Let me start by saying I really like the RX8's.. I actually pre-ordered one when they first came out but I ended up canceling because my wife was to worried about how it would handle in the winter.

Instead I bought a 2001 Audi TT Quatro Coupe and put some Blizzack tires on it. But it just doesn't have room for 2 kids and we're expecting are 2nd in August so I have to get something with more room in the back. This time I was able to talk the wife into the RX8, especially after she saw how well the TT handled with the winter tires.

So, what's the problem you ask? Well, I took a 2006 6spd manual for a test drive today and I gotta say I was a bit disappointed. I was hoping it would be as quick as my TT. I've put a little bit of work in my car but not as much as what seems to be the difference. The stats I've found for the 2 cars are these:

2001 Audi TT 0-60 = 6.4s
2006 RX8 0-60 = 6s

Are these wrong?

Are there some recommended warranty safe mods that people suggest to give me a few extra horses?

Thanks a bunch. Have pitty on the expectant father..
-BlackNoir

 

Coming out of a 1.8T Jetta and GTI myself. I have to say those 1.8T motors push you back into your seat because of the amount of torque they generate. The 1.8T are strong and robust, strong down low all the way up to redline or 5500 RPM. Going into an RX-8, will feel like the RX-8 lacks power when it really is....is that it lacks torque, the feelin of being pushed back into your seat hard.

Truth be told, you aren't going to get an RX-8 0-60 in 6s unless you plan on burning your clutch from droppin it from 6-7K. It's a quick car 0-60 in 7 seconds. The thing about the TT and RX-8 is that they are completely two different cars......the TT feels a bit heavy which is great for highway stability at 100 MPH plus and gives you a sense of security. The RX-8 feels like its light on its feet but still stable enough to sustain 100MPH. Anyways, there isn't much you could do to the RX-8 to receive more OOMPH without voiding the factory warranty.

I honestly feel that the RX-8 was set up to be more of a carving type corner car than raw power or speed. It is truly meant for a different type of driver who craves to take speeds higher than others. I'm not quite sure to describe the RX-8 other than, its everything you need, without the excess, there nothing excess about it, there enough power when you need it, as long as you keep it on boil. (5K++). It just well rounded overall. But like i said coming from an 1.8T myself, i do occassionally miss that torque/feeling ur back pushed into the seat. I think that's the only feeling you'll be missing in an RX-8.

Otherwise the RX-8 is good, if you know what you're getting yourself into.

 

I dont understand how you convinced your wife to go to an RX8 with a second kid coming. It is no way a family car & those *extra* doors are such a hassle to open in crowded parking lots. Its like a small maze.

Also, from driving often in the snow out here in Omaha NE (might not be as bad as some places) the RX8 is by NO means any good in the snow.. Any ice, or snow & its not a good time, nor is traction ever available..

 

i disagree with everything you said here (almost). i have two kids and will be doing a nice little new englad spring run with them both and don't have any hesitation getting them in and out. i do know how you feel though in crowded parking lots. as for winter, it was my daily driver in CT with some pretty good snowfalls. some blizzaks on them and i had no problem the entire time.

 

Maybe it was just my tires.. I could definatly be wrong in my case..

 

if you're running stock tires then that would be the issue. if you're running all season or winters you should have been okay.

 

I second that, I live in Omaha and use my 8 all winter. Blizzaks lm-22 tires and it gets around just great in the snow. Two kids here too.

 

To clarify, the 8 would be our 2nd car which only I would use for commuting to work and taking/picking up the kids from daycare. Any family trips are in our Jeep Grand Cherokee which has plenty of room.

My TT handles better in the winter with Blizzaks on it then the Jeep does with all year tires. I can't imagine how badly the 8 would be. U need to get some winter tires next year! I went down to 16's on the TT and it really grips.

VRZOOMZOOM, that makes total sense. I should have realized that 1.8 vs 1.3 would be a pretty noticeable difference when it comes to torque. Unfortunately, I luuuuvv the torque. There's nothing better than being able to floor it at a light or pop it down a geer and fly by that truck on the interstate. I have a sport bike that I ride when I want to hit the twisties.

Well crap. Maybe I should get a m3..

Thanks guys.

 

If you love torque, then a car like my FXT might be the ticket....




With the full STi strut/group n tops, JDM sti pink springs, tires and wheels, and sways, this car really handled, but took a lot of abuse. Lots of space for kids, bikes etc, and with the right mods Sti power delivery with a lower gear ratio tranny resulting in phenomenal acceleration. A wagon that will pound a lot of sporty cars is just wrong, but the overall balance of performance and utility is pretty nice.

 

I have 2 girls 17 and nearly 16. The 15 year old is 6' tall. We have a Toyota Hilux dual cab and the 8. They don't complain about a 1/2 hour trip in the 8. In fact the front passenger seat is the worst place to sit when there is a rear passenger.

The doors take a little organising but it isn't really that hard.


I don't understand how someone could prefer a 2001 TT to an 8. I bought my 8 a month ago after driving it back to back with a 350Z and an 06 TT. (The current one, I know Americans for some bizarre reason date their cars a year ahead of the calendar).

Regardless of the significant price difference I thought the 8 was a better car.
The TT has all the ambience and visibility of a letterbox. The only thing it has going for it over the 8 is 3500RPM of turbo surge. The rear seats are really just deep parcel shelves and the driving position is never right.

The new TT looks great from the outside but I didn't like it from the inside and that is where I spend my time.

 

you also gotta rememeber....
AWD vs RWD.
TT vs NA...
your audi is not only FIed its awd drive.. of coarse its gonna kick..

 

With winter tires RX-8 handles like a dream. You'll barely get stuck in the snow.
If conditions are slippery and snowy then just put in 1st gear and hit the gas to the bottom and the traction control will do the rest for you.

Main problems with the car:
You cannot put smaller than 17'' rims because of the large brake discs.

Engine cools down real quick because of its small size.

Gas milege is a lot worse. We are talking about 20l/100km city and 14l/100km highway@-20 degrees celsius

If it is real cold in the winter, then the car starts up a bit worse and spark plugs may function incorrectly because of extreme cold. Symptoms are blinking CEL and vibrating engine. But it only occurs when it is -20 degrees Celsius or below and to cure that, You need to start up the engine (be patient, it may take 10-15 seconds to start up) and rev the engine at 4000 rpm for 20-30 seconds. This will clean up the plugs and after the engine has warmed up correctly, You're good to go.
Also I have noticed, if You do redline Your 8 at least once a day, this problem does not occur so often.

 

maybe if you did your homewrok before you went to see the car, you'd know the car is very low on torque.

bye!

 

Its really not 1.3 or 1.8 really. You also have to understand its a rotary engine and how a rotary engine functions and performs. If you are going into an RX-8 with the knowledge of what a rotary engine does and doesn't do, then you have a better perspective of what the engine is capable of and what it purpose is. Its basically a smooth high revving engine, sort like electric motor, consistent powerband, there isnt' really a boost of power in a certain rev range whereas in a 1.8T, if i remember correctly, the power starts from 2500--5500. after 5000 RPM, engine seems to wind down in terms of producing power. whereas the RX-8 produces everything up high, 8500 RPM for 232 HP, and then torque comes in around 5500 RPM or so.

The bottom line is that all considerations aside from the 1.8T and Rotary.......they are different personalities. I guess i hate to say this but the rotary is comparable to a high revving vtec honda. If you crave torque, the RX-8 isn't for you, if you crave torque, you're better off with a G35 or something of that nature.

It all comes down to the overall package........the RX-8 i feel places more emphasis on feeling........i dont know how else to describe it, but when you drive an 8, you feel one with the car, like the horse and rider. The way the gearbox and clutch is, and the way the steering feels, everythign seems fluid, which is what i like about the 8 that a VW/AUDI product doesn't exactly give me.

If you are looking for a car that makes you feel connected (forget the HP numbers or any numbers for that matter), if you are looking to feel connected with your senses with a car, the RX-8 really brings it altogether. I think overall, you might need to take a 2nd test drive, forgetting 0-60 numbers, HP numbers, torque, and just get a feel for the gearbox, the way the car responds.

 

Am I reading this wrong? Cause if I am not you are WAY off!

You do not need to fry your clutch to get close to the reported 0-60 time of "5.9" seconds. It may take some finess but its possible. If you rev to 4k rpm you can manage a 0-60 in around 6.2 seconds or so...With sticky tires prob. around 6k rpm you can manage a 6 or less second.

If you are getting a 0-60 in that range you must have something wrong with your Rx8.

 

Completely agree!

 

interesting comparo...not 56k friendly

http://www.car2max.com/video/Top_Gear_-_Audi_TT_vs_Mazda_RX8_vs_Alfa_Romeo_pt_01_(www.car2max.com).wmv

http://www.car2max.com/video/Top_Gear_-_Audi_TT_vs_Mazda_RX8_vs_Alfa_Romeo_pt_02_(www.car2max.com).wmv

This is the new Auti TT, looks like they made some big improvements...

 

Unless you are one of us poor suckers that have autos...

 

^Then you dont apply to any of this.

1.8T quattro vs. 1.3L Reneis RWD

Ummm, apples and oranges anyone?

The only thing these cars have in common is relativly close HP #'s (which mean nothing because one is an FI inline 4 and the other is a NA Rotary) and relativly close pricing, oh and a set of back seats. Besides that you have no real basis for comparison.

I have driven both on numerous occasions, they are two completely different cars and I would never expect a person who likes a TT Quattro to like an RX8. For them to like an STi or EVO is a natural progression, but the RX8 does not fall in to the same catigory when it comes to
A: Styling (interior and exterior)
B: Handling characteristics
C: Power characteristics
D: Utility

The type of person who gets their kicks out of an AWD FI 4cyl. is not the same person who gets thier kicks out of an RX8. End of my rant.

 

I've got a 16 month old and a 4 year old and while it's not a family hauler it works fine for most routine tasks. If you are schlepping kids all the time and want to do COSTCO runs then no the 8 isn't the car you want.

As has been mentioned the main difference is the RX8 has high RPM motor so you get nothing before 5-6k and max power is at about 8,500. You need to keep the engine on boil to get the most out of it, the same as you would have to for a Honda S2000. The RX8 is a finesse car not a power car.

Depending on how long you want to wait the Lancer Evo X should be available in the states around Jan. 08. High HP, AWD, 4 doors, great handling (from all accounts) and a reasonable price most likely.

 

Your opinion of your '01 TT may be a bit over-inflated. The 8 is no rocket, but it's no slower than even the "hi-po" 225hp TT, unless you got mods. I should know, my Neuspeed chipped 1.8T Passat was actually lighter than your TT, sure it had good torque off idle but it was no faster overall. And the tubo lag absolutely sucked, I can't see how anyone would prefer the 1.8T over the renesis.

But the new TT seems to be a big improvement over the old, especially weight wise.

 

AGREED!!!

 

I like the Audi TT. Best damn Golf they ever made.

jk.

But don't think Audis don't have their issues: apparently earlier TT's had high-speed stability problems. That being said, I'm anxious to try one of the 2007's.

 

Volkswagen/Audi: Worst reliability ever, ftw!

 

I never really timed my 0-60 sprint. I like to guesstimate considering i dont drop the clutch at 4K. Nothing wrong my 8. I think it can probably do 0-60 in 6 seconds, it just i haven't timed it. plus most mags anyways drop the clutch at high rev. I didn't buy the 8 for 0-60 braggin rights. That was not my priority.