RS4Bennett

Hi all.

New to RX8’s, the forum, RWD vehicles, but keen on finding an affordable sports car for HPDE’s so that I can feel unencumbered to stretch and learn without worrying about putting an expensive sports car into the wall.

Interested in the one below, but it seems to be undesired at this price point for some reason and although some of the history has some questions, it looks like it’s in good condition. Maybe I should just have it PPI’d and compression tested to see if it passes all the due diligence checks.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...ff=share_other

CaymanRotary

Its gorgeous. You'll want to make sure the car is compression tested and transmission checked out before purchase. Looks to be in excellent shape otherwise. We'll priced for what it is. Milage is concerning so it may need odds and ends but as long as engine is good, it's an extremely nice car.

speed7

The car linked is decent. However for an affordable HPDE car this RX8 isn’t it. If you wish to take advantage of the Mazda Motorsports program, I’d recommend a miata instead.

The RX8 is great, don’t get me wrong. But when it becomes engine time, which does happen with race car, you’ll be spending about the value of the car over time to refresh the car and motor.

Miatas are cheaper and have a huge aftermarket following, plus still get access to the Mazda Motorsports program.

also a BRZ / FRS seems to be a popular HPDE car as well.

speed7

If you are set on the Rx8 for crashing into a wall in HPDE, perhaps leave the R3 alone? Once you swap the suspension and the seats all trims are identical.

also since you’ll be turning off traction control and stability control. Start with the sport trim, you save money, and those annoying systems don’t have to be disabled.

my recommendation for initial updates for HPDE.

Enkei Racing RPF1 wheels 17x9. On tire rack they have the correct offset.
Nitto NT01 tires
Porterfield st43 pads (raybestos)
beilstein b16 coil overs to start. Might even suggest just aftermarket springs and non adjustable beilstin shocks to start.

seats get tricky with these cars.. but I might have something later this year for an easier solution with Recaro seats. If you do go with this car, ping me
later.

speed7

If you like red, this is your HPDE toy.

http://atcm.co/S2PVDP/216461c6

or this one

http://atcm.co/S2PVDP/21545d8b

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Before we get to evaluating individual cars, have a read on at RX8help.com, New & Potential Owners section. It will give you a primer and basis for an informed decision.

These are excellent, confidence inspiring cars even in stock form. You don't need upgrades beyond brake pads for HDPE and it's always a hoot to run down "faster" cars. It also doesn't have bad habits that result in cars going into walls, like the AP1 S2000s, MR2s, etc. Great platform to learn on.

The engine situation is covered on RX8help.com, but the long and short of it any RX8 you choose needs a compression test before you put money down. Some have already had engines replaced, and are good for a while. Others might be getting toward end of original engine life. A LOT depends on the previous owner. "Engine replacement" sounds drastic, but it's really not that bad. Just have to budget for it if the compression test tells you it's time.

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

as stated previously, the RX8 is a bigger, more expensive in every regard Miata.

If you want affordable, then you have your answer. Twice even.

Choosing an RX8 is more a matter of desire, possibly coupled with a dose of either ignorance or insanity depending on the situation.

.

UnknownJinX

Actually, some of the older Miatas are getting expensive. NA is straight up ridiculous, while NB is supposedly creeping up as well. That said, both will cost you less to run them, and as mentioned, there are more parts for them. An NB or even NC would be good if you are looking for a cheap-ish HPDE car. Even NA would still be cheaper than most S2 RX-8 in good conditions.

BRZ is also good, as mentioned.

RX-8 may not be expensive to buy but is more expensive to run than the former options, though it is more practical. Is this a dual-duty car or a dedicated HPDE toy? That would also make a difference in what you choose.

RS4Bennett

G-damn. I guess a human can’t have the cake and eat it.

The requirement is a sports car that looks nice and can take to the road courses occasionally, not worry about a total loss, but not get to the point where I can’t enjoy it because it needs extraordinary amount of care.

The Miata or RX8 do not meet all of those requirements. While the Miata meets 3 of 4 req’s, to me it’s IMO not better looking than a Toyota Sienna minivan.

Thanks all for the helpful suggestions. Still undecided.

CaymanRotary

Well damn...

UnknownJinX

You are on a limited budget and want something "beautiful"?

Looks are so subjective so no one can give you advice on what to buy then.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

It sounds like you want an older Corvette. They're cheap enough, basically bulletproof and will put a smile on your face. They're not unforgiving, but they also won't lift a finger to help you if you get into trouble.

You may not be able to hit all of your criteria no matter how you turn it. I know this sounds weird but buying a car based on how cheap it is to crash is not how performance driving works. If you crash you may die or be injured, in any car. There is no win in that. So plan to avoid that at all costs, work up to your limits slowly. A cheaper but less forgiving/safe car actually makes you more likely to crash and be injured. If driving a more expensive car makes you a safer driver, that's not terrible...

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

seems to me we have a classic situation where it’s not really advice that’s being sought, but rather a verification for the preferred things wanting to be heard.

It’s also not clear how or why you believe cursing God’s name is in any way going to produce a positive outcome or was even necessary? People who do that only curse their self. You might as well have walked into my living room, pulled down your pants, and taken a dump on my carpet. You want to act like a dog be prepared to be treated like one by having your nose pushed down and rubbed into it.
.

speed7

Lol I really didn’t read his post tbh in the beginning...

”The requirement is a sports car that looks nice and can take to the road courses occasionally, not worry about a total loss, but not get to the point where I can’t enjoy it because it needs extraordinary amount of care.”

He’s not in touch with the world we live in today. The current “sports car” is pushed so close to the edge in tech that it can do both. However it will cost you 80-140k from the showroom.

if you want a cheap car to do both handle and reliability.. you have to look at the power plant and what aftermarket parts are available.

in his position, I’d simply look at a eco boost mustang with a manual transmission. Great power plant and great community support.

what I feel here is we have the later.. someone who thinks they can find something for cheap and run it for next to nothing. Not taking into account it’s a 10 year old car at “best”.

I am all for more rx8’s on the track... just ask your questions and we can help you out. But I feel teamrx8 hit it on the head... you didn’t like the answers lol.

UnknownJinX

If you want to go down the pony car path and care more about handling, I would recommend a V6 Camaro 1LE over an Ecoboost Mustang. Better power delivery from an NA engine(the LGX V6 is the successor to the LFX engine that's getting popular in RX-8 engine swaps) and Camaro's Alpha platfotm is simply superior to that of Mustang's. Also, the MT-82 in the Mustang isn't exactly known to be sturdy.

That said, just like anything turbocharged, there is more to be had in terms of power out of a tune out of the Mustang, so it could depend on your focus here.

speed7

yeah I totally agree.. I thought about bringing that up... but wasn’t sure about the non SS trims. The platform is so good at handling.

UnknownJinX

V6 and now 2.0T 1LE is basically SS without the V8. You get the extra cooling components, suspension and tires of the SS. If you are lucky, you might also score one with the Recaro seats.

V6 1LE has been out for a little while so I think you could score one for a good price. 2.0T 1LE is a fairly recent addition so the price might be higher.

sshe11

A sports car that is cheap, fast, and reliable is a rare commodity. You can have 2 of 3 requirements above but not all 3.