Obviously, driving in "sports" mode in the ATX should improve 0-60 times.
In my test drive, I tried it and the pick up was a bit sleeker, but not a whole lot more. There's still much to be desired.

 

What happens when you rev it up in neutral and then drop it into gear (D or Manual mode) ?

I've done this to some rental cars just to play around, is it really bad for the tranny?

 

I commute from to philly each day,,,traffic can be rough..got a wife and a teenager at home,sooooo auto is for me..Ive owned 2 corvetts and a formula and a 1970 chevelle ss..all automatics..I like fast cars and dont want to work hard to drive them..even porsche has automatics.in closing i liked the 6 speed performance.but i enjoy driving autos...

 

IkeWRX, read your PMs.

---jps

 

IkeWRX, Nice attitude.

See dead horse? Don't keep beating it.

I hope this thread will die soon. Dammit I just bumped it up again..........

 

Sorry guys, I'll tone it down a bit, if I feel provoked sometimes I can take things a little far. Still not going to change my attitude on AT cars though :p

Regards,
Ike

P.S. The mullet comment was just a little ribbing, sorry to all the mullet wearers and pick-up drivers I have offended :D

 

So to get back on topic a bit... Did Mazda put less HP into the AT because they didn't want to push the current setup they had beyond its limits? Seems to be what I've read around the board, but is this the general concensus?

Ike

 

<------Rocks the mullet :D But yeah Ike....the kicking the dead horse deal was pretty much dead on. (And yet, I give it a bump..My bad).

 

Eh... at least it's an interesting thread. The floor mat, sun visor, and cargo net threads just don't do much for me.

 

Thats cool. Hey I started a College football thread in the lounge. So feel free to come over and give your choice, I am pretty sure it will get interesting. *hint* LSU sucks. :p

 

We can sit and ask all the questions (Why the hell did they...) and go over all the excuses (Torque converters can't handle that much RPM...blah blah blah) for why they reduced the ATX's horsepower to a laughable figure, but at the end of the day, the fact remains that no one has mentioned anything about getting a sporty pickup out of a stock RX-8 in automatic.

It'd be nice to find out if this car can hit 60..a little closer to the 8 second mark, that way the ATX RX-8 would at least be on par with other much less expensive (but uglier) ATX V6 sports coupes..

 

no mazda was always going to make a low power 4-port motor and a high power 6-port motor. in other countries around the world the low power comes with a 5mt and in japan you have the choice of 5mt or auto. mazda wanted to have an auto to sell to those folks in the US that have never driven a stick nor want to. they found thru testing that there just wasn't a torque converter available nor would there be by the time they needed it that could handle the 9k rpm of the high power engine. so they put it in the low power. they are currently working on other auto alternatives(cvt for rwd with 6 or 7 shift points for sporty driving for one) and SMTs to offer in the high power in the future

 

Thanks Zoom, no one ever answered the production % of MTs vs. ATs question. Happen to know that as well?

 

sorry i don't know that info. could possibly get it from MNAO.

 

You manual ******* leave us old farts alone. I like my 94 MPV with it's automatic. At 160,000 on it my Mazda mech (also an old timer) says it's a World Record for MPV tranny's.
While I don't want my 95 RX-7 to be an auto I'll bet the auto Corvettes outsell the manuals.
My RX-8 , if i do that thing, will be an auto. I am lazy and old and i want no pistons in my personal car.

 

DAMN...auto's are #$%^ slow LOL

 

*points at Zoom* He did it!

 

Car and Driver
Motor Week
Others too..

All the same straight line times.

Please stop the trolling now, it's quite pointless. If you want to open a debate then we are open to that, but right now you're restating what's already been said many, many times.

 

Tell a automatic corvette owner or a automatic 911 owner that his car sucks because its a auto...nowadays the autos on sports cars are just as fast as the manuals.

 

Find me one car under 40k where that is actually the case, and even if the auto is as fast in a straight line it's still not as fun to drive, and 911 and Vette AT owners don't deserve to own those great cars :p

 

Anyone with the cash deserves them.

 

Actually Mazda gave manual more power because their 4speed auto transmission can't handle 9K RPM. 5 speed auto with 247 HP would give 0-60 times in under 7 seconds probably.

 

bump

 

Curse you DARKMAZ8! Yet another old thread you've somehow managed to bump to the top of the list. Well played good sir, well played.

 

As AT RX-8 Owner, only times I felt like trading my car in are when I am filling up at the gas station (getting 14mpg~18mpg ) and when engine blew (@28k miles) and I was without a car for about two weeks (I declined rental).

I still rather have RX-8 than Civic, Mazda3, Tiburon, etc... I know people compare RX-8 to 350Z or WRX STI but RX-8 is pretty affordable if you buy used. And since mazda's warranty is longer than toyota or honda, you still have a lot of warranty left when you buy used. Used RX-8 auto is right at the price range of new Civic EX, Mazda 3s, Tiburon GT territory.

I believe reports of 0-60 in 9s but it doesn't feel slow by any means. I never had any problem passing any car on the road. I just don't think of my car as a race car but just a trasportation that will get me places... with style