A million questions about the RX-8
 

Hi there, I'm new here, obviously. :P 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 anal 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?

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

RE: A million questions about the RX-8
 

I test drove one about a week back and the rotary deffinatly feels and drive differant than other cars. The engine has a realy flat torque curve so you don't get that lurch of acceleration when you hit it a little higher in the upper rpms, but that dosn't mean it is lacking.

RE: A million questions about the RX-8
 

Alright, I'll keep that in mind. The only one I could test drive had 35 mile an hour roads all around and I couldn't really push it. When I have cash in hand I'll throw my weight around a bit more and take one somewhere, but in the meantime, I can't really say hey, do you mind if I drive 5 or 6 miles down the road and test this car out. ><
Thanks for the response. :)

RE: A million questions about the RX-8
 

I'll be on in the morning to see responses, then I'll be gone till Tuesday, thanks in advance for help and answers. :)

RE: A million questions about the RX-8
 

Also, I've been looking at the Racing Beat Exhaust, I like that tone a lot and it doesn't seem to terribly loud. Anybodyhave any experience with this exhaust? In the past I've been a big fan of the Apexi N1 but I would like something different this time, so again, I'm a bit naked info-wise here.

2004 rx8 auto with 118k, runs great when cold but will start missing then shut off when warm up, will restart after 10mins
Thanks