WOW ..... Yesterday I made a right turn on to a three lane road (each direction) and immediately got cut off from my left side.
I cut a little more right to avoid the car and the 8 lost the rear and went sideways. I cut back left and the As_ kicked out to the other side spinning me about 200 degrees around and towards the median ... now facing the other direction as still going sideways. The car hopped over the median boucning up and down. Woudln't you know as I stopped I was in the left hand truning lane of the opposite side of the road..... and get this ... the left light turned green ... Like I really needed that !! I thought I ripped out the whole bottom of the car. Turns out the front rim is bent and possibly the back. The front shroud is all scratched up from the median and a little but if the front bumber is scratched. It popped quite a few plastic rivots too. So far I'm looking at two rims a shrowd and a little paint. The worst part is that I don't know if there is any damage to the drivetrain or suspension. I get the damage report from the dealer Monday. I'm dying .... I feel like I left my kid overnight in the Hospital !!

 

Ugh-- that sucks. Hope you get good news when you get the estimate

 

Sorry for the mishap... Maybe it's a sign to get new fancy rims...
Strange you drifted... RX-8 is really hard to drift (on purpose, anyway)

 

Thanks .... I just hope the car feels the same after the repair.

I only have four thousand miles on it and I had it a year. This is the first time in my life I have a third car just for my wife an I to play with. And that's just what we've been doing. I love this little car. What a **** to drive. I was an 8 cylinder chevy moterhead back in the day and nothing I've driven is a neat or as fun as this car.

 

You know ... that's what has be bugged all day today. I had a hard time trying to get the car to drift and this was a real surprise to me. I really didn't turn to quickly either. I went back after the mishap and there were no skid marks. It was as if it broke for some freaky reason. This car sticks to the ground like glue. I can't, for the life of me, figure out why it broke so easily ????? Only thing I can assume it that it got a little chilly and damp quickly and had only driven it a half mile before this. Maybe the dampness and cold tires were just the right mix.

 

do you have DSC?

if you do did you have it on?

 

Few things suck worse than accidents. That nagging feeling of whether the car will ever drive "right" again after getting it repaired and all.

Sorry to hear that.

 

No, I don't have it. Kinda never missed it till now ....... The car always stuck to the road like glue.

 

what part of jersey did this happen out of curiousity?

 

Oh wow...
I know exactly what you're going through. The same exact thing happened to me, except when the guy cut me off, I spun out right into his rear bumper.
Because I hit him in the rear, insurance claimed 70% being my fault.
Only four months? That sucks!!
Well... better than me. I had my car for two and a half... and it was in the body shop for two months.
I feel for you man.

 

I am sorry about your accident- but at least nobody was injured.

And I agree with the "new rims" comment. Factory rims are ex$pen$ive, so you can probably get a new set of 4 aftermarket wheels for what two new Mazda wheels cost- maybe even including the tires. But you might also try somebody like www.aaarims.com, or even swap out the damaged wheel with www.wheelcollision.com - to get the replacement wheels for less than half factory cost. But of course, make sure the insurance claim price is for new wheels.


As far as the "RX-8s are hard to drift" comment. I agree to the point based on being able to kick the back end out with abandon at any speed. But I can tell you that I can get my car to slide in 2nd gear sharp corners. I had the stability on my car, but even it allows the car to get sideways before kicking in. :-) Sweet. On the flip side- the stock tires on my 04 RX-8 are 18" Dunlops. I don't think they are as sticky as the other ones offered.

Good luck with the repairs.

 

How fast were you making the turn? Even without DSC, you would have had to be moving to lose the back end like that.

 

Central Jersy ...... Princeton area.

 

I was not going fast at all. That is what was so surprising. I don't think I even took it out of first. The only thing I can think of it that it was just getting colder and damp and I had just got in the car so the tires were not even warm yet? Maybe the mix of the three played a role.

 

You're right about that .... My daughter is still a little freaked out about it but we're fine. Thanks for the kind words ... I feel a lot better sharing it with everyone.

I was thinking of aftermarket rims but the guys at Mazda said they may not accept the velve stem sensors.

 

Wow, this club is really the best. You all are so nice! I do a lot of reading but not too much writing on this site; but I have to thank you all for your kind regards !!!

 

I've definately lived in El Paso too long. I didn't even think about cold and wet weather. So sad, since I'm from Pittsburgh originally.

 

Glad you're OK,
It sucks to get an accident especially when it was caused by some jerk that cut you off.
About loosing the back end, of you where braking hadr when you turned the wheel itat might have caused the oversteer. In racing school they call it trail braking. Then when the car started to oversteer you turned the wheel sharply to the other side and let the brakes off for one second which broght the rear back really fast causing the rear to go to the other side, after that there isn't much you could have done to recover.

Be glad there wasn't a barrier on the median or it might have been another story. As for the suspension, the one on this car is pretty strong so damage should e minimal. At least it's stronger than the rims.
Make shure the alignment is allright because in most cases damage to the suspension is VERRY HARD to spot just by looking.

Hope everything turns out right

 

the rx8 is not hard to loose traction in, not had to slide, and not hard to spin out in. Im not sure how you all drive, go out to a track day or auto cross and push the car, youll see how easy it is to both move an control/modulate.

sorry about the crash, good luck

 

That's not true. There's even a thread on here that lists a bunch of aftermarket rims that accept the TPMS. I'm sure a quick search will find it.

 

Sticky actually. - https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension-55/rims-takes-tpms-22131/

 

Thanks again everyone!! So far the dealer called and it is two rims, two tires, and a front wheel hub assembly (due to the front bearing coming loose). Once they try to align it I'll know if the nightmare is over.

 

Well, good news ....... The damage was two rims, two tires, a wheel hub housing, and front and back alignment. The car feels great! Thanks for all your comments and keep driving .... I am !! :D

 

Nothing too serious then, should drive the same... and you lucky sod, could have resulted in a 3 lane pile up :|

DSC on from now on? When do you get it back?

 

Glad your OK, the damage was not that bad...and I hope your daughter is OK since an accident can be scary thing.