Motor Trend March 2004 eludes to MazdaSpeed Supercharged RX-8 in the article testing RX-8, S2000, & 350Z. The magazine indicates that it may be a year or so, but who's with me in signing up for the first one!
I am starting out with an AT for my wife this year to break her in to her first sports car, but I will definately be interested in the supercharged RX-8 future version of this design.
Mazda if your keeping tabs on this forum (as many manufactures do to receive the purist unsolicited feedback for design, manufacturing, and advertising) for future product line development, I am very interested in the future MazdaSpeed supercharged RX-8. BUT PLEASE USE BRONZE OR ALUMINUM VACUUM CONNECTIONS. After many broken vacuum t's on my 93 RX-7 R1 and according to many techs I have spoken with, this problem in the Mazda line up is not only related to the RX-7 Turbos. The supercharged Millenia experiences the same problems due to residual heat build up in the engine compartment leading to brittle vacuum fitting failures.

Either RX-8 or New RX-7 renderings I have seen on this site, I am Truely a Rotary Fan and will continue to support Mazda's efforts to keep the Rotary Alive.
BRING IT ON!

 

Interesting. I have an Aussie (or UK) magazine that also talks about an "Eaton Supercharged" RX-8.

Today, however, I picked up my car from the body shop (someone rear ended me). My Body shop guy, whom I've known for 11yrs, said that there was a turbo version arriving this November. I asked where he got that info. He told me that after speaking to his buddy in parts at a local Mazda dealer, his buddy went on about the new turbo version and that they "should be in late Nov. and were already informed about.

Of course it is purely he said she said... But hey, here's to hoping. :D

 

Will current RX-8 owners be able to mod the current engine auto or mt to supercharge it?

 

That is great news

 

Hope they fix all of the "problems" most of you complain about(mpg, idle, starting, flooding, etc.) so when I get it in 2k something, I will be even happier than I am now with this car(even though I'm 14, and don't own it).

 

That should be "a few of you complain about", rather than "most of you". Most of us are extremely happy with our RX-8s and have no problems. Not trying to detract from those few individuals who are experiencing problems, but it's NOT most of us!

PS - Motor Trend is a rag (ie useless poorly written subjective low quality magazine), well known for decades for publishing unfounded rumours with no regard for any basis in truth. I sure wouldn't be counting on a forced induction version of the RX-8 just because MT says so!

Regards,
Gordon

 

I agree with Gordon, on both points!

But then I've intentionally avoided calculating the mileage of my RX-8. Why cause myself grief over something I can't really control?

George

 

you want to know something? i wouldn't have guessed your age from your user name.

 

Agreed. I wouldn't read anything from that Magazine. A lot of the stats are wrong as well, simply unbelievable. I bought a 90 Eclipse turbo when they came out (highly moded) and over a years time, Motor Trend published different stats 3 times for that car, they were all wrong! They seem to like the G35 and awful lot, it's a good car but boy do they go overboard hyping certain cars!I like Motor week online, they seem to be reputable.

 

I would like to se a superchargeed renesis, but not in the rx-8. I think that combination would leave no room for an rx-7 in the line up, unless the rx-7 is positioned way upmarket.

 

And... I bought the March MT issue because of the comparo with the RX-8. I didn't have time to read it in the store so I just grabbed it.

Lame-o. There's such a lack of info there it's ridiculous. Very little meat to that review. Ok, so I like the conclusion they came to. Big deal.

Overall, MT bites.

C&D and R&T are the only ones that do anything for me as far as US mags go.

 

R&T talked about the (slight) possibility of a hydraulic turbo

 

I really like Automobile, mainly because they are so willing to be subjective about which car they like best. They remind me of Evo (UK), which is my fav right now. I get tired of the notion that you can pick a winner based on a points total in a spreadsheet.

 

Motor Trend is exactly a year behind the times. We knew about the supercharger a year ago... exactly!

http://rotarynews.com/view.php?id=158

We also reported on this just before the Tokyo Autoshow... Giving the idea of a SC RX-8 a 3/5 star chance of appearing at the show.
http://rotarynews.com/view.php?id=211

But, what it means when it is printed in MT is that the program is fairly far along, far enough along that they allowed them to print it... Given past history as a guide, I'd say we are looking for it a debut in 8-12 months (SEMA?), and 14-18 months from now before it is available at your local Mazdaspeed dealer.