So I was just looking through the trim list, seeing how I'd like a sport model vs a GT. My first two were GTs but I hate spending that much money on a car. Honestly, one thing that concerned me the most is that the Sport doesn't have stability or traction control. Is this true? Both of my previous RX-8s were absolutely OUT OF CONTROL when I turned those off. Do they really make a version of the car without them? Even with snow tires, it would be completely un-driveable in the snow. And even a rainy day on the highway would spell the demise. I would guarantee I would reck the car without stability and traction control. Besides snow (i live in new england), I'm thinking of one night I was driving down the highway and hit a HUGE puddle in the speed lane. My stability control went nuts. I surely would have lots control without it. I could get by without xenon, leather, i could get some aftermarket heated seats cheap, but no DSC and no TSC = death trap.

 

I guess it comes down to what year you're talking about.
I have an '06 Sport and DSC and TCS came standard.

 

I have an '07 sport, it has DSC via the performance package. You don't have to get the GT to have DSC.

 

You could just rock it old school. Drive slow in adverse conditions. If your tires start to slip turn in the direction of the skid and gently accelerate. If you are more afraid your car will go out of control without DCS and TCS that may ironically be a good thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_compensation.

 

I have a sport model without DCS pr TCS... when i first got the car i hit ice and took it over a curb but since autox ive learned so much about the car and have amazing control over it so ive never regretted not having DCS or TCS...

 

The car is so slow that the only time i ever broke loose was going through turn 5 at VIR, not sure how you are breaking loose so often? Better tires maybe?

 

^He's talking about when driving in the snow.

I have an 04, and I'm 99% sure that it's a sport and I have TCS and DSC. But I could be wrong, I don't know all the trim levels. I have cloth seats, no sunroof.

 

sounds like its the sport with some upgrades. I wanted the BASE BASE BASE sport model, so i have the LSD and 6-port engine but thats as fancy as it gets

 

The sport option on the base adds HID/DSC/Homelink, I think it was a $1K option.

 

I have a GT and changed to all season tires and only way I get moving in snow is with the TCS turned off ! Considreing moving the button to an easier to reach location. I've never had the DSC intervene in wet conditions.

 

The 2009 & 2010 Sport models don't come with DSC, but as stated, previous year models do

 

Having owned two so far, I wouldn't buy one of these cars without DSC. Yeah I know that most of the time it would be great. But between new england winters, and simple slick streets in the rain... no sport for me. I'm amazed that dsc and tsc aren't standard across the board.

 

http://www.skipbarber.com/

 

I decided long ago to stop second-guessing the Mazda engineers and leave all the little electronic helpers turned on...

 

I wouldn't trust the car without DSC or traction. I turn them off when I'm having fun, but I've had a few times when they've definitely helped. Once I was taking a broad turn, giving it moderate gas, and the back end just randomly stepped out. The road was wet, as it had just rained, but it wasn't soaked or anything. It wasn't bad thanks to the DSC, but it would have been without it.

 

Doesn't rain or snow much in California, but it's nice to have just in case.

 

You must have the same thing I do - a base model with the sport package. That was a $1300 option that included (on the MT) 18" wheels, DSC/TCS, bigger brakes, and HID. In '07 onward they started to use "Sport" for a particular trim level (equivalent to base, I think) rather than the name of an option package.

Ken

 

i don't have dsc, i want control over the car not the car control me. dsc is like training wheels lol and what sucks is that it turns on every time you turn off and on the car, but when i got my base model it came with the spoiler witch sucks makes marks

 

I think any rwd without traction/stability control is a liability during slick/winter weather.
I have the 09 GT that has the dsc/tc and ltd slip as a standard feature. The 09 sport does not offer it as an option, nor does the 10. The 09 touring had it as a standard option, but it is not offered in 10.

 

All manuals had the big brakes and 18" wheels

 

My Corvette was nearly rear ended because the stability threw the car to a complete stop when I could have spun the wheels and move the car at a slow pace. Don't blame the car because the driver can't handle it, people in the 60s and 70s drove around in their big RWD tanks with no problem. First thing is buy good tires. I still don't know how people can slide the RX-8 around with good tires? It's one thing to drive a little fast, but how fast do you have to go to be constantly breaking the back end loose. I don't get it.

 

Constantly driving in the upper RPM ranges (7-9k) can do that too

 

Good point, never tried that.

 

Duh...right. Sport package got the rest of the stuff. Thanks.

Ken

 

If you're in a hard turn in low gear and stomp the gas at like 7k RPMs or better on exit, the back end will come out very easily, even on dry pavement.

It happened to me on the way to work yesterday, there's a turn that I normally exit pretty hard and I forgotten that it had rained earlier and the street was still wet. Back end came out and the car wanted to spin, I corrected it before DSC kicked in but it was embarrassing.

It's not really how fast you go, it's how much torque you put down to the wheels in a turn. The 8 may not have much peak torque, but in low gear at high RPMs there's plenty of torque to break the wheels free.

There's a certain turn on my daily drive that is like 120 degrees, when traffic is clear and I'm in the mood sometimes I'll turn off DSC and swing my *** around the turn. There's more than enough power to do that.