IS anyone interested in the Rx-8

[Jean]

Just wanted to see if anyone was definetly interested in getting one. I sure am! I think this car and it's powerplant should make a bunch of noise. Any opinions?

Sure wish Nissan could make a Rotary, There would be so much low end torque needed, they would have to go with a 3 rotor.

[APEXi240]

I'm unimpressed. The car only looks ok. The Saturn style half doors suck, and its got no torque. For the money I'd rather own a 350z.

[UncleBen]

:Werd i like the power it makes, just wouldnt' wanna drive a car with torque not there until 5k RPM's. that sucks for city drivin. thats one reason i wouldn't wanna honda.

[nissanrcer240]

how much are they gonna be selling for by the way?? and how much horsepower are they suposed to have? just figured i would do a comparisn between the rx8 and the 350z since someone mentioned it...

[theTony]

The RX-8 is a nice car, but if I were in the market for a car of that sort, I more than likely will go with something else.

[vfootball28]

They lack the torque. I still like the RX7's better. Maybe they will make the RX8 with a turbo option. That would be nice

[Stoneage_Turbo]

i think The Rx8s engine has solved Torque issues this time , they moved the ports from the rotor houseings to the seperators between the rotors , evidently is beatter than the old perifeal ports design , also another reason it makes as much power as the last gen 7 with no turbos

im sure as hell interested in it , im kinda a rotary buff , dont know alot about em but ive always had a fettish for the pistonless lifestyle , very practicle too being a 4 place car , think more Mazda Cosmo, less Rx7 , there working a New 7 depending on how well this little guy sells

[Bubba1]

I like it technically, but the looks are uninspiring. The had a better formula with the last generation RX7. I agree with Apexi. 350z long before an Rx-8. Not even close

[UncleBen]

i think the rx8 makes 250hp from factory. 150 or sumthin lb.ft. of torque. not sure. compared to the 350z's numbers, i'll take the Z.

EDIT: ok i just found my "Autoweek" magazine with the RX8 article in it. 1.3liter 250hp, 159lb.ft. two-rotor engine. weighs 3000lbs (est). 0-60 mph in 6 sec. (est). has perfect 50-50 weight distribution. they had alot of praise for the handling of the car, and liked the fact that the car would keep pullin hard above 7k RPM's. Here is the nice thing about the new 13B "Renesis", "the 13b featured exhaust ports on the face of each rotor chamber, creating overlap between intake and exhaust as teh rotors spin. Renesis relocates exhaust ports to the side plates between rotor chambers, eliminating the overlap. With no hot exhaust gas creeping into the intake ports, the normally aspirated Renesis produces nearly as much power and its turbocharged predecessor (which made 255) while using less fuel," blah blah blah.

[groundhogday1976]

I like it, but if I were in the market for a new car, I'd get a 350Z, G35 Coupe, EVO VIII, or GTO before the RX-8. I don't like having to drive a car like I hate it to accelerate. I've heard the EVO will be under $30K. Anybody heard what the GTO is going for? I know, it's a pushrod V8 powered dinosaur, but it's gonna be the total package: handling, braking, looks, power. Plus there's huge aftermarket support for the LS1.

[jEzTeR]

I like the Rx8 and the rotary but as most everyone has stated Id spend my hard earned cash on a G35!:D

[Bandit240]

Thats one fugly little car. I dont know jack about them but i can tell you its not on my wish list.

[reggiegsd]

I suspect the rear doors will be a supprise hit. There are alot of guys that want a sports car but can't fit the kids without rear seats and have trouble fitting them into the G35 coupe or the Acura CL. I bet five years from now most coupes will have those doors. Just like most extended cab pickups have them.

[Bubba1]

I don't know, reggie. I think Mazda's banking on that but I'm not confident the idea will take off. Mazda refined their unique sports car motor and slapped a sort of sedan-but-not-quite body (and a not very attractive one IMO) on it. I think Mazda would sell far more of these had they done a mild facelift on the RX-7 and left it two seat sports car. We'll see.

[groundhogday1976]

Too bad Mazda lost their *** on warranty claims for RX-7 turbos. If they'd address the weak apex seals, do something about the turbo system (which helped generate a lot of heat), and come up w/ different engine management so you don't have to rebuild from a tiny bit of knock, I'd be in line if they brought it back. It's funny that aftermarket tuners can make the 13b more powerful and reliable than the factory did.

[BB Turbo]

I like the car, but for that much, just get the 350z or G35. I would like to see what the Mazdaspeed RX-8 would look like if they ever came out with one.

[reggiegsd]

My biggest complaint about Mazda is, the rotary engine aside, the company doesn't have much nerve.

Think of the advantages the rotary has. It is strong for it's size, it is SMALL, it could fit anywhere.

How about a four door sedan with the rotary under the rear seat? I know the rotary can be amazingly loud, but properly muffled it is not a problem. Engineer the drive train so it can be dropped as a unit for major maintenance (like the Ferrari 308). You could have a conventional looking car with a trunk in front and in back and the major mass in the center. Think of how radical the final design could be.

Every car they have designed with the rotary looked like a normal car with a normal engine. Those guys need some balls.

[nisstek]

Only thing that's gonna make the RX8 worth having is a torquey V6. Getting out of bed with Ford would surely help with their (Mazda's) quality issues. Rotary and electric engines will never be totally excepted by the masses. Let 'em die. Now, as soon as they put jet engines in Escorts, man I there. Where do I sign up???

[Jean]

I definelty believe what groundhog says, however, given the existenst of the rotary and the attention it has. Only one company is developing it. I'd like to say that, the rx is a good car, always has been. It's just the engine was'nt developed as well as its counterpart. Speaking about ford, from a business stand point, I believe ford is very smart, yet, their quality of product does not compare to the companies they purchase through shareholding. Don't get me wrong, their auto;s are good, but reliability is definietly on my list when I see a ford. The rotary needs more attention, from other companies too. Especially German companies. If given the correct amount of R and D, I believe the Rotary will be a strong contender against the Piston engine. Still, in the future, Mazda has developed a Hydrogen powered rotary, if you look into it, the mechanics of the rotary are supposedly more efficient than a piston, on gasoline and Hydrogen too.

[Stoneage_Turbo]

since the wankel oringated from germany it makes sense for them to go back and show how its done , i belive NSU was the original car company that delt with the roatry and if memeory serves they were indeed a german company

the rotary has changed hands many times over the years , AMC.GM and several others had rights to it but couldnt get it around emissions laws

the pacer was desgined for a rotary , thats why its so wide and the hood line is so low , they couldnt get the rotary to work so they got rights to a old AUDI inline 4cyl that sat on a 30 degree slant similar to a chrysler slant 6

anyone see the story on car and drive tv today on the RX8? base will be 25k for the 215hp and with every option it only climbs to 31k , hopefully mazda wont price galuge at the dealers like nissan does , they want 35k for a base z up the street

we got one mini at a dealer now , its a base model and they want 22k for it , has 9,000 miles on it now , told them they will never sell it