Intro: A motorcycle enthusiast who owns a Miata and knows squat, diddly, nadda, about cars.

I own a 91' Miata and its been my only car for 12 years. I don't go nuts with cars, I'm more into motorcycles. That means I didn't use the convertable mode much, since the bike is the real ride when weather allowed. I mostly kept the hard top on the Miata. However, when I was "forced" to drive the automobile, at least travel was still fun with the Miata. After 12 years with the same little car, I still love it.

The most amazing thing is I never had any problem with that Miata. Its been old reliable. But I'm getting older and though I want to be young forever, I needed something more convenient. Family complained about no seating and trunk. They just didn't understand. But after my a/c went bad on the Miata, I knew it was time to buy a new a/c with a new car wrapped around it. I also had to grow up a little bit more.

I spent the afternoon looking at cars on the Internet, deciding which "sedan" I was to purchase. Came down to VW Passat, Mazda6, or Nissan Altima. Due to the history I had with the Miata, I went back to a Mazda dealership this last Thursday. I went to the Miata's first to look at the "new ones". With sadness I walked away from those darlings and went to the Mazda6. Yea, I needed a sedan. Forget fun, be practical. Oh well, growing older really stinks.

The Mazda6 just didn't do it for me. I scanned the lot. There were big blocky Ford models to be seen. Shudder. My plight was pretty sad. Oh well, my motorcycle (Yamaha 1600 Midnightstar - completely customized) would have to do for the fun rides. Mazda6 would have to be it.

Finally a dealer approached (about 20 minutes after my arrival) and asked if he could help. I explained my sad situation and told him I was giving up 12 years of ownership on a Miata and was looking for something more practical. He noted my sadness and asked if I had looked at the RX-8 and would I like a test drive? The only thing I could say was "What is an RX-8?"

Wow! As soon as we approached the vehicle my heart started beating faster, but at the same time I became even more depressed. It looked like a sports car. Sadly I informed the sales rep that I was not going to consider buying a sports car. Didn't the fool listen to me? I needed practicality. Sorry, growing up time was at hand.

Then he laid it out for me. As a Miata lover who was looking for something more practical, but saddened to leave the joy that the Miata gave me on the road, the RX-8 may be just the thing I was looking for. Ridiculous! He was wasting his time. But then he started opening the 4(!!) doors, the trunk, walking me through the features. My heart started beating faster still as I realized that the RX-8 was shaping up to be, maybe, the perfect answer to my delima.

I asked if the car had six cylinders, because I needed the power. No cylinders, a rotary engine? What the heck is that? 1.3 liter engine. Huh? Looking inside I noted the redline at 9000rpm! What gives here? Sorry, I know nothing of the RX-7 or anything about car engines (except how a piston one works).

Okay, I liked the look, practicality requirements met, but is it fun? I informed the sales rep that if it was fun to drive and had power, I'd be buying one that evening. We went for a spin, the dealer driving first. I was floored. Being a Miata owner, I couldn't believe the smoothness of the ride and how well it absorbed the bumps. I thought this was a sports car? As a passenger, it started feeling like a sedan. Comfy. And where was the engine, road, and wind noise? We got on the freeway and I was impressed as the sales rep got it to 90 in no time and zipped through traffic. We turned around and it was my time to drive it back to the dealership (some eight miles away).

First of all, I was amazed with the stick and transmission. I was very impressed. But the real surprise was the pickup and zippiness of this car. I didn't know what a rotary engine was, but I was shocked that a 1.3 liter engine could do what I was experiencing. The handling was just superb and my concerns of this car being too much a "sedan" was evaporated. This was a fun and joyful car to drive. I completely forgot about the two seats in the rear. It was me and the road and nothing else. I forgot about the sales rep as well, but I think he could tell from my evil grin that he had his fish on the hook.

I got two miles and knew I had chosen my next car. When I pulled up to the dealership, I informed him to start the paperwork immediately and I would be picking it up the next day. I chose a black model from the lot, probably because it was the same color as the test drive model which was the very first RX-8 I had seen. Love at first sight, that sort of thing.

Yesterday I went to the dealer, paid for the car in cash (driving a Miata for 12 years let me save up quite a lot for my next car), and am now a happy RX-8 MT owner.

Its fun to drive and it met my other practicality requirements. Okay, a sedan would probably meet them a bit better, but as a Miata owner, you don't want to lose that fun and contact with the road. RX-8 does not comprimise there and I'm already forgetting my Miata.

I only hope this new engine and the extra oil I have to keep throwing into it works out to be a long and happy relationship. Its a beautiful performer and I hope, reliable. Time will tell. But for Miata owners, this is a great "upgrade" car. For everyone else, the RX-8 is just a fantastic car and has to be driven to appreciate.

How the RX-8 is able to have such a pleasant and smooth ride and at the same time give me that road feel and responsiveness is just beyond my human understanding. However, it works like a dream.

 

You work for Mazda or a dealer right?
Great story and welcome.

 

Glad to hear your joyful tale

I'm sure there are a LOT more people out there like you that just haven't found this site yet

 

Sure looks that way, but hardly. Proud Pinto, Lincoln Fairmont, Vega, Buick owner, I didn't much care for "foreign" models. Just got a jewel with the Miata, learned what "fun driving" was all about and it turned out to be the most worry free car I had ever owned.

Thanks for the welcome.

 

"How the RX-8 is able to have such a pleasant and smooth ride and at the same time give me that road feel and responsiveness is just beyond my human understanding. However, it works like a dream."

beautiful !!!!!!

 

The old rotary engines burned oil, but the RENESIS shouldn't burn much. Relocating the ports hopefully addressed the issue.

Great review, as a current Miata driver I hope to replace our boring sedan with an 8 in a year or two.

 

Truly a heartwarming story. You have captured the appeal of this car without digressing into all the nitpicking the rest of us tend to do on this site.

My story is very much like yours, except I was coming from a minivan larger than I needed anymore due to kids grown up. I couldn't quite justify a two-seater as I have the occasional need for an extra seat or two. I had decided the new Accord would be my car: Reliable, practical, decent price. I had resigned myself that the practical side would prevail, even though there is no passion in that car.

Being my normal analytical self, I performed due diligence reading car reviews, consumer reports, etc. to make sure I wasn't overlooking any possibilities. I never once considered Mazdas, and like you I know little about cars and am not (or was not) what you would call a car enthusiast. During the course of my research I happened across an article where American car reporters had been given a day with the RX-8. Many of you probably saw this in Road and Track or something; most reviewers were dubious that an acceptable compromise between sportiness and practicality could be achieved, but by the end of the day they unanimously declared the RX-8 a winner. Further research on the Internet led to similar reviews and finally to this web site. My passion was stirred and I decided this was the car I had to have.

I was lucky to discover (on this forum) a pre-order that had been abandoned and looking for an owner. I was the first to call the dealer, paid my deposit, and 3 weeks later was the proud owner of a Velocity Red 6-spd red/black leather nav system car of my dreams. Every gripe posted on this site (weak a/c, funky dipstick, sliding floor mats, whatever) all melt away when you're driving the car. It is pure driving pleasure and after 3 weeks in this car I still have a grin when I find an excuse to run errands.

Thank you for sharing your story with us. The only ribbing I get is this is my "midlife crisis car" since it's bright red and I'm in my 40's. My feeling is, it's my true nature coming out after years of repression. I'm too busy to have time for a midlife crisis; maybe in another few years.

 

Gman, great post! You literally gave me goosebumps! I still vividly remember the day I drove my first RX-7 ( a used '87 Turbo, my first "real" car). I was just head over heels, and I was SO happy to be trading my dull Toyota Camry in on an enjoyable car!

Welcome to the rotary family!

My friend Blake's site on how a rotary engine works -
http://www.rotaryengineillustrated.com/

You're gonna get lots of questions on how that engine works!

Dale

 

Wonderful post- glad to know it's not just us fanatics that think the car is great Now we need some pictures!

Welcome to the boards- hope we see a lot of you.

 

That post was very heartwarming. It's the same way I felt about RX-7s when I had my first car two years ago. I didn't know didly squat mainly because there were so much other things going on in my life. I remember asking "rotary, what's that?". The great thing about reading this was that there was a willingness to learn more about something a person never heard of rather than rejecting what a person couldn't think is true. This holds true with those who think piston engines are the only type and that it's either a 4banger, v6, v8 or whatever... The main point I was getting at is, it's nice to see more people embrace the car with more enthusiasm rather than rejecting it because of what they heard about previous rotary engines or just simply never hearing of it before. 12 years ago, I only thought of Ninja Turtles. 2 years ago, I first hear of rotary engines... Today, well, the thirst for more knowledge on the rotaries remain.

 

Like you gman, this is what amazes me most about my RX-8. It truely is a Sports Car like no other.

Great first post - keep them coming.

 

Wow, I just got chills reading your post gman. Thanks for posting that. Welcome to the forum, and I'm glad you found the RX-8. It's certianly an amazing car.

 

Really enjoyed your post. I'm also a Miata owner, but I'm keeping mine AND getting the RX-8. I know, it's nice to be able to afford it...well, at least the bank can afford it. No doubt I'll feel the same as you once it gets here, but the Miata is just too much fun to abandon. You should've kept and forgot about the a/c...just saved it for nice fall days and cool spring evenings when the wind in your hair is more important than the practicality of the "8". But, then you've got your bike for that, I guess. Enjoy!!

 

I still miss my Miata. Don't get me wrong I love my RX8 but my '00 miata was the first car I purchased on my own, the first manual trans which I learned on. 'sniffle, sniffle' I better get in my 8 and go for a drive before I get all teary eyed...the best way to forget a passed love, get a new hotter babe to ride! yah!!

cya on the road...