Hi there, I''m new here, obviously. :P I'm guessing this is the board to post in, since most of it is about aftermarket parts. >< I have been considering an RX-8 for some time now and I''ve got the cash together to do it. Now that it''s moved from dream car to possibility status, I''d like to ask a few questions. Acutally, there''s a lot of them. >< Bear with me.

I want it to be a daily driver, but I want to do my fair share of motor mods because I''m a speed addict, but I want it to be reliable enough for me to drive around in. (My fiance is a model, we travel all over the state, I don''t want to break down on the way to a shoot). Will this car fit the bill?

I''ve heard that every 30K miles I have to go get a major service performed and that it costs around $3000 every time, is this true?

I hear that there''s some sluggishness in the mid range, is that true? If so, how do I overcome it?

I have been considering the Apexi PS Revolution exhaust, since the cops around here are **** about noise violations, but I don''t want to have to take out a silencer every time I want to show someone up. Any thoughts/ideas about it?
I've also been considering the Racing Beat exhaust. Thoughts?

How often do I need to perform maintenance on the car, outside of normal tune-ups and oil changes?

How hard is the car to work on? I have no real experience with rotaries, this will be my first. I''ve got years of experience tinkering and modifying other cars, but I feel a bit overwhelmed with this project. :P

I called a dealership nearby that had a few used ones, and he kept going on and on about a mazdaspeed edition he had sitting there, but I don''t recall ever hearing of one. What is it, what are the differences, and is $1000 more then a regular one worth it? lol

Down the road, I'd like to get a small turbo to help with acceleration, is it dangerous/seriously unhealthy to turbo a rotary? I''m not looking for huge boost, just something small. It is feasible or should I just turn away from that line of thinking now?

I was reading something a few days ago about spark plugs, and that aftermarket ones have no real effect. Is this true? I saw huge changes when swapping out plugs in my older cars.

Is upgrading the ECU an intelligent choice early on? I''m sure the ECU is precision calibrated and I want to make sure that an aftermarket ECU won''t damage anything. Any brand choices/suggestions?

Sorry for so many questions, I am trying to form a whole new line of thinking for this car, it''s a brand new monster to me. I''m excited, but nervous, and I feel like the more information I have the happier and better equipped I will be to handle it.

I leave tomorrow for a week and when I get back I''ll be more active. In the mean time, I will be able to check this tonight and tomorrow morning. I look forward to your responses guys, thanks.
Jon

 

It is a fine DD as long as you check the oil every few fillups. Change the oil every 3,000 miles.

Run it hard to redline and it will love you.

As far as the 30K mile tuneup, you can do most if it yourself especially with the wealth of knowledge on this forum. Search around, it takes awhile, but the info is there.

This car is not a torque monster--so down low it seems sluggish, however this car is by no means slow. Keep the revs high and you will be happy. Unleash it on some twisties and you will be happier.

Racing beat exhaust is perfect for you if you have noise issues. Not too loud, not too quiet--sounds great. Very high quality as well.

As far as a turbo, yes it is possible and many do it without issue. Again search around for the different turbo kits out there and decide what's best for you if you do go this route.

Don't worry about aftermarket spark plugs.

For the ECU the Cobb AccessPort from MazdaManiac is the way to go. (he is on this forum)

Hope that helps. Again search around and you will find the answers you seek.

Welcome and do yourself a favor if you get this car--get a manual transmission

 

Oh yeah, Automatics drive me nuts. I get so bored i'm more likely to get into an accident looking at shiny stuff across the street. Thank you so much for all your answers, it definitely sounds like the way I want to go. Do you have any suggestions for intake? I'd like a throaty intake noise, but nothing that overpowers the exhaust. And decent HP gains, of course. :P

 

Racing beat intake with air duct is probably one of the best as well as AEM/Mazdaspeed. However, as far as gains, none really offer more than a 5HP gain (even though they advertise more than that...) No bolt ons except forced induction or the cobb accessport and catless midpipe will give you that many gains. The rx8 was tuned so well from the factory that anything short of turbo or supercharger will not get you many HP gains.

 

Gotcha. Thank you so much for the help, I realized I didn't thank you earlier. Now I saw the Racing Beat intake with the duct, the only question I have about that is rain. I live in Florida and rain is a daily event here, and where the intake is seems safe but I'd just like to make sure.
Thanks again,
Jon

 

Should not be an issue with the rain--haven't heard any instances of it being an issue and your welcome

 

Alright, I appreciate it. I'm compiling a shopping list now, haha. I'm very impressed with racing beat's products, they seem to have my same interests in mind. I want power and performance, but I like the style of the car, so I want it to look prestigious, and beat anyone who thinks otherwise. What suspension upgrades need to happen early on, and which can wait a while? I've heard about a little body roll here and there, and I'd want to eliminate it if it really is a problem. Can any seious suspension wait until it's in a more serious HP range? Or is it bad enough for me to correct early? Will a set of sway bars fix whatever the problem is, or do I need a set of stabilizers?
Thanks.
Jon

 

I test drove one today, and what an amazingly tuned car. I was very impressed. I just wanted to let you guys know I appreciate all the help and I am definitely purchasing this car. :P

 

Get the car. Boy you are lucky nycgps didnt read this thread!

 

Welcome, and enjoy the car NeoAngelo

 

You can probably wait on the suspension upgrades except maybe for lowering springs...cuz it just looks better

A set of sway bars will help with any body roll though. Probably more so than strut bars. Progress Technology makes a great set of sways for a great price. Bolts right up without modification. With the Racing beat you have to modify something....I can't recall what though....maybe I should search

With that said.....you really should check out the individual forums and all the stickies posted at the top. They answer most of the questions you have. Have fun and post pix of your 8 when you get it.

 

A lot of people would recommend getting a set of shocks+springs before sways. If you're going to get a set of springs, get a set of shocks that are appropriate for their spring rate and install them together. I wouldn't bother with strut-tower bars until everything else has been done.


Progress Tech are very nice (I have them)... beefier than most people need and a touch heavy though. The RB sways require different endlinks whereas the PT sways can use the OE endlinks.


All that being said, the stock suspension is quite good as is. I would drive it for a while as is and see what you think before upgrading anything

 

"The RB sways require different endlinks whereas the PT sways can use the OE endlinks"
The above statement is not correct.
The Racing Beat sway bars use the OE end links.
If you like you can replace the OE endlinks with a beefier Racing Beat set for the front bar. This would involve drilling out the mounting holes to 12mm on both the sway bar and the lower wishbone.

 

I have to say, a set of coilovers changed this cars attitude for the better... It's god around corners at all speeds with little to no body roll and feels almost more "comfortable" around the bends.. A great (but expensive) buy.. (I have HKS Hipermax RS) But all around, any suspension mod is one that will increase handing, and since I have no experience with aftermarket sways and such, I just love my coilovers

 

Welcome to the forum, there are a lot of very helpful people on here. Definitely a worthwhile car to get. I haven't had any reliability problems, but depending on what aftermarket changes you make the car will require more maintenance. FI will definitely cut into your reliability factor without rock solid tuning. Just make sure to check your oil every other time you fill your car up with gas (at least) and take her in for regular oil changes etc and you should be good. As far as handling modifications, I haven't found a pressing need to get handling mods yet, as the stock handling capability is quite good.

I personally found the sluggishness came around 3rd gear and has been largely fixed by reflashing the ECU with the Cobb AccessPORT with maps from MazdaManiac (already mentioned above). There aren't a whole lot of mods you can get that will affect the car's power over stock without going some form of forced induction, but there are a good number of lists around with peoples various suggestions for first mods. I personally would recommend just getting it and driving it around for a bit before you think about mods, as the car is totally different than anything you have probably driven. I know coming from owning only American muscle cars the Rx8 was quite a shock to me. Don't be afraid to rev the Rx8 to redline, higher rpms are actually a good thing with this car.

 

Yeah I took it down the road and I told the dealer before hand I was going to be a bit rough on it. I was pushing it a bit and he said don't get the rpms up to high, it'll damage it. And I said I'm only at 5k, I've got 4k more to go. He gave me a look like I was nuts and when I hit the next light I tore into it, and I was very impressed at the response and the handling. The dealer acted like he was going to kill me. I told him that higher RPMS are good for the car and he gave me all kinds of hell. Whatver. I'm going Wed to fill out my paperwork and put down my deposit, here's to hoping.

 

Oh and thanks for the warm welcome guys, it means a lot to me.

 

welcome to the family

there are pages and pages of info...its never ending

as soon as u find an answer for one question or modification..u immidiately start researching ur next mod.....its addicting.....

so have fun, be safe, enjoy

 

The 8 is awesome fun. Hit the beep every time you head out at least once....

Hope you get a good one!