I'm in the market for a sporty 2+2.

I like the looks of the RX8, but haven't driven one. From the specs, it looks slightly underpowered. I would assume it is a tad slower than an S2000 due to having a bit less torque and more weight...

i think the RX8 would be a lot of fun to drive....i have two small kids and would use the car primarily for commuting to/from work for fun..and would only need the back seats to take the older kid to/from school.... the RX8 would not be the family hauler. I'd love a two seater..but I need the capacity to fit the wife and kids if I had to.

With that said...I wonder if there really is much power to extract from the 8.

I have NO intention fo going FI. I've modded cars berfore and I'm sick of all the hassle I get from the dealer, and the usual issues, problems that come with modding..stuff doens't fit perfect, stuff breaks, etc etc.

I plan to keep the car stock..and if I did mod it would be a cat back and intake. I'd ideally like to tint the windows and need to do nothing else.

I assume the RX8 probably is about as fast as it's gonna be right out of the box..and adding a cat back would be more auditory enhancement than real performance.

I'm not necessarily looking for a rocket sled..fi i was i'd get an EVO or STi. i just think those cars look too immature and ricey.

i'm 34. i want something fun and sporty and relaible. i plan to lease for a short term ownership.

any advice? i just want to know if i go test drive it..and like the power...i can know that adding "bolt ons" really is a waste of time money.

 

ya, S2000's are a tad faster... I've raced a friend of mine who owns a 04, and he always pulls specifically during that V-TEC area... We stay together until about 45 mph...

Ya, other than getting an underdrive pulley, flywheel, exhaust, and intake... The next thing you could consider is X-int or some ecu mod... With all those little things you'll simply be a tad faster than stock...

What's important in your life?

 

The 8 is a great car. I was driving an S2000 when I bought my 8. You simply have to drive the 8 to appreciate it. It is so smooth and unlike anything you will ever drive. No, it is not "fast". Like the S2000 it is not a drag car. It is designed to be perfictly balanced, handle like nothing else, and hustle down a curvy road at a very fast rate. There is nothing like the sound of that rotory as it reaches 9,000 rpm.

And no, Mazda did not leave a lot of room for improvement. Exhaust only adds a couple of horsepower in reality. Mine has 43,000 miles and I have not modded it yet. I have it planned out, but the car is so much fun as is, I don't have the drive to mod it like I did the S2000.

Click on this and read. https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/reflection-rx-8-love-106981/

 

I am 48 and have owned numerous fast cars such as Evo's, S4's, MCars, etc... . Like you I had not driven the car due to the "paper" specs and concerns of lack of power. On a whim recently I decided to drive the RX8 and was immediately impressed with the cars handling and the overall viscirile feel for the road. Not many cars have impressed me like that...only my Evo and my MCoupe come to mind. As far as power goes, as long as the car is in its element on twisty curvy roads, I never miss having the power of a modded turbo engine. In fact when I am rowing up and down through the gears, I am thinking the power is actually perfectly balanced to the task at hand.

I think modding the RX8 is no different than modding any wrung-out-from-the factory NA powerplant. The gains will be minimal when compared to a modded FI car. I can remember my e36 M3. $1000.00 to $1,500.00 for a cat-back that added 2hp. An intake that adds 3hp. ECU mods that provide maybe 5 or 6hp. The RX8 is not an anomaly but par for the course unfortunately.

From an ownership perspective as a matter of convenience and flexibility, the car provides me the ability to go blasting solo through the twisties in the morning and then haul my wife and two sons (11 &14) in style and comfort to dinner later in the evening. Did I mention it looks great? Well.. you simply need to go drive one and then decide.... .

Hope this helps

Jeff

 

Deja Vu, like a Motherfu@ker?!

Am I in the freaking twilight zone or did this dude just compress time and space? It's like that stupid movie with Bill Murray, "Groundhog Day!"

 

Hehe..or how about that Adam Sandler movie 50 first dates ...

 

dun-dun, dun-dun, dun-dun, dun-dun, dada.

 

No... I would say the S2000 is alot faster....

0 to 100mph for the RX8 is 16.1seconds

0 to 100mph for the S2000 is 14.0 Seconds


I noticed that below, 60mph both cars are very close from the start, but after 60mph the s2000 pulls away.

 

Yeah, but the S2000 is a lot harder to drive and those times are not typical for the average S2000 driver. I have raced a few and my cousins several times and they are very close even though an S2000 with a great driver can pull off hugh 13's in the quarter which a stock RX8 will not even come close to that. But, if you looking for a RWD four seat street machine in this class get a G35.

 

Also if you are planning to lease are you sure you want to drop $2K+ on mods for a "short term" of ownership ?

 

the s2k is faster because their gear ratio is shorter in third through sixth.

 

Not to mention it is almost 200 lbs. lighter than our cars given that it only has 2 seats.

 

Benchracing is pointless. Compare paper figures or get out there and actually get behind the seat of an RX-8 and fall in love with one.
But I am a bit confused. IN your first post, you say you "have no intention of modding.....an intake and catback at the most" so why are asking if it's worth to mod the 8 if you don't want to anyways? I'm confuzzled.....

Dave

 

you really need to test drive one to see if its the car for you ........personally..i havent meet anyone thats driven one that hasnt fallen in love with it. i`ve driven much faster, pricer cars and i find the rx8 has been the most fun to drive...but thats just me

 

I'd say its a great car thats drives fast if you rev it hard.

Get one and enjoy the drive and the four spacey seats.

No real simple power mods available, but a short shifter and maybe a light flywheel will perk up the sportiness for you. As you mention Cat-backs and Intakes will just change the noise and not much else....

I reccommend the car highly after 3 years of owning one.

 

Just to add to what the others have said :
Forget the cat back & intake and spend about the same (could be less) money on the following:

Lightweight flywheel
RB Flash
High flow cat
AFE short shifter
AP underdrive pulley (not worth much hp but cheap enough)

You will notice the difference - it wont be huge , but it will enhance the driving experience . Just enough to see off an S2000 & a stock WRX . You should also be able to match a 350Z .
On a twisty road I find the 8 has plenty of power for the me. However , if drag racing is on your list of important features then you should give the 8 a miss.

 

sorry if there was confusion on my post.

I'm looking to get an RX8 because I want something fun, sporty, and sort of fast. My current car I would rate as pretty fast. I have a modded S60R. It has 300 hp stock, my ECU/dp/exhaust probably added a solid 40-50hp...it dyno tested at 285 to the ground, with about that much torque...but it weighs 3700-3800 lbs. it's heavy. it's fast and handles nice. I have raced a stock E46 M3 in a straight line and we are about dead even. I'd say my car is a good 13.5 second car on a good day.

having modded it..I'm sick and tired of the related "issues" that come with mods. stuff not working right, body kits that have cracking paint, dealer giving me grief over "this isn't covered b/c you modded" etc.

I really want to buy a car that is good stock and doesn't NEED to benefit from mods. If there are intakes/exhausts out there that will boost up power 20%..i'll be too tempted to modify it. I really don't want to go down that road. on my turbo S60R it was too temping to add a $1000 ECU upgrade that added 30hp.... which it did...so in a way..i want a car that is fast enough for me from the factory and somethign that REALLY doesn't support mods..

i know you can mod anything..but if it costs $500-1000 for an exhaust that ads 2hp...i'll never do it. which is what i want. i want a car that will run, get me from point a to point B, but be FUN. being fast is great..and my curreent car is fast..but with 60k miles and no more warranty, and lots of REALLY $$ parts that can and will fail in the next 12-36 months...I'm ready to dump it before it costs me too much more money.

i coudl go out and buy an IS350, G35 or another fairly powerful 4 door sporty sedan...but I really want a sports car. I'd love an S2000 or Miata or a Boxster. but i have two kids and I need rear seats that *could* accomodate kids for hte times when I need to take them places. an S2000 won't fit my needs. an RX8 looks liek it would give me a lot o the fun of a small sports car but some practicliaty.

here is a video of my current car.. i put together some video and still shots of the car when it was stock and then with the body kit and engine work. even custom underhood paint... sometimes I think i should keep it and not get an 8...sometimes I think i shoudl unload it before it costs me more money...

http://videos.streetfire.net/search/...8cbba072b8.htm

i've got 55k miles...
the car jsut cost me $750 in misc BS
it currently has some sputtering problem that is related to th eclutch sensors.. it's a cheap problem that i'll get fixed ...but it's more downtime in the shop.
a shock absorber is $1000 each
a clutch is $2500 parts/labor... they go out between 75k-90k...just around the corner
i still pay $500/month on teh car. i could sell it now for a bit more than I owe..i'd lose the $5000 or so i invested in the car..but i've also had it for 2 years..got my fun's worth out of it..and i kind of need/want something mroe reliable iwth a warranty. my car is loads of fun, turns heads b/c it's so unique looking... but my fear is in 6 months something else will go wrong, cost me another $1000 here and there...and in the end i'll have spent so much on the car it won't be wroth it. i will be paying on the car another 3 years..so i'm not really clsoe to paying it off and owning it free/clear. i could lease an RX8 for LESS than I pay on this car easy.

less power, similar fun, no repair bills due to a warranty..

hope you like my car. i had fun building it and customizing it. in a way i don't want to sell for an RX8..or anthign else for that matter...my car is about as unique of a family hauling "sporty" car..but nit's not a true sports car..

any other words of wisdom?

 

I'm surprised that Mugatu isn't in here giving you the :

 

Nice Volvo dude. If you are paying $500.00 a month now just get the G35. The 8's lack of power will get to you enventually I promise you.

 

part of the reason for considerin the RX8 is to reduce my monthly car payment. so i'd like to be UNDER $500/month.

mazda's website shows with a couple grand down, they can do a 6 speed sport for $299/month. i figure if i get a touring or grand touring, it should be too much more.

i kind want that appearance package thing. it looks hot.

but yeah, the lack of power may get to me.

i'd love an M5 or a 911 turbo ...but i don't want to pay for it. i don't need to go that fast that badly.

 

Check out a Boxster S. They're even LESS moddable than the 8. Lots of money for barely any power.

 

You will always lose money when you change cars & a new car will depreciate so fast that keeping your car going with a few $ here & there will be cheap in comparison.
If you like your existing car you should stick with it.

 

Look here, GO DRIVE THE CAR!!!!! After you drive an 8 come back and tell us what you thought.

 

for what it's worth, I'll echo what has been said a bunch of times already... drive the car. I bought my 8 in September after narrowing the field down to (don't laugh) the STi and the GTO. I had just finished test driving the STi and passed a Mazda dealership on the way back to the Pontiac place to talk numbers. I stopped at the Mazda place just for the hell of it, drove the 8, and to make a long story short, bought it that night. Do I miss the power and torque of the big v-8? yep. Do I miss the nasty-style grip and break-neck feel from the Sti? Uh-huh. But, as it has been said, it's all about DRIVING the car and I liked the way the 8 DROVE better than either of those other cars. The only thing that irks me at this point is pulling up next to trans-ams and for heaven's sake, friggin srt-4's. Other than that, it's all good.