I know this is a completely subjective thing, but I get confused about what people mean when they say the RX8 is slow.

Is that slow compared to other sports cars? Or other cars in general?

I still don' t own my car yet (coming in late April) but during the test drive I did in an MT , I felt the car was plenty peppy. I specifically remember getting back into my VW Passat (a six-cylinder turbo) and thinking it felt like I was driving a tank.

Now I did end up driving an AT for a test drive (they didn't have any MTs left at this dealership and I wanted my wife to go for a ride) and it did feel pretty doggy to me. That is, it reminded me of driving my mom's Ford Focus rather than a sports car.

I guess I'm just getting a little nervous that I have a "slow" car on order.

Is it still going to feel faster than my Volkswagen? Will I be beaten off the line by school buses? Or is it just "slow" compared to cars like the EVO, Mustang, etc. (which I don't really care about, since I drove the Mustang and felt it was an ill-handling pig with a terrible interior, bad road manners and generally cheap)

 

For about $30k, there is a 350z, g35, s2000, sti, evo...etc. Compared to them, a RX-8 is considered as slow. (than those)

RX-8 is def. slower than those car on the straightway, but it corners as good as others or much sharper.

 

slow 'slO adjective
1a. mentally dull : STUPID

I think this is the definition I'd go with!

Buy really, it's all relative. If you drove both the auto and manual then you should know exactly what you're getting (which one are you getting by the way).

 

just acceleration is slow vs other performance car in its general price range (25k-35k). such as 350z, s2000, mustang GT, evo, sti, plain ol wrx, etc etc. well its the truth.

but why does it matter? you bought the rx8 because you like the way it handles and the overall packadge. the slow car stigma will be attached to it no matter where you go. but the thing is.. why would you be concerned about it? you got your rx8 for your self, not for other people. just enjoy it for what it is and you will be happy. who cares what other people think. its not like youre going to go out and race people on public roads?

 

"slow" is a frame of reference. You'll get many different opinions and they'll usually revolve around straight line comparisons to other cars and also to the dollar amount for other options. To give a straight honest answer, there are many cars faster and many cars slower than the RX-8 in terms of straight line acceleration and top speed. There are also cars that are more expensive and less expensive than the RX-8 that could be considered faster or slower. In reality all of these comparisons that we see so often here are centered over literally 10ths of a second in a quarter mile from a stop and people act like it's the be all end all of comparisons. Big deal. That's all the same as far as I'm concerned. Even a full second (think how long that really is) is too close to call. The bottom line is that you buy a car you are happy with. It makes no difference what anyone else says or what anyone else's opinion is of the vehicle. If someone else tells you your car is slow, tell them so are they as per the above definition. That would be the only truth.

 

I have an AT and it's acceleration is satisfactory or more than satisfactory

 

This was exactly what I wondered about before recieving mine.

To answer your question the car is not slow, if you actually think that a school bus will outrun you.

At least not to me, but I'm comming off of a jeep wrangler, so it feels like a ferrari.

Also, speed is not the reason most of us got 'em, they look nice, ride nice, have many features, and they handle better than a dream.

 

Sandown Raceway
Victoria, Australia
March 9, 2006

I managed to pull 188 km/h on the straights before braking into turn 1.

I asked how fast other cars were during the lunch break.
Ferrari 430... 222km/h
Porsche 993 Turbo... <--- driver looked and then spun out. He mentioned he pulled 215 km/h.
^^^Novice drivers....

RX8 is pretty even with a Boxster S. RX8 is better at braking late coming into the turn in point. RX8 is also a momentum type of car... so when you get slowed down by a slower car exit speed will be affected. Around the bends... RX8 lives up to being so forgiving and stable. It was my first track experience and a novice like me can still hammer along with a Boxster S. I understeered in some areas... but it's just my lack of experience. I need to work in many areas. RX8 felt it could rev all day long, brakes stood up well and tyre wear was excellent.

There are other cars I'd like to mention that are SOOOOO slow... and these are with turbos and AWD. <--- good for dragging torqueless motors at the traffic lights using their AWD advantage. I wasn't impressed at all with their track speed and especially straightline speed.

Mazda RX8 boys who participated in the event did well. Porsche boys also commented how well the RX8s can boogie around the track. NOT a bad eh? Even shared the lunch table with us. My impression is that we get the "track" respect.

RX8 is not just an engine. It is all about the "package". Torbee... you will love your RX8.
I must admit... I drive very slow on public roads.

Edit: Did not see a 350Z on track... would've been good to get a frame of referrence.

 

As you're driving, look at every car that passes by and tell yourself if you are faster or slower than them. Chances are you'll be faster than at least 90%. 50% for the auto (haha sorry had to throw that in ) . That's not slow by any means to the average driver.

 

i guess youve never driven an EVO, i have a feeling evilIke will be making an appearance regarding this

 

I think most people are speaking in a relative sense. The MT RX-8 is capable of 0 to 60 in 5.9 seconds and has a top speed of 148. I'd hardly call that slow. But, there are quite a few cars out there that are quicker and faster.

Take a gander at this link and I think you'll be pleased to see how many of the muscle cars from yesteryear the RX-8 could put on the trailer.

http://www.oldautoparts.com/muscle_car_database.htm


1.3L

 

meh

 

trust me you will be satisfied. I came from a 98 Saturn (little 4 banger econobox) and now that im purring with 238HP and 6 gears to lay it down with, I'm not scared to actually PASS someone on the road now. (before i had to have like a mile of space if i wanted to try passing)

Its fun cruizing along, dropping it into 3rd and almost go airborne (well at least thats how it sounds) heh

Oh yes - like first impressions looks are important too, In my old car nobody ever looked at me twice (or once for that matter) Now even after 6 months of owning the car, I catch kids that are ******* around in the back seat of their parents minivan come to the window and stare at my car. Or other adults when im rolling in a parking lot or something, their eyes and heads will follow my car till I'm out of sight. It's an amazing feeling to be "special"

You will love your 8 - all of us can't be wrong can we?

 

Off topic - But a neighbour back in Canada once described the speed of his import - a Hyundia Pony (remember those?) - as

"The next best thing to walking"

 

I promise you that I have NEVER had anyone jump out of my car and say "Damn, that was slow". Rev it up, redline 1st, 2nd, & 3rd and you're doing 100 mph as quick as you can row through the gears. It's a different kind of fast. Smooth as silk. This is not a drag car so don't judge it that way. There aren't very many FAST cars out there that can even try to hang with it in the twisties. You will love your car and become obsessed with it like the rest of us. Relax.

HD

 

I had an MY01 Subaru Sti before I got the RX8. The AWD mentioned was the "blue team" brand in WRC.

There was a race prepped EVO there... taking passenger rides.

 

That's the funniest thing I've heard all day!!!!

 

it's not a slow car by any means, especially the MT. But in it's segment, it is amungst the slowest in a straightline.

 

once someone slaps and tunes a big *** turbo on the rx8, the evo will be within the sights.. I've even managed to hang on a evo on the track, cause when it comes off boost it's SLOW. I've had a evo driver ask me how much HP the rx8 had because he didn't believe it was stock.

 

lol yeah if you put enough money into it, just about anything can beat anything.

 

Enough of the 8 being slow -

1 - My wife has an Infiniti G35 Coupe which I drive regularly. Yes, the torque off the line is better than the 8. Duh! But over, let's say, 1/4 mile, I don't see the difference in power or handling in the straights or curves. The 8 is great for it's hi-revving engine and the G35 is great for brute power. But it's a flip of a coin when it come to saying which one is better overall.

2 - I live in NJ. On my ride home the other day, Rt 287 was backed up so I cut through the Rutgers University roads to get to Rt 18. I made a left after being stopped at a light and I wasn't paying attention to my speed. Of course immediately after turning into the Rutgers roadways, I get pulled over for speeding. 50 in a 35. I wasn't trying to fly but the 8 rev's like a wonder and you hit higher speeds without realizing it - I think the word is smooooooooth ! Thank you Rutger's police for a warning and no ticket.

So as far as the 8 being slow, well I guess it all depends on what you're looking for- - brute torque isn't the 8, go elsewhere. Smooth, strong acceleration and unbelievable handling - the 8's got it.

My 2 cents.

Edit: Oh and I can't tell you how many times people have twisted their necks completely around to look at my car. Or those who have complemented it personally in parking lots. I didn't get it for that reason, but you can't help from feeling the pride of ownership when that happens.

 

Another datapoint- many people that claim the RX8 is slow don't understand how to drive a high-revving sportscar. It's not a torque monster that you mash the pedal down at any RPM and expect to get snapped back in your seat... it's a vehicle that needs to be kept in its narrow powerband for maximum fun- i.e. in the right gear and RPM range for a given circumstance. With 6 speeds and 10k rpm to play with, it's a lot more fun than any muscle car for my money.

 

VERY well put!! This is not a car for smoke and screeching tires off the line. (I have my '71 Mach I for that!) If that's what is important, this one is not for you. With this one you'll find a bit of a bog off the line (unless you mercilessly high rev dump it) but once she hits 3500 to 4000 rpm she starts to throw you back in the seat, and as long as you keep the revs up from then on, I guarantee you you will not think her as "slow". The combination of the smooth high rev speed with the very tight steering response is just fantastic!

 

My friend drives a supercharged Mustang GT. The time he drove my bone-stock 8, he said, "Wow, that might even be faster than my car." So there.

 

My 8 makes my '96 Integra seem like a tank... I love it!