*WARNING: THIS THREAD CONTAINS BLASPHEMOUS IDEAS*

Would you buy an RX-8 with mazda's 150 hp 2.0L 4-cylinder motor? Assume the same 6 speed transmission, geared properly for the HP/Torque.

Based on the weight and MPG of the Mazda 3 with this motor, the RX8 would probably get 28-30MPG highway. VS 20-22 that I probably get now.

My lease ends next year, and I'd probably do it if it was an option. My ideal car would be a hydrogen rotary powered RX8, but thats just not an option yet. In 2009, it just doesn't make sense to get another RX8 with such bad milage. If they made a 4cyl version... Sure it would lose a big part of what makes an RX8 an RX8... but it would still be an RX8. I wouldn't be stuck driving a mazda 3. Ideally gas would be 95¢ a gallon and gas exhaust would be delicious and we could all drive around all day every day, but thats just not the case. I think a 4cyl RX8 option would be a good thing to offer until the 16X arrives. Assuming the 16X can run on hydrogen &or gas.

I'd buy one, would you?

ALSO for the sake of my hypothetical question, lets just ignore the option of putting something like a turbo charged 4cyl 1.8 or 2.0 in the car, so you'd get 26-28mpg & 250ish HP. Assume the option was the 1.3L renesis or the Mazda3's current small motor.

I would.

 

i'd buy it with the f22c.

 

Repost, this has been covered to death.

 

Where's my shotgun!

 

^^^^
Hell yes, maybe K20a2 also, but it better be 10K less expensive.

 

No, especially at the price point the RX8 is in. If that was the case, I would buy a MX5 instead. If I still needed room for 4 or 5 people, I would seriously look at a V6Accord coupe with the 6 speed and 30 MPG.

 

why the heck buy an RX anything without a rotary in it?!

 

I guess I didn't spell it out enough. The economy is in the tank, and global warming gets worse every day.
I just looked at the honda accord. I'd much rather drive an RX8 with a 4cyl, vs driving a honda accord... with any engine in it. There's more to a nice car than its motor.

 

absolutely ******* not. defeats the purpose of the car.

 

A. buy an mx5 Hard top...

B. You do understand that the planet has cooled 8 consecutive years and htat Al Gore is a propaghandist, fear mongering, opportunist right?

 

yeah and rx8 without a rotary would just not be right in my mind...couldn't do it...personally

 

I'm not saying I prefer pistons. All i'm saying is i'd rather lose 'some' of my car, vs 'all' of my car, to save some gas.

 

Theres no such thing as global warming. Read "State of Fear" by michael crichton.

 

WTF?

Have you even looked up the specs on the hydro rx-8 before saying it's your ideal car?

You can travel 100 km before needing to refill too! woot.

All at the low low cost of $3,576 US a month ($42,000 a year to lease it)

 

No need to wait fo a 16x, Mazda has already sold 1.3l Renesis rotaries that run on hydrogen, but they suck in several ways. Range on a tank of hydrogen is only 60 miles and there's no power and it costs too much money to make hydrogen.

 

Those are all early figures and there will be a lot of refining over the next 20 years if hydrogen or even hydrogen rotary catches on.

 

I wouldn't get an RX8 with a non-turbo 4 banger in it. Eliminates most of the innovation and uniqueness of the vehicle. If they threw in the 263 hp turbo out of the speed3, I might consider it. That engine supposedly gets around 25 mpg to it.

 

my signiture says it all

 

cmr, what engine is that? I doubt you put it in there for "fuel economy".

 

sr20 det....about 25 mpg for highway and 18 or so around town without getting into boost from what im told. i have to drive alot and jacksonville is friggin huge so the fuel cost will be alot better than the 14mpg i was gettin with the renny

 

im curious, how do you like it with the sr20det in it? hows you WHP?

what type of tranny is it mounted to? im jacking this thread but i think a sr20det in a rx8 is pretty interesting so flame me if you need too haha

 

nice. Always been a fan of the sr20. More torque, better fuel economy. Winning combination.

Which generation? Ever had it dynoed?

 

well its not done yet.. i have a thread started

 

State of Fear is a good book, with interesting ideas and data. However, Michael Crichton is a fiction writer with his own agenda. Much of his "data" is misapplied and misinterpreted to say what he wants. You really can't take it at face value without doing some further reading and research.

That being said, I think global warming is totally overplayed and overworried. I think we should work on getting away from fossil fuels, reducing pollution, and all that jazz. If we do all this and global warming actually isn't happening, all we have done is made this world a better place. But to get all worked up about it? Count me out.

 

You have just described the MX-5. And the MX-5 itself is just a shortened RX-8 with a droptop, minus about 500 lbs. Put the 4 cyl in the RX-8 and it will probably go up to 3100. Granted, my MX-5 is pretty quick and nimble...but putting this engine in the RX-8? The dynamics may be there, but it would be horribly slow....like 8+ second 0-60. I just don't think it would work.