actually, i thoght nobody saw it (wink wink nudge nudge)

 

So the RX-8 was shown to be fast in a advertisement. Sorry, but this doesn't prove squat.

The R1 had an EXTREMELY stiff suspension, and has been tested to be faster than a 911 Turbo around a track, so I'm kind of doubtful that the 8 could keep up in a serious race.

 

It wasn't an ad. The video wasn't released to the public, and probably never will be. Both cars were being flogged. The video was shot from inside the cabin of the RX-8. I'm not sure if the other car was an R1 or not, but even the standard RX-7 was no slouch.
A design goal (which sounds like it has been met) with the RX-8 was to have a more compliant suspension than the RX-7, but with handling meeting or exceeding it.

Just to address a misnomer: Extremely stiff suspension does not make a car handle better. If so, F1 cars would have bricks for coil springs. The Miata is relatively softly sprung and will embarras 99% of the cars out there in the twisties. A more compliant, non-jittery suspension is what you want to keep the tires on the ground if the surface isn't perfect. Its all about a balance between body roll and contact with the ground.

 

Very well said and very correct.

Myself I like the look of the G35 coupe and it looks like a very good performing GT coupe.
But, this is how I think of the power vs handling argument. How many times and where can you really apply that power? Especially here in North America with the stupid a$$ hwy speed limits? Rarely I say unless you are asking to get speeding tickets.. which I've been lucky with considering on the hwy I'm always crusing at 130-160km/hr. :D

On the other hand, you use "handling" ALL the time. Even a slow 90 deg corner at 40km/hr can put a big smile on my face. This why I modded my stock suspension a lot more than the engine in my car. And I also got high performance summer tires.
So I don't have a problem with othes choosing the G35, I'm sure it's a great car and a great performer. Myself I'll take the lighter weight, razor sharp handling and "nimbleness" due to the ~400lb difference. I will not have a sleepless night because the G35 is quicker to the 1/4 mile in a magazine test by .2secs.. In the real world that difference CAN and WILL be made up by a better driver.

 

It was a video made by Mazda to show to potential new car buyers. It was *not* an independant, unbiased test. That is an advertisement in my book. Since there are no more new 7s, and the 8 is about to go on sale, it isn't in Mazda's best interest for people to see the 7 kicking the 8's ***. It IS in Mazda's best interest however to show the 8 having great handling, just as that video portrayed. Take that for what it's worth, but in cases like this I say FOLLOW THE MONEY!

In general, if you take your average passenger vehicle and upgrade its bouncy, floaty suspension, it generally will get stiffer, just as the R1 FD handled better than the Touring model. Again, this is by passenger vehicle standards, which are usually WAY too soft.

The Miata is faster through the twistes than most cars largely because it is vastly lighter than most cars, and the majority of cars out there are also FWD.

 

My friend is an Audi fanatic, and will be getting the next S4.. figure the 0-60 is 5.6 for the S4, and 5.8 for the RX-8. He's already told me that he'll beat me in a race.

Thus, I will have to shame him as he is yet to learn how to properly drive stickshift

 

All these cars... S4, RX-7, RX-8, G35, 350Z are VERY fast and will accelerate dramtically with a lot of drama and fury, both to the driver and anyone looking on from the outside.

Most of us don't go to the track. If you have one of these rockets, how often do you meet a comparable car like this at a stoplight, and are you prepared to go all-out racing them at that point? Six of seven seconds of full-throttle acceleration gets you a ticket pretty much anywhere in the US... a very big ticket if you race in the residential and city areas you are likely to have an opportunity to meet one of these other cars at a light. Besides the ticket, there is also the damage to life, limb, and property.

The point I am trying to make is we make a big deal whether a car goes to 60 .5 seconds faster than another when the high end is around six seconds. That's freaking fast, and at between 5.5-6 seconds the differences are miniscule enough to be chalked up to production like variations or more likely, driver skill. They are all fast enough and close enough to make speed comparisons pretty meaningless in the real world. If it is within half a second, call it a draw... and in any event, buy the car you like best even if it is 1/2 a second slower to 60mph.