RE: Mazda RX8

[RobDickinson]

BrianTheYank said:

I had my first ride in an RX8 today. In both the auto and the manual. Its a great little car, except the one weird thing is that the auto loses around 30-40 hp to the manual for some reason. And it makes a big difference in the manual, the auto was ok, but the manual was GREAT.

The manual makes its power at high RPM.

The torque convertor in the auto can only do up to 7500rpm. Which is why that car is lower in power.

(Theres a substantial difference in the engine, the auto cant do over 7500 rpm, lacks s-dais air intake, 3rd air intake ports and 3rd fuel injectors).

The Auto can take more torque (and power) but not more revs.

[dejoux]

Yeah theres differnt power motors but theyre all 13b's
Sorry just being picky :P

Yeah I'm yet to hear anyone say a stock FD handles better than an RX8. Its amazing technology has improved in the last decade

There seems to be alot more interest in putting 20B's and REW's into RX8s than to putting Renesises into RX7's. Id rather an NA RX7 I think.

All motor

[RobDickinson]

dejoux said:

There seems to be alot more interest in putting 20B's and REW's into RX8s than to putting Renesises into RX7's. Id rather an NA RX7 I think.

There has been some work fitting the rotors from the renesis into 1st gen 7's. Work is still ongoing, and a few issues need to be sorted but it is looking good.

I think mazda supply the renesis in 240ps tune crated. May be intresing in a 7 type.

[fizz]

I had a RX-7--thrid generation. It ran for 97,000 miles and then gave indications that the end was near. I wrestled with the GTO (Monaro), Corvette and RX-8 after I found out that the wait for a Elise was way longer than the life expectancy of my RX-7.
I grudgingly purchased the RX-8--didn't really like the look, but did like the 4 seats, the great gear shift and the interior. As time has moved on (3 months), I am surprised by how many strangers tell me they think the RX-8 is cool. So, while I patiently wait for TVR to come back to the USA so I can purchase my T350, I am learning to respect and enjoy the attributes of the RX-8. It is excellent value for the $$$.

[simonlockyer]

Rob,
When you say "I and several 6ft people have sat comfortably in the back of my 8", exactly how many people does that add up to in total? Being an RX-7 owner, I have some interest in RX-8s and I have even poked my head into the back seat area of one. However, I truly didn't think that you could "comfortably" fit more than two adults in there at a time. Were you trying to be the first into the new Guinness Book of Records category 'greatest number of passengers in the back of an RX-8'?!


Yours trivially,

Simon

[dinkel]

JC in the Times:"As a practical proposition: well, it’s not a people carrier but you do get a decent boot and two smallish seats in the back. And with those doors even the fattest children in the world can get in. "

"A coupé, a car that puts style way above substance, is perfect. Not that long ago there were many from which to choose. Volkswagen did the Corrado, Nissan the 200SX and Honda the Prelude. And there was the wonderful Fiat Coupé, a raft of cheap Porsches and the 6-series BMW. But one by one they all died away. Killed off as people began to realise they were paying more for what was basically a saloon car in a funny hat.

Now, though, they’re coming back. Joining the ancient Alfa GTV, the Toyota Celica — which is very good incidentally — and the Hyundai Coupé — which is even better — will be the Chrysler Crossfire (a Mercedes SLK in a fairly pretty shell), and the Nissan 350Z, which is better looking but a bit of a pig to drive. It’s just so wearing. Best of all, though, is the new Mazda RX-8, partly because of its rear doors, which open backwards to create a hole in the side of the car as big as the hole in the back of my head, and partly because it is so much fun talking about its Wankel rotary engine."

So, even the fattest children . . .

[RobDickinson]

Simon - unfortunatly I've only managed 4 whole adults in my 8.

Then I said several I didnt mean all at the same time. Tho it could be fun, the front seats fold flat I think you could get at least 10 people in there, and 1 in the boot..

[dinkel]

RobDickinson said:

Simon - unfortunatly I've only managed 4 whole adults in my 8. Then I said several I didnt mean all at the same time. Tho it could be fun, the front seats fold flat I think you could get at least 10 people in there, and 1 in the boot..

With such a small electromotorish engine in front you manage to drop in 2 over there as well.

[Lutz]

stevenrt said:

dern said: ... but I really hate it when a car is compared to a motorcycle. No car is anything like a motorcycle... Anyone who believes a car is like a motorcycle has never ridden a motorcycle and should get a motorcycle and stop being a big frilly shirted pansy and find out what having a motorcycle is all about. Mark Motorcycles are great, except - every single person I have ever known to have ridden a motorcycle has had a bad accident on one (100%). There's a reason paramedics call them "donor cycles" - if you don't at least get a bike with ABS to give you some margin for error you are truly crazy - you do wear earplugs don't you? Wind noise causes hearing loss, and a helmet only very slightly reduces the noise. At highway speeds the noise is over 110 db, and a helmet only reduces this by 3 db. Good earplugs reduce noise by 30 db. So now every time you ride you better wear a full face helmet (know how many faces get scraped off in motorcycle accidents when the rider is wearing one of those cool shorty helmets?), full leathers, proper boots, earplugs, on an ABS equiped bike - and then you can start to worry about car drivers. One lapse of concentration and your dead - that's the biggest difference between a bike and a car, in a car you can make mistakes and the car is forgiving (4 wheels, crumple zones), on a bike one mistake and you're dead. All the cool Ducati ads won't help you then ...

All correct what you are saying....an still you are a frilly fringe shirted pansy...
A

[Northernboy]

stevenrt said:

dern said: ... but I really hate it when a car is compared to a motorcycle. No car is anything like a motorcycle... Anyone who believes a car is like a motorcycle has never ridden a motorcycle and should get a motorcycle and stop being a big frilly shirted pansy and find out what having a motorcycle is all about. Mark Motorcycles are great, except - every single person I have ever known to have ridden a motorcycle has had a bad accident on one (100%). There's a reason paramedics call them "donor cycles" - if you don't at least get a bike with ABS to give you some margin for error you are truly crazy - you do wear earplugs don't you? Wind noise causes hearing loss, and a helmet only very slightly reduces the noise. At highway speeds the noise is over 110 db, and a helmet only reduces this by 3 db. Good earplugs reduce noise by 30 db. So now every time you ride you better wear a full face helmet (know how many faces get scraped off in motorcycle accidents when the rider is wearing one of those cool shorty helmets?), full leathers, proper boots, earplugs, on an ABS equiped bike - and then you can start to worry about car drivers. One lapse of concentration and your dead - that's the biggest difference between a bike and a car, in a car you can make mistakes and the car is forgiving (4 wheels, crumple zones), on a bike one mistake and you're dead. All the cool Ducati ads won't help you then ...

But it will still be cool, and very, very fast.

And yes, I wear leathers, full face helmet, good boots, and good gloves.

People often wonder why we put up with the risks of a bike. If you tried one, you'd understand.

Over 150bhp, in a 170kg package, and you can't fail to be thrilled.

[RobDickinson]

Northernboy said:

Over 150bhp, in a 170kg package, and you can't fail to be thrilled.

Briefly.

I'm sure theres plenty of responsible bikers around who can handle themselves and the machines they ride.

But theres far, far more that cant. One police force recently said that bikers were 4% of their traffic and 60% of their road fatalities.

[dejoux]

RobDickinson said:

But theres far, far more that cant. One police force recently said that bikers were 4% of their traffic and 60% of their road fatalities.

Yeah but something like 90% of all crashes involving motorbikes are caused by cars

Yet we still pay more for it. In NZ we have something called ACC which is basically compulsary health insurance but only for accidents. Because of how much money is spent on fixing motorcyclists my registration is something like 40% dearer than my car registration. Yet they dont charge pedestrians an ACC premium

[Tharnmaga]

My new RX8 230 arrives in September and I was wondering if anyone knows where I can get hold of an outdoor cover that would fit. My house has a garage, but in 1926 they seamingly had far narrower cars and the new toy won't fit!

Thanks,

Peter

[Tharnmaga]

Yeah, I know, but I have tried loads of sites and still can't get a reply....

[andy mac]

dern said:

Don't assume motorcyclists are stupid or crazy just because we don't pander to your own fears. This is just the sort of ill-informed nonsense that gets on my t*ts... get some experience and your opinion will be more informed... you may even enjoy it (assuming you can do it... it is significantly more difficult that driving a car I grant you and not everyone can overcome their fears or has the ability to actually ride a bike ) Regards, Mark

And yet open up Bike magazine, or any of that kind, and see the sweeping generalisations of car drivers...

[iaint]

Tharnmaga said:

Yeah, I know, but I have tried loads of sites and still can't get a reply....

Have you tried www.mazdarotaryclub.com or the rx-8 owners club?