Mazda RX-8

aviboy97 · January 2006

Totally true, the fire was a year ago. They have been back to full capacity for over 6 months now.
Also, the 2006 RX-8 6-speed manual has a decrease in power. 232 as opposed to 238 of the first two years. Although, it is up to 212 in the automatic.

pathstar1 · January 2006

Have a look at the "spec. deck" posted on the RX-8 club forum (it's from Mazda as dealer presales info.). The HP of the manual is as it always was - 238. The automatic now gets the 6 speed auto (suspected to be the same unit the MX-5 got) and the "high power" six port engine - the 212 HP rating is due to the 7500 RPM operational ceiling of the automatics' torque converter (HP is torque times RPM basically). Limit RPM and you get less HP.

Note that I have heard (through the grape vine) that tricks have always been played with respect to the HP numbers - aftermarket (non-Mazda) tests on chassis and engine dynos have always indicated the high power engine actually puts out about 10% less - remarkably close to the allowed error by govt. agencies.

I suspect the new automatic numbers are similarly influenced.

The new 2006 automatic still has more than the 2005, and it's tempting, mainly because an automatic can shift faster (and remain under power during the shift) compared to a syncro equipped manual transmission.

If you have seen published Mazda figures backing up your lower number it's probably due to the new Japanese standard measurement method - enforced by their govt. I believe. It's the same engine with the same power - just measured differently.

plekto · January 2006

The automtatic is less expensive, has those slick Porsche-like paddle shifters on the wheel, AND 6 speeds, so it's no longer in search for a proper gear.

I can't wait to get one myself. Heh.

moadh · January 2006

I went to the tyre bay yesterday to change my 4 tyres (which cost me 4300AED, smth around 1200$.. ouch!) and by the time they were done, my car was still above ground on those lifting machines. So i asked the technichan if it would be okay if he just left it up there for a bit, and he thankfully agreed

So i got up into the car, pushed the handbrake down, put the gear in 1st and starting revving.. went up to 2nd, to 3rd, all the way to 6th gear and my tachometer showed TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY EIGHT KM/H !!! hehe now i know its on a frictionless space, but it felt amazing to see the digits go that high.. Anyway just wanted to share that with you. Cheers!

aviboy97 · January 2006

The HP of the manual is as it always was - 238.

I'm a Mazda dealer. We have to take product tests evey year and when a new model comes out. This year was big for the RX-8 because of the changes. The horse power is listed as 232. I have proof right in front of me FROM Mazda. You can't dispute it. Regardless of [non-permissible content removed]. law, or whatever they did, Mazda LISTED the HP at 232.

rorr · January 2006

"Also, the 2006 RX-8 6-speed manual has a decrease in power. 232 as opposed to 238 of the first two years."

From what I know, the engine in the '06 has had absolutely no changes. The engine makes the same power in '06 as it made in '05.

Before you get all fired up, let me explain: the RATING was revised for the '06 models. Yes, I've no doubt you have evidence right in front of you indicating a lower number. But many models from many manufacturer's have lowered their hp ratings due to changes in the methodology used by the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) to measure hp. You should have seen all the ranting and raving over in the Sienna and Odyssey boards when the new ratings came out.

In other words, an '05 (or '04 for that matter) RX-8 would ALSO have been rated at 232hp under the new guidelines.

Therefore, when pathstar says that the hp stays the same, he means the ACTUAL hp is the same since the engine in the manual version is the same, even though the hp RATING is different.

Clear?

ksrx8 · January 2006

Hi, I recently purchased an 04 RX-8 with 6400 miles. One question I have is this... Is it normal for the oil dipstick to have a greyish brown "foam" on it? If this was a conventional piston engine, I would see this as a bad sign it looks to me that water has been mixed with the oil. Is this possible with a rotary engine? Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks

pathstar1 · January 2006

Short answer, it's normal. Many see it.

Engine coolant mixing with the oil in a rotary engine is possible. In fact it is the most common failure mode ("O" ring failure). I doubt that is what you're seeing, however. The rotary has a very poor "crankcase ventilation system", and water vapour (and other contaminants) do build up.

The white grunge on the oil dipstick is very common and often commented on. The dipstick tube is cool, so water vapour condenses there. Be careful not to get that stuff on your hands or cloths as it's acidic.

You can reduce the buildup by insulating the dip stick tube. If you use "ethafoam" it has the added benefit of making the tube opening much easier to see when replacing the dipstick.

trispec · January 2006

Clearing the "white grunge" from the tube requires at least three or four dips of the stick when checking the oil level. I often fine the "white grunge" gets smeared down onto the measurement area. The "white grunge" didn't exist until the weather turned cold.

There was a single instance on the first really cold morning, 10F, up in Maine, when the engine coolant level light flashed on. I topped off the coolant and haven't had the problem in the last 2500 miles. But if the "O" goes bad, wouldn't I see an engine coolant levels lights constantly? Also wouldn't there be huge smoke plume coming out the tail pipes.

A friend of mine had a Vega back in the 80's, with a bad case of the engine coolant in the engine pistols. When he stepped on the gas, a massive eruptions of white smoke would occur. We're talking an smoke generation mechanism similar to the battle field smoke systems available on M1 tanks. The next four drivers cars behind my friend's Vega would be swallowed whole by the cloud. There was even a rear-ending accident.

Sorry about the story. Middle age man disease you know.

pathstar1 · January 2006

You'll soon know if you loose an "O" ring.

Cause - usually caused by overheating the engine - the cast iron middle and end plates warp. This allows the "O" ring that keeps the coolant in the rotor housing to escape its' groove and it gets burned by combustion gasses. On older engines (after about 15-20 yrs) the constant thermal cycling can cause the aluminum "O" ring groove to start to fall apart. Again, this allows the rubber "O" ring to partially escape the groove and get burned by combustion gasses. Usually this is seen only on turbo engines, as only they heat the housings enough, and usually only the "tweeked" engines fail (too much power and too much heat).

Effect - Car becomes hard to start. You can smell burning glycol in the exhaust (acrid smell). You will be constantly adding coolant. Like every day, sometimes more than once a day. If you remove the filler cap (pressurized one) you will see a stream of bubbles if you run the engine with the cap off (don't try this with a hot engine). The engine will run in this condition, but not for long, as it gets worse each day. The only solution is a replacement or rebuild.

DO NOT -ever- let your RX overheat. This isn't common for a normally aspirated RX. They last for a long time if properly maintained - 200,000 mi.+ is not uncommon. The second gen turbos and third gens experience this from time to time, as they are easy to overheat (usually caused by loss of coolant - hose split etc). Some second gen normally aspirated cars suffered this fate, probably from either poor maintenance (old rad hoses) or the excessive thermal cycling of the rotor housing (where the "O" ring grooves are). In this case it was really old age that contributed.

aviboy97 · January 2006

im not dissagreeing with you! lol....all i was saying is they are claiming a lower HP number.
I did see the new toyota and honda numbers, but i never made the connection. You know, it makes you think what the REAL HP is in these cars? or at least cars BEFORE this new rating system :confuse:

carlisimo · January 2006

They're both real power numbers, but the new number reflects parasitic losses that are more common in regular driving. I think that under the old rating system, you could unplug a lot of the electric accessories. Ambient temperature might be a variable that changed too. Basically the power you get from an engine depends on what day of the week it is, so there isn't a hard and fast "real" power number.

twmark · January 2006

My dealer told me the new 2006 RX8 are not on US shores yet. Expected arrival will be in about 6 weeks - mid March

pathstar1 · January 2006

We've seen all kinds of numbers from different types of dynos. The consensis is the "true" HP of the manual has been about 10% less than 238, as I implied in my previous post. That's engine HP. Rear wheel HP is less, due to loss in the differential (about 10-20% is typically expected). Measurements have varied from 197 to 230 or so (corrected for diff. loss). Some dynos are optimistic, some read low. For example, Dynojets usually read high, so customers like what they see when they get tested on those. Mustang dynos are fairly accurate, but can be miscalibrated or misused. The consensis was 214 HP or so.

Messing with the engine tuning allows us to get close to 240 HP in "street tune" and 250 HP with race fuel, but you will burn out the cat at these tuning states, due to overheating it. It can be maintained if the cat is replaced with a metallic type, but of course that is illegal. As we say in Canada, cest la vie. (that's life).

ksrx8 · January 2006

Thanks for the information. Being new to the Rotary engine world, I wasn't sure what to do. I thought about taking it to the dealer, but really didn't want too. Thanks again!

One things for sure, I really love this car. I've owned Trans AM's, Corvette's and Mustangs in the past, and I beleive this car surpasses my previous cars.

mundo00354 · January 2006

I drove a rx8 a couple of days ago but only for alittle bit. I was able to enjoy all the little things that make the car an awesome car, but i have a question for the owners and daily drivers of this amazing machine(6 speed manual rx8). do you feel as if the low torque impeeds you from doing things you could do in a v6, such as getting a quick start from a redlight? and besides the money factor, would you get a g35 over the rx8?

thanx guys

ps. this car is awesome

trispec · January 2006

1) The low torque makes clutching a bit more stall prone. I love my RX-8 AT. I had an RX-7 MT 5 speed and stalling was the only thing that was an issue. You can't beat American muscle off the line, but in every other way you win in an RX-8.

2) The G35 my wife rides in frequently is not a comfortable ride because it is a much stiffer. The RX-8's room in the back seats and the four doors are stunningly useful; better than a four door sedans, and better than a convertible even. I test drove the Mustang convertible. Getting in and out of the back seat even with the top down is harder than getting in and out of an RX-8 back seat.

bunnygirl · January 2006

First, the keyless entry/start has unlock buttons on it as part of a safety feature. Say you are standing by your car and some guy trys wants to steal it. It would be stupid for it to just unlock when he touches it with you standing closet to it with the flat card in your pocket. On the inside you have to turn the ignition to the lock position and then you push a start button located nearby. This only comes on the grand touring package and the Shinka package and Shinka edition. There is supposed to be a valet key with the car also that lets it be driven a short distance without having the card nearby. It comes with two flat cards and one valet key.

Next item, I received an official update on when the 06 should start arriving. MNAO and my dealer have both told me yesterday that production was further delayed. Production is slated for February week 1, which technically is the week starting January 29. My car is slated to be built at the end of that week. I was told to expect it in 4-6 weeks from next week, part of first shipment due to being very early in build order, slightly earlier arrival on the West Coast as opposed to elsewhere.

Next, the lower horsepower number of 232. This is a reflection of a new SAE testing standard. The engine is exactly the same. Most cars lost some numbers in rating, but the only thing that changed is the system that is used, which shows a different number in the end result. Nothing changed with the engine power that was there previously.

bunnygirl · January 2006

This is normal. It has to do with the heating and cooling of the oil and condensation. Newer models than the 04 (not sure when they started it, I think on the 05s) have a tube inside that surrounds the dipstick to keep the foam off it to make for easier reading and less "panic" over it.

trispec · January 2006

I got a Group 2 RX-8 AT 2005. I don't have a tube surrounding my dip stick. It takes three or four dips to clear the condensation that gets smeared down the stick.

bunnygirl · January 2006

Really? Try this link. It explains the problem and the fix for it. It's a service bulletin.

http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/pdf/01-009-05-1450.pdf

lhess · January 2006

Was at the DC car show over the weekend and the only 8 they had was a Shinka. It was a lighter color than the black cherry (more just burgundy or maroon) and they had it tagged as a 2007. It was a hot display with a line of people a mile long waiting to get in it.

Saw nothing at the car show that tempted me. Now, of course, we'd all have something truly obnoxious if we had unlimited amounts of money (a Bentley or something). But, when it comes down to looks, pricing, performance, and practicality - nothing there beat my Rex. Almost a year now and I still love it!!

rorr · January 2006

"Was at the DC car show over the weekend and the only 8 they had was a Shinka. It was a lighter color than the black cherry (more just burgundy or maroon) and they had it tagged as a 2007."

Interesting.

I've heard rumors of an anticipated Copper Red color for the '06 cars (and possibly that it would be available only for the Shinka Edition).

Is it possible that the car you saw was a Copper Red RX-8?

plekto · January 2006

The following cars interested me greatly:
- The VW 3 wheel roadster. *blink* Wow. They threw AWAY the box in the design department. Going to be made, evidently, and under $20K.
- The Volvo concept. 2+1 seems a no-brainer for small cars, especially hybrids and sportscars(350Z comes to mind - no real reason it doesnt have a trunk or a back seat)
- The Lotus Elise. Sexy looking. Fast. Maybe someday affordable, even.
- The Toyota FJ(though it was ruled out due to being too flimsy to survive real 4*4ing, even if it was armored a lot aftermarket)
- The Honda Fit(though it wasn't there the day I was)
- The RX-8. Same car - essentially unchanged, other than the automatic.
- The Ford GT-40. Wow.
- And my one drool at it car. The Saleen.

There are lots of interesting cars at auto shows.

tomatnavy · January 2006

The G-35 coup and sedan are both very nice cars and fun to drive with the manual transmission.The nissan v6 engine is one of the very best.The clutch and the shifter are a bit heavy and tight.The low rpm horsepower feels exhilarating on the street.Its a quality auto and easy to maintain.The RX8 is unique--its rotary engine is the most powerful for its size.Its power comes at hi rpm--which makes it a pussycat and a tiger.Drive it normally with its easy clutch and smooth shifting gearbox and grandma would enjoy it. Bring up the rpm to 6500 and use its gears and it becomes an exhilarating driving experience.Both cars are very capable--but the rx8 puts a bigger smile on your face.

lhess · January 2006

Bingo on the color rorr... some pics of it are posted on the forum which is the name of this car....club.com (since we get our hands smacked for mentioning such things). It was the copper red. Didn't do much for me, I prefer the black cherry for the shinka. But, not bad.

stevenmor · January 2006

I think that I'm ready for my very own RX-8. My dilemma is, buy now or wait. Currently I can get an AT loaded for around $4500 under sticker with rebate. When the 2006's arrive, I doubt if there will be incentives like this. Is the 6 sp AT and 15HP worth a few months and a few grand? This is my dilemma. Any suggestions?

trispec · January 2006

I am so totally waiting for the 2006 RX-8 AT 6 speed to hit the show room. When those 2006s hit in March, watch the 2005 AT drop like a stone. I'm trying to get my wife into one of those last 2005 ATs. I think a Grand Touring 2005 RX-8 AT could go for $22K.

Am I right or wrong? I am on the prowl though. Watching inventories.

qbrozen · January 2006

Is the 6 sp AT and 15HP worth a few months and a few grand?

In my opinion? Absolutely. I think adding 2 gears could help a TREMENDOUS amount in acceleration and gas mileage. Not to mention the fun of having 2 more gears to access with the paddles.

trispec · January 2006

Hang-on there. The 4 sp AT already has overdrive on 3rd and 4th gear. The gas millage number for the highway 25MPG is not going to change. The gas millage for the city might be better, but I doubt seriously whether those two gears will do much more than improve the full power acceleration.

Now as for the fun of paddle shifting to maximize the power of the engine at all times then absolutely yes, 6 speed is way better than 4 speed. Unfortunately here in Boston, you can never drive an RX-8 even close to full power. So gimmee a 4 speed AT for a $7000 discount any day.

saxon987 · January 2006

Bought a 2005 RX-8 Shinka two weeks ago (gave up waiting for the 2006), and immediately outfitted it with winter tires.

I found a great tire shop in Chicago (Nortown Automotive), and got this advice from the manager at the store:

1) You don't really need to buy a 2nd set of wheels for your snow tires. If you go to a tire shop that has quality mounting equipment and good mechanics, mounting and unmounting summer and winter tires will not hurt them.

2) On a performance car, avoid all-seasons. Get some proper winter ties.

3) Avoid Avons. They are not in the same quality class as Bridgstones and Dunlops.

I put Dunlop Winter Sport M3's on my car. If we ever get snow this winter, I'll post a review.

On dry and wet roads, they seem fine--though, of course, 'softer' than the stock Potenza summer tires.

saxon

trispec · January 2006

It's basically the chemistry of the rubber compounds and tire design. Summer performance tire rubber is harder. Winter tires are soft. Summer performance maximize the surface of the tire that actually in contact with the road surface. Winter tire design maximizes grip by digging into snow and ice.

All seasons, like the Avons, give up 10% performance on either end for better tread wear (360) and better economy (gas mileage actual 25 MPG highway and tire cost $139ea).

I'll sell my stock Potenza summer tires (4K miles on them) for $100ea. Split the shipping. My e-mail is trispec@goppie.com.

rbrooks3athome · January 2006

I owned an '83 with the 12A engine and loved it. It's been a long time, but I am interested in the RX8. I love the idea of room for 4 even if it's just short trips. On Sunday I drove to the loacl dealer to go for a test drive. I'm lookng at pre-owned as my budget is 22k plus tax. Unfortunately, I have to look at autos because of left knee problems which cause my knee to freeze occasionally with the opertaion movement of a clutch. But I desperately want some driver input, so I'm only interested with automatics that allow the driver some shift inout. I've narrowed my search to the RX8 and Mini CooperS auto. I have the worst luck. I went to the local Mazda dealer to go for a test drive. He had 2 autos. BUT, believe it or not, they couldn't get to the keys because the keys were in the "detail" dept and they're closed Sundays so no one could get the keys! They did have one of the keyless entries for one car so I got to sit in it and check out the trunk and all.

I have one question about the seats. These were electric. Is there a way to manually flip the seat forward? The salesman said no. You have to use the switch to s l o w l y tilt it forward to get in the back. This makes no sense but I couldn't find a release.

Does anyone have an auto? I'd love to hear form you about your opinions. I hope to go for a test drive in the next few weeks.

Ron B.

plekto · January 2006

The passenger side flips forward some, but the drivers side is what you get. OTOH, unless you are too large to fit in the rear seats, the half-door should easily swing open more than enough.

Edit:
In a word, the RX-8 blows the doors off the Cooper S. It's a coupe-looking sports sedan. Based upon looks alone, most auto magazines unfairly match it in tests with a 350Z. The RX-8 does 85-90% as well, desipite not even being made to be a real sportscar.

Revs instantly, has gobs of power - imagine a Ninja 500 or simmilar with four wheels and A/C. Drive it like a sportsbike and it's awesome. (ie - don't drive it like a normal car as the power band is in the 5000 rpm+ range.)

stevenmor · January 2006

A Grand Touring AT for $22K? That's $10 under sticker. Do you really think that this will ever be the case? Someone mentioned $7K under sticker, that would be sweet as well. Do you think that they would ever drop even that much?

bunnygirl · January 2006

The new Shinka is supposed to become available in late April, so potentially that is why it is listed as an 07 right now. It comes in Copper Red, snowflake, black, and (I think) Galaxy Gray. You can only get Copper Red in a Shinka.

For whoever liked the Lotus Elise, very uncomfortable ride. They have no concept of cushioning on the seats. It's like sitting on a folding chair!!! I don't think anyone would want one that had to do much driving.

trispec · January 2006

Well in the Mazda inventory search at several dealers, the Grand Touring RX-8 AT MSRP lists at $29K. Obviously a $7K discount is optimistic, but as the opening bid in a negotiations, it seems a fairly reasonable place to start.

But there are stories about really big price drops on 2004 models last year when the 2005 models actually arrived. Dealers have lots of incentives to move out the older stock.

qbrozen · January 2006

The gas millage number for the highway 25MPG is not going to change.

well, we'll see how it all translates into real-world mixed-driving mileage. Could be significant (or might not change, like you said). Its going to depend alot, of course, on driving habits, conditions, etc. In any case, the 6-speed should have POTENTIAL for improved mileage.

So gimmee a 4 speed AT for a $7000 discount any day.

the original poster said a few grand. At $7k, i'd also have to give it serious thought. Then again, even at those savings, you couldn't get me to buy a 4-speed AT. It would absolutely have to be the stick.

timbmayb · January 2006

I picked up my blue '05 RX8 a few weeks ago for just about 7k under sticker. It has the 1GT package and the spare tire. This is in the DC Metro area. Some of the dealers are offering discounts on some weekends, but not all of them.

what a sweet car this is!

trispec · January 2006

Having rationalized the purchase of an RX-8 AT 4 speed for such a long time now, it's a mental game to even think about 6 speeds AT or MT. The main question would seem to be did the ratios of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th get within 1000 RPM of each other. Right now 1st, 2nd and 3rd plus over drive are about 1200 RPM apart. 4th with it's over drive seems to equal 5th and 6th on the six speeds.

Right now 1st will go to 50MPH, 2nd to 70MPH, 3rd to 110MPH and 4th goes to 140MPH (never been there though). It'd be nice to see the numbers for the 6 speeds.

stevenmor · January 2006

$7K under sticker would be almost impossible for me to turn down. I'm looking for black with the GT package.

plekto · January 2006

The Base model with automatic shoudl be close to $20K, then.

I thought it over and I think a 4-speed would be just fine, actually. The 4-speed I test drove a few months ago was lightning fast in and out of traffic, so I wonder other than having two tall overdrive gears, exactly how much improvement a 6 speed will have.

My guess is they'll move 1st gear to 30mph, 2nd to 50, 3rd to 80, and so on, which would mean shifting in city traffic and to pass on the highway a lot. Gas mileage aside, being able to downshift and whomp on it in 3rd gear all the way up to as fast as you need - that's slick.

stevenmor · February 2006

Does anyone know what the dealer holdback is on the RX-8?

rbrooks3athome · February 2006

I went for my test drive of the automatic RX8 tonight. I was really looking forward to it and brought my 12 yr old so I could see how much room he'd have for those times he had to ride in the back. Unfortunately, I left rather underwhelmed. I've narrowed my search to the RX8 and Cooper S, both with autos, but I hadn't driven either. The RX8 was the first of the two I've taken for a test drive.

First, having nothing to do with the car, the salesman knew NOTHING about the car. I asked him if the increased output in the '06 was due to changes to the engine or a result of the new hp measurements. His response, "they changed how the engine puts the power down to the rear". What the HECK does that mean? Of course, when we first met, he greeted me with a, "Sup?"

I was happy to feel the pep the car had with 3 full sized people in the car (my son is 5'11") and the a/c on. My old 12A RX7 was decidedly slow with 2 people and a/c on. The suspension felt nice and taut and the steering weighting felt good. I didn't find the brakes grabby at all despite posts I've read on that. I was surprised by the lack of headroom for me even with the seat lowered all the way down and I'm only 5'11". It was tight. The car had a sunroof so I'm sure that takes room away, but I didn't think it should be that tight. The transmisison is what really left me disappointed. That was my fear. I can't drive manual due to my knee and I was hoping this new generation of autos with some driver input would be a good development.

Here's what I experienced and my question to auto owners out there: What I expected from the tranny was actually very little. All I expected was that it would respond to MY inputs without question unless doing so would harm the engine, like if I asked it to downshift if it would cause overrevving. Once fully warmed, I drove at 40 mph. I was in 4th and changed to 3rd and then 2nd. It was fine. I then went back up to 4th. Fine again. Then, while still at 40 mph in 4th, I quickly shifted 2nd. The car said NO! The digital display quickly showed 3rd and then 2nd, but the transmission stayed in 3rd and the display went from 2nd to 3rd. I shifted to 4th and tried again. Nope. Did it a third time and this time it DID go to 2nd. Tried it again and it stayed in 3rd. I turned to the salesman and asked what was going on. He said he didn't know. He watched the dash display go down to 2nd but then go back to 3rd since the tranny only shifted down to 3rd. Now, I never pressed on the accelerator at all. I kept the pedal in the same spot doing 40 mph. Is this normal? It shifted fine if I went down with 2nd with maybe 2 seconds between shifts, but if I asked for a quick pop down to 2nd, it refused 3 out of 4 times? I only test drove this one car so maybe it's peculiar to this one? Perhaps a software glitch? I was just really ticked because I like the car (as much as you can before driving it)and my only concern was the auto trans. I was so disgusted that it wouldn't do what it was asked to, we just drove back to the dealership and I left. Maybe overreacting a bit, but I'm really disappointed. For a car that lists at almost 30k and claims to be so sporty, I'm very surprised. Once I drive the Cooper, I'll have to drive the RX8 one more time.

So, auto owners, can you duplicate my issue? I'm hoping that it was just a weird thing to this car and not a common "problem".

Thanks for any reply,

Ron Brooks

plekto · February 2006

Sorry to hear. The car drove fine for me, and I did a 3rd to 1st shift accidently(overshot 2nd) and it happily revved to 6000rpm at 30mph.

Were you using the shifter or the paddles on the wheel? I find that the shifter itself is spot-on. As for driving, 40mph in 4th with the older transmission is definately lugging the engine. I left it in 2nd for most of my test-drive, with one quick burst into 3rd at 60mph on a straight road.

The 6 speed definately should do better. Give it another try in a few weeks.

trispec · February 2006

Yep, my 4 speed auto manages all aspects of the shifting. Keep in mind, a computer is actually doing the shifting, not the human. The human provides input via the paddles, but there's other data that the computer considers, which may, over ride the human input. I made the error of shifting the AT to park while moving once and the computer said NO, you don't want to do that.

There's is an sensor that detects momentum forces and traction control potential, even at low speeds, which does over ride my choice of which gear to shift to. Even if you try to turn off DSC, the computer will still watch and interrupt your selections.

When Jet pilots went through the transition of flying hydrolic to fully electronic controls (they call it steam driven verses glass) there were years of aguments as some pilots complained they were being cut out of the direct control. They even said a computer was being placed between them and life threatening critical situations.

Today, however, pilots, military and civilian, pretty much agree, the computers make the act of flying thousands of times safer. It's also easier and more comfortable. New steam driven jets haven't been made for years now.

mdw1000 · February 2006

I've just started to research this car as I'm looking for a 4-door car with great handling. My wife has an 05 Acura TL and I love the handling of that car and its V6. I was searching around for a car with the same routine handling rating as the TL on consumer reports website and came across the RX-8.

Questions...

1. How is this car in the snow? I will be using this as my primary car and live in the Chicago area.

2. Can you get it with all-season tires?

3. Does it have traction and stability control?

4. What do I need to know about the rotary engine? I really don't know anything about them...

Thanks!

trispec · February 2006

Hi

1) & 2) My RX-8 AT is fine now with Avon Tech all-seasons replacing the summer stock tires. The summer stocks have better traction in warm dry conditions, but in snow, slush and ice, the stock tires are horrible. Some RX-8 folks are however equally horrified with all season tires on such a performance car, but the Avon Techs give 90% of the performance and 90% of the snow tire traction, but with 40% cost savings $139ea. vs 200ea. and tread wear of 360 vs 140 for the summer stock tires.

In Boston's latest big storm I was trapped in traffic for two hours with 6" inches of snow dropping so fast that my wipers jammed solid four times. But the Avon Techs took me through packed and unpacked snow, heavy slush and ice sheets without any problems.

3) As for the the Dynamic Stability Control/Traction control, I did need to turn off the DSC/TC to spin through the unpacked snow, but that's normal operating procedure for all DSC/TC systems. The DSC/TC is very good in slick condition reacting fast and smooth.

4) Rotor engines get crappy MPG. In city driving the RX-8 is not going to get better than 15MPG. On the highway at steady 60MPH I've gotten 25MPG though. But driving a smooth revving rotory is just hugely fun otherwise.

Rotories are designed to burn a little oil, so you need to keep two quarts of 5/20 oil in your trunk at all times. Few places carry 5/20 so keep your own stock I say. You'll need to check your own oil regularly which is little bit more work, but I just consider it part of the fun of own a rotory.

Lastly, you'll need to do the 5 minute complete warm up and 3000RPM 10 second rev procedure to make sure you burn all the gas before shut off to avoid the possible engine flood. But again, these little procedures are a privilege of ownership, rather than a curse. Any excuse to play with the RX-8 is a good excuse in my book.

mdw1000 · February 2006

trispec,

Thanks! I was also wondering what the regular maintenance is like on the RX-8? And is the driver's position really narrow? I test drove an Acura TSX yesterday and my knee kept hitting the door. Nothing wrong with the car, it is just the way I normally sit when driving...

trispec · February 2006

Regular maintance seems the same was any car. I've only got 8700 miles on mine though. Nothing special is listed in the 7500 intervals. Folks say the engine can go to 200K easy. I had a rotory in 1987 which pretty much had the same cost associated, adjusted for inflation obviously.

Driver seat fill very roomy to me. I'm 6'1" 220lb on a good day and before seeing any doctors. My feet can't touch the firewall and my knees pull back in front of the console on the right and in front of the power window button console on the left. And the seats are the most comfortable seats I've ever sat in.

I did a 2000 mile trip from Boston to NC. Eight hour stretches on the road with lunch breaks only. I drove 84MPH most of the way. I was wonderfully refreshed at the end of the day. No road buzz, no excessive tireness, no headaches. Just comfortable satisfaction that driving my RX-8 AT is simply pure fun. The RX-8 is so easy to drive it's simply astounding. Love'n it every single day.

Mazda RX-8

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