IamFodi

iTrader: (1)

Hi, all! Been waiting a long time for this!

I've been gunning for an RX-8 for a few years. As the whole auto industry moved more and more toward big, soft, heavy cars made for lazy drivers, I fell more in love with the RX-8 as a flag planted for what really makes driving fun. I was just never in a position to do anything about it. I stood by as production ended and the last few new ones disappear from dealer lots. I had an E36 M3, so I wasn't exactly hurting for driving fun, but the RX-8 was the real prize. It was among the very few cars that made my E36 feel dull and uninspired.

Luckily, the winds changed for me right as my E36 ticked over 200,000 miles and started losing its head gasket. Two months and one nationwide search later, and I found this: a 2011 RX-8 R3 with just over 21,000 winterless miles on the clock and plenty of warranty left. She's not showroom-perfect, but as far as I can tell she's got it where it counts. Had it inspected by Maztech in Tampa and compression checked at a Mazda dealership, and pulled the trigger.

Other options were a BMW 128i and a 2006-2011 Civic Si. Love them both, but almost can't believe they were even in the running next to the R3.

Really looking forward to the next few years! Can't imagine it'll be painless, but expecting a ton of fun!

Williard

iTrader: (18)

Welcome to the club. Read through the new member forum to get your bearings. Any issue's you have come here first. Then the dealership. Any thoughts on upgrading it yet? I would recommend the BHR Ignition kit as the first upgrade. The rx8's have weak ignition systems. BHR's is PERFECT.

IamFodi

iTrader: (1)

Thanks!

I've flipped through the New Member Forum a bit, particularly the prospective owners' thread. I do have a few things I want to figure out, so I'll be posting about those soon.

The only upgrade I plan is to switch to Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires ASAP, and that's mainly because I'll need tires soon and love that particular tire. Part of the point of buying this car was that I don't feel like it needs any mods, at least for a while.

As for ignition, I was thinking of doing ignition stuff along with a bunch of other things at 30k miles. Do I really need BHR's stuff on a Series 2?

Mazdaspeed RX8 ver2

Welcome to the club, nice R3.

Some swear by BHR's ignition kit, i do have it. And some swear by the OEM coils. It's really up to you on what you want to do. You don't NEED the BHR ignition per say.

Williard

iTrader: (18)

Everyone has their own opinion on it. BUT it is a widely known fact that the ignition systems even in the series 2 are not up to par. Basically yea their ok systems but they are not as good as BHR. I have it. I will NEVER go back. Ever.. But as mazdaspeed said, You dont NEED it. But it would be better if you had it.

Khurram

Congrats and welcome to the club..
Do you miss your M3 at all? lol you might miss the power but wont miss out on the fun.

Some Mods are just for reliability assurance and to reduce maintenance cost. I've owend my 8for 14 months now. Put on 70K kms on it and went through 3 sets of OEM coils and plugs.. Each time it costed me $350 - 400 for parts alone.
Now waiting on my BHR shippment, going forward my maintenance cost will be plugs and wires and air filter every 30K

All the best

gwilliams6

Get the BHR kit, better performance and a slight hp and mpg bump, and they will last the lifetime of your car. Once you have them you will NEVER want or need to go back to oem. There are just that much better than oem, even on a series 2.

IamFodi

iTrader: (1)

Well it was only an E36, so it wasn't that much more powerful and it had much taller gearing. Mine also had a lot of very hard miles on it, so I wouldn't be surprised if peak power were down a bit by the end. The only time I miss the power (torque really) is from a dead stop. I could fire the M3 out of the hole pretty quickly without a lot of clutch slip or a high RPM clutch dump. I really don't like the idea of doing either of those things on the RX-8, so I've resigned myself to a life of trickling off the line. From a roll, though, the 8 feels like it gives up nothing to my old M3. If it is slower, it's not slower by enough to notice.

In terms of handling... The M3 was very good, but literally everything the RX-8 does is on a completely different level. Higher limits, better limit behavior, easier to get out of trouble, etc. etc.

The only thing that's worse about the RX-8 is that, at least in R3 trim, it's just a lot more punishing to drive. The engine's noises are dissonant and grating, the ride is firmer overall, and the seats are less comfortable. I'm completely fine with this trade-off, but it certainly is something to consider, especially for long trips. Then again, the M3's interior was smaller around the driver and all black, whereas the RX-8 has a bit more space and is brightly colored above the dash; that makes the RX-8's interior feel a lot more open and less oppressive.

Overall, I'm definitely having a lot more fun with the 8. Aside from the ride quality and a slight lack of refinement in the powertrain, it drives and feels pretty much exactly as I'd want a car to be.

tza0001

iTrader: (2)

Welcome to the club! Enjoy the car!

Khurram

Yup indeed 8 is an amazing machine..
Corners very well, and if you feel like flying by then try hitting that 9k rpm every once in a while thats a joy.. lol..

Have afun and enjoy the car..

IamFodi

iTrader: (1)

I generally drive from 3500 up and try to hit 9k a few times every time I drive. You know, to prevent carbon buildup.

Hobasocka

Congrats on your 8! Redline FTW!

IamFodi

iTrader: (1)

So, I have a question, but I can't yet post a thread. If anyone has an answer or could make a thread for me, I'd appreciate it, but it's not urgent.

What happens in our engines when you lift off the throttle but stay in gear? Specifically, how do the apex seals and side seals stay lubricated without flooding the chambers with oil and/or fuel?

In a modern piston engine, the ECU shuts off the fuel because it's not needed to keep the engine turning. Lubrication continues more or less as it would at that RPM, and the piston rings prevent oil accumulation by continuing to scrape the cylinder walls; excess oil just gets dropped into the sump.

In the Renesis, I'm presuming the apex seals still need oil supply as long as the rotors are turning, regardless of throttle. But if the oil jets are still spraying and there's no combustion happening, where does the excess oil go? Does the engine still inject and burn fuel to burn off the excess oil?

I'm asking because I want to make sure I'm driving as I should for longevity. In my previous car, I was fairly liberal about engine braking to save fuel and help keep the piston rings from sticking. Should I change my habits for this car?

Williard

iTrader: (18)

If you baby this motor you'll kill it. You MUST redline at minimum once a week. I redline several times per drive. It keeps the carbon buildup to a mininum. If your looking for fuel economy, your purchased the wrong car. Many people get 250-300 miles per TANK. Many get less than that because of a..how should i put this... heavy foot. Have you started premixing yet?

IamFodi

iTrader: (1)

Already said I keep the revs way up when I drive, so no worries there. I'm asking about what happens in the engine on the overrun.