Car & Driver RX Review
04-09-2004 | 08:45 AM
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From: Mars
Car & Driver RX Review
First Place
Mazda RX-8
Die-hard RX-7 fans, conditioned by three generations of extra-virgin sports cars, have been waiting to see if this four-seat model continues its predecessor's sporting tradition. So let's answer that question first: From the driver's seat, the new RX-8 is the best RX ever.
Credit Mazda's clever packaging, which incorporates space for four adults into a body no longer than a Porsche 911. Even more important, the RX-8 weighs a mere 2940 pounds—that's 560 pounds less than the G35 and even 200 less than the aforementioned Porsche.
First Place
Mazda RX-8
Highs: Responsive and capable chassis, excellent package, light weight, great value.
Lows: No midrange grunt, tiny trunk opening, bulbous profile.
The Verdict: A genuine sports car that holds four adults.
The RX-8's feathery weight provides the kind of delicate responsiveness that cannot be duplicated by a heavier machine, no matter how wide its tires or stiff its suspension. Much like its smaller sibling, the Miata, the RX-8 almost reads your thoughts and carries out your desires before you even move the controls.
Not only does the RX-8 turn into corners with a fluid linearity, but it also continues to respond accurately even as the cornering forces build at higher speeds. The car is so securely planted that you feel confident leaning on its tires as you corner ever harder. In the RX-8, that means leaning on its rear tires because the suspension has a very neutral balance.
Achieving this communication and responsiveness at low limits is not so hard, but the RX-8 does it at 0.91 g, a considerable margin beyond the cornering capabilities of these two competitors. Its transient handling is similarly superior. And the RX-8 is the best stopper of this bunch. Despite these handling advantages, the RX-8 was the slowest on the racetrack, and that's because of a shortage of midrange grunt in its rotary engine. Peak power is decent at 250 horsepower, but it's developed at 8500 rpm. Torque, however, is a mere 159 pound-feet—down 111 and 231 pound-feet on the two other cars—and it comes at 5500 rpm, which is nearly as high as the others' power peaks. Think Honda S2000 power band, and you get the idea.
To get the most out of this car, you must be willing to use its 9000-rpm redline and maybe even the 500 additional rpm to the engine's rev limiter. As usual with rotaries, that's no hardship. The engine gains rpm so smoothly and freely that a tone sounds at 8500 rpm to warn you that the redline is approaching.
With the help of an 8000-rpm clutch drop and the engine buzzing like a flock of angry hornets, the RX-8 scooted to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds at 96 mph. But that performance falls off considerably without a tire-frying launch. In our street-start test from 5 to 60 mph, the RX-8 needed 7.5 seconds—1.6 seconds longer than the hard-launch time, which is twice the deficit we found with either of the other cars. And despite its trim weight and short gearing (20 mph per 1000 rpm in sixth), the RX-8 also had the slowest top-gear acceleration times by a wide margin.
Although the RX-8 never pins you to the seat, it still had no trouble keeping up with the two others on a fast winding road. Its six-speed gearbox is a delight to shift—almost as light and direct as a Miata's—so keeping the revs above 6000 is no chore. And with the RX-8's capable and reassuring handling, you simply don't slow as much for the corners as you do in the others.
Interestingly, this responsive handling does not incur a penalty in straight-line stability or ride harshness. With its 106.3-inch wheelbase and perfectly weighted power steering, the Mazda displays an excellent sense of straight-ahead that makes long highway cruises relaxing. The same goes for the ride, which is perhaps the hardest and loudest of this group but still far from uncomfortable.
This driving satisfaction comes with a back seat that is, among these contestants, the most suitable for adults. Headroom is adequate for six-footers, and there's enough legroom so you don't have to splay your knees around the front seats. And getting back there is greatly assisted by the little half-doors.
On paper, the RX-8's trunk is rated at eight cubic feet, the same as the G35's, but its shape is more convoluted. Combined with a rather small opening, it's the least useful trunk in the bunch. And in the interests of structural efficiency and rear crash protection, the rear seats do not fold down to expand trunk space.
Still, packing even this much usable volume into such a small and light car is a remarkable achievement. Although some of us aren't smitten with the RX-8's somewhat swollen profile, we were all surprised at how much character the front-end styling displays in person. The front fenders are much more highly sculpted than most photos show, and they drew a great deal of favorable attention.
Inside, the RX is trimmed with quality materials and unusual bright accents in the shape of engine rotors scattered throughout the cockpit. We all noticed the strange proximity of stereo and climate controls and the lack of a speedometer dial in the instrument cluster, but after a few hours, we got used to monitoring our speed from a digital display.
Despite its engine's lack of wide-ranging power, the RX-8 ultimately delivered the greatest driving satisfaction combined with the best four-person usability. And it did so at an as-tested price of $28,300 (an approximation for this preproduction car with a mongrel mix of features). In this trio, that was enough for victory.
-Car & Driver
Mazda RX-8
Die-hard RX-7 fans, conditioned by three generations of extra-virgin sports cars, have been waiting to see if this four-seat model continues its predecessor's sporting tradition. So let's answer that question first: From the driver's seat, the new RX-8 is the best RX ever.
Credit Mazda's clever packaging, which incorporates space for four adults into a body no longer than a Porsche 911. Even more important, the RX-8 weighs a mere 2940 pounds—that's 560 pounds less than the G35 and even 200 less than the aforementioned Porsche.
First Place
Mazda RX-8
Highs: Responsive and capable chassis, excellent package, light weight, great value.
Lows: No midrange grunt, tiny trunk opening, bulbous profile.
The Verdict: A genuine sports car that holds four adults.
The RX-8's feathery weight provides the kind of delicate responsiveness that cannot be duplicated by a heavier machine, no matter how wide its tires or stiff its suspension. Much like its smaller sibling, the Miata, the RX-8 almost reads your thoughts and carries out your desires before you even move the controls.
Not only does the RX-8 turn into corners with a fluid linearity, but it also continues to respond accurately even as the cornering forces build at higher speeds. The car is so securely planted that you feel confident leaning on its tires as you corner ever harder. In the RX-8, that means leaning on its rear tires because the suspension has a very neutral balance.
Achieving this communication and responsiveness at low limits is not so hard, but the RX-8 does it at 0.91 g, a considerable margin beyond the cornering capabilities of these two competitors. Its transient handling is similarly superior. And the RX-8 is the best stopper of this bunch. Despite these handling advantages, the RX-8 was the slowest on the racetrack, and that's because of a shortage of midrange grunt in its rotary engine. Peak power is decent at 250 horsepower, but it's developed at 8500 rpm. Torque, however, is a mere 159 pound-feet—down 111 and 231 pound-feet on the two other cars—and it comes at 5500 rpm, which is nearly as high as the others' power peaks. Think Honda S2000 power band, and you get the idea.
To get the most out of this car, you must be willing to use its 9000-rpm redline and maybe even the 500 additional rpm to the engine's rev limiter. As usual with rotaries, that's no hardship. The engine gains rpm so smoothly and freely that a tone sounds at 8500 rpm to warn you that the redline is approaching.
With the help of an 8000-rpm clutch drop and the engine buzzing like a flock of angry hornets, the RX-8 scooted to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds at 96 mph. But that performance falls off considerably without a tire-frying launch. In our street-start test from 5 to 60 mph, the RX-8 needed 7.5 seconds—1.6 seconds longer than the hard-launch time, which is twice the deficit we found with either of the other cars. And despite its trim weight and short gearing (20 mph per 1000 rpm in sixth), the RX-8 also had the slowest top-gear acceleration times by a wide margin.
Although the RX-8 never pins you to the seat, it still had no trouble keeping up with the two others on a fast winding road. Its six-speed gearbox is a delight to shift—almost as light and direct as a Miata's—so keeping the revs above 6000 is no chore. And with the RX-8's capable and reassuring handling, you simply don't slow as much for the corners as you do in the others.
Interestingly, this responsive handling does not incur a penalty in straight-line stability or ride harshness. With its 106.3-inch wheelbase and perfectly weighted power steering, the Mazda displays an excellent sense of straight-ahead that makes long highway cruises relaxing. The same goes for the ride, which is perhaps the hardest and loudest of this group but still far from uncomfortable.
This driving satisfaction comes with a back seat that is, among these contestants, the most suitable for adults. Headroom is adequate for six-footers, and there's enough legroom so you don't have to splay your knees around the front seats. And getting back there is greatly assisted by the little half-doors.
On paper, the RX-8's trunk is rated at eight cubic feet, the same as the G35's, but its shape is more convoluted. Combined with a rather small opening, it's the least useful trunk in the bunch. And in the interests of structural efficiency and rear crash protection, the rear seats do not fold down to expand trunk space.
Still, packing even this much usable volume into such a small and light car is a remarkable achievement. Although some of us aren't smitten with the RX-8's somewhat swollen profile, we were all surprised at how much character the front-end styling displays in person. The front fenders are much more highly sculpted than most photos show, and they drew a great deal of favorable attention.
Inside, the RX is trimmed with quality materials and unusual bright accents in the shape of engine rotors scattered throughout the cockpit. We all noticed the strange proximity of stereo and climate controls and the lack of a speedometer dial in the instrument cluster, but after a few hours, we got used to monitoring our speed from a digital display.
Despite its engine's lack of wide-ranging power, the RX-8 ultimately delivered the greatest driving satisfaction combined with the best four-person usability. And it did so at an as-tested price of $28,300 (an approximation for this preproduction car with a mongrel mix of features). In this trio, that was enough for victory.
-Car & Driver
04-09-2004 | 12:23 PM
#7
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 150
Likes: 0
Thank You So Very Much
Thank You So Very Much for this extremely informative post. Excellent review about the rx8. Very nicely written, very well grammered, well sentenced. I will go back and read it again.
Yes indeed, the rx8 certainly is one terffic automobile and I believe I will go for a drive later this afternoon.
Bye Bye
Yes indeed, the rx8 certainly is one terffic automobile and I believe I will go for a drive later this afternoon.
Bye Bye
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