RE: Mazda RX-8 gets mid-life tweak
Discussion
I've had mine nearly 3 years now (pre-ordered) and I love it still. It handles superbly and is quick enough, makes a noise like nothing else, still turns heads and triggers conversation and is practical too.
On the average commute cycle I get around 22 mpg but this has been going up slowly since about 10,000 miles (now on 36k). I get through about 1 litre for every 1300 miles which is better than 2 previous golfs I've owned. I get through tyres more regularly but that's just me!
It has never broken down on me or even hinted it might have a problem, though I have flooded it twice which I managed to sort out.
All in all, the car has been a fantastic experience for me and now face the dilemma of getting another or keeping this one. There is no other option.
Oh, and on the subject of scuff plates, they are available as an option, I have them.
G.
On the average commute cycle I get around 22 mpg but this has been going up slowly since about 10,000 miles (now on 36k). I get through about 1 litre for every 1300 miles which is better than 2 previous golfs I've owned. I get through tyres more regularly but that's just me!
It has never broken down on me or even hinted it might have a problem, though I have flooded it twice which I managed to sort out. All in all, the car has been a fantastic experience for me and now face the dilemma of getting another or keeping this one. There is no other option.
Oh, and on the subject of scuff plates, they are available as an option, I have them.
G.
Graham said:
Im sure i read somewhere, possibly to do with endurance racing that if you keep the motor flat out its fuel consumption is as good as anything else its just that at part loads and low rpm its crap ?
That doesn't seem true in my experience. But, I would definitely say that in comparison to a normal engine, the fuel consumption does not rise with revs and power increase to the same degree. This means you won't get much better than 22mpg no matter how careful you are, but equally you won't get much worse than 17/18mpg no matter how aggressive.
I was fortunate enough to be able to get one as a company car (so they pay the fuel too) and as such have no worries about whether it does 14 mpg or 40 mpg however I did pre-warn my boss to expect 14-17 mpg.
Because it's a company car I do have to keep very accurate records of what journeys were done and when and for what purpose so I have a detailed record of my fuel usage for my RX (a "high power" version). I do lot of miles (typically 3k per month) and love the beep so tend to use *ALL* the revs whenever and wherever possible.
So far the absolute minimum I was able to coax out of it was 15mpg which was on the last Surrey Run. I filled up, brimming the tank at the petrol station by the set-off point and at the petrol station just by Chichester Marina so that it really was just the hoon itself and no relaxed cruising before or after to make the figures better.
My average is about 23mpg and that's driving briskly without being too OTT as I do need to retain my license (but am generally happy to run the risk of a few points on the whole). I've tried a few tankfulls of fuel revving the nuts off it and a few keeping the revs down and changing gear early and IMO if anything changing gear early seems to have a detrimental impact on fuel consumption whereas revving it doesn't seem to have much of a penalty.
Oil consumption I also thought was quite reasonable given that the design of the engine is such that it uses (burns) oil as part of its normal operation. (I tend to think of it as a two-stroke engine although it isn't.) I find I get through a litre in about 1,500 miles and that is getting steadily less and less (it was originally about 1 litre per 1,000 miles).
Performance seems roughly the same ballpark as the Focus ST and Astra VXR and a friend in Guildford with an ST seems to find it hard to break 25mpg - he drives reasonably similarly to me (generally not so as to raise too much attention but still presses on) so I don't think the RX does at all badly overall.
Phil
Because it's a company car I do have to keep very accurate records of what journeys were done and when and for what purpose so I have a detailed record of my fuel usage for my RX (a "high power" version). I do lot of miles (typically 3k per month) and love the beep so tend to use *ALL* the revs whenever and wherever possible.
So far the absolute minimum I was able to coax out of it was 15mpg which was on the last Surrey Run. I filled up, brimming the tank at the petrol station by the set-off point and at the petrol station just by Chichester Marina so that it really was just the hoon itself and no relaxed cruising before or after to make the figures better.
My average is about 23mpg and that's driving briskly without being too OTT as I do need to retain my license (but am generally happy to run the risk of a few points on the whole). I've tried a few tankfulls of fuel revving the nuts off it and a few keeping the revs down and changing gear early and IMO if anything changing gear early seems to have a detrimental impact on fuel consumption whereas revving it doesn't seem to have much of a penalty.
Oil consumption I also thought was quite reasonable given that the design of the engine is such that it uses (burns) oil as part of its normal operation. (I tend to think of it as a two-stroke engine although it isn't.) I find I get through a litre in about 1,500 miles and that is getting steadily less and less (it was originally about 1 litre per 1,000 miles).
Performance seems roughly the same ballpark as the Focus ST and Astra VXR and a friend in Guildford with an ST seems to find it hard to break 25mpg - he drives reasonably similarly to me (generally not so as to raise too much attention but still presses on) so I don't think the RX does at all badly overall.
Phil
Good comments, Phil.
Can I ask - how many miles did you have on the clock when you were getting the better figures for mpg? Its my experience at 5500, that it's getting a little better mpg wise.
Also, what revs do you (roughly) change up at during normal driving? If I think about it, I generally change cogs at about 5000-6000.
P~
Can I ask - how many miles did you have on the clock when you were getting the better figures for mpg? Its my experience at 5500, that it's getting a little better mpg wise.
Also, what revs do you (roughly) change up at during normal driving? If I think about it, I generally change cogs at about 5000-6000.
P~
The oil cost is not such a big deal to me...its just a pain in the arse to have to keep remembering to check and top it up. I would have hoped the mazda engineers would have made the dipstick and filling cap a bit easier to get to!
Apart for the fuel consumption figures, I assume RX8 is not particularly good for CO2 emissions. I wonder how will be affected by "ecological" taxation in future?
I reckon the car is very practical (coming from MX5 previously). I only use the back seats occasionally and the suicide doors are definitly a discussion starter with anyone that sees them in use! the boot is big but its definitely a shame that the back seats dont fold down.
The only other worry is whether your going to flood it!
Apart for the fuel consumption figures, I assume RX8 is not particularly good for CO2 emissions. I wonder how will be affected by "ecological" taxation in future?
I reckon the car is very practical (coming from MX5 previously). I only use the back seats occasionally and the suicide doors are definitly a discussion starter with anyone that sees them in use! the boot is big but its definitely a shame that the back seats dont fold down.
The only other worry is whether your going to flood it!
mackie1 said:
I didn't think the PZ claimed to have any more power...
It doesn't, just a very focused Prodrive tweaked chassis. Having driven the 230 and PZ back to back at Prodrive HQ at the launch I can honestly say that the PZ handles and feels far more solid at high speeds and through the twisties.
On the road it feels more secure and sticks better than the standard model.
Slightly nicer exhaust note too (makes it sound like a racin' car ya know
)rchadd said:
I assume RX8 is not particularly good for CO2 emissions. I wonder how will be affected by "ecological" taxation in future?
The only other worry is whether your going to flood it!
The only other worry is whether your going to flood it!
Yeah, I agree about the fart on for the oil. I actually had to scuff the dipstick as well, otherwise it was impossible to tell where the clear(ish) oil came to!
Emissions - Band G for road tax. As mine was registered 31/12/2005 (I know - one more day and I could claim 2006!) I only have to pay £190, but buy a new one tomorrow and its gonna cost you the full £210.
Touch wood and whistle, I have not flooded mine yet. Really, it's not that much of an issue. The newer cars have a revised starter motor (and alternator I think) which does a better job of turning the engine over, which definitely helps. Also, if you have to start and stop the car quickly (moving it off the drive), follow the simple procedure (4000rpm and hold it, then engine off) it's absolutely fine.
mackie1 said:
That's one of the reasons I decided to get a V8 - much more power and torque but about the same MPG. As much as I like the idea of the wankel engine I just don't think if offers any real advantages over a normal piston engine apart from size and weight. They could stick the 2.3 turbo from the 6 MPS in it and instantly make it faster and more economical (whether the engine bay can accomodate it is another matter).
Edited by mackie1 on Wednesday 27th September 12:30
But that would just ruin the whole car. The advantage of the renisis engine is that it sits low, its sits far back and it is light. Anything else would alter the whole character of the car.
I've had mine 2 weeks now and love it. Worryingly it seems to use more fuel than my Father-in-Law's Monaro VXR!
Question for the Mazda faithful;
Would the Twin Turbo engine from the RX-7 fit in it?
On the power front, my understanding of the main advantages of rotary engines are size/weight, almost zero internal frictional losses (only one moving part IIRC), and it's specific power output is massively better than anything else.
I'm led to believe that technically speaking it's a One-Stroke engine - given that intake, compression, ignition and expulsion all happen within the same rotation.
Would the Twin Turbo engine from the RX-7 fit in it?
On the power front, my understanding of the main advantages of rotary engines are size/weight, almost zero internal frictional losses (only one moving part IIRC), and it's specific power output is massively better than anything else.
I'm led to believe that technically speaking it's a One-Stroke engine - given that intake, compression, ignition and expulsion all happen within the same rotation.
Edited by Dunk76 on Thursday 28th September 21:46
The real advantage with a Rotary can be seen when you port it. Peripheral porting can make absolutely massive power, ok, driveability is a bit compromised but for the size/weight/capacity of the engine you can easily make 350+ BHP and this is on much older Rotary engines. Anyone modded an RX-8? Personally I wouldn't have one, the RX-7 was beautiful (until they are ruined with bodykits) but the RX-8 just looks strangely out of proportion to me.
but for the size/weight/capacity of the engine you can easily make 350+ BHP and this is on much older Rotary engines. Anyone modded an RX-8? Personally I wouldn't have one, the RX-7 was beautiful (until they are ruined with bodykits) but the RX-8 just looks strangely out of proportion to me. mackie1 said:
.......... I just don't think if offers any real advantages over a normal piston engine apart from size and weight.
Thats the whle f*****g point of the Rotary engine!! I suppose the drawback of a V8 is that it has 8 cylinders and theyre all in a V formation !!
Your wrong saying the consumption is "bad for a 1.3", its not a 1.3, its a 1.3 Rotary engine that gives the equivalent power of much bigger conventional engine (you know, the ones that have beem around basically unchanged in principle for about 100 years now)
Further to my 'what car' thread in the Aussie forum, www.petrolheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=139&t=308866&p=1
,the RX8 is looking more and more likely. Ticks most of the boxes for a 'sensible family car' to compliment the work van and road/track RX7, with the XR6 staying with the ex...
So, prolly looking for an 04, @<40,000 km, manual, with leather. A few around the $40k mark. Not many in Perth so may have to go interstate to buy.
Any tips? What to look out for?
BTW I am new in the Jap forum,
, I'm a LOOONG time rotary fan, have owned/driven/raced RX3s & RX7s almost continuously for almost 30 years...
,the RX8 is looking more and more likely. Ticks most of the boxes for a 'sensible family car' to compliment the work van and road/track RX7, with the XR6 staying with the ex...
So, prolly looking for an 04, @<40,000 km, manual, with leather. A few around the $40k mark. Not many in Perth so may have to go interstate to buy.
Any tips? What to look out for?
BTW I am new in the Jap forum,
, I'm a LOOONG time rotary fan, have owned/driven/raced RX3s & RX7s almost continuously for almost 30 years... 
Soooo... Thanks for all the advice guys, 
maybe there are no RX8 owners on here?
Took one (a new demo) for a test today. Sadly I was a bit underwhelmed. LOVELY car, leather and Bose sound, smooth, quiet, but didn't quite have the oomph I was expecting.
Gearbox also felt quite 'notchy' making smooth shifts a bit hard. Car only had about 1000km on it, would that improve with more km?
I guess taking the RX7 for a blast last night didn't help; has almost 300BHP at the tyres so goes 'quite well'. Even so, the RX8 didn't feel as quick as the ex's Falcon XR6.
Wouldn't want to go mad with mods on an RX8, but can they be chipped? Exhaust? Just to give it a bit more go, take it from 177KW to maybe 220-230??
Will be driving a Monaro and a XJ8 this week, a bit different I know, but fits the spec: 4 seats, comfy, quickish but pleasant to drive...
Is there anybody out there?
maybe there are no RX8 owners on here? Took one (a new demo) for a test today. Sadly I was a bit underwhelmed. LOVELY car, leather and Bose sound, smooth, quiet, but didn't quite have the oomph I was expecting.
Gearbox also felt quite 'notchy' making smooth shifts a bit hard. Car only had about 1000km on it, would that improve with more km?
I guess taking the RX7 for a blast last night didn't help; has almost 300BHP at the tyres so goes 'quite well'. Even so, the RX8 didn't feel as quick as the ex's Falcon XR6.
Wouldn't want to go mad with mods on an RX8, but can they be chipped? Exhaust? Just to give it a bit more go, take it from 177KW to maybe 220-230??
Will be driving a Monaro and a XJ8 this week, a bit different I know, but fits the spec: 4 seats, comfy, quickish but pleasant to drive...
Is there anybody out there?
Hi Madazrx7,
Why not have a look over here www.rx8ownersclub.co.uk/forum/ there's loads of us just say RX8Head sent you and you'll get a nice welcome if you post in the "Hello.. I New Here.." Section
Why not have a look over here www.rx8ownersclub.co.uk/forum/ there's loads of us just say RX8Head sent you and you'll get a nice welcome if you post in the "Hello.. I New Here.." Section Gassing Station | Japanese Chat | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff