Went on my first autocross with an RX-8 last weekend with San Francisco's SCCA in Golden Gate Fields. For those unfamiliar with the venue it's a decent asphalt surface but has a fair bit of debris. We were in the second run group of the day so the course was semi-clean.

Tires were set 2.5 PSI higher than stock all around. The manual car has the GT package but is otherwise completely stock.

The course was fairly basic. No slaloms, only one box with a wider entrance and narrower exit, a couple decreasing radius turns.

I've been autocrossing in B-Stock with street tires for the past year in a Honda S2000 (stock except for stiffer front sway bar) and the year prior to that in Street Modified Novice with a BMW 540i. Just by the numbers I expected the RX8 to be slightly worse than the S2000 (100 lbs heavier, less HP and torque, softer springs).

Contrary to other people's reports, I did not experience any understeering with DSC fully disengaged. In fact the opposite happened with oversteer both going into a decreasing radius turn as well as when applying the throttle coming out of a turn. I was also pleasantly surprised that body roll wasn't as big a factor as I feared. The suspension does feel unsettled taking highway sweepers at 70 mph but I didn't feel any of that during the autocross runs.

Compared to the S2000 the RX8 doesn't seem to accelerate as quickly. The suspension/tires are also worse. While it's unfair to compare RE040's to S-02's, the RX8 as is did not have as much grip. I had to go slower into a turn, wait longer before applying throttle and ease onto the throttle more gently. Try to step on the gas too much (not even WOT) and the back end would start to break loose. To be fair some of this is due to my inexperience with the RX8.

Reduced grip was probably compounded by the poor stock alignment. (See the alignment thread for more info.) Before the alignment I could take a 15 mph turn at 30 mph before the tires started to squeal. After alignment that same turn could be negotiated at 40 mph.

I did some statistical analysis of my times in the S2000 compared to the RX8. One event in the RX8 isn't a very good sample but it was within one standard deviation of my average time in the S2000.

I also watched the Motortrend RX8 review last night. They were really drifting the RX8 through the autocross track. I wonder if the RX8 will turn out to be a good drift car?



This was taken at the event by Doug Richardson. I'm going into a basic left hand turn. Note how much the springs compress--the right front tire air dam looks like it's almost scraping the ground.
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LovelyWendie

 

...wow, that sounds pretty good: might even be actually competitive with the S2000 in the right conditions.

anyways, i'm surprised you didn't expect the RX-8 to slop around an auto-x... is there ANY stock car (that you could afford ) that wouldn't benefit from much stiffer springs and shocks in a high-load application like this??

 

Integra Type R and EVO. They are pretty stiff from the factory and literally could go straight to the track and do pretty well. That's not to say, they couldn't be improved on a little bit.

 

That I can afford? I'm sure there are a number of cars under $100k that handle pretty well stock.

Actually I'm pretty happy with the S2000's stock suspension. Penske shocks would be an improvement of course but the stock springs/shocks track pretty well.

It's because of the stock springs that I don't think the RX8 will really be competitive with the S2000 in B-Stock. BSP maybe.
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The Cigar Boss

 

oh, you mean that in this stock class you actually have to be stock??? oh yeah, the 8 won't have a chance.

excuse my auto-x ignorance

 

They thought that about the Miata, also. But my 99 10AE (and others like it) routinely win National events with the fastest stock times (until those pesky Z06's showed up).

And, if you look at CSP Miata's, typically they are slower than stock Miata's, and they have MUCH stiffer springs. Hmmmmm.


We'll know soon enough..........stay tuned

 

It won't be BSP unless some serious mods are made. BS is where SCCA puts it. Put some Konis on it, a little larger front sway bar and some Hoosiers and it will be competitive. All these changes would keeo it in BS!:D

 

Almost. SCCA's stock class means only items installed at the factory or port are legal (no dealer installed spoilers or wings). You can change shocks, air intake filter, cat-back exhaust and put any tires you want on the stock size rims and that's it.

I agree that putting Penske remote reservoir shocks is hardly in spirit of true stock, but them's their rules.
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