Hello gang. I own an '02 WRX with the standard stage 2 mods (3" turboback, intercooler hoses, turbo inlet, etc) and I work at a car dealership where we just got a very nice '04 RX8 as a trade in. My Subie has a lot of miles so thats why I've been looking to get rid of it, and I've been eyeballing different cars I've always liked. Sooo, tomorrow I'm going to be taking that RX8 for a drive and from what I hear from all the great reviews it should put a big smile on my face.

My question to you guys, am I going to be disappointed in the power it delivers? I'm used to my WRX that makes probably 240awhp, but I also love the twisties more than anything else so the raw HP doesn't really matter too much to me. Really looking forward to some RWD handling goodness.

If all goes well, I just might be rolling home tomorrow in a velocity red 8, it has all the exterior addons too which really caught my attention.

 

Great car, you won't be disappointed at how it handles ... probrably be disappointed with power but then again its not made to be dragged.
How much miles are on the car or motor? warranty? I'd do some research on the 8 before you jump on it

 

'04 with 30k miles, not sure on warranty. Not sure on any of the recalls either on it so I'll find all that out. It's a Toyota dealership where I work at and we only keep the best of the best used cars, my WRX will probably get wholesaled because of the shape its in

 

Probably not. My good friend has had a '04 WRX (with what sounds like the same mods and some sort Turbo XS ecu reprogrammer where he can select different stages) the whole time I've had my RX-8 and we've played numerous times over the years. He's usually always got the edge on me once we get to higher speeds put it is always very close on the way to triple digits. Riding with him I would say I feel more thrust when his turbo spools but when he rides with me he is amazed at the thrust I can generate from 5500-9000 rpm. Very different car characteristices but it seems to balance out somewhat. Now, I'm not sure what actual hp he's achieving so you could quite be different - just giving you a general example on the differences.

If your looking for more balance and precision in cornering then you will be greatly impressed with the 8. Take it for a full test drive on and see what you think. Don't hesitate to redline it after warmed up.

And welcome to the club.

 

I've had my '07 RX-8 for seven months now and my last car was an Impreza, too.

I love the driving experience and could care less about the ability for the car to drag race. In my opinion, the corners are where a car shows its true colours and the Subaru was the king as far as I was concerned. But the '08 WRX was such a radical change from what I loved from the Soob I decided to shop around.

Then I fell into a test-drive of an RX-8, which was, at the time, too much of a "sports car" for my liking. But, once I drove it, I realized that it is the only car I have ever been in that handles better than the Soob.

If the twisties are your thing, the RX-8 is the absolute god of corners. The smoothness of the Rotary power delivery makes up for the huge drop in torque that the Soob's Boxer gives that crushes you into its seat (which I do miss a bit). But there is nothing like the gradual increase of thrust as you climb the tach until the car is screaming and the little "ding" gently reminds you to save your engine. Such a rush. I still find myself laughing like a 10-year old. My wife thinks I'm nuts.

I am a true Rex convert, having been a former Soob disciple. I still love the old WRX, but the Rex is my new fave. If you are like me, I'm sure you will join the faithful soon enough.

Welcome.

 

Please read the stickies.

YOu can go FI or there are many add ons for NA now.

especially the Access Port from MM

 

You can check SaferCar.gov for recalls.

 

At the end of the last autocross season, we had people group up in teams of 4. With owner's permission, we were allowed to drive each others' cars. There were 2 STi drivers and an MR2 on my team and we all got a chance at one another's ride; the STi drivers couldn't get enough of running my car!

My impression from driving the STis was unwieldy power at my foot and strong grip through turns. The STi drivers seemed to particularly like the steady power delivery from the flat torque (I definitely noticed how peaky their cars were... scared me at times! ), neutral handling, and strong brakes.

 

Having owned both cars, I can tell you that while they are different they both have appeal. I like the interior of the RX8 much more than the WRX, but the power of the WRX is going to be missed. I have a Cobb stage 2 WRX, and when I had the RX8, it was really a coin toss for which one I wanted to drive more. The RX8 has a great driving feel, but the WRX is easy to drive fast. Also, the fuel consumption on the 8 is terrible, even compared to my modified WRX. Either way, you won't be disappointed, they are both good cars for different reasons.

 

My family hauler is a 92x Aero (tarted up WRX) in stage II tuned. The 8 is the car that I get all giddy when i get to drive it despite the lack of hp. It just felt properly sorted as a sporting car whereas my 92x was a point and shoot type of car devoid of any driving feedback. Despite an improved interior of the 92x over the WRX, it is still not as nice as the 8. I suppose if you crave that turbo spooling and BOV blowin' with a nice boost thrust, then the wrx would be appealing. But the 8 is so much more fun in a different level. Hard to explain because the experience is not quantifiable.

 

I had a chipped 1.8T that put down similar power than my 8 if not more, but thrashing that engine was no where near as much fun as the rotary. And I sure don't miss the lag. So while it may have less power than your tuned Subie, I doubt it's a less satisfying engine.

 

Drive it! Drive it! Drive it!

I had a stage 2 bugeye for 3 years. I finally decided I wanted something more nimble but still fast. I traded in my bugeye for a new 8 last month and never looked back once. I almost felt embarrassed for feeling so confident in the corners with my WRX after taking the 8 down some of my favorite roads. The RX-8 can be scary fast in the mountains if you know what your doing.

After driving the 8 I noticed that the WRX (on stock suspension) had grip for days, but it was still a little floaty and had too much understeer for my liking. The 8 is incredibly neutral and controlled on the back roads or even on the freeway. The 8 is just a solid package in stock form and still has enough power to keep me grinning. the Suby and the 8 are both driver's cars, but the 8 is just more purpose built where the Suby had a "do it all" theme going on.

I bet your going to enjoy that test drive.