i've had the car for a month now, and it's what i've noticed. after a 30-50 mile drive, the car seems to have better pickup. perhaps it's just my imagination

 

It's funny that you just posted that. I drove up I5 yesterday to meet a forum member to exchange some parts, and coming back home, there was a G35 toying with me, so let's just say his car was slower than mine and leave it at that. I think my car was running perfect after a hour and a half of 60 MPH driving. It really opens up nicely with the setup I have going. So maybe you are right with your theory.

 

I havn't really noticed to much change in acceleration or overall performance after a long cruise....but it may be true. If so, thats pretty cool. I'll be more observant next time then.

 

it's not that i'm even looking for it either. it's just that after the three relatively long distance trips i've taken, i'm like, "hmmm...it's got a bit more punch to it." again, this could all very well be my imagination and/or my car still in the process of being broken in, as it's got ~1300miles on it.

 

was it a coupe or 4door? were you on the freeway? i have a hard time believing our cars can out-accelerate a g35

 

2-Door Coupe and remember that my car is not stock

 

Your car is still putting down near stock power though. I think I saw some stockers putting down in the 190 hp range

 

i havent noticed acceleration but i have noticed gas mileage...on a 400+ mile trip the second tank is always in the 24mpg while the first is in the 19-20.

 

Doesn't the car's PCM tune itself after varied driving? I'm pretty sure that's likely what you guys are seeing. You drive in a spirited fashion (High RPM, WOT, etc) and the car tunes itself based on how you're driving. IIRC it adjusts itself every 1 mile or 1KM.

 

Yes, the PCM learns your setup, but I thought this was for only the closed loop, and for open loop WOT, it is reading the internal maps. This is where the lost power is and can be recovered with open loop leaning of the mixture. I also have the AFE high flow dropin filter, MS Flywheel, RP SuperCAT midpipe, and the RB Catback, so maybe this combo helped... My car is running really strong right now, it is just to rich on the AFR. That will be corrected later this month hopefully...

 

People always seem to underestimate the RX-8. The mag tests all show the RX-8 and G35c to be about equal in 0-60 and 1/4 mi times, yet folks just don't seem to believe it.

I just don't get it. The RX-8 is not EVO fast, but it is quick. I'm no street racer, but I've owned some very fast cars in my time and the RX-8 is no slouch as long as you keep the revs up. I've never had any problems getting in front of any car that I've wanted to in daily driving (not racing), and some of these cars obviously didn't want me to pass them.

Sometimes I wonder if all RX-8's are created equal, 'cause the way people describe the car's power (or lack of it) sure doesn't match my own experience.

 

dun mean to bust your ballz, but the g35 coupe will smoke us in a drag race, my brother did 13.9's in a stock 6 speed g35 coupe at ne drag way

 

The problem is you are comparing E/T - Look at the Trap speeds; Trap Speeds show a better indication of power. The car with the higher trap speed will generally beat-out cars with faster e/t's during a freeway race.

E.g., I raced WRXs all the time when I had my Probe GT. At the track, they'd beat me by .5 or more..., but trap 5-10mph slower. On the freeway, I'd TROUNCE them...

 

me too, i feel more power, but really funny thing is, now that i've tracked my car 2 times, prolonged high rev and high speed, when i drive every day at speed limits, i get much more gas milage?!!? crazy stuff. i used to only get like 190 miles per fill up. now, at least 240, one time i got 255, and thats city driving too. whats going on?? not that i'm complaining, i just want to know whats different. i still shift at 3.7 like how i used before i tracked my car.

 

Most, if not all, modern cars retard just about everything until the car is fully warmed up and the oil pressure perfect before really letting you have "access" to its' full power potential. This can actually take a lot longer than most realize.

My Mazda6 (don't own an RX-8 yet) takes 15 minutes at highway cruise (about 15-20 miles) before the oil pressure stabilizes at its' optimal operating pressure and there is a noticeable increase in power not long after that point. Until everything reaches optimal the car is holding back throttle to varying degrees; significantly holding back on a cold start.

So I don't find it at all surprising that you have to drive for 30+ miles before the car really lets loose.

 

Miles?

You probably just broke the engine in. Most engines will gain 2-5MPG after the first 7-10,000 miles.

 

while true, the story's a little different at a roll on from highway speeds+ (for example coming down a long straight on a track). A 9000rpm car in its power band is a match for many more powerful cars. And perhaps it was an auto G35. Also the G35c is quite a bit heavier than the heaviest 8.

Keep it on the track.

 

I've noticed it too

 

My commute is often stop-and-go until we hit a toll booth then immediately after that the freeway splits into 2 so it's often wide-open after that. Ater sitting in 20 minutes of stop-and-go, the car seems to wheeze just a bit when first punching the throttle. After a run up to the redline it's snappy again. So I think it belched out a little carbon or something. Maybe the same thing happening after a more sedate 30 minutes at normal cruise speeds?

<burp>

 

I'm not talking about drag racing. If I want to drag race, there's plenty of cars that can be had that will easily smoke the G35.

I'm talking about the defeatist's attitude and power inferiority complex many seem to have. In everyday driving, there's not that much difference between the G35, RX-8, S2K or 350Z. Depending on who stomps first and shifts correctly, one will have the edge in traffic.

In my own experience, and again I'm not talking drag racing or street racing, I've never had any problems passing any of the cars I've listed. My point is this, our cars are quick for every day driving, or at least mine is. We should enjoy our cars instead of always worring about who can beat us in a straight line.

 

dunno I know our cars have pretty good top end, but I got smoked by my brother's old RSX type S with intake and exhaust and pulleys. I had canzoomer and exhaust. So I don't think you can smoke a G35 with a good driver on the highway , things just too powerful, the powerband is all over.

I have driven my brother's G35C, and his old RSx type S, I can tell you the powerband is alot better, but we got alot better handling.

Most likely that G35 coupe was a automatic , our cars arn't made to take on straight lines

 

^see, this kind of thinking is exactly what I'm talking about, you just don't get it. This isn't about who's car is faster. There are always going to be faster cars, it's all relative. If you didn't get my point before, you'll never get it.

Sorry to have taken this thread off topic, I'm out of here.

 

if you think like that why don't you just get a camry .. alot better for everyday driving and you can pass everyone you want that are cruising on the highway


You were comparing top end acceleration / passing , I'm just stating the facts I know for sure theres no way a stock RX-8 can beat a G35C on a highway run , it can't even beat a lightly modded rsx type S on a roll . Not trying to start a argument or anything , jus stating the facts. Our cars arn't made to accelerate, not without the use of major modifcations like a turbo or something.

If you were comparing handling , ya our cars are alot better, the G35C understeers and the rear feels loose, our car feels alot more like its on rails in a sense.



And remember this about passing cars on a highway, as you stated , if they didn't want you to pass them, but you are passing them already cause you hit WOT before them, theres no way they can catch up even if they floored it and have more passing power because you are already at a higher speed than them since you went wide on the throllet first. Any car can pass another car on the highway.



edit : don't mean to start a argument or anything, just stating the facts, I've been ricer burned like that tons of times ... a van pases me because its already at a higher speed than me and gives me a bad look .. I hit WOT and try to catch up and just can't .. because he is already going at a much faster rate than I am

 

I had a similar experience but I didn't notice the difference until I drove a newer car.

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/rotary-stronger-acceleration-age-44858/

 

hmmz ya got a bit off topic, but ya I do notice the car has alot more power than before- just hit 10k miles. I wonder if it's actually true about the rotary's needing a break in of about 10 k miles ? I know this has been discussed before someplace on this forum