jenkins-crew

My wife tells me to turn down the radio to hear the Rotary exhaust....I have an awesome wife!

Mr. Ed's rx-8

i was gonna ask does she have a sister...but we already talked about this...oh well!

jenkins-crew

You don't want her....big hoe!

-=Rowdy=-

I understand the dynamics of what happens after 7500 rpms-it just seems more like its coughing then it does getting a better boost. Perhaps its just not a smooth transition between 7500-9000 when that valve comes alive. Guess Ill have to try it again and again to see. :D

rotaryred

I bring my car to 9k at least 6 times a day no big deal. The redline is there for a reason, to be used, especially with this motor!

jenkins-crew

Amen for that!

FLYN8

I'm sure this has been discussed elsewhere but I thought I would throw it in here as it seems appropriate. If you're gonna duke it out with the kid in the soup'd ricer you've got to be above 7000rpm.

Here's the trick I learned. Say you're cruisin along fat dumb and happy wringing out that 21.3 mpg in 6th gear. Suddenly you notice that lowered honda is sidling up along side to give you a whirl. This is the time to look at your speedo. Take that number, say it's 75. Now shift straight down to 3rd from 6th. Sound crazy? it is a little but your RPM will be 7500. RPM's are the same as your speed in 3rd gear. It's very handy and it puts you just where you need to be to rocket away even faster than the other guys auto transmission has time to shift down.

Be careful though if you do this without stepping on the gas the high rpm's and back pressure will slow you down very quickly and in a turn that will kick out the rear end . thank goodness for DSC :p

HIX8

Not just redline...

If it wasn't safe to rev all the way to the limiter, then I would expect the Mazda engineer wizards to have set the limiter down at the redline.

And let's not forget this motor's development heritage. Here's a pic of the preproduction version (~2002) that sported a tach with tic marks for 10, 11 and 12 thousand RPM on basically the same engine (no redline shown):

StewC625

Flynn

All that assumes that you're enough of a STUPID *** to street race.

HIX8

Here's another picture I found in my files...

It appears to have the exact same lighting conditions from the previous photo I posted (read: phtochpt).

Shamblerock

And that's an automatic to boot!!!

I heard that the RPM gage in the RX8 is off by 500 i.e. 500 more than what the actual RPM really is though. Not sure if its true or not.

HIX8

Here's a broader cockpit picture showing that it's actually a stick:

Shamblerock

Sorry, I thought I saw paddles behind the steering wheel. I just assumed it was auto.

jenkins-crew

you did, I think they were trying to get both concepts in one for you to see :D

Shamblerock

Crafty little devils they are!!!!!

1.3L

Good point, and allow me to go a little further with it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but most 8 owners seen to enjoy owning a car that's different, not the least of which is the engine. There's been a great deal of conversation about less than impressive gas mileage, but consider this: if the Renesis got mileage that equalled or exceeded equivalent HP conventional engines, doesn't it make sense that Mazda would be installing the Renesis in many or most of its vehicles?

Suddenly, your 8 wouldn't be so unique.

Enjoy your very unique 8!

1.3L

RXnatti

Favorite gear to redline? My favorite at the moment is 3rd, although 2nd is a lot of fun too!

More experimentation is needed to be sure.

jenkins-crew

definately more testing :D

lucifuge

Older rotaries used to get excessive wear and tear on the housings and apex seals beyond 7000rpm. I wonder if this is now improved??



personally i dont like spending too much time around 9000rpm

truemagellen

it wasn't the apex seals it was the sides seals and they improved both so no problems...

this engine has been takin to 12K rpm with a better transmission and more advanced cooling

FLYN8

First thing is first, nothing in my post proves I street race. It's an example.

Second, define street racing. I'll admit to stepping on the gas once in a while and face it, this thread is about redlining the RX8. Redline in third gear is 90 mph and please don't pretend that everyone has only done that on the track.

Third, you're a hypocrite. In a thread about taking street corners fast you wrote, and I quote: "With my RX-8, I usually take the curve's recommended speed, double it and add 10, as a good rule of thumb." Then you have the insolence to call me names for something you admittedly do.

I do understand that you don't want people to street race and you're right and I support your position on that but get some manners and stop bitchin' people out with your 3rd grade put downs.

truemagellen

calm down everyone...:D

SDB

I have a question for you. I am planning to take my RX-8 to its first track session in the next month or so. I have done this many times with other cars and have always had to monitor the engine temperature, even backing off a little to let the engine cool. Like you said, the engine will be in the power band, just shy of redline for extended amounts of time. So, did you have problems with temperatures and where did the needle end up on your guage? Also what was the outside tempersture, this has always made a huge difference in my experience?

Thanks,

FLYN8

Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts.

Actually, I am rather happy today as I just had the KC Dent and Ding guy fix three door dings and she looks fantastic again. I even redlined her a couple of times on the way home. A couple of you have mentioned the redline warning tone and I have never heard it so I listened very closely today and heard it this time. Certainly not as loud as it used to be in the RX7.

truemagellen

I could bring up the thread where multiple RX-8s went on a 3 day race running it to the red non stop and the engine in perfect shape afterward!

Or I could bring up the thread about how rotary engines may get rebuilt once a year in the racing world while piston engines have to be rebuilt after every race!

Or I could talk about how at high RPMs the rotary engine self cleans as carbon is broken down in the rotor housing

or...

Lets just say you DONT have to worry about heat unless it is 120F out and you removed your oil coolers :p