I’ve been looking at different websites and I have seen at least two (advertised on this webisite all the time) for performance parts for the RX8 and I’ve found a good amount. I’ve heard, from my friend Ike, that there was not much out there but I think for now there was enough considering the 8 is so new.

Here is my question to all of you that have modified a car (I’ve never done it cause I just did not have the $$ or car I thought was worth it).

I’ve seen them state HP gains on their sties and even offering dyno results to prove it. I understand the theory behind the power gains also…cause one site really did a good job of explaining them. But tell me, what should we expect to gain in terms of HP in the Renesis for the following performance parts. Also, what should be a HALF to know when upgrading your standard parts for performance parts, otherwords…what should I be careful with.

Lighter Flywheel (I know it just let’s you REV faster…no REAL HP gain here)
Lighter Pulley
Performance muffler
Performance CAT
Air Intake (cause one of the K&N filters had a gain between 8-17HP depending on your setup)
ECU Upgrade

This is basically the main things I can think of that are not too expensive and help increase power. I understand that a Turbo or Supercharger will bring the most increase but the cost is much more.

My problem is, and I wont mess with the car until the warranty is over with, will these companies guarantee that we make AT LEAST the minimum listed HP increase or do they just say…hay, this is what we got on a test Renesis engine on a dyno. If so, then I just can’t come to accept that I could spend $700 for an exhaust system, $250 for pulleys. Etc etc etc…if they don’t AT LEAST make the minimum HP gain listed.

Again, I have no experience modifying a car but I thought I would ask you guys/gals. My performance formula would be to make the car lighter (lighter breaks, suspension, alternators, battery, etc etc etc) then start messing with the engine…to finalize it with a Supercharger to finish it off. But, I worry that I could spend a lot of money for little to no gain.

$$ per HP should be very important to all of us.

Thanks in advance for your help! :D

 

Bar forced induction, substantial power gains are difficult to achieve with the Renesis.
All the parts you listed above will yield you a total of 15hp at best.

Save the bucks and wait.

 

You're probably sick of hearing from me by now but I'll throw in my perspective and 2 cents.

Keep in mind I drive a car that has a huge aftermarket and is very easy to make gains with, so my perspective it a bit skewed. I have about as many ECU mods to choose from as an RX-8 has catbacks available. A WRX owner can also spend $15 at the hardware store and gain a reliable 20ish whp. Add a downpipe and gut the uppipe for another 20-30whp. So there you have 40-50 whp with less than $200 spent. Not bragging just giving you an idea of what I'm used to.

With all those mods minus the ECU you're maybe looking at in the area of 15whp. I say minus the ECU since there really is no realiable reflashs, chips, piggybacks, whatever, that are making nice gains and are simple to use at this point.

 

I have a feeling a lot of performance mods will mature and become available early 2005/spring.

 

You're probably sick of hearing from me by now but I'll throw in my perspective and 2 cents.


A WRX owner can also spend $15 at the hardware store and gain a reliable 20ish whp. Add a downpipe and gut the uppipe for another 20-30whp. So there you have 40-50 whp with less than $200 spent. Not bragging just giving you an idea of what I'm used to.

Also, you do understand that MOST cars are not that easy to upgrade. The WRX definitely has an advantage but most cars do not gain 40-50 with $200. So, the 8 not being able to do that is not that bad really.

Not bad, but based on HP per $$ that STINKS! Whp, but that's not the listed HP right. Otherwords, you mean the car would gain let's say 30HP but whp would be more like 15?

So, their numbers are a lie or at the very least misleading. That’s what I think from what you just said.

 

I think so too, it's just a matter of time...

 

I think all these mods you mentioned won't do much. Visit Racing Beat's site. In a nutshell, they say there is very little to squeeze out of this car with the current aftermarket exhausts, intake and fly wheel. Its a lot of cash and labour for very little return in terms of power gain, if any. If you want the car to sound louder or different, then blow your cash on exhaust and intake. IMO not worth it.

You want serious acceleration or top speed on a RX-8 wait for a proven FI aftermarket system. If you can't wait, you bought the wrong car for sure. Go buy a EVO or STI with the 6 foot high spoiler on the trunk and velour seats. These are basically a bottom end Lancer and Imprezza all riced up as much as possible and ready to go. They are faster than the 8 when they are not in the repair shop. (I'm bracing for a serious thrashing by Ike!! :D)

 

8-17hp on an air intake sounds way too high. I'd tend to agree with IKE that 15whp before an ECU sounds about right from what some of the rotary tuners have been saying. Maybe another 15-20whp can be added to that with a properly tuned ECU to match the other upgrades. Only time will tell who's right and wrong.

 

Yeah, that’s what I’m trying to figure out…what (remember I wont touch the 8 for a good long while) is worth the $$$ and what is not.

Naa, I don’t want a lawn mower car (a la FWD rice burners…I think they call them) I thought the exhust prices were CRAZY and would not deliver much HP but thanks for your thoughts.

FI? Fuel Injection? Am I right? Let me know…

LOL…yeah, get ready…I could hear him now…

Yeah…I thought so too, I think it’s more like 2-5HP not 8-17.

 

FI=Forced Induction, ala Turbo/Supercharger

 

There will most def be a lot more mods soon, I'm always in College Park, Maryland and there are so many aftermarket businesses that leave their cards on my windshield and ask on the back if they can experiment on my car to make products for it.

 

Gatorboy is correct. FI = Forced Induction.

 

Ohhhh, FI...I was thinking it was Fuel Injection, not that I know how that could have gained HP...but I just wanted to make sure.

 

geez the car just came out not just in the NA market but the JDM market plus it is an entirely new rotary engine, not just another 4,6,or 8...

it isn't like many of the other cars (ike's for instance) where the car existed in Japan for a while and a history of the renesis engine existed to tinker with

also if you aren't going to touch your car till the warranty is up then who gives a rats *** anyway, by then you'll have many many options

much of the fun of the car is voiding parts of the warranty to do exciting things to it

 

Do what I'm doing,,Save money until warranty expires and by then there should be tons of stuff..I'm only working on Cosmetics now.

 

True the aftermarket for the WRX and other cars was already strong in other parts of the world before it came to the US so it certainly had a head start.

But I've heard seem so many cars come out and all you hear for the first couple years is "just wait til we have this and that" and it never happens. Usually for a couple reasons... One is the gains are too small to justify the price of the product, and the other is there just isn't enough demand. Most of these guys aren't working with a car just because they want to make it fast they're developing parts because they want to make money. Time will tell but so far it doesn't look like a lot of people are jumping on the RX-8 bandwagon and usually by now they would have. Also the ones that are developing parts aren't getting much in the way of gains, or are having a hell of a time figuring things out (FI).

Shamble, your statements were so assanine I'll just let them go, this time... :p

 

We all have to be patient I guess

 

The trick will be being patient enough to wait out the warranty...I hope I can...

Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. The only thing is, I'd rather (cause I think the 8 looks great already) upgrade the performance first. I just hope some of the body stuff out there now will not disapear...maybe I'll have to do what your doing...hummmm

 

Ike...if anything, Mazda will bring something out. I think they do care about the 8's rep. Time will tell, the car is great already...we are all just trying to make it EVEN better. I think we might be able to take the 8 to low 13's or maybe even high 12's. My goal is to personalize it and make it a better performer all around.

 

IMO only, the LWF (light weight flywheel) is a worthwhile "upgrade" particularly if you are considering tracking the car at all. If you go with the MazdaSpeed parts and a dealer install, it's "pricy" compared some of the aftermarket parts/independant shop installs, but it won't affect the car warranty.

Depending on what you are looking for, some of the suspension modifications (i.e. start with just beefier stabilizer bars, and the rear shock tower brace), are nice add ons for cars that see occasional track use..... along with a good set of track or street/track tires and a set of MazdaSpeeds (or your preferred manufacturers) slightly higher temp brake pads.

I haven't heard anything yet that convinces me there are any other "easy" or relatively cost effective engine modifications out there that are going to yield much, if any power gains. I'm pretty skeptical in particular of the "air filter/air box" offerings and claims FWTW. Personaly, if you had to make one choice, I'd go with a 2nd set of 18x8.5" rims as light as you can find/afford with a designated set of track tires, say in 255/35 or 245/40 for track/performance driving events at you local track, ... well and a good set of higher temp pads.