I recently got a chance to drive my friend's Porsche (pretty hard) and I have to tell you guys that the RX-8 is such a better car overall. Sure the Porsche has unmatched performance but the one '03 I drove with the DSG semi-auto gearbox, and it being 4 wheel drive, made the general driving experience no where near as fun as the RX-8's. I was shocked. I mean I thought before hand that the Porsche would make me jealous, and diminish my love for the RX-8 in comparison but simply put it didn't. There Porsche was cramped inside, the backseats were a joke, and the inside dash and instrument panels were very poorly designed. When driving I noticed that even in manual mode, the gear changes where laggy, and the 0 to 60 launches where impressive in terms of the rate of the numbers changing on the speedo (4.7 secs to 60) but the experience of accelerating gave me a feeling of detachment. All in all the experience made me appreciate my RX-8 more not less. My little Mazda is quite a car .

 

Yeah - the same applies for a lot of cars generally considered to be superior .

 

It always comes across as fanbois-ism when expressed elsewhere, but I've driven a lot of "high-end" cars (often with the intent of acquiring one) and the driving experience is never as instinctive and visceral as it is in the RX-8.
Disappointing, really, since it means that at this moment, there isn't another car that is better from a driving perspective, even though just about every other "superior" car is actually better in some single respect or, at least, on paper.

 

03 cant be DSG but a normal autobox. they just started making DPG last year if I remember right, which is a similar design to VW's DSG.

 

Unfortunately this car would own the 8

 

How do you know? Have you driven one?

Yes - most supercars will out accelerate the RX-8. It might even out-maneuver one (though, you might be surprised at how poorly supercars corner).
It will certainly be waaaay more expensive and use exotic materials.
But I will bet $5 that the interior and the sense of driver integration will not be as good as the RX-8.

Having been in cars like the Gumpert, DB9, 575 Maranello, etc., I can tell you that almost ALL of them feel (despite their materials and "craftsmanship") terribly cheap and odd. Some feel downright redneck and cobbled together. The TVRs come to mind.

 

I've never been a big fan of porsche's anyway, especially the carrera. 911's gt3's are pretty sweet though.

 

I recently got my subaru. Handling wise the RX-8 was a lot tighter. However I'm still breaking in the subbie to really see what she can do. But for the price the 8 is a well represented car

 

Eh, half of Jason's memory is getting a bit rusty there. If I'm not mistaken, that new, high-tech tranny which Porsche introduced a couple of years ago was called the PDK (Porsche doppelkupplung). Silly Germans come out with all sorts of funny names lol. Though I believe you stand correct when you stated that Porsche made the normal autobox back in '03. Correct me if I've mistaken since my memory gets rusty these days too hahahe.

Moreover, the 8 definitely holds its own when you compare to the driving feel from higher-end sports cars, if it doesn't already beat them in that department. Boy, I love bragging about my car.

 

the PDK was out last year I think on the Cayman. Ive no idea. always been a manual guy.

 

Any car over 100K better be able to suck and **** me

 

That's really cool. I get compliments all of the time and I feel that it's an honor and privilege to own the RX-8.

Side Note: The 993 Porsche 911 Turbo and the E36 BMW M3 used to be my dream cars. After purchasing the RX-8, I no longer want to own either of those cars. I am completely satisfied with the RX-8. When it comes to the RX-8, you either get it or you don't. I get it and I'm keeping it until it dies...then, I'm getting another one.

 

I drove the E46 M3 once, didnt like it at all. the clutch was truck heavy, the transmission was like a switch totally no feel. the chassis you can tell is from a 3 series family sedan not really strong. the only thing is better is the power but the engine doesn't really sound good, sounds like many bolts and nuts in a blender.

 

Yeah I had something similar happen a few months, although not with nearly as nice of a car as a Porsche...

After everything I had read and seen about the 370z, when one of my friends got one I thought that when I got to drive it I was probably gonna be pissed that I didn't have one... But honestly I like driving my 8 better... Don't get me wrong, the 370z is a really badass car, and if I was going to get something other than an 8, that would probably be my top choice. But there is something about driving the 8 that no other car I have driven has... You are a lot more actively engaged in the driving experience with the 8 than you are with a lot of cars now days. I know some people like to feel like the car is pretty much driving them and they are just along for the ride, but I think that takes almost all of the fun out of it.

 

100% with you on being a manual guy. Word.

Hmmm, sounds deliciously erotic for some odd reason.

 

I like my 8, and for the price its hard to find the same performance. But on that note, If I had the money to own a Porsche Carrera GT2 or a Tesla Roadster I would already own them.

 

I got more compliments on my car when I was driving my old 99 mercury cougar, I don't understand it lol. Owned this car almost a year and haven't had any random people just come up and talk to me about liking it or anything. That type of stuff happened with my old car.

Oh well, I love it so that's what counts.

 

In 2003 there was a six speed manual or a five speed tiptronic, no DSG.
The only experiance I have with the RX8 is a 2004 6 speed. And really not much has changed since then. So I really can't believe some of the comments made here. You really compare the 8 with 911 Turbos, Ferraris, DB9,s? And again with how nothing handles like the 8. Has anybody seen the last issue of C&D? How the RX8 R3 came in dead last in the Lightning Lap around Virginia Internationl Raceway? Behind such cars as the Hyundai Genisis, the Ford Mustang V-6, and slew of others? Enough already, the RX8 is a nice enough car but lets not get carried away.

 

huh, I think I need a different account.

 

Most of them are not saying the rx8 is the best handling car ever, they are saying the feel of driving it is the best they have ever had. If not the best then at least ranked high up.

 

Id like to see some 300rwhp rx8's run that track. you compairing 300hp cars to a 232hp car with very little torque its just not fair.

 

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...p_2011-feature

The rx8 got beat up pretty bad in its class, but it was in the 30,000 to 60,000 class of cars. So mustang gt v8s and gt500s, wrx sti, evos.

In the class below that 30k and under all the cars beat the rx8s time(3:16.7), regular wrx got 3:16.5, genesis got 3:13.8, and the mustang v6 was 3:12.5.

It was just going stock for stock, but yea with increased hp the rx8 would be a much better car overall but I love it as is still.

 

According to Motortrend, the R3 Rx8 placed 3rd behind an Audi R8 and BMW M3 in their Best Handling test. The 911 turbo came in 4th place. Nobody is saying the Rx8 is faster than a supercar, but it is a very very nice car to drive.

 

I don't think anyone is saying an 8 will outrun any of those cars... They are saying that it is hard to find another car that is as fun to drive. Speed isn't everything when it comes to how enjoyable a car is. There are plenty of very fast cars that are for one reason or another just dull when you get behind the wheel... Plus, extreme speed is pretty worthless for street driving since you cant use it... And the 8 is extremely good at handling.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there is no car I would take over an 8. Although just about every car that I would pick over it is significantly more expensive haha

 

And what I was getting at is that I've driven quite a few cars that were on my "bucket list" and extremely expensive and turned out to be turds.