"Despite a few minor irritants reducing its gloss, Mazda has done a commendable job of delivering a "true" sports car with functional rear seating. The RX-8 is an extremely agile, visually stimulating piece that derives its exhilarating performance from a unique, remarkably simple powerplant. The Renesis rotary engine tucked beneath the RX-8's scalloped hood gives the car the internal fortitude to be confidently different in a homogenous mechanized world."

From...Auto123.com

 

So yeah, the RX-8 isn't the fastest sports car out there, nor does it boast the highest lateral G rating or the fastest slalom speed. But it's one of the best balanced sports cars out on the market today. This car will shine on the race track yet it is comfortable enough to use every day. Again... balance. We could go on and on about this car's positive traits, but we don't have enough room. Go out and drive one of these cars. Now.
Mazda hosts a bunch of ride-and-drive events across the country, so you have no excuse as to why you can't experience the magic of the rotary.

From..IGN.com (October,2006)

 

TopGear is a UK made BBC Motoring program with a huge following world wide.

Jeremy Clarkson is also well known and it one of it's Host's and Reviewers.

The link below is Clarkson on the Mazda RX-8 with his overview and test drive.
Then the "STIG" (professional Touring car driver) takes the Mazda on a timed and fast lap.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRiPSlx8PxA


Please post comments to this video in "Official Top Gear Thread" link.

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...08#post1717708

 

...And they maintained this v-max speed for a full 24 hours, crossing the line just after noon on Sunday 3rd October, with Shoji Tokuda enthusiastically waving the chequered flag. "There's no tougher test than this," he said. "We can't think of a better example of the reliability, strength and power of the Mazda RX-8's RENESIS engine than a round-the-clock race against time.".....

From...SeriousWheels.com

http://seriouswheels.com/cars/top-20...Record-Run.htm

 

2007 RX-8 Voted the favorite over the Audi TT, Nissan 350Z, Ford Shelby GT.


http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...azda-rx-8.html

 

"To help celebrate the 40 th Anniversary of Mazda’s rotary engine, Mazda will offer a limited-edition 40 th Anniversary RX-8. Available in early 2008, the 40 th Anniversary RX-8 will feature a special Metropolitan Gray exterior/Cosmo Red leather interior color scheme, unique 18-inch alloy wheels, suspension enhancements, fog lamps, silver engine cover and special badging. "

From Mazda Media USA

 

MAZDA RX-8

"The Mazda RX-8’s styling is redolent of the venerable RX-7’s, but it has been modified for a cleaner, more contemporary look. Its exterior is made up of sharp lines and bulging sheet metal that turns the RX-8 into a sinewy, well-muscled athlete in motion. Inspired by its unconventional triangular rotary engine, the RX-8 sports the rotor design elements on the hood, front fascia and rear bumper. Its fender-hugging five-spoke alloy wheels, low profile and side vents work in concert to make the RX-8 arguably the most stylish, lust-provoking modern Mazda ever built.

Uber stylish: One particular design element that stands out is the RX-8's exaggerated front fenders. Not only do these fenders do a seamless job of housing the front projector beams and alloy wheels, but they also make the RX-8 look broad shouldered and intimidating when seen front the front."

 

"But one thing's for sure: No other sporting car on the planet sounds and feels anything like any Mazda Wankel-powered vehicle. Mazda's continuous and relentless development has kept the Wankel smog-legal and relevant for 40 years, and there's no foreseeable end in sight. Because the combustion and exhaust events take place in a different part of the engine than the intake and compression, the intake area remains much cooler, making the Wankel rotary ideally suited for hydrogen combustion, and demonstrator vehicles are on the road in Japan today. So we say happy birthday, Mazda Rotary, and many, many more."

From MotorTrend.com

http://blogs.motortrend.com/6214902/...win/index.html

 

Winding Road's Top 50 Cars 2005

#11 Mazda RX-8

"Another “underpowered” car that works brilliantly, making you wonder whether 612-hp cars are really necessary. Like a fine French meal where the courses and pleasures just keep coming, the RX- 8’s rotary motor serves up a decent amount of punch and lovely soundtrack, and stretches it out long enough to enjoy it on the street. The RX-8 isn’t only about engine design either. It has a responsive chassis, with superior turn-in, relatively flat cornering, and a respectable ride. Combine that with Novocain-free steering and a very reasonable price, and you’ve got the sports car experience most people would want. But wait, there’s more! This little puppy comes with a truly usable back seat. While the 911 and the 645Ci rear accommodations work fine for the under-12 set, full 6-footers can fit happily in the back and front of the RX-8."

 

Review of the 2008 RX-8 by CNET.com

"If there is any justification for Mazda's claim to being the brand of "zoom zoom" driving, it is the RX-8 coupe. With its tiny rotary engine, chiseled exterior profile, and racing heritage, the RX-8 is an attractive and individual package that competes with cars above its price range. "

 

yes... sticky please, good job putting this together ASH8

 

Yeah, Thanks mate...it is already a sticky...thanks to Zoom44 (Charlie Marzda )

I am waiting to catch up on real reviews of the new face lifted RX-8 soon...hopefully will post here.

 

Informative Video on the Series 1 RX-8.

http://www.motorguru.com/video.html?v=22

 

The RX-8 remains a one-off, its engine sees to that, but the engineering culture that spawned it really shines through in this car. The overall package hasn’t changed so you’ve got boot space that’s not too shabby for a sports tin-top. It’s still a four-door too, those rear ‘suicide’ doors giving access to two rear seats that make optimistic use of space. The interior is cool as well, with extremely supportive Recaros and leather trim to all four seats.

Overall, it’s a unique package and the powertrain really hits the spot if you want to drive quickly. Thanks to the laws of physics, rotary engines will always suffer when it comes to torque and extracting any performance means keeping them spinning fast.

That may not be particularly good for the wallet because the RENESIS is still a bit of a thirsty beast with a combined fuel consumption of 24.9mpg. You need to keep an eye on oil consumption, too.

That said, the RX-8 is a high-spec, one-model car in the UK so there’s no options list. Fuel penalties aside, it’s a unique, exhilarating drive and a lot of car for the money.

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/...ontent-block=3

 

"In the purest sense of a sports car, the rear-drive RX-8 is the most satisfying through corners. I felt like it was a glove on my hand. I could put it right where I wanted. Extremely well balanced, easy to drift, unfettered by weight. The all-wheel-drive cars tend to understeer, and then when they do break loose it's a big event and a lot happens. In the RX-8, on the other hand, things happen a little bit at a time. It's just so much fun to drive." Pobst's words only reinforce our own: Big handling numbers are instructive and meaningful, but they often tell you nothing about the actual experience of driving a car, how it "feels." Though underpowered and under-tired compared with other entries here, the RX-8 has grace and fluidity and balance like few other sports cars on the market today. "The more powerful cars feel like riding a horse," Pobst says. "The RX-8 feels like wings bolted right to your arms."

The 2009 Mazda RX-8 R3 (GT in Other Countries) came in 4TH Position.

http://www.motortrend.com/features/p..._8_bmw_m3.html

VIDEO OF RX-8 R3 (GT Outside the USA)

http://www.motortrend.com/av/roadtes...deo/index.html


Mazda RX-8 Conclusion
"There is perhaps no better proof of our "the numbers don't tell the whole story" mantra than the Mazda RX-8 (4th place). This isn't a fast car, as its lap time proves. It doesn't shine in the lane change or in ride quality. Steep-steer reaction time is third-best. Yet the Mazda is the very definition of "elegant." Pobst ranked it third on his finishing list. We practically had to yank a few of our exuberant test drivers out of the car, lest they drift the rear tires into smoky oblivion. The steering is alive in your hands, communicative and light. The RX-8 goes where you point it-no second-guesses, no hiccups. Out on public roads, it slips through turns like Hermes silk pulled through a scarf ring. It doesn't beat you up, take unexpected slide trips, or force you to work hard. This is handling hard-wired to your synapses. That three cars finished higher than the RX-8 only shows just how good they are."

Final Results:
1. Audi R8
2. Nissan GTR
3. BMW M3
4. MAZDA RX-8 R3
5. Porsche 911 Turbo
6. Mitsubishi EVO
7. Dodge Viper ACR
8. Mini Cooper S
9. Chevrolet Cobolt SS
10. Ford Shelby GT500KR

 

The 2009 Mazda RX-8 R3 came in 8 TH Place, still after ALL these years the Mazda RX-8 continues to be a phenomenal Drivers car..

This is some of what AutoExpress said on the RX-8...

Quote...

"If there’s one thing you can guarantee about our annual Performance Car of the Year bonanza, it’s that one model will surprise everyone – and this year it was the Mazda RX-8.
We’ve always been fans, but even we were not prepared for the latest R3 to be quite so accomplished around the undulating Anglesey circuit. Perfect 50:50 weight distribution ensures supreme balance, while precise steering and excellent traction help raise the grin factor.
In damp conditions the rear-wheel-drive chassis is predictable and progressive, yet in the dry we found the immense grip made it hard to unsettle the back tyres.

Against the stopwatch the Mazda was outpaced by 16 of its rivals here, but this is proof that track-based fun isn’t all about speed.

In terms of pure chassis balance and driving enjoyment, you will need to look towards the top finishers to find something more rewarding. The firm’s engineers have also managed to eradicate the clunky transmission feel that was a hallmark of previous models, so it’s smoother to drive on the road, too. The distinctive rotary motor is still thirsty and requires regular oil top-ups, while the car’s familiar looks do it no favours in the desirability stakes.
But as a pure driver’s machine the RX-8 proves you don’t need a billionaire’s budget to own one of the very best".


1 Nissan GT-R 61.3 secs
2 Porsche Cayman S 64.3 secs
3 MINI JCW 67.7 secs
4 BMW M3 Coupe 63.8 secs
5 Lamborghini LP560-4 60.5 secs
6 Renaultsport Clio Cup 68.7 secs
7 Mercedes SL63 AMG 64.6 secs
8 Mazda RX-8 R3 68.1 secs
9 Audi TT S 65.5 secs
10 Porsche 911 GT2 59.8 secs
11 Lotus Elise SC 65.3 secs
12 Caterham Superlight R500 60.1 secs
13 KTM X-Bow 61.5 secs
14 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster 64.0 secs
15 Volkswagen Scirocco GT 68.6 secs
16 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X GSR FQ-360 64.0 secs
17 Corvette Z06 61.5 secs
18 Jaguar XF SV8 67.0 secs
19 Subaru Impreza WRX STi 66.3 secs
20 Abarth Grande Punto 71.5 secs

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carrevi...da_rx8_r3.html

 

http://www.mazda.co.uk/showroom/rx-8...ID=Teaser_main

F1 winner Johnny Herbert drives the Mazda RX-8 R3
Since 1991, legendary Formula One driver Johnny Herbert has had a deep affinity with Mazda.

He won the Le Mans 24 Hours in a Mazda 787B. And now he's back behind the wheel to put the stunning Mazda RX-8 R3 through its paces.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgTzcuS-s-w

This is the 5 Minute Video, can be viewed in Higher Definition too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNOAoe667pQ

Or the 2 Minute Version with other scenes

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For a Laugh, here is the Video Out Takes... Uncensored.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXmp9qbehPk

 

time for a new one

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2009-mazda-rx-r3/

 

Although not "Media News" this is our Clubs Detailed List of ALL the Mechanical Changes to the 09~ Series II RX-8.

They are considerable improvements..

https://www.rx8club.com/series-ii-technical-trouble-shooting-160/mechanical-changes-rx-8-series-i-ii-161665/

 

http://www.carguideweb.com/articles/3555/

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-media-news-11/mazda-rx8-r3-precision-rotary-powered-167659/

 

http://cars.about.com/od/mazda/fr/09_rx8r3.htm

And that's one (but only one) of the reasons I love the Mazda RX-8: It's one of the few sports cars tailored for short people. Perhaps I should say short drivers, because unlike most sports cars, the RX-8 is a proper four-seater -- and you don't have to be built like Napoleon to fit in the back.

Bottom line: The RX-8 may be getting on in years, but it's still one of the best in the biz. If you're looking for true sports-car action, I highly recommend the RX-8 R3. Unless you're tall. And in that case, all I can say is... HAH! How do like us short guys now? -- Aaron Gold

 

http://www.autofiends.com/2008/09/20...iend-vs-fiend/

Balance is the key, as balance equals control. You know what? I’m just going to go ahead and say it — the Mazda RX-8 R3’s a better driver’s car than the EVO X !

 

http://www.windingroad.com/articles/...r3-stands-all/

The Audi R8 is great, and in a way a bargain, but it also benchmarks what the RX-8 has achieved. If the Audi is well worth $114K, then I'd say the RX-8 should go for $85K. Not bad: an $85K car for $32K. If you just have to spend $114K, I'd suggest the RX-8 as weekend toy and a Jaguar XJ if the lux/exec vibe is what's missing. If the RX-8 isn't quite hardcore enough, then I'd go for the RX-8 as a daily driver and the Lotus Exige S240 when you really want to explore the edge.

NEED I SAY ANYMORE??

 

"Fears no corners" C/D