Ive read about a million times that the 8 is not a drag car, but I have been wondering what it would take to put the 8 into the low 12's and even high 11's at the track, with no engine swap. Anyone have some ideas? (And no I don't really care for anyone's opinions about whether they like the idea of trying, just curious for opinions of what it would take.

 

Ive never even seen a sheet of an 8 hitting a HIGH 12 second pass. Forget 11's.

 

def not impossible, 11's even are possible. You'll need a turbo(+ lots of upgrades, ignition, etc), stronger clutch and tranny, drag tires, and lots of practice.

 

im pretty sure the rx8s with 300whp+ run 12s...

mazsport has put out a dyno with 380whp. im pretty sure that rx8 can run 11s...

 

380 rwhp can run 11s in most any 3000lb car with a built drivetrain and sticky tire.
Figure beefed up clutch/tranny/driveshaft connected to a built rear end cranking a steep gear, turning hardened axles, spinning some sticky drag radials or slicks.
Custom Ford 9" rear anyone?

It's possible, just not practicable.

 

I do not think you will need axles and a rear end, probably just a clutch (maybe not), and a trans upgrade. The stock driveshaft should be fine.

 

\^^^Ya might get lucky.....a few times..

Wouldn't count on it being too reliable

 

Ever launched anything with significant output at 5K + rpm on sticky tires before? Things break- often.

I used to run 11's in my daily driven LS1 powered F-body.
The Camaro's T56 was a stout tranny, but the clutch, driveshaft, and rear end needed upgrading to be able to launch hard. I don't know how the RX8's tranny compares to a T56 in strength, nor am I able to estimate the rear diff's strength compared to a Ford 9" (stock GM 10 bolt was weaksauce, so I swapped it out for a 9inch). This is the setup needed for me to be able to launch hard, consistently, without breaking stuff.

Even with 380whp (which sounds like a lot, but is not), one needs a decent launch, cutting 60's in at least 1.7X's and at most 1.8x's to run 11's easily. Without a good launch, you'll see 12's all day.

A good ET can be attained with lower hp output, as long as there's the suspension and drivetrain to facilitate good weight transfer and grip at the launch- resulting in an 11.X ET at an unimpressive MPH trap. Without such a good launch, you'll need much more hp output to overcome a bad 60' to ET an 11.X, yet the MPH trap will be much higher.

So can an RX8 cut 11's with 380rwhp? Sure. Just be able to launch hard (and have the drivetrain which will allow you to do it).

 

I like to think of it like this: as quarter mile times go down, power must go up exponentially.

 

That's the common perception, but it's not the only way for Elapsed Times to go down.

For quarter mile times to go down, one may use the method of being able to launch hard and remain in one's powerband, or, one can simply mod for power and achieve a similar ET with a less aggressive launch.

Example:

- a lower powered car which launches hard and cuts a good 60' time can clock an 11sec. Elapsed Time with a trap speed in the mid teens (11X), in MPH. (car which beats you with a hole shot)

- a higher powered car which can't launch well can also clock a similar 11sec. ET at 120+ MPH. (car which reels you in)

 

hehe, yeah. my buddy's camaro. (fully built transmission, rear end, cams, headers, nitto 555 R drags, ~400whp, etc)

everything was fully built and hardened. except the stock lugs that kept the tires on. guess what broke when he had a really good launch?

that was stomach sinking to watch.

 

Gearing helps too. The Mazsport 5 speed transmission would greatly help.

Shifting one more time than everyone else at the dragstrip is a HUGE handicap.

 

only 2 shifts for me - my 3rd (JDM trans) takes me to 102mph ......

 

add a rotor

 

Aw heck. Nobody has the time, patience, or wallet to get an 8 into the 11's without swapping out the Renesis.

I don't think anybody cares enough to do it.

I'm guessing it would take some committment and knowledge... and a healthy dose of trial and error - read "new parts and replacing broken parts", "busted knuckles swapping out parts", and "a whole bunch of mildly used aftermarket parts that will soon end up in the parts section instead of on my car because they didn't do what I needed them to do"

I think it would cool to get a Renesis 8 into the high 12's with a documented setup... and maybe that's just MM's setup. Anything more is kind of stupid and overkill for the 8.

 

if i keep my car long enough, it'll run low 12s. but thats 5 years out, so lets see.