etc through the twisties at Castle combe ....... Only to be left trailing on the straight

[stabbed rat]

wackojacko said:

Occassional road use usually weakends etc In all weathers, serious lift off oversteer in the wet

I will set one up possibly tonight it's essentially a budget Cain it to death bit of fun, still passes scoobies etc through the twisties at Castle combe ....... Only to be left trailing on the straight

Sounds good fun, you're lucky to be able to just have it as a weekend car. Looking forward to a thread on it!