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has anyone switched from one brand to the RX8 for track use and if so why

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Old 09-22-2010, 09:12 AM
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has anyone switched from one brand to the RX8 for track use and if so why

I won this car and i was thinking of selling it because im a porsche fan and always wanted one. I know mazda kicks but on the track and just wanted to know if anyone can compare the rx8 to a porsche. Also what are some good websites for mods for this car for road track use, thanks in advance!

Old 09-22-2010, 09:36 AM
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Get a gt3 rs, that's a porsche
Old 09-22-2010, 09:38 AM
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rx8 brakes as well if not better than most Porsches.
Handles better than most porsches.
It does not have the power the Porsche does.
Transmission is better
Driver feedback is better
visability is better
it is MUCH easier to work on than a Porsche.
it is the only car in the world running this engine. No other car IN THE WORLD has an engine like this.
This forum has a great amount of info about track prep--according to what level of driver you are. Its pretty good right out of the box.
Welcome to the brotherhood!
OD
Old 09-22-2010, 09:50 AM
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Od did you use to drag race? I use to run a mustang in nhra stock eliminator.

Thanks for the input guys, decisions decisions!!
Old 09-22-2010, 10:00 AM
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Originally Posted by ajcjr
I won this car
Congrats on winning the Foose RX-8. IMHO I would put this up for auction at one of the many BJ auctions and try to make make back some of the tax hit your going to take. Good luck!
Old 09-22-2010, 10:10 AM
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Originally Posted by IHitCones
Congrats on winning the Foose RX-8. IMHO I would put this up for auction at one of the many BJ auctions and try to make make back some of the tax hit your going to take. Good luck!
Its so funny how whenever you tell anyone you won a car the first thing they mention is taxes. Whats a bj auction?

if you know anyone interested in buying the car let me know (car is in nyc), i dont have to sell in order to pay the taxes, i may just buy a porsche instead.
Old 09-22-2010, 10:26 AM
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if the car is stock or close to it, i can tell you the car is slow and it wont get near any porsche at the track. i got rid of mine because it was so disappointing at the track. of course if it is free, who cares right
Old 09-22-2010, 10:55 AM
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Wrong. Stock rx8 with slight track prep--midpipe, brake pads and a slightly upgraded suspension for example will run with the porsche 944 (non turbo of course).
It will also run with the earlier oem boxers and the c4 vettes. Braking and handling is it's strenghts. Learn to use them.

I grew up in the 60's---did i drag race---you might say that!
I loved big block chevy's--all motor. Ran a 55 chev.
Mustangs sure have gotten better.
OD
Old 09-22-2010, 11:24 AM
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sorry, i didnt know he was comparing it to 944s and old boxsters.

of course my new prius can outrun a stock fb at the track, its amazing what technology can do
Old 09-22-2010, 12:39 PM
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Originally Posted by olddragger
rx8 brakes as well if not better than most Porsches.
Handles better than most porsches.
It does not have the power the Porsche does.
Transmission is better
Driver feedback is better
visability is better
it is MUCH easier to work on than a Porsche.
it is the only car in the world running this engine. No other car IN THE WORLD has an engine like this.
This forum has a great amount of info about track prep--according to what level of driver you are. Its pretty good right out of the box.
Welcome to the brotherhood!
OD
Old 09-22-2010, 12:55 PM
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Originally Posted by tmak26b
if the car is stock or close to it, i can tell you the car is slow and it wont get near any porsche at the track. i got rid of mine because it was so disappointing at the track. of course if it is free, who cares right
..what a laugh I get 'near' to and OMG 'pass' Porsche, Ferrari, Lotus, Ford, BMW, hell all kinds of cars 'at the track', and yes in advanced DE groups, and yea it happens the other way around too... One key is to choose your tracks wisely (technical) and you'd be surprised what an 8 can beat.
.
.
Just 'cause you got HP doesn't mean you can drive a car with HP. In fact, it more than likely means you've got more money than skill from my experience. Not that there's anything wrong with that..there isn't. It's more like people think buying a fast car automagically get them around a track faster...it doesn't. So yea more HP driven with skill could very well able to beat your lap time in an 8 on many tracks (for one simple reason - long straights ), but I debate whether they'd beat your 'fun quotient'.
.
.
And multiple reviewers of the 8 have said that it's more rewarding to drive a well handling slow car fast on a track ....than use a fast car to simply brute force your way around or cover for your (or the cars) lack of ability. I'm ok with that statement, but if I had a Porsche Cayman S, I might not really care either because I'd have the best of both worlds, plus the skill to drive it well and beat the 8 lol.
.
.
Aside from that the 8 is far more unique than cookie cutter Porsches, Mustangs, or BMWs, etc. At the track if someone would ask me, "What I am driving?", and say a Porsche - they go blank - Porsche are a dime a dozen...if I say I drive an RX-8, they can comment on my car/ability/driving immediately, 'cause I'm driving a unique car, and no one dismisses the car's abilities, as they can plainly see the performance.

Hell, I had a young fellow come up to me at a gas station ra couple weeks ago, and say, "Aren't you the guy driving that red RX-8 (at a track 350 miles away) last year? "Why yes I am young man!" (and I wasn't even driving the RX-8 at that moment!)
.
.
Try getting level of notoriety driving a jellybean Porsche Some cars just stick in peoples minds!

Last edited by Spin9k; 09-22-2010 at 01:04 PM.
Old 09-22-2010, 12:57 PM
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I drive my Porsche Flatout!
Old 09-22-2010, 01:07 PM
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Originally Posted by ajcjr
Also what are some good websites for mods for this car for road track use, thanks in advance!
To the OP, you are here..this is the website.
Old 09-22-2010, 01:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Spin9k
..what a laugh I get 'close' to and OMG 'pass' Porsche, Ferrari, Lotus, Ford, BMW, hell all kinds of cars 'at the track', and yes in advanced DE groups. One key is to choose you tracks wisely (technical) and you'd be surprised what an 8 can beat.
.
.
Just 'cause you got HP doesn't mean you can drive a car with HP. In fact, it more than likely means you've got more money than skill from my experience. Not that there's anything wrong with that..there isn't. It's more like people think buying a fast car automagically get them around a track faster...it doesn't. So yea more HP driven with skill could very well able to beat your lap time in an 8 on many tracks (for one simple reason - long straights ), but I debate whether they'd beat your 'fun quotient'.
.
.
And multiple reviewers of the 8 have said that it's more rewarding to drive a well handling slow car fast on a track ....than use a fast car to simply brute force your way around or cover for your (or the cars) lack of ability. I'm ok with that statement, but if I had a Porsche Cayman S, I might not really care either because I'd have the best of both worlds, plus the skill to drive it well and beat the 8 lol.
.
.
Aside from that the 8 is far more unique than cookie cutter Porsches, Mustangs, or BMWs, etc. At the track if someone would ask me, "What I am driving?", and say a Porsche - they go blank - Porsche are a dime a dozen...if I say I drive an RX-8, they can comment on my car/ability/driving immediately, 'cause I'm driving a unique car, and no one dismisses the car's abilities, as they can plainly see the performance.

Hell, I had a young fellow come up to me at a gas station ra couple weeks ago, and say, "Aren't you the guy driving that red RX-8 (at a track 350 miles away) last year? "Why yes I am young man!" (and I wasn't even driving the RX-8 at that moment!)
.
.
Try getting level of notoriety driving a jellybean Porsche Some cars just stick in peoples minds!
I do agree with you on the fact that id rather drive a slow car fast on a track then a faster car, that is why i have been looking at miatas and spec racer fords as a race car, being able to flow around a track with less hp will make you a better driver. The rx8 would be a weekend/once in a while track car. yes its different but since i was a little boy i always wants a Porsche, the more i look at the rx8 the more i like it, i just dont know if its the car for me.

I will post up on another thread some great shots i have from Miller with the Mazdas shooting flames out the exhaust.

Thanks again for your views and opinions
Old 09-22-2010, 01:53 PM
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Feel is subjective, my prius is easier to drive at its limit than my old corvette , fc and z. Yet it doesnt mean it is fast. A good driver in a modern 911 is going to be faster than the same guy in rx8 99% of the time, the question is how big the gap is going to be.

Get yourself a lap timer and compare lap times, not what you see at the track!
Old 09-22-2010, 01:59 PM
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Originally Posted by olddragger
rx8 brakes as well if not better than most Porsches.
Handles better than most porsches.
It does not have the power the Porsche does.
Transmission is better
Driver feedback is better
visability is better
it is MUCH easier to work on than a Porsche.
it is the only car in the world running this engine. No other car IN THE WORLD has an engine like this.
This forum has a great amount of info about track prep--according to what level of driver you are. Its pretty good right out of the box.
Welcome to the brotherhood!
OD
brakes are better? compare to a 1985 944 sure. a modern 911 has much better brakes than the rx8. they are carrying an average of 5 or 10mph at the braking zone!!
Old 09-22-2010, 02:10 PM
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Originally Posted by tmak26b
Feel is subjective, my prius is easier to drive at its limit than my old corvette , fc and z. Yet it doesnt mean it is fast. A good driver in a modern 911 is going to be faster than the same guy in rx8 99% of the time, the question is how big the gap is going to be.

Get yourself a lap timer and compare lap times, not what you see at the track!
You're the one kidding yourself...'feel' isn't subjective...it's how the car drives. Specs sheets are subjective, they don't tell you how the car handles or treats the driver.
You need to go to more PCA events, they're my favorites, it puts the 8 against something meaningful and predictable...a whole lotta Porsches - and I predictably loose some and win some...as you seem to think is not 99% of the time possible to do at all lol.

Another way of looking at it is data - look at my sig.. my Traqmate know every lap, every time, every track.. all day long... tells me exactly how I'm doing. I typically compare to Rondel's "Racing Line" BMW Club racing lap times for the tracks I frequent throughout Canada and east coast USA. Those are timed events and so a good source of comparison data.

Guess what? Surprise! My street 8 with a couple mods typically comes in smack dab mid-pack to those 'race cars' lap times. I think that's fairly ok considering I not in competiton, I not driving a race preped car, rather I'm just puttering around some track with my fellow DE friends having a good-ol-time lol.

But I guess you wouldn't know how good an 8 can be with practice, you sold your 8 you said...
Old 09-22-2010, 02:29 PM
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well i guess theoretically an unlimited budget rx8 can beat a unlimited budget porsche

as shown by this pic



honestly tho i think if you always wanted a porsche i'd probably sell the rx8 and get a Porsche, all up to your personal preference. I like my rx8 and am probably gonna drive it down to the ground, tho i foresee a Porsche in my future too
Old 09-22-2010, 02:46 PM
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i dont hink you are gettin g my point. let me ask you this. if you were driving a 996, how would your times be different. my guess is that your times will drop at nearly every track. i am not comparing drivers, i am simply comparing the two cars. given the same drivers, the 911 will almost always be faster.

i got rid of mine because the car was very disappointing at the track in terms of lap times. the car never did anything bad, but it was just slow compare to the cars i owned and the drivers i run with. the problem is worse when you have to race in a class against cars that are much faster. the idea of pouring money into the car to keep up didnt excite me. its like starting a basketball team with someone who is 5'8, not saying it doesnt work, its just more difficult.

what do you run at lrp? i am guessing 62 to 64 on the new pavement? 64 to 66 on the old one?

Originally Posted by Spin9k
You're the one kidding yourself...'feel' isn't subjective...it's how the car d
rives. Specs sheets are subjective, they don't tell you how the car handles or treats the driver.
You need to go to more PCA events, they're my favorites, it puts the 8 against something meaningful and predictable...a whole lotta Porsches - and I predictably loose some and win some...as you seem to think is not 99% of the time possible to do at all lol.

Another way of looking at it is data - look at my sig.. my Traqmate know every lap, every time, every track.. all day long... tells me exactly how I'm doing. I typically compare to Rondel's "Racing Line" BMW Club racing lap times for the tracks I frequent throughout Canada and east coast USA. Those are timed events and so a good source of comparison data.

Guess what? Surprise! My street 8 with a couple mods typically comes in smack dab mid-pack to those 'race cars' lap times. I think that's fairly ok considering I not in competiton, I not driving a race preped car, rather I'm just puttering around some track with my fellow DE friends having a good-ol-time lol.

But I guess you wouldn't know how good an 8 can be with practice, you sold your 8 you said...
Old 09-22-2010, 03:05 PM
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Originally Posted by c0ldf1ame
well i guess theoretically an unlimited budget rx8 can beat a unlimited budget porsche

as shown by this pic



honestly tho i think if you always wanted a porsche i'd probably sell the rx8 and get a Porsche, all up to your personal preference. I like my rx8 and am probably gonna drive it down to the ground, tho i foresee a Porsche in my future too

lets not go there on this picture, full tube chassis, cmon!! I mean the cars are fing cool but it is a different animal compared to the factory porsche cars.
Old 09-22-2010, 03:16 PM
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Read the car and driver article. It was number 3 in a class where all the other cars were twice as much. Yeah, the new light boxster beat it out, but it is $30 K more.

I just did a track event with PCA, my first time in the blue group. I got passed by a Boxster S. His instructor and mine agreed that he was driving the wheels off the car, he did not get away. I still suck at turn 1. All the other ones got passed, including a modified S2000. I am not counting the stripped, race prepped, no interior 300Z.

The car is very easy to drive well. The track comments I get are along the lines of "are you sure it only has that much power". They may have more power on the straight, but when they have to make up a 15 mph deficit on the last turn, the tables get evened a bit. I ever figure out how to brake right in turn one (me, not the car) and another half a second easily disappears. I watch NA RX8-s run with 300 hp plus all wheel drive rally cars (down 50 hp, 150 ftlb) and come out even.

My opinion, keep the car and learn to drive it. It will be a lot easier than learning to drive just about anything else, spend money, if you need, on the stuff you find searching these pages.

I cannot tell, but picture looks like the front is a little lower, or it is a shadow. Is the special edition anything other than paint?

Last edited by 04Green; 09-22-2010 at 03:26 PM.
Old 09-23-2010, 03:54 AM
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Originally Posted by tmak26b
i dont hink you are gettin g my point. let me ask you this. if you were driving a 996, how would your times be different. my guess is that your times will drop at nearly every track. i am not comparing drivers, i am simply comparing the two cars. given the same drivers, the 911 will almost always be faster.

i got rid of mine because the car was very disappointing at the track in terms of lap times. the car never did anything bad, but it was just slow compare to the cars i owned and the drivers i run with. the problem is worse when you have to race in a class against cars that are much faster. the idea of pouring money into the car to keep up didnt excite me. its like starting a basketball team with someone who is 5'8, not saying it doesnt work, its just more difficult.

what do you run at lrp? i am guessing 62 to 64 on the new pavement? 64 to 66 on the old one?
and yet you spend time here, and give maintenance advice you dont know dick about?

guessing you have lots of money and no time to learn how to drive.. your issue with slow in the rx8, pretty much is you..

and all the stuff you sell here proves that..

beers
Old 09-23-2010, 04:00 AM
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Originally Posted by ajcjr
I won this car and i was thinking of selling it because im a porsche fan and always wanted one. I know mazda kicks but on the track and just wanted to know if anyone can compare the rx8 to a porsche. Also what are some good websites for mods for this car for road track use, thanks in advance!

and great for you win..

i took the time to send it for the car, but that is the worse foose car they have done.. boring..

but really, bubble wrap it and pray. or ebay.. i hope it wins for you..

beers
Old 09-23-2010, 07:45 AM
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Originally Posted by swoope
and yet you spend time here, and give maintenance advice you dont know dick about?

guessing you have lots of money and no time to learn how to drive.. your issue with slow in the rx8, pretty much is you..

and all the stuff you sell here proves that..

beers
huh. i have owned 2 rx8s, i am sure i have done my share of maintainence work. how many have you owned? 3, 4, 5?

nope i cant drive, i just happen to have driven enough and owned enough to know what car is fast and what isn't. guys who race will tell you how annoying it is to race a car in your class that is faster.

i enjoy reading this section because i like some of what the autox guys have to say, plus what else is there to do in a long commute on a train?

Last edited by tmak26b; 09-23-2010 at 08:07 AM.
Old 09-23-2010, 08:07 AM
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Originally Posted by ajcjr
Whats a bj auction?


http://www.barrett-jackson.com/ There are probably many Foose Fanboi's that would like to own some thing he worked on.


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