I apologize to everyone out there. My numbers were a bit off. I found the following on Car and Driver's web site from their review of the pre-production RX-8. Their top speed says 150 MPH. I know that I read 148 somewhere, but can't remember where. So I will defer to the experts at C&D.

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=2

MAZDA RX-8
Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2+2-door coupe
Estimated base price: $27,000-$28,000
Engine type: two-rotor Wankel, aluminum rotor housings with iron liners and end plates, Mazda engine-control system with port fuel injection
Displacement 80 cu in, 1308cc
Power (SAE net) 207-247 bhp
Torque (SAE net) 159-164 lb-ft
Transmissions 6-speed manual, 5-speed auto
Wheelbase 106.3 in
Length 174.6 in
Width 69.7 in
Height 52.8 in
Curb weight 3000-3050 lb
C/D-estimated performance (247-hp 6-speed):
Zero to 60 mph 6.3 sec
Zero to 100 mph 16.5 sec
Standing 1/4-mile 14.9 sec @ 95 mph
Top speed (drag limited) 150 mph
Estimated fuel economy:
EPA city driving 19-20 mpg
EPA highway driving 28-30 mpg

 

I'm confused now. This is a C&D article dated October 2nd. (Today). The Zero-to-xx numbers are different now. Didn't C&D do this test drive with the 8000 rpm clutch drop and make a 0-60 in 5.9seconds? Wasn't that the result of the preproduction model?

So now they come up with a new article with revised 0-xxx numbers.. but what about the EPA fuel rating???
28-30 on the highway - what???

Can someone explain that to me?

It's getting off-topic, sorry.


Edit:
I just realized that the article is from January 2003. Their web site displayed 10/02/.. simply today's date.
My apologies.
The mpg rating is still strange and I must have confused something about the 0-60 in 5.9s sprint. I have the flu. Maybe that's the reason.

-Peter

 

still breakin in in the 70s

 

I was approaching redline in 6th when I hit 143... so I'm pretty sure it's not electronically limited. It's just geared out to about 150. If you wanted to push redline you'd probably hit 148-150. Of course, I could be misremembering and I was actually in 5th.

 

6th gear is 20 MPh per 1000RPM. (Example 60 MPH= 3000 RPM)
So, 6th should technically be capable of 160 MPH at 8000 RPM, well below redline. So it is either drag limited or electronically limited.

You must have been in 5th.

 

Oops, makes sense. I guess an electronic governor is likely then.

I did, however, notice that the car pulled to that speed a lot quicker than I had anticipated. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

my rx8 ms front end cf hood,wing and the short ram intake

 

NOTICE: For those with the 4AT, please have your PCM, ECU, and TCU flashed at your nearest Mazda dealership.

On some 4ATs, the TCU kicks a signal to the ECU prematurely.

On mine, it manifested itself as an artificial limiter at about 94 mph. I floored it and it just wouldn't go any faster. Needless to say, it surprised the hell out of me as I launched through 70, 80, and 90, then lurched to a sudden stop in acceleration!

He'd mentioned that a few RX-8's have a bad PCM flash and that it's "no problem." Uhhhh...YES IT IS! I don't know how prevalent this is, but I just wanted to let everyone know.

After having every chip in my car flashed, I took it out and breezed through 90, 100, 110, ... and got scared at 112 when I blew by a parked Virginia Sherriff. (oops). Luckily, he must have been in a good mood (more likely asleep) and didn't chase me.

This is the second time that I've expounded on this, but I wanted some confirmation or denial from other 4AT owners.

Thanks.

 

I got mine up to 145mph and it felt like it had more to give, but I have been told that 155mph is the maximum due to a limiter.

 

122 mph, and I too ran out of clear road ahead ...

 

230 kmph = 142.915374 mph

long stretch of highway in alberta...only car on the road...ran out of highway or might have gotten it faster.

one thing I've thought about...what would happen if you got it to like 140 mph and then used cruise control to increment by 1 mph? Would it accelerate to 150 (or 148..whatever) faster this way?

 

Car and Driver tested the top speed of the RX-8 when they compared it to the G35 and Cobra. The top speed of the RX-8 is drag limited at 144MPH. C&D tests the car going in both directions, then they take the average. So yes, you may get the car to go faster than 144 with a tail wind, but going the other way it would be slower. The average of both is the most accurate. The top speed of 144 is reached at 5th gear. A shift to 6th gear maintain the same speed. The car does not have enough horsepower to reach an average higher top speed.

 

999mph....thats as high as the speedometer goes. :p

 

i hit 121 about a week ago. was still accelerating nicely, but I was rapidly running out of road. Took the pic with my phone for my avatar. kind of scary having to take my eyes off the road for a second or two to get the pic, but provided a heck of an adrenalin rush.

 

Does anyone have any idea what the top speed of the the AT might be? I drove for about 5 miles at 95 on a Tpk with traffic and it still felt like there was plenty of acceleration at times.

 

I think I have an answer to the question. As you can see from my profile I do live in Germany. I do have the American spec RX-8 which does have a little bit more HP than the euro spec 8. Actually I should say had and RX-8 since I've recently posted (today) that I totalled my 8. Anyway, its not limited to a certain speed but, a certain RPM. When in 5th gear it will cut out at 9500rpms which is right at 155 mph or 250km/hr. I notice above 150 its takes a long time to get it any faster from there. I say it stays around 153 to 155 at top pegged out speed. Now if I do get it up to that speed and there is a some down hill autobahn ahead...I've switched into 6th and actually hit 160. I don't think it can do more than that. I was really pushing the 8 and it any slight incline presented itself...the 8 would drop in speed. I did not have a spoiler...just rotary accents and the chrome mazda wheels. Everything else is stock oh, and the gt package. So no canzoomer or mazdaspeed mods at all. I hope this answers all the questions about top speed. I've pushed the 8 many many times to accumulate 20000miles in just a under a year shy before totaling my 8 a few days ago. So no need to bother reaching these speeds unless you are on a track or the autobahn which is still risky. These are all speedometer recorded so no gps or what not was used. I hope this answers all the top speed questions.

 

Sorry about your loss...... my 4AT has a lot of bolt-ons and seems to be electronically limited to 125 mph. I have the M-flash, K&N Typhoon cold-air intake, rx7.com midpipe, Magnaflow cat-cack, 8mm Racing Beat (ultra) spark plug wires, Royal Purple synthetic in tranny and rear. The car was made in 01/04 and is fully loaded besides navigation and 6-CD changer. I have minor appearance mods but no body kit other than all the factory options. It gets to 100 mph reasonably quick, then slow from there to 125 mph then electronically governed rev limiter or something..... anyone similar experiences? Secret part of M-flash possiby???

 

...Last Saturday (Oct 23), with radar detection on, south of King City on highway 101 in California. I ran out of space but reached.......140 mph on speedometer. I had more left but ran out of road; it felt great to finally have a chance to go that fast.

 

Keep the street racing stories off the forum, please.

 

about..120mile/h... around 7 rpm with the top gear..!! hm... I think it's the top speed of me.. haha ... so danger when driving fast...!!

 

Update - made about 132 in my same stretch of road last week. 45 degrees F temp, no wind, 5th gear ... no idea of RPMs

 

i have a vid of one on dyno doing 184 mph

 

BFD, that's meaningless in the world of moving air.

 

heres the 184 mph dyno

 

Right back at ya..It illustrates its capable of that speed provided you have the power to push it ... Ignorant people suck