RE: Mazda RX-8: PH Heroes
Discussion
I'm now on my 3rd RX-8 and feel like I've done just about everything possible with these cars. From vmaxing my 2nd one on the Autobahn to embarrassing much faster cars round Gerrards at Mallory Park just last month in my latest one that I bought for shed money.
I accept that these cars have flaws and aren't to everyone's taste, but for me they're brilliant. I've tried a lot of fast cars and not found one that I think offers better handling than a well sorted 8. They brake well and I'll never get tired of revving it to the moon. They are very enjoyable at both legal and less legal speeds. Can even get the kids in the back.
The only downside for me is the power, which is even weaker by today's standards.
Hence I now own a single turbo RX-7. However despite the hero status of the FD, and the satisfaction of having all the power I'll ever need, I can't shake the nagging feeling that the RX8 is actually the better car, so maybe a REW swapped 8 is on the cards for me one day..
I accept that these cars have flaws and aren't to everyone's taste, but for me they're brilliant. I've tried a lot of fast cars and not found one that I think offers better handling than a well sorted 8. They brake well and I'll never get tired of revving it to the moon. They are very enjoyable at both legal and less legal speeds. Can even get the kids in the back.
The only downside for me is the power, which is even weaker by today's standards.
Hence I now own a single turbo RX-7. However despite the hero status of the FD, and the satisfaction of having all the power I'll ever need, I can't shake the nagging feeling that the RX8 is actually the better car, so maybe a REW swapped 8 is on the cards for me one day..
Edited by MightyCondor on Wednesday 12th September 17:59
Edited by MightyCondor on Wednesday 12th September 18:00
I loved my RX8 (231). The noise, flames from the exhaust, the handling. I never found it twitchy at all in the dry, and even in the wet it gripped well. The only thing I didn't like about it was the horrible fuel economy, which is also the reason I sold it.
Here it is at Knockhill -
Good fun on track, and comfortable enough for the drive home afterwards.
Here it is at Knockhill -
Good fun on track, and comfortable enough for the drive home afterwards.
Love the concept, my commute is to short and will only risk flooding it in our cold weather, otherwise it would have been perfect, its even homolagated for light towing 
. Sad they didn't continue the car format but with a more usable engine, it really is a perfect family sports car for us with kids.
. Sad they didn't continue the car format but with a more usable engine, it really is a perfect family sports car for us with kids.Everything considered, I think these are pretty rubbish. They seem to retain a following because they are so cheap to get into but they don’t do anything particularly well, with running and bork costs that you are way out of whack with what the car delivers. I like quirky and illogical cars but these do absolutely nothing for me.
MightyCondor said:
From vmaxing my 2nd one on the Autobahn
They brake well and I'll never get tired of revving it to the moon. They are very enjoyable at both legal and less legal speeds. Can even get the kids in the back.
The only downside for me is the power,
What was you VMAX? I could only get 146....They brake well and I'll never get tired of revving it to the moon. They are very enjoyable at both legal and less legal speeds. Can even get the kids in the back.
The only downside for me is the power,
Edited by MightyCondor on Wednesday 12th September 17:59
Edited by MightyCondor on Wednesday 12th September 18:00
Brake well?!! Have you not tried OE disks with Hawks HP+ ? More than just ‘well’
Funny, people complain about the S65 engine lack of torque (not me). Guess they had never driven an RX8....haha!
Someone I know has recently bought one of these for shed money for commuting and other urban duties. It's apparently never had a rebuild.
The person in question lives and works in a big, very busy city and has no mechanical skills/knowledge
It could go well, I suppose, and the worst case is losing the full shed value.
The person in question lives and works in a big, very busy city and has no mechanical skills/knowledge
It could go well, I suppose, and the worst case is losing the full shed value.
Edited by MC Bodge on Wednesday 12th September 19:37
Jag_NE said:
Everything considered, I think these are pretty rubbish. They seem to retain a following because they are so cheap to get into but they don’t do anything particularly well, with running and bork costs that you are way out of whack with what the car delivers. I like quirky and illogical cars but these do absolutely nothing for me.
Have you ever driven one? Genuine question, I am not trying to be a smartarse.
To say they they don't do anything particularly well is plain incorrect, some of the comments here are testament to the rewarding drive they offer.
I have one as a 'weekend' car, the running costs are inarguably high and often I almost convince myself that selling it is the best thing to do but then the smile that even a short drive puts on my face changes my mind in an instant.
This and the fact they are such a unique car are the reasons I see myself having it for a very long time.
Edited by Nickp82 on Wednesday 12th September 19:48
J2daG1990 said:
Must have been your car because mine is the complete opposite. A very composed well handling car that you can feel through the wheel and make slight adjustments. In the dry you'd have to be going some to get the traction light to come on round a corner.
I agree.I bought my 231 Anniversary spec, it had cheap chinese tyres, and was horrible, and on damp roads would want to pirouette at the slightest hint of throttle.
Some decent premium tyres on the rear 100% fixed this. Took it on track, in the damp and whle a little tail happy, exhibited the fantastic handling these cars are renowned for.
My biggest 2 problems with the car:
- £550 road tax - no matter how you cut it this hurts!
- Lack of torque, driving in town you need to rev the nuts to make progress. Good fun on a country road, tiring for stop start traffic.
The rest of the car is a peach. Best value car I have ever bought, for everything it can do, and things it can do that no other car can do.
Owned for 2 years and 14k miles - reliable, practical , thirsty and great fun. A flawed gem.
I had one of these when they first came out.... Pre ordered on a photo like the other poster ....was order No 212 for a Hi Power 228 bhp in Velocity red with the red interior.......and had to wait about 9 months to get it.... it was delivered the day before our first born child.!!! Taking him home in the RX8 was mint...
I used to get asked all the time...... whats that? ....as In 2003 it looked like nothing else and the doors were a massive taking point....
Loved the handling .. a little bit of a handful in the wet but hugely capable in the dry..... Used daily and for family duties.... Sick on the seats and everything....!
I had it for 6 years and 85k miles and it was mint..... I didn’t mind the low torque it was easily drivable through town and cruised well and if you wanted to gun it you could .... throttle response was great and you were always trying to get to the beep..!!! Dash was amazing for a car of 2003 as well...
No major problems except some rust proofing to the rear arches and a coil pack under warranty..... I think the extended warranty for 2 years was about 1k ..to take it to 5 years....
Loved the styling .... Rotary accents everywhere.... I remember the dealer actually saying they should have done a V6 when I took out the extended warranty.... and I thought at the time he missed the point... it was rotary accents everywhere, the bonnet , headrests , key , rear fog light....... the whole essence was that the Design was rotary inspired . A car designed around the engine and to push that small engine as far back as possible for near perfect weight distribution..... It was a celebration of Mazda sticking to the Rotary .... and they should be applauded for that... like Porsche sticking to the 991 engine out back.....
Swapped if for a Range Rover Vogue ..... Driveshaft in that popped out within a month..... That was a disaster....
Looking to buy one again to track.... Not because it will Be super fast But because I should have done that to the one I had.... Biggest regret was selling it.....
I used to get asked all the time...... whats that? ....as In 2003 it looked like nothing else and the doors were a massive taking point....
Loved the handling .. a little bit of a handful in the wet but hugely capable in the dry..... Used daily and for family duties.... Sick on the seats and everything....!
I had it for 6 years and 85k miles and it was mint..... I didn’t mind the low torque it was easily drivable through town and cruised well and if you wanted to gun it you could .... throttle response was great and you were always trying to get to the beep..!!! Dash was amazing for a car of 2003 as well...
No major problems except some rust proofing to the rear arches and a coil pack under warranty..... I think the extended warranty for 2 years was about 1k ..to take it to 5 years....
Loved the styling .... Rotary accents everywhere.... I remember the dealer actually saying they should have done a V6 when I took out the extended warranty.... and I thought at the time he missed the point... it was rotary accents everywhere, the bonnet , headrests , key , rear fog light....... the whole essence was that the Design was rotary inspired . A car designed around the engine and to push that small engine as far back as possible for near perfect weight distribution..... It was a celebration of Mazda sticking to the Rotary .... and they should be applauded for that... like Porsche sticking to the 991 engine out back.....
Swapped if for a Range Rover Vogue ..... Driveshaft in that popped out within a month..... That was a disaster....
Looking to buy one again to track.... Not because it will Be super fast But because I should have done that to the one I had.... Biggest regret was selling it.....
Parents have owned theirs since new and it’s now 14 years old (no they don’t like change...).
Took it out a few weeks ago and the engine is just as fabulous as I remember - not particularly quick in this era but super smooth and great fun to rip through the revs. So much more appealing than a boosted 4 pot tuned for emissions.
Took it out a few weeks ago and the engine is just as fabulous as I remember - not particularly quick in this era but super smooth and great fun to rip through the revs. So much more appealing than a boosted 4 pot tuned for emissions.
PistonHeads said:
nothing quite consumes oil like a rotary engine.
Neith said:
The 'massive' oil usage is a myth. They use more than a typical piston engine bit its not much at all.
This.Your common or garden 320d could use as much oil as an RX-8 and still be within spec... They use more oil than your common or garden piston engine if it is in tip-top condition yes but probably on par with the more performance orientated engines.
I've certainly had normal piston engine cars which I've had to check and top up more often than I did the RX-8.
I currently own an a 40th Anniversary RX-8 its my 4th RX-8, it doesn`t drink oil and neither has any of the others, admittedly they are not the most economical of cars but with an equivelent capacity of 2600 cc it should return mid 20`s mpg, my daughter has owned 3 Mini Coopers and they do drink oil bearing in mind that the RX-8 was designed to use oil - the Mini wasn`t!
I have never flooded an RX-8 in 14 years ownership of owning them, when you buy one immediately sling the coils and plug leads and fit something like AC Delco D585 coils along with Magnecor leads, bad coils and leads will kill the Rotary, use a good quality oil and you should have a good reliable sports car, always fit premium brand tyres they don`t like "Ditch finders" .
I also own a 911 and there is no doubting the power of the car and its other attributes but I honestly prefer driving the RX-8 as a good quick practical all rounder.
When putting an RX-8 under the spotlight listen to the guys who actually own one, guys that understand how to drive and maintain it.
Don`t listen to the experts that like to think they know!
I have never flooded an RX-8 in 14 years ownership of owning them, when you buy one immediately sling the coils and plug leads and fit something like AC Delco D585 coils along with Magnecor leads, bad coils and leads will kill the Rotary, use a good quality oil and you should have a good reliable sports car, always fit premium brand tyres they don`t like "Ditch finders" .
I also own a 911 and there is no doubting the power of the car and its other attributes but I honestly prefer driving the RX-8 as a good quick practical all rounder.
When putting an RX-8 under the spotlight listen to the guys who actually own one, guys that understand how to drive and maintain it.
Don`t listen to the experts that like to think they know!
I agree.
I've done around 1,200 miles in mine and only had to put about half a litre in it.
For a few days when I bought mine I was slightly underwhelmed but one day I took it down a winding B-road and it all made sense!
It's even better on new Avon ZZ5 tyres.
EBC yellowstuff pads all round have sharpened up the brakes an incredible amount.
The cats can be a problem as they run so hot and can collapse inside, or something. I spent about £100 on a decat pipe which is safer for the engine, makes it sound a bit better and allows it to spit flames!
I've done around 1,200 miles in mine and only had to put about half a litre in it.
For a few days when I bought mine I was slightly underwhelmed but one day I took it down a winding B-road and it all made sense!
It's even better on new Avon ZZ5 tyres.
EBC yellowstuff pads all round have sharpened up the brakes an incredible amount.
The cats can be a problem as they run so hot and can collapse inside, or something. I spent about £100 on a decat pipe which is safer for the engine, makes it sound a bit better and allows it to spit flames!
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