^
Track day....like 300 or so....right?

 

Do it

 

Hook up with a local car club. The Driver skills days are ~$100 or so. Definitely the best first mod. Once you go learn how to drive your car at the limits you'll know what you want to spend your money on.

 

Just youtube it, he had to cut a hole in the windshield just to fit the intake on the last two cylinders haha!

He will have massive flex issues due to the windshield being the main support for the miata, but he'll figure that out i'm sure.


In other news.....
What is a "shift know" You mean a shift light? That's what the wonderful *DING* is for.

If I had that money right now and was told it had to go into my car. (granted I already have exhaust it's meh) I would do a full catless Rotor back exhaust, add a good intake. I have no intentions to boost it right now because it is my emergency driver, which would make it not being reliable dumb. So yes I would do headers and all.

 

Effectively driving your car at the limit might let you know what you want to have different, but knowing what to change or how to change it or what is involved with changing whatever it is that is related to your desired change is another thing. Most folks are so incapable of understanding the mechanics of their car and how it translates into the actual track dynamics, that they are likely to spend money on items that won't actually make a positive difference for them once they test it out on the track.

Even a professional manufacturer with intensive testing equipment/data, as well as deep resources including professional, expert knowledge requires a good deal of testing which would include trial and error as well.

A single person with limited knowledge/resources might not fair to well when buying a few (personally expensive) mods that they must stick with for a considerable amount of time for each testing session ...for which they are probably not even competent to perform in the first place.


BTW, I am not trying to be snobby an pretend that I am not one of the people in this category. That's why I don't bother getting performance mods. I simply do not have the knowledge/resources/driving ability to make a good decision, even if i can notice things I would want done differently.

 

wow - people still bother with genesis? the guy is the most closed minded person and once something is in his head, there's no changing his mind regardless of actual data to show why he is wrong. and god forbid anyone suggest anything that isn't stock.

but...but...mazda designed it this way and mazda wouldn't have put something out there that isn't the best possible....my dealer told me so...and there are articles that say it's good....

 

My point is that the OP will be able to decide after a track day whether or not to spend money on the suspension, brakes or power etc first. Then start researching to pick the specific things they want to buy.

What is your point again? So far all you've said that that spending money on modding your car is hopeless and there is no benefit. Which we all know is not true.

To answer your question about suspension specifically Racing Beat has put in the time, money, and analysis in to figuring out how to effectively upgrade the suspension as a complete package. So "idiots" like us don't have to.

That being said if you don't want to blindly trust some company hawking a product, there are bunch of us "idiots" that race and autox RX8s that have contributed a lot of knowledge on this forum about how to test and dial in your suspension. Check out Eric Meyer's posts in my spring thread I have linked in my signature.

Again read up before you post this stuff.

 

This thread made me

 

Oh the suspension thing though. If you do daily drive it. How are the roads in BC? Because I tossed suspension out the window for a mod on a daily driver as in sacramento driveways and parking lots all have the "Oops I forgot to cut the curb down for the driveway" affect. I scrape stock. Oh and the speed humps that are square because they forgot to round them off lol. Ick lower and stiffer would result in excessive denting underside.

 

HAHAhaha.

1.yes, I am a stock fanboi. I think this is probably due to years upon years of watching rice burners rumble around town with their 7 inch tips and Walmart body kits. My brain has been traumatized by this. Unfortunately, all too often I can see the rice mentality start to contaminate cars which are already really really nice straight from the factory, such as rx8, s2000, 350z, etc, and this sickens me to the point of spontaneous, uncontrollable vomiting. This is why I am the way I am. I realize that this mentality of mine may end up blinding me to a few, actually positive modifications which people might do to their cars. I guess I really like the idea of keeping a car such as the RX8 completely stock, because it is such a classic, and i wish to keep it that way, even if spending 2 grand on some aftermarket parts made by some company I have never heard of will decrease my 1/4 mile times which I will never be timed on anyway by .2 seconds. I also think keeping it stock will help with resale scenarios.

2. When did I say that my opinions are based on adherence and trust in what my local dealer informs me of? Last time I checked I don't trust them with a damn thing, and I have never posted anything to suggest otherwise.

 

i was just being sarcastic about trusting your dealer. i was just saying you were completely sold on the "fact" that the rx8 is perfect off the floor and can't be adjusted/tuned to be any better (which is just silly). i'm at least glad that you can admit that you are blinded to the fact that there are some mods that can contribute and that you really aren't that naive.

 

Fair points. There is something to be said for keeping it stock. But there are some mods that are worth the money if it's what you want to do. I didn't start playing with mine until it was no longer my DD. And I agree on the resale scenario. What people wouldn't give for an FD that hasn't been completely destroyed by some ricer kid that didn't know what they were doing.

 

Sorry Genesis, I can't seem to read your posts anymore... It may be well worded, but it shows alot of ignorance. Please, stop posting and look around the forum more so that you can start giving proper advice to someone.

That's what I did more or less, unless you want to search for all my posts and look at each and every single one and find something stupid to pick on me. That's my advice to you, read more and be more open, so that such people won't feel bad for you.

 

Well, basically, my advice to the OP is to put the money in the bank. Maybe buy some car care accessories such as microfiber cloths, rubber/plastic conditioners, leather cleaners, etc...unless they already have these. In my opinion there is no mod worth 1300 for the rx8. Suspension: I see no reason to modify this. Suspension is designed and tuned extremely well for road use. You might want to change it for track only use, but then again the rx8 is a stupid choice for a track car anyway. Powertrain: Maybe a lightweight flywheel would be cool, such as the mazdaspeed, but that is a lot of cash for something that you don't really need. anything else doesn't add much power and probably isn't going top help you when you try to sell your car. Body: well so far I have yet to see anything made for the rx8 which looks better than stock. All aftermarket rims I have seen on this site look awful. All bodykits look awful, even the MS body kit. I would never recommend anyone spend a grand or more on a body kit that makes their car look cheap and unbalanced.

 

^sooooooooooooooooo............the Rx8 as it is..........is perfect the way it is?

Correct me if I'm wrong...but if suspension mods are non-beneficial in any way...and it's a terrible track car...then what would be the purpose in owning an 8? for our amazing Torque and horsepower numbers? Our very low body roll factor? Our outstanding Gas milage??



Mind you...there are mods out there that can fix these short comings. You're basically saying the 8 has been maxed out of it's potential yet there are people on this very forum that are currently proving your wrong.......

...once again, I lol'd


btw - ngo's rx8 proved to me and several others that his car > any other car in it's price range in regards to looks hands down


Pictures to prove point:





-Yes that's an intercooler in the front
-Yes it's an HKS turbo
-Yes it produces more than 300hps
-And yes, IT'S FARRRR BETTER THAN ANY STOCK RX8......PERIOD

 

^Beautiful, Just Beautiful

 

-hideous wheels.
-my car has more direct throttle response.
-body kit doesn't look as good as stock, waste of money.
-Assuming equal care and maintenance, my powertrain should have a longer life

Ok now let's get to examining your lapses in logic with your first set of comments:

So according to your logic demonstrated in the rhetorical questions you posed, then any car with no options for positive suspension upgrades and low track car potential is bad. So, if a car comes from the factory with a great chassis/suspension setup, and no suspension mods are a good choice, then that makes it a bad car? WTF? And also if that car is a terrible track car, then it also sucks? WTF? Plenty of great cars suck as track car choices because for similar money you can get something that is terrible on the street but offers great performance for a track time only oriented setup/mindset. a Ferrari 575 marenello is probably a very poor choice as a track car for what you are paying, and it too probably has no suspension mods which would be better than Ferrari stock...so I guess that car must suck?

 

Renesis,

Why do you have a picture of aftermarket shocks if you like the stock ones so much?

 

you my friend, are in the great minority
and by that, i mean just you

haha

 

HAHA, they ARE actually STOCK dampers. The 40th ann cars get the bilsteins, much like the 09 R3's do. HAHA

 

hmm, never knew they were yellow
Shocked that I learned something new from you

 

Well I guess you got me there. But think of it like this,

you have the 40th anniversary edition and not everybody does. So Your handling is better than us without the bilstiens. So if somebody were to upgrade from the very stock suspension, say on the 04-08 non shinka or anniversary editions, why would it not help the handling?

 

First point:

My point is IT DOESN'T HAVE TO SUCK AS A TRACK CAR...



Second Point:

My lord

I suppose you prefer your coffee without cream and sugar as well -

Bold 1. Hideous? that's in the eye of the beholder - but far more soothing to the eye than those stupid stocky +50 offset 5 spokes. Btw - 9.5 width > 8 stock width

More rubber to the ground = better.

Bold 2. I HIGHLY DOUBT THAT Specifically designed for a quick and full throttle response - not that i know anything first hand or anything - not like i was there while he was getting tuned w/MM or anything...

Bold 3.

Bold 4. lol.....oh man.

Bold 5. first of all...who said the 8 had low track potential? Who's car have you been driving? Granted it may not be a track beast but it's not all about numbers - may be if you were racing i could understand, but as many former members as well as well known car analysts have stated - they feel the 8 responds far better than cars twice it's price. Now can you only imagine if one could upgrade it? It's not as impossible as you might think.

Bold 6. Did I say Bad? No. What I mean to infer is that there is always room for improvement. Are you always satisfied with what's given to you? ...I didn't think so...

Bold 7. Addressed in first point

Bold 8. Just because a big commercial aftermarket company doesn't make upgrades for them...doesn't mean they don't exsist. I bet you no one from the scion forums know who makes our superchargers - does that mean we don't have any?? pfft

TRY AND UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM SAYING.

MODIFICATIONS = GOOD - PERHAPS NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT SOME YIELD A GAIN - THAT IS MY POINT. YOU ALREADY DISREGARDED THE AP FOR SAYING 'IT'LL ONLY GIVE YOU 5-10 HP' WHICH IS BULLSHIT, BECAUSE IT ONLY REFLECTS A FRACTION OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE POSTED OTHERWISE TO THAT NON-SENSE -

There is no one specific mod that cost's $1300 and is worth every penny...because there's a mod that's half the price and worth more and if you're too ignorant to understand that then please....refrain from giving garbage advice.

I now leave you with your laughable understandings.

 

You sir are an idiot. I'm sorry, I'm usually not one to call people names but there is no other way to explain your sheer ignorance on this subject.
The RX-8 is a "stupid choice" for a track car?! Are you mad?
Is that why the R3 has upgraded suspension? so people can have a better grocery getter? NO. Mazda knows what a great track car this can be and is trying to IMPROVE on it. (much as many others are with aftermarket parts)

Why don't you send a PM to ULLOSE and tell him how horrible our cars are on the track.
FYI: He's the reigning 3 time National AutoCross Champion.... guess what he drives.

 

Well, if you are made of money, then sure go ahead and use trial and error to see what dampers work the best for you. But the Bilsteins were developed specifically for the RX8; meaning Bilstein and Mazda worked together in developing these shocks. This is in contrast to a product which may have been specifically developed for the RX8, but without the input/support from mazda. There may be dampers which would perform equal to the stock dampers, but for the money involved, it doesn't seem worht it to me to go with dampers other than stock. Of course if you have lowered your car because of aftermarket springs, then of course you might need to get modded shocks as well, but then you have seriously offended me by that point anyway of course...


But seriously, is anyone else not completely flabbergasted by Atilla? He basically said that a car which is setup great from the factory which isn't improved by aftermarket mods is pointless.....

So it's like the car is good stock, so it makes it bad?? wtf