I saw an RX-8 for the first time yesterday...

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Amused
I love the way it looks, but drive one first. It's a fun car IF you keep the RPMs up but it has very little low-end torque. I'm sure some people like that but it's not for me. It's the same with Hondas, too.

Its power is still very impressive from only 1.3L of displacement.

 

[Pocatello]

I have never seen one on the road, but then I don't have a Mazda dealership here either.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Speaking of Mazdas, I drove a 5-speed MT Mazda 3 S today. Very nice! Unless the Subaru Legacy 2.5GT DRIVES $10K better, the MZ3 seems like a great option.

 

[BCYL]

Originally posted by: bR

Originally posted by: Kenazo

Originally posted by: BCYL

Originally posted by: Skoorb
It is nice, albeit it a touch underpowered.

But it can still hang with M3 and 350z on the tracks...

But barely with the all-powerful SRT-4

I think he meant race track... not drag strip.

Yes I meant an actual race track, with corners and turns

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: Amused
I love the way it looks, but drive one first. It's a fun car IF you keep the RPMs up but it has very little low-end torque. I'm sure some people like that but it's not for me. It's the same with Hondas, too.

Why don't you go drive a new accord, preferably V6, but 4 banger is fine. Hell anything new at the dealerships except the D series powered civics then talk.

 

[EvanGeliSt]

I like the RX8... anyone see the new design for RX7's?

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: BCYL

Originally posted by: bR

Originally posted by: Kenazo

Originally posted by: BCYL

Originally posted by: Skoorb
It is nice, albeit it a touch underpowered.

But it can still hang with M3 and 350z on the tracks...

But barely with the all-powerful SRT-4

I think he meant race track... not drag strip.

Yes I meant an actual race track, with corners and turns

srt4
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.86 g
Zero to 60 mph: 5.3 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 13.9 sec @ 103 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 153 mph


rx8
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.88 g
Zero to 60 mph: 6.3 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 14.8 sec
Top speed : 150 mph

http://next.autos.yahoo.com/newcars/mazda_rx8_mt_2004/12363/style_performance.html
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=16&article_id=7871&page_number=2

they are rather close. but the extra power might come ahead in the end me thinks.. i duno

 

[Kenazo]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo

Originally posted by: BCYL

Originally posted by: bR

Originally posted by: Kenazo

Originally posted by: BCYL

Originally posted by: Skoorb
It is nice, albeit it a touch underpowered.

But it can still hang with M3 and 350z on the tracks...

But barely with the all-powerful SRT-4

I think he meant race track... not drag strip.

Yes I meant an actual race track, with corners and turns

srt4
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.86 g
Zero to 60 mph: 5.3 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 13.9 sec @ 103 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 153 mph


rx8
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.88 g
Zero to 60 mph: 6.3 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 14.8 sec
Top speed : 150 mph

http://next.autos.yahoo.com/newcars/mazda_rx8_mt_2004/12363/style_performance.html
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=16&article_id=7871&page_number=2

they are rather close. but the extra power might come ahead in the end me thinks.. i duno

I think the race might be closer than most Chrysler haters would like to believe.

 

[KokomoGST]

Doesn't the upcoming model year SRT4 have a limited slip from the factory? With a good driver, the extra power of the SRT with similar roadholding would mean the RX8 would prolly lose.

I'd still prefer to own an RX8 though... I was suprised how slow it was on an autoX course though. I'm guessing it was the driver but even my poorly prepped and admittedly slow (on the autoX) car beat it with me driving beat him by over 2 seconds??

Considering that Miatas and Hondas were kicking my @$$ to the tune of 3 seconds (albeit on race tires) and Evos/STis rocked my world on race tires at an astonishing 4-5 seconds.

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: KokomoGST
Doesn't the upcoming model year SRT4 have a limited slip from the factory? With a good driver, the extra power of the SRT with similar roadholding would mean the RX8 would prolly lose.

I'd still prefer to own an RX8 though... I was suprised how slow it was on an autoX course though. I'm guessing it was the driver but even my poorly prepped and admittedly slow (on the autoX) car beat it with me driving beat him by over 2 seconds??

Considering that Miatas and Hondas were kicking my @$$ to the tune of 3 seconds (albeit on race tires) and Evos/STis rocked my world on race tires at an astonishing 4-5 seconds.

The SRT neons can be crazy fast on a track (yes one with turns). There was some thread floating around here about the SRT4 with race prep hanging with Z06 corvettes on road courses.

The RX8 is kind of an also ran car. It's not particularly fast, it doesn't have anything over say, the S2000, except that it can hold 4 people. Plus that fiasco where mazda overrated the motors and even after they watered down the ratings, people are asking why the dynos still don't match up.

 

[Doggiedog]

Fugly

I was at a Mazda dealer this past week car shopping with a friend and it was packed with unsold RX8s. Salesman said they were waiting for warmer weather because they are really summer cars. Somehow, I doubt they could get rid of all those cars without incentives. There must have been 50 RX8s in the back.

 

[ShOcKwAvE827]

I saw my first cadillac XLR last week... interesting looking to say the least. I'd take the SL over it.

 

[ShOcKwAvE827]

I saw my first cadillac XLR last week... interesting looking to say the least. I'd take the SL over it.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Doggiedog
Fugly

I was at a Mazda dealer this past week car shopping with a friend and it was packed with unsold RX8s. Salesman said they were waiting for warmer weather because they are really summer cars. Somehow, I doubt they could get rid of all those cars without incentives. There must have been 50 RX8s in the back.

Really? There's a 6 week waiting list at my dealer :disgust: All they have is a demo with 4000 miles on it. Is your dealer in BFE or something?

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: ShOcKwAvE827
I saw my first cadillac XLR last week... interesting looking to say the least. I'd take the SL over it.

And $10000-$15000 more in car payments

 

[maziwanka]

stay away from using skidpad numbers to compare handling between two cars.

for some reason i find it hard to believe that the rx-8 would hang with an m3 on a track. id be surprised if the rx-8 outperformed the m3 (maybe even the srt-4 but i have no idea how it does on a road course)....

 

[jcovercash]

Originally posted by: Kenazo

Originally posted by: BCYL

Originally posted by: Skoorb
It is nice, albeit it a touch underpowered.

But it can still hang with M3 and 350z on the tracks...

But barely with the all-powerful SRT-4

Yea but your all-powerful SRT-4 is Turbocharged, Those other 3 cars a N/A. Go and slap a turbo/supercharger on any M3, RX-8, 350Z and it will blow the skirt off that all-powerful neon.

 

[maziwanka]

Originally posted by: AMDman12GHz

Originally posted by: Kenazo

Originally posted by: BCYL

Originally posted by: Skoorb
It is nice, albeit it a touch underpowered.

But it can still hang with M3 and 350z on the tracks...

But barely with the all-powerful SRT-4

Yea but your all-powerful SRT-4 is Turbocharged, Those other 3 cars a N/A. Go and slap a turbo/supercharger on any M3, RX-8, 350Z and it will blow the skirt off that all-powerful neon.

why dont you do that and see how long the engines from the m3 and 350z will last.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: maziwanka
stay away from using skidpad numbers to compare handling between two cars.

for some reason i find it hard to believe that the rx-8 would hang with an m3 on a track. id be surprised if the rx-8 outperformed the m3 (maybe even the srt-4 but i have no idea how it does on a road course)....

The RX-8's handling is it's shining point: it would definately handle as well as an M3. It's 50-50 weight distribution and large road hugging tires make it stick to the road like a....like a....like a thing that really sticks to the road (sorry, my anology-o-generator is busted )

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: Doggiedog
Fugly

I was at a Mazda dealer this past week car shopping with a friend and it was packed with unsold RX8s. Salesman said they were waiting for warmer weather because they are really summer cars. Somehow, I doubt they could get rid of all those cars without incentives. There must have been 50 RX8s in the back.

Really? There's a 6 week waiting list at my dealer :disgust: All they have is a demo with 4000 miles on it. Is your dealer in BFE or something?

My dealer also has around twenty to thirty RX8s. I'm not exaggerating. I was looking at Miata's, but there are rows of RX8's in every color.

 

[Jumpem]

I was looking at dyno numbers at BR Performance. They had a stock SRT-4 that showed 249hp. and 289ft.lbs.:Q

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Jumpem

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: Doggiedog
Fugly

I was at a Mazda dealer this past week car shopping with a friend and it was packed with unsold RX8s. Salesman said they were waiting for warmer weather because they are really summer cars. Somehow, I doubt they could get rid of all those cars without incentives. There must have been 50 RX8s in the back.

Really? There's a 6 week waiting list at my dealer :disgust: All they have is a demo with 4000 miles on it. Is your dealer in BFE or something?

My dealer also has around twenty to thirty RX8s. I'm not exaggerating. I was looking at Miata's, but there are rows of RX8's in every color.

Well crap! My dealer in NW Ohio can't keep them on the lot. i want one in that Titanium Gray color with sunroof and the navigational package (manual tranny of course). They can have them shipped from another dealer but they won't negotiate the price if they do that. Guess I'll have to wait. Not like I need it right now. Might wait for the next model year.

 

[jcovercash]

Originally posted by: maziwanka

Originally posted by: AMDman12GHz

Originally posted by: Kenazo

Originally posted by: BCYL

Originally posted by: Skoorb
It is nice, albeit it a touch underpowered.

But it can still hang with M3 and 350z on the tracks...

But barely with the all-powerful SRT-4

Yea but your all-powerful SRT-4 is Turbocharged, Those other 3 cars a N/A. Go and slap a turbo/supercharger on any M3, RX-8, 350Z and it will blow the skirt off that all-powerful neon.

why dont you do that and see how long the engines from the m3 and 350z will last.

If its done right it want hurt them. I'm also just sick and tired of all these people thinking that a friggin neon is a great car just because it handles a little better and is turbocharged. Before the SRT-4 everyone though a neon was a POS, well they just added a turbo system and few other things and all of a sudden its a killer car just because it has some power.

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: AMDman12GHz

Originally posted by: maziwanka

Originally posted by: AMDman12GHz

Originally posted by: Kenazo

Originally posted by: BCYL

Originally posted by: Skoorb
It is nice, albeit it a touch underpowered.

But it can still hang with M3 and 350z on the tracks...

But barely with the all-powerful SRT-4

Yea but your all-powerful SRT-4 is Turbocharged, Those other 3 cars a N/A. Go and slap a turbo/supercharger on any M3, RX-8, 350Z and it will blow the skirt off that all-powerful neon.

why dont you do that and see how long the engines from the m3 and 350z will last.

If its done right it want hurt them. I'm also just sick and tired of all these people thinking that a friggin neon is a great car just because it handles a little better and is turbocharged. Before the SRT-4 everyone though a neon was a POS, well they just added a turbo system and few other things and all of a sudden its a killer car just because it has some power.

And because it's $20k. What do m3's and 350z's cost?

 

[Fritzo]

They cost $10000 more because they're higher quality.