Hi names dave out of albuquerque nm long time honda man have built and blown many engines an getting tired of the tinker toy vtec engines am looking to get into something a little more reliable with plenty of power.

i hope im not beating a dead horse buy guys i was up till 2 am researching the rx7 and 8 platform looking to buy a new car to replace my pos honda(s) that i have comfortably placed about 14k into and am tired of it still breaking down.
so rx7 quickly because out of the question...
but RX8 !!! hmm
it seems like the premature engine failure is all directly associated to low oil levels insuficient cooling efficiency and just poor matince.

or does the renesis engine just start to crumble regardless at about 30k??

I am trying to get into a newer car because im tired of constantly working on my other cars is getting into an rx8 a step in the right direction.

also is this car going to be a service dept. *****?

i am more than willing to changle clutches diffs. even engine work i just dont understand these rotary monsters and thats a little scarry.
upgrades like radiators fans anything to increase reliability i am eager to do
but as follows intakes test pipes pulleys i cant cant leave anything as is.

please, enlighten me

 

The 8 is a fantastic car. But, if you are looking to buy one for a reliable DD, this may not be the path you want to follow. If properly maintained, the car is very reliable. But, as with anything mechanical, problems can arise out of the dark. Some rotary engines are "bad" right out of factory and have a shelf life that hopefully expires before the 8 year 100k mile warranty is up for engine replacement (most common blown engine is due to the Apex Seals). The 8 is a great car for all of it's perks: 50/50 gravity distribution, low CG, excellent handling, 240 hp from a 1.8L engine, new rotary technology, comfortable to drive, etc... But, the rotary is still newer technology so it is not perfect. Each year Mazda gets better and closer to perfection (although, as we all know, perfection is not a possible goal for anything). To help you better understand the 8 and to help your decision process, search the forum and read on what the 8 is all about. Good luck!

 

Let me cut through the bullshit and get straight to the point; the 8 is like a finicky, fine woman. They look good, purr good and perform good, but sometimes they may give you the finger and blow their fuse like you were used and leave you hanging while they go banging.

It's a gamble sometimes.

 

If your Hondas are a pain in the ***, well, lets just say you're looking at the wrong car.

 

Well spoken good sir!

 

it's not a maintenance ***** if you follow the maintenance suggestions. Check oil often, get oil changes every 3 to 5 thousand miles. Push it really hard some times to clean out the carbon and you'll be all set. you get a 8 year/100,000 on the engine so you can get a reman if it dies at 70k or whatever. Research and make your own informed desicion on if you want to pre-mix or not (apparently this is a MUST on a 7)

Don't get me wrong though, parts are not cheap if something breaks and you have to pay for it. It is a fabulous car, drives like a laser, puts up with whatever you can dish out (for the most part), do a few upgrades and its an even more rock solid, twisty eater.

All vehicles are a gamble...but this is not a turn it on a drive if for 100,000 miles without ever doing anything to it kind of car.

 

2005 RX8 GT 6Speed @80,000km original engine (no recalls).

All good.

Totally different engine so DIY is a little out for major engine work (though if you're willing to relearn a bunch of stuff it's definitely doable). But, parts are parts otherwise: bolting on and swapping out existing components isn't that major from what I've heard.

As to service *****, no more then every other car I've owned (01 Sunfire, retired @ 300,000km, 03 Neon still going strong @ 200,000km) so far. Regular oil maintenance and keeping an eye on the rest of the system should be plenty.

The car's got it in there if you treat it right. Engine warrenty to 160,000 km, so that's something.

Less forgiving of neglect though and different enough that piston-engine assumptions often don't hold.

Freakin' awesome bit of gear for anyone that wants a completely different car though. You'll end up explaining the rotary engine a lot more then you explain a piston engine.

Personally, it seems to be a car connoisseur's car, not something for the rest of the unwashed masses.

 

 

seriously if you want something that will take a beating get a 4B11T

designed from the ground up for boost


The 4B11T is the first engine in the Lancer Evolution series that uses a die-cast aluminium cylinder block versus the cast-iron block used in the previous turbocharged 4G63 engine that powered all previous models. The engine weight has been reduced by 12 kg (26 lb) compared to the 4G63, even with the addition of a timing chain instead of a belt and MIVEC continuous variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust camshafts (the 4G63 had MIVEC valve timing & lift switching type on the intake only). A revised turbocharger offers up to 20-percent quicker response at lower engine speeds compared to previous 4G63. The 4B11T offers a broader torque curve, producing more torque than the 4G63 at all engine speeds, helped by the engine's square bore and stroke design (both measure 86.0 mm). Redline starts at 7,000 rpm, with a fuel cutout at 7,600 rpm to protect the engine.

A semi-closed deck structure, an integrated ladder frame and four-bolt main bearing caps contribute to engine strength, durability and lower NVH levels. Unlike the 4G63, the 4B11T does not use a balancer shaft. The semi-floating pistons of the 4G63 have been replaced with a fully floating pistons for the 4B11T. Aluminium is also used for the timing chain case and cylinder head cover. The engine features an electronically controlled throttle, an isometric short port aluminium intake manifold and the stainless steel exhaust manifold is positioned at the rear of the engine. The use of a direct-acting valvetrain eliminates the need of the roller rocker arm configuration previously used in the 4G63. The 4B11T features built-up hollow camshafts and its valve stem seals are integrated with the spring seats. The internal components of the 4B11T engine have been reinforced to withstand high levels of boost.

 

ok so i test drove a 06 6speed. only thing i think is wrong with it is even though i would depress the clutch entirely and hold, when i would move into gear after coming to a complete stop, when the stick would engage i could feel something in the driveline load up like the clutch was not fully fully disengaging.
and i gotta say its a little bit of a trip to wrap my head around the powerband. my other honda can pull 9k but when the rx8 did it something i cant describe it feels like the engine wants to go higher even though it flatens out.
i just dont know about the performance though, it felt like it had plenty of power and then just looses it. like it was in a flat spot from 4 to 6k
then it feels right but just not there.
maybe this car is broken and i need to test drive another one?
but based on the performance i saw today im a bit disapointed, i mean even the rx8 i built on nfsmw seemed to have more ***** stock.

its really wiered if i were to double clutch or let the clutch out load the trans and then dump it it was like wow torque then poof gone winding up like an eletric motor waiting for its redline to arrive.

BUT this dosent mean i dont like it i love the interior espically how they waxed the leater with a bucket of armor sliding all over the place lol.
i f-ing love the car it just needs modification>
which brings me to my next question.

that did not feel like the 240 is it some hp is it?

what do they do in the 1/4th mile with a good driver?

what can they do with just an intake pulleys and maybe a test pipe.
i really dont want to get all into tuning, and turbos the goal is to make reliable DD look at me aready asking about the quater wow.

 

The actual HP figure of a stock motor is 180-190 to the wheels...

Also, Rory, it's a 1.3.. not a 1.8

 

There's no torque until the higher RPM range, that's how rotaries are. The power comes on later and stays longer. First gear feels very slow, but after that you've got power on tap if you rev it up. Going from cruising to hard acceleration usually means dropping two or three gears.

Mazda claims 232, from what I read most 8s dyno at 180-190 at the wheels.

Keep in mind that the rotary has a flat torque curve, so if you're used to piston engines it won't feel as quick as it actually is. The toque peak is low but the engine holds near-peak torque for a long time, so it can pull pretty well but doesn't give you the burst of acceleration that a piston engine can at peak torque.

From what I've read, about 14.5.

Forget cheap performance mods. You can't get much more power than stock without using forced induction. There's no cheap and easy way to add another 30hp, forget it.

 

so its all in perception like an elevator ehh?
your pretty much locked into the box at 200whp?
what about $1000 ready for hard mods?
where as on a (normal) lol engine one would instal cams or port, what are we talking? tuning?
i still love it when i would feather the clutch or doube clutch it had torque like wow as the engine would unwind into the driveline, then go flat.
when it needed to count the car feels like it can move quick but if you beat into the clutch.
i like it though reliable chaep and fast is just not gona get alot better looking than this, it apears.

i want the car i just am getting uneasy if it wont go faster for anything less than boost. if thats the case i should just start with a speed3

 

$1,000 is not going to get you much. Maybe 15-20 hp IF you play your cards perfectly.

This does not sound like the car for you.

 

Get the Speed3. As long as you don't mind FWD and torque steer, it has what you seem to be looking for.

 

Fixed

 

You're doing it wrong. *grin*

Stay in first for what seems like forever and it beeps to redline.
Then shift to second and stay THERE for what seems like forever.
If you still need more speed and power, shift to third when it beeps and stay in that gear until the race is over.

Forget about torque off the line and stop shifting - let it go way up into the super high revs.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tech-garage-22/dyno-results-compilation-77031/

 

Damn I always mix it up between the two and I have no idea why...

 

[quote=jrbirch;3510608]You're doing it wrong. *grin*

Stay in first for what seems like forever and it beeps to redline.
Then shift to second and stay THERE for what seems like forever.
If you still need more speed and power, shift to third when it beeps and stay in that gear until the race is over.

Forget about torque off the line and stop shifting - let it go way up into the super high revs.

ok but im not racing on highways half the time or canyon roads i do pretty much nothing but city street light and the ocassional saturday night venues.
im use to poping tek and reving to 9k turboed or in my honda im trying to replace now reving to 7200 on nitrous with a punchline to the very end of every gear. this wankel is just strange but i like it ,,,why dont i just put the nitrous on the rx8? lol warrantys. it was wiered i let my wife drive first and from the passanger seat i sunk into the seat like wow but when i drove it felt flat. maybe i need to drive a different one. it was a 06 6 speed thats the 230hp one right? what about the renesis 2 what kind of hp does that make

 

haha rory I told you this over the phone :-p

 

sounds like the speed 3 ould be a better bet for u ...

 

That seems to be the pretty traditional lament of the rotary newbie. *grin* Our cars SUCK at what you want to do. They really do. And nothing you're going to do is going to change that.

This is not a souped-up urban zoom machine for those that like to "double shift like they should". This is not the Fast and the Bi-Curious. Our car is not the stereotypical hot blonde that can suck the chrome off a trailer hitch while smoking like a chimney and doing blow like a pro. If you're young and dumb, the souped up Honda Civic "Hot Blonde" street racer is what you want. If you've been around a bit, you've broken the Civics and gotten bored with the other "Hot Blonde" cars out there and now you've got better, more refined, tastes.

This is the kind of car that is a dream on the track, in the twisty hills, for zooming around corners in town, for driving up to fancy restaurants with your wife in and for teaching your kids what it's really like to go fast. It's not for straight line, hold-on-to-your-*****, high-torque stop-light to brake "racing".

Our car is for real drivers, not shift monkeys. It's for people that love the FEEL of the road, that are tired of oversteering their cars around corners and that love lateral "face smooshing" G's. These are the kind of people that simply can't get seat belts that are tight enough or roll cages that are hard enough or cars that are sticky enough. These are people that don't want to simply buy more speed without requiring more driving skill to use it.

Simply put, this is a car connoisseur's car for mature, sophisticated, car junkies who want something more plane then car. You've got to be really into DRIVING to like these things.

If it's shifting you're into, this car ain't one you want to own.

But...

If you can learn to appreciate the unique elegance of an RX8, you'll marry her and have crazy hair-raising adventures until you're both old and grey.

If you do buy one, you'll look down your nose at those fools in their Lambos and Porshes; guys with money but no skill or taste. Because, no matter what other car is on the road, there's only a handful of models out there that have rotary engines.

And you've got the best.

'Course, maybe that's just the old man and the proud new RX8 papa in me coming through. *grin*

Your mileage may (and probably will!) vary.

 

not after seeing the lip on your car.

what is really getting to me is back to square one im trying to buy a newer car that i wont be modifying all to hell but more importantly wont have to repair constantly.
i understand the rotary engines more than may be visible here and the driving properties as well i was just floored when the performance did not meet what i was expecting.
an interesting suggestion my wife made about the cars performance, if you cant really make more power without spending tons of cash or turbocharging then why would you modify it. which is what i need. if i go get the speed3 some acura or honda w/e it will be very very little time before i start with the bolt ons then move to the rotating parts and like a junkie in no time at all i will be buying internals...
i know i should just go buy a corolla and leave it at that but i cant thats not me.

whats incredible is i have drove about 11 cars from gti to rsx to poostangs
and i still cannot get the feel the sound the experience the rx8 gave.
another 20 to 30 whp and it would be everything i could ever want!

i need to drive the speed3 once i can find one and i will make my decision.
i appericate all the insight guys.

btw guys honestly what could be expected from a I&E and one of these re-flashes to settle out those horrid looking dips in the power band.
10hp? thats it?? torque? at 25mpg highway best possible period?

 

The best single performance mod you can do to a NA '8 is a CobbAP with a custom tune, e.g. MazdaManiac. Other intake/exhaust mod's are pretty much ear of the beholder items. A midpipe does have significant impact, but at the expense of emissions non-compliance.

Getting back on topic: 2005 with zero reliability issues. I have installed a BHR ignition system and a clutch pedal bracket, but again no reliability issues with the engine itself. Pulls as strong as ever; actually stronger with the MM tune.

 

a test pipe induction and ignition is about as far as i want to go with the car.
a flash or another base map if its cost effective.
but can we be honest with out selvs 15hp/tq possible?
just say yes please say yes an i will go buy the car right now.