I tried searching to see if there was a thread already made about this. I'm sure there is one but i couldn't find it so I'd like to apologize in advance. (searched within the forums only).

Anyways my questions are the following.
1) For the Manual people out there, if you didn't have a choice in the matter and could only get a Automatic Rx-8 would you still get the Rx-8?
2) If they are any Auto Rx-8 Drivers out there, Why did you not get a Manual and do you regret it?

I have driven about half a dozen Rx-8's from different dealerships and simply love the handling! I don't care about the speed, I just love the way it handles. My problem is I live in SoCal (southern California) And I am on the Freeway for 99% of my daily drive. I don't know how to drive stick but to be honest with the SoCal traffic I would imagine that it wouldn't be as much of fun having to downshift every 1-2 mins. because of traffic coming to a stand still. So for me Auto is the only way to go. I just want input from the Manual and Auto drivers on those 2 questions.

Also if someone can link me to a thread on the major and minor differences between the two it would be greatly appreciated. (2009-2011 Rx-8's i don't know if that maxes a difference but I would like the info on the S2's)

Thank you all in advance.

 

We can't spoon feed you everything, but I will answer your first question.

I own an manual RX-8, and if it came down to having an auto '8 or no '8 at all, I wouldn't get it. I don't want to hate on anyone who is driving an automatic RX-8, but in my opinion there is no point in getting a sports car with an automatic transmission unless that's the only option there is (such as the Nissan GT-R - I don't count paddle shifting as being manual). I drive in Raleigh, NC all the time, although it's nowhere near the size of SoCal, but stop and go traffic is the norm. I enjoy working the gearbox and having to shift a lot. But that's just me.

EDIT:
https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/manual-vs-automatic-160560/ (another manual vs automatic thread)

 

as long as you want a 6 port auto (2006+), then there really isn't much difference between the manual/auto (other than personal preference of handling...)

 

the fun with having a manual is you get to play with it. tell me which guy does not enjoy playing with his stick. lol.

 

Would you get an automatic porsche? Not to knock any auto drivers but i id have to say get another car if you're going automatic just my two cents.

 

There are, unfortunately, people who buy automatic Porsches. The scary thing is that some of them breed.

Ken

 

I recently got mine as well with zero prior experience with manuals. I learned withinan hour or so and the car is so easy at higher speeds. I just drove it through D.C. which was my first time ever being in traffic and at first it seemed like I wish I practiced during rush hour back home (near Raleigh as well) but it wasn't all bad. To answer your question though, I can't say whether it's the 8 or the stick, but I now have a new passion for driving.

 

getting a sports car in automatic is a sin ... period

 

I would not have bought the RX-8 if it were available only as automatic.
But this is the case with pretty much any other sporty coupes or similar cars.

 

Hahahaha

 

i Like my automatic.

Those of you here in San Antonio no what 410 / 35 is like at 5 in afternoon
so i prefer auto. But if i was driving for performance definitely not.

Like is aid i ride my bikes when i wanna go fast.

 

I've owned both. Get the manual and don't make the mistake I did getting an Automatic first.....

 

Thank you very much for the link, When i was searching i used ( ) instead of " " around the words which is why nothing came up but thank you, I found the information I needed and then some. And Yes a lot of people tell me it's fun driving stick, my only concern is learning on the 8, don't want to mess up the gear box right out of the gate.

From the other threads I read some said they learned how to drive stick in about 3-4hrs and they seem to say the same thing you did. Would you also not get the 8 if it didn't come in manual?

I would still like to know more from the people that are stuck in traffic on a daily basis and drive manual. My daily drive consist of speeds ranging from 65-70 and 0-5 mph so i want to know if its annoying for you Manual drivers if you were to drive for 40-60mins at speeds of 0-15 (in some cases just letting the car roll on its own)I guess it is because I have never driven stick that I imagine it to be a big ordeal.

Also about 4 months ago I was looking at an 8's front hood and I want to say its the padding or the insulation on the bottom side of the hood (the side of the hood that covers the engine) but it was really nasty looking. it was peeled off and it looked almost like hay or straw, I was wondering if any of you guys have seen that before. (is it normal? the dealer told me it posed no real danger) wouldn't that catch fire or something?

Thanks in advance for the info.

 

Although you do not want to 'mess up the gearbox', learning on the car that you will be driving is actually a good idea. All manuals are manuals, but all of them have their own unique feel to them - They are all different in their own ways. So, by learning on the car you will be driving, you will have learnt according to what the car needs and you will become more quickly accustomed to its specific feel (Which I personally find much nicer than most).

As for the speeds and what not - Because of the torque on the car (Or lack there of), taking off takes a bit more rpm's than a regular piston run car. It doesn't want to be at low rpms, but saying that, if you are sticking around 10mph for 45 mins, that wouldn't be TOO bad. It depends on your personal preferences when it really comes down to it. I mean, sometimes you may find that you are constantly having to depress and engage the clutch, which can be annoying, but it all depends on if you are moving at a contant speed or if you are referring to "Traffic" for 45 mins, where you would be constantly going and stopping.

IMO, the manual is the best of the two. Not only is the power there, but it makes you feel much more a part of the car. It gives you a 'feeling of completion' if you will. It makes you feel like you are an asset to the experience, and that YOU are driving the car, and it is not driving you.

Oh, and you can most likely learn stick in an hour or so. And I could bet that within one or two weeks it would feel like second nature to you.

 

My RX-8 is my first manual car and it's actually a very forgiving vehicle when it comes to new drivers. Shifting just comes second nature now when I drive someone else's car I always try and feel for the clutch and gear lever. In short you just get used to it and it's so fun to have.

I'm not stuck in traffic every day, but when I am it's quite simple to handle. I don't find it annoying to have to constantly shift but then again I love working the gearbox.

Like others have said, if you're going to get an automatic I would look at getting a different car. To understand the true definition of a sports car while driving one you need to be able to have total control over it, and you just don't get that when you have an automatic.

 

If the RX-8 only came with an automatic transmission, I would not have bought one.

And this is coming from someone who isn't anti-automatic... My other two cars (Honda Accord and CR-V) are automatics. But they ain't sports cars!

And I wouldn't be worried about learning to drive a manual on an RX-8... It's a very forgiving car. My only concern would be that you'd surely have to have someone test drive it for you. Maybe you should at least test drive an automatic beforehand, so you could at least get some sort of feel for the car.

 

The auto haters here are hilarious!

I had a 73 RX3 with 4 spd manual, and was really annoyed at all the synchro grinds when even new.

So I went looking for a 07 6spd AUTO GT to enjoy that turbine like smoothness, and man is it fun! I've even tracked it 12 twelve times, and was equal to any fast car at the last one where it was drizzling ( was one of the few that stayed on the track-kept traction control on).

Also, I went through town yesterday with light traffic at about 45 mph, and my scanguage showed I got 22mpg ( It runs lower rpms than manual); it also gets at least 23 mpg @80 mph on the hwy (got 27.1 twice).

In your case, just go drive both kinds after you test some other manual to learn, and get what you want.

I will say that a clutch shouldn't be that hard in traffic, and I can see that control in an automatic is tricky in rush hour since you have to go back and forth with right foot on the brake and gas ( I'd learn to use left foot braking, but I'm quite uncoordinated).

 

Auto = Boring
Manual = Fun

The moral of the story is...it don't matter what transmission you got, the rx8 is full of win (both auto and stick).

 

the rx8 is my first manual car and i absolutely love it. kinda took me a bit to get used to it cause it had lightweight pulleys and a completely different feel compared to my buddies rx8. i really think all rx should be manual.

 

Before I would have gotten an automatic if they just didn't have the higher engine problems, it just seemed easier and I didn't want all the power. Now, I couldn't see myself wanting an automatic ever again if I want to actually drive, not get to where I was going and let it be that. When I was in 2 hour traffic my foot got very tired, but I assume it was just because of my first time and it will get easier.

 

i LOVE my manual... now with that said, I do wish that someone would shift for me sometimes when I'm stuck in traffic.

 

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets...-automatic.jpg

 

I would have passed on the 8 if my only option was to have an automatic, but that's just my personal preference. I did test drive an automatic, 6 port, 6 speed RX-8 so my wife could get a feel for it, and it drove surprisingly well. If automatic makes sense for you, go for it. I'd recommend the 6 speed auto over the 5 speed, though, and learn how to use the paddle shifter/sport shift mode to select the gears. An auto 8 is nothing to be ashamed of. Still, I think most people agree that a manual transmission is the overall best match for the RX-8.

I can also say that the 8's rotary engine and manual transmission is one of the easiest to drive manual cars that I have ever driven. I expect that you can learn the basics in one afternoon and then refine your technique for months or even years after that. After a few months, it will be second nature. It is definitely more work in stop and go traffic, but for many people it is worth the trade-off.

 

I live in Phoenix and have a manual 8. Freeway speeds during commute are 75 down to 0 then back up to 75 so on and so forth. Even the surface streets are all stop and go.
Shifting doesn't bother me at all. I just get to hear my engine rev that more often.

 

ahhh, no one is getting my joke. I IS A SAD MAN.