So my budget isn't too high because I'm trying to start a career in racing so I'm going to be broke a LOT of the time. My budget for actually getting an RX8 is around 20K. I'm 17 by the way (I know im gonna get flamed for that). But my questions are

Is it really that hard to work on an RX8 because of the rotary (oil changes, service, is it expensive too?)
How is the fuel economy?
Are they reliable, cuz I know the RX7 had reliability problems.
Is an RX8 a good choice for a car if I'm trying to do club racing?
Would it be out of the question to get engine mods for an RX8? (I heard it was underpowered)

 

Also, is there a better year then others? I heard something about a recall.

 

...Anyone?

 

You need to do some reading, a few of your questions are subjective and you are going to need to do some homework. I'll answer what I can.

Is it really that hard to work on an RX8 because of the rotary (oil changes, service, is it expensive too?)

Oil changes and "work" with the exception of the engine itself, is not drastically different than any other car, you aren't comparing a bicycle to a space ship here. Like any new car it has it's idiosyncracies. You don't have to remove armor plating to do an oil change so if your question broaches expense, it isn't going to cost you more for an oil change. The engine is some kinda super-ultra-top secret, so Mazda doesn't work on them, they replace and reman them for the most part.

How is the fuel economy?

What's the old saying? If you have to ask you can't afford. The window sticker says it all. 18/24 new. Subtract a few miles per gallon there for a more realistic picture. There ya go.

Are they reliable, cuz I know the RX7 had reliability problems.

The car has been in production for about 4 years, There haven't been any class action lawsuits over major failures yet that I know of. There are people who have had no problems and some who have had lots. Spin the wheel, such is life.

Is an RX8 a good choice for a car if I'm trying to do club racing?

Read up on this, they can be great cars for certain types of racing, auto-crossers love them. Drag racers and street racing nincompoops don't. Finger it out for yourself.

Would it be out of the question to get engine mods for an RX8? (I heard it was underpowered)

Sure, you can get mods for about anything, power levels are fairly subjective, it has plenty for me stock.

 

Thank you .
But for the fuel economy, I've never had a car, so I have nothing to compare it to.. around how much would it be to fill the tank?

 

if you're gonna be strapped for cash then maybe you should look at a car with better mileage.

 

But see, it isn't like I would be driving hours to school/work etc. It would be a car that I wouldn't even drive every day necessarily. Everything is pretty close by, but not close enough to walk.

 

How much to fill the tank, well that's variable. Gas at my local station is $2.51 today, so with a 15 gallon tank, if you run it dry you are gonna pay $37.65. How much is gas where you live, you aren't stupid, you can finger it out.

I am getting about 240 miles off 13 gallons in regular driving with 50% highway, 50% city, so that is coming out to about 18.5mpg.

If you are 17 you are gonna face several obstacles, Insurance will probably eat you alive, to the point where the car isn't worth it. Go do your homework on your personal cost of ownership before youo go selling yourself on this car. Get an insurance quote, think about your gas and money issues, read the FAQ and the addendum and them come back to us ifyou are still serious.

 

yea see but with this car it's so tempting to drive it. I planned on using it just to drive to and from the train station during the weekdays and drive more on the weekends. What ended up happening. I take any excuse I can to drive her. If I'm going to the pub with my friends, I always volunteer to drive. hell, I even go to the gym 3x on the week days instead of twice now cuz of this car!

 

just go get a ..............honda

 

Like you, everything for me is "pretty close by" but I still spend $200 on gas easily every month. I'm sorry but if you buy an rx-8 and you are a breathing human being, you will want to drive it a lot more than just "pretty close by".

 

Ok, so I test drove an rx8 today....all i have to say is that every single one of you who owns one is a lucky bastard. I am definitely getting this car in the next few months

 

I drove it for 10 minutes and I did not even want to get out of the car. I can do 200 a month so I don't care. IM IN LOVE

 

ok. im 20, no accidents, no speeding tickets. deans list student.

5 grand a year in insurance.

are you ready for that?

get an rx8 vin from the dealer, go to your parents insurance company. ask them how much it would cost a year to insure you.

 

we already checked that itd be around 2400 a year

 

If you want to do club racing, get a Miata. Fo' serious. There are tons of leagues for those things, and mods are so prevalent that you can get them on the cheap. Mileage rocks, so no worries there. Only issue is practicality, really, so I'd decide what level of practicality you're going to need.

The 8 really hasn't rooted itself as a popular club racer yet - stellar track day car, no doubt, but you're going to see RX8 leagues like you will for Miatas. Hell, you can even grab an old Neon or Focus if you really want to budget. Those things are picking up quite a cult following these days.

Have you done any autocrossing, racing schools, etc? If not, start at that level - best to start small and build your skill up than to get in over your head and end up struggling to stay afloat.

 

Wow... simply wow. I'm 20 as well, good grades, 2 speeding tickets within a year and a half and I only pay $2200/yr for full coverage.

To the OP though, my suggestion is to think it out financially before you decide you must have this car. You're concerned about the gas mileage but have no problem spending $20k on a car? I didn't see anyone mention this but it's also recommended that you put only premium in the tank (although some people will debate against it). I do just so I won't have to worry about knocking.

Heh if you ask me, go out and buy a beater. Everyone's first car should suck, that way when you're learning to drive, if you wreck it, no big loss.

 

Okay.... so:

20,000 for car (plus factor in a few more thousand for tax/registration/warranty)
2400/year for insurance
2400/year for gas (if you do spend as little as $200/month)

then factor in maintenance costs & if you really want to RACE your car, expect to pay more.

Anyways, congrats if you get the car, but make sure you are ready for that commitment!

 

Ah hell, I'm in a good mood today, so no "search noob!" reply for me. And it's rare that I will actually reply to a 17 year old, but you're VERY rare as you use good english (rather than typing like you're doing an IM or a text message) and you use proper punctuation and capitalization. Therefore, you've earned a reply from this old fart who has a son about your age.

Answers:
- Service doesn't seem to cost any more than the average Japanese sedan when done at a dealer. Oil changes are about $40 at my dealer. It's easy to change the oil on this car and there's a great DIY thread on this website - check out all the DIYs, by the way. It's not a bad car to wrench on.
- Fuel economy sucks and the harder you push the car, the worse it gets. If you have any issues with affording the fuel (and you will burn plenty and it wants premium) then you should consider a different car. For example, A Mini Cooper S used can be had for about the same price as a used RX-8 and gets DOUBLE the gas mileage and is equally as fun to drive. But if you can afford the gas, buy the RX-8.
- Definitely good for club racing and there are lots of folks here doing that. Check out the competition forum for that. I've autocrossed mine once or twice and did one "easy run" track day with it. It's a blast.
- "heard it's underpowered" ... well, what does that mean to you? Compared to a Mustang, it is underpowered. And it could use more power, I suppose. But it's not a drag racing car - if you're looking for pure drag racing performance, buy a different car. Engine mods to make large horsepower gains cost a ton and definitely compromise the reliability of the car. Personally, I find the car has more than enough power to keep the silly grin plastered on my face, therefore, it's fine.

Do you know anything about the rotary engine on this car? If not, I strongly suggest you read up on it. It is very unique and not the usual 4 cylinder you find in a Civic or something.

It's a great car, and if you find one you can afford, and you can manage the gas cost and the insurance cost (given your age), well, you will definitely enjoy it. Just ignore the dipshits that tell you that the engine must be replaced every 30,000 miles (pure bullshit), and that it's underpowered, and every other lie we've all heard before.

Stew

 

Totally agree here, by the way. As a pure club racer, there's nothing better than a Miata. Absolutely nothing out there is as good for club racing as a Miata, and there are whole racing series(plural) dedicated to it.

 

Thanks for all the help Stew. This is probably the wrong place to ask but....where the hell do I start if i want to get into a racing career? I went go karting today for the first time and I am terribly dissapointed in my performance. Is club racing even the right way to go?

But back on topic, I have a pretty good idea about how a rotary engine works, just missing a few pieces of information...just random things like...how the engine runs without spark plugs (or am I wrong). Gonna go wiki it.

 

 

yea..ur wrong.....WANKEL not Diesel

 

Pwnographer,

wow,

just wow. i cannot even try to find links to help you...

please people!!!!! type some more to help him....

beers

 

I take it you didn't think that was a cute as I meant it to be?