Has anyone heard about the japanese version. i heard from a friend that they are faster than the american version because of a chip. its something about the way the engine gets its fuel.

 

Th JDM spec RX8 is rated at 247-250HP or 250PS which is about 247HP. This is because of the US emission requirements. However I think that they still perform on par with the US spec versions--can anybody confirm that?

 

I believe the extra HP in the Japanese RX8 is off-set by the extra weight from the Mazdaspeed bodykit, and therefore performance remains about equal.

I heard that the Mazdaspeed version aimed for the U.S. "is on target for a 0-60mph time of 5.5 secs?

Can anyone confirm that?

And if so, can they not do a little better?

Like under 5 :D

 

Well--the last rumour about the Mazdapseed RX8 for the US is that it is supposed to be boosted.

 

Riggs, the stock JDM 8 does not come with a bodykit. It's rated the same weight as the US version.

 

Japan has different fuel (high/consistent quality), different emission standards, and the car has a different PCM which takes advantage of these differences.

 

Yes, the JDM RX-8 is rated at 250ps for the Type-S, 210ps for the Type-E & Base. These are the normal versions, not the Mazdaspeed version. The difference in the hp rating is due to our US emissions.

But from the Japanese mags that I've seen, the Type-S does the 0-400m (1/4 mi) in the mid 14's, just like what C&D, R&T, and MotorTrend all got for the US version.

 

i did a little research on this way back when the rx-8 was just about to come out in the states. evidently the japanes version is about 150~175 lbs lighter for some reason. I heard from someone that it's because of some safety feature in the US models, but I don't know for sure. I also heard that the US versions have been "detuned" from the japanese version. considering these (i don't have any proof but) i would think that the japanese version would be at least a little faster. C&D and R&T was pretty generous with their 1/4 mile and 0-60 times, the really launched the hell out of their test rx-8s. I mean, when are you ever going to drop the clutch at 7k?

 

I think the typical difference in safety features between Japanese and American cars are the bumpers. I think the US requires a tougher bumper than Japan does. Could be wrong though.

 

i think it's because the Japanese are smaller people and therefore lighter. :D

 

Yes, I think you are right. I did a quick check of the Jpn specs at Mazda's japanese website, and sure enough the JDM version is lighter: 1310 kg (base/type-S) or 2888 lbs. I think our US base and sport package cars are around 2950 lbs, and the GT's are well over 3000 lbs. The heaviest JDM version (Type-E), which is like the the GT in equipment, is 1350kg or 2976 lbs. So the JDM version is slightly lighter with slightly better hp, hence it should be faster.