Discussion
velocgee said:
ok, so there might be an issue with the early cars. but how many performance cars are out there that you can get a brand new engine for £3.7k GBP!
i would still recommend an RX8 (indeed, i was going to buy another). such great VFM it is almost criminal.
Generally less £3.7k, you can probably save a £1k on that, however, the argument it seems is the Rx8 isnt a performance car (as such) and the discussions surrounding the engine seem to focus on the fact that a mass production car shouldnt suffer such early or frequent failures!i would still recommend an RX8 (indeed, i was going to buy another). such great VFM it is almost criminal.
Although a fan of the rotary, i agree with these comments!
Like most petrol/piston heads, we all have our preferred brands or engine configurations and i cant seem to move away from the rotary engine! I think its a shame the Rx8's rotary isnt as tunable as the RX7's. Whether tuning is your bag or not, i dont think the Rx7 would have faired so well if it was as restrictive as the Rx8 i.e there arent many oem standard Rx7's around any more!
Car choice seems to be the biggest discussion point on this forum and the fact we all like different things is a good thing, it would be very boring if we all liked v8's or boxer engines!
So long as you are prepared (rightly or wrongly) for an early engine demise on a rotary i think the 8 is a great car and the characteristics of the way the rotary works is like nothing else due and once your hooked on that, nothing will compare!
Sorry to hear this after all the hard work you have put in getting it registered in Germany
ohwel time to buy what everyone else drives around the Ring with a limited budget like me a
BMW E36! preferably the 328 coupe does 15mpg on track compared to 8mpg of the M3 plus much less
expensive to insure sorted!...
ohwel time to buy what everyone else drives around the Ring with a limited budget like me a
BMW E36! preferably the 328 coupe does 15mpg on track compared to 8mpg of the M3 plus much less
expensive to insure sorted!...
I've loved the look of RX8s for some time, but the fragility of the engine is off putting.
However, I guess that they are so cheap now that the cost of a rebuild could be factored in to the purchase price.
There is also a lot of information on the net about how to rebuild the engine properly, and getting it out of the car seem to be a bigger pain than the actual rebuild itself. If I could get a properly running car for £1500 then I'd be very interested, (£1500 seems to be trade money for a 54/55 plate car) and if it needed fixing at some point in the future, then I'd give it a go.
Possibly!
However, I guess that they are so cheap now that the cost of a rebuild could be factored in to the purchase price.
There is also a lot of information on the net about how to rebuild the engine properly, and getting it out of the car seem to be a bigger pain than the actual rebuild itself. If I could get a properly running car for £1500 then I'd be very interested, (£1500 seems to be trade money for a 54/55 plate car) and if it needed fixing at some point in the future, then I'd give it a go.
Possibly!
Pommygranite said:
Given that people are transplanting other engines into the RX8 without affecting interior space, shape or pedestrian safety legislation would mean your point is somewhat wrong.
Engine transplants don't have to comply with legislation governing the distance between the bonnet skin and the hard points - I thought I made that clear.Pommygranite said:
Handling can be resolved with a decent set up.
You can't fix weight distribution through setup.Pommygranite said:
For reference the RX8 engine weighs 122kg and the BMW M52 engine (for example) weighs 160kg shows that the RX8 engine isn't massively lighter than a random bigger engine.
It is light, in the sense that one of the worlds lightest sixes is a third heavier, but it's the compactness as much as the weight that makes the RX-8's architecture possible.I don't think you really grasp how physically small the rotary is.
Renesis:
N52:
Pommygranite said:
The fact is Mazda got the car right and engine wrong and the car could have had an alternative engine.
If you think it's so easy to build an RX-8 with a piston engine, perhaps you could list the other front mid engined cars which are full four seaters - if it is so easy, why are almost all front mid engined cars two seaters or at best 2+2? Look at the GT86/BRZ, even with a boxer four which doesn't quite fit behind the front axle line and still has very +2 rear seating.If you could buy cars with that layout, people wouldn't be stuffing engines in rx-8s.
RX7 said:
St John Smythe said:
350Zs seem to be really holding their value actually. I was hoping they'd plummet like the RX8 as I quite fancy one (sound lovely with the right exhaust!!)
Perhaps i am looking at the wrong classifieds, £4 - £5k will buy you a 350z and whilst they were minimum £2k difference new, im not sure at that point the low 2nd values holds to much sway. I would like to reconvene 9 - 10 years from now and see what the GT86 2nd values are like!
Its a buyers market on pretty much any car these days!
St John Smythe said:
They all seem to be slightly ropey Fairlady imports for that price range. You'll still pay quite a bit for a clean UK car without high mileage on the clock.
As you would if you wanted a similar description Rx8 (low mileage etc), i only mention it as the 350z was launched at the same time, it cost more to start, it was a similar format and suggesting 2nd hand values on the Rx8 are low just down to reliability simply isnt it, point in case with the 350z!Truth is the rx8 couldnt have been built how it was with the current legislation without the rotary. Yes it could have had a piston engine in, it would have needed a higher cog and higher bonnet then you make the suspension a little firmer to cope with the change of mass & probably put a few inches on the wheelbase too.
So now you have a poorer looking heavier poorer handling kinda rx8.
So now you have a poorer looking heavier poorer handling kinda rx8.
There are RX8 for sale now at the £2000 mark with working engines,some on PH and around 70 on Ebay, so if you already own one and had enough space you could buy a full car and swap the engine and have all the spares you need, granted its a risk buying a unknown car but the rebuilt engines are £2000 with a short warranty
tomoleeds said:
There are RX8 for sale now at the £2000 mark with working engines,some on PH and around 70 on Ebay, so if you already own one and had enough space you could buy a full car and swap the engine and have all the spares you need, granted its a risk buying a unknown car but the rebuilt engines are £2000 with a short warranty
30 months or 30k, i wouldnt say that was short!RX7 said:
Generally less £3.7k, you can probably save a £1k on that, however, the argument it seems is the Rx8 isnt a performance car (as such)
which part would people not consider it to be a performance car?! agreed, it isn't the quickest in a straight line. but it is quick; has 50/50 weight distribution; great brakes; great handling and, pedals perfectly arranged for heel n toe 
. if that doesn't signify performance car then i'm at a loss to know what does.velocgee said:
which part would people not consider it to be a performance car?! agreed, it isn't the quickest in a straight line. but it is quick; has 50/50 weight distribution; great brakes; great handling and, pedals perfectly arranged for heel n toe . if that doesn't signify performance car then i'm at a loss to know what does.
You will have to ask them, i was only echoing what others have said about a mass production car and its engine life/failures, perhaps fairly!. if that doesn't signify performance car then i'm at a loss to know what does.Performance car, probably not, sports car, yes, but thats arguing definitions.
Its a great car (if you read my other posts), im all in favour of rotaries, but do understand others arguments to rotary engines woes!
Question:
Does anyone who has driven the RX-8 extensively think it either is or could be modified to be a better handling car (for road driving) than the likes of Porsche's Cayman?
I for one - who have driven the Cayman extensively believe that it is very good but not the best in a lot of ways. TO be honest I can think of several ways which the RX8 is a better handling car than the Cayman. b
Does anyone who has driven the RX-8 extensively think it either is or could be modified to be a better handling car (for road driving) than the likes of Porsche's Cayman?
I for one - who have driven the Cayman extensively believe that it is very good but not the best in a lot of ways. TO be honest I can think of several ways which the RX8 is a better handling car than the Cayman. b
Edited by brianjohns on Saturday 1st September 22:10
brianjohns said:
Question:
Does anyone who has driven the RX-8 extensively think it either is or could be modified to be a better handling car (for road driving) than the likes of Porsche's Cayman?
I for one - who have driven the Cayman extensively believe that it is very good but not the best in a lot of ways. TO be honest I can think of several ways which the RX8 is a better handling car than the Cayman. b
The problem is most people mistake handling for grip or laptimes.Does anyone who has driven the RX-8 extensively think it either is or could be modified to be a better handling car (for road driving) than the likes of Porsche's Cayman?
I for one - who have driven the Cayman extensively believe that it is very good but not the best in a lot of ways. TO be honest I can think of several ways which the RX8 is a better handling car than the Cayman. b
Hence why so many wonder why the MX5 was so praised for it's great handling yet the it's laptimes are relatively poor.
For road driving I find cars like the Cayman (and Elise etc) dull as they have such high grip / limits that you can't (or very rarely) exploit them on the road.
Thanks for your comment.
In fact I would say that the Cayman if/once it does lose grip can at times be rather out of sorts and harder to get back on course; especially in the wet. Sometimes Its all grip or quick slip.
Now I know that is heresy to call out a Porsche and no one would ever say anything negative (well most at least) about their own or even any, but some should look around in the gutter a bit and find cars that do things there expensive steeds cannot. b
In fact I would say that the Cayman if/once it does lose grip can at times be rather out of sorts and harder to get back on course; especially in the wet. Sometimes Its all grip or quick slip.
Now I know that is heresy to call out a Porsche and no one would ever say anything negative (well most at least) about their own or even any, but some should look around in the gutter a bit and find cars that do things there expensive steeds cannot. b
I did a lot of research on the RX8 engine before having one put in my MX5.
Basically, don't use the stock coils and oil injection system. I have Bosch coils and an electronic standalone controller for the OMP running from its own premix oil supply.
Further tuning options are limited, basically 10-15% with porting and another 10% with a full custom intake/exhaust/decat.
IMO, the RX8 engine simply doesn't have enough torque for the weight of the car. However, it suits an MX5 (~1000kg), the rotary engine being even lighter than a 1.8L MX5 engine.
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