I think its time the rx-8 gets a significant upgrade. 232 hp is not enough for a sports car costing nearly 30k well equipped. The rotary engine/ unique styling are enough of a selling point but the drivetrain needs some drastic upgrading especially when u take the terrible gas mileage into consideration. What do u guys think would make the rx-8 on par with the competition, 270-280 hp in rotary form? post ur ideas here please.

 

i'm sure that npoll212 is aware of these facts 1. the chief engineer and designer of the RX8 was a professional race car driver, 2. in japan since cars are taxed by engine size there is no great incentive to build large volume engines, the RX8 at 1.3 rotary liters is converted to and counted as 2.6 liters, but only for taxes, 3. Mazda already has replacement plans for the current RX8 although npoll212 won't be able to afford a new one of those either.

so... lets make the RX8 into something that conforms to npoll212's idea of a true sports car. lets increase the engine size or better yet make it a twin turbo 4 liter 6 cylinder with 475 hp, this will add several hundred pounds weight and change the balance of the current car from 50/50 to something closer to 55/45, more like a common mustang. BTW one concept mustang GTR puts out 92hp per liter, (the RX8 puts out approx. 175 hp per liter). lets drop the rear seats and (aluminum)rear doors, no true sports car really needs those. add 12 inch ceramic brakes, and get rid of the auto trannies, only a 7 speed manual is needed. increase the fuel milage to 25 or 30 mpg(good luck on this one) on reg. fuel in town, and lets build it in Stuttgart and add an additional $45K to the price or better yet build it in Maranello and add another $220k to the price, of course for that difference in price you can have double hand stitched leather and a prancing horse but not air conditioning (that's extra for wimps).

or maybe npoll212 should just buy an ordinary mustang run with the popular crowd and be happy, or maybe a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT, it has 260 hp and also a popular body style, although among some people it's considered a chick car and can't out perform even an older RX8.

the RX8 is true to it's nature, a well balanced, well designed, well built performance car at a very very reasonable price, that's why Automobile Mag, Road and Track, Car and Driver, and Motor Trend etc all rate it so highly. it's not perfect and can be improved.... but i for one would hate to see it messed up and popularized into some Ford/Mazda PR persons or worse, ideal dream car at twice the price, there are all ready enough of those on the road.

 

I agree with you on that one. The Rx-8 is so mis-understood. I like the Rx-8 for what it is. I appreciate Mazda making a sports car like the Rx-8 available to the middle class. No one else does it. Kudos to Mazda.

 

ur way off base with that comment maxximus, i love the rx-8 but it doesnt have enough hp for its price. You can get an upscale rx-8 for the price of a base gto. gto= 400 hp with about the same fuel economy as the rx-8. Rx-8's are phenomenol automobiles but i beleive the next generation should offer 2 rotary choices. The cheaper of wich being the current 1.3 liter and the more expensive being something that is about 270-280 hp to put it on par with every other sports car out thtere

 

umm... that will be a 1.6 liter and you (even I) might get your wish in early 2010. but anyone who considers a "goat" in comparison to an RX8 is by definition mustang and/or pontiac material. there is sooooo much more to a sports car than horsepower, but if that's your primary qualifier then we don't even have a basis for an argument, however, the Solstice with 260 hp is a sports car even if it can't compete with an RX 8. i still think you'd be happier in a mustang, Mitsu Eclipse or what ever equivalent you choose to hang a tin can size tail pipe on, then your friends won't raze you about your car's (perceived) lack of performance.

however being nice, I would like to see some improvement to in town mileage to maybe 17/18 actual real, and a little more low end oomph without having to hold it in gear to get higher revs. and sure 260 hp might be nice, but look for a corresponding price increase. Mazda engineers rotary expertise is the best in the world and rotary engines don't come cheap. i know you don't race your RX8 so you will still be stuck with premium fuel and low gas milage most of the time, and with the 400 hp you mention being mostly just bragging rights in a kids pi$$ing contest.

 

i guess i don't feel the way about pure hp that lot's of others do. I'm way more concerned with handling and overall engine chassis balance. but i still feel that some people really don't understand the comparisons in power between a rotary and ordinary engines. the RX8 1.3 liter engine puts out 232 hp, that is the equivalent of 178 hp per liter of engine. the MB McLaren at 617 hp costs US $500,000. it delivers from a 5.4 liter engine about 114 hp per liter, a ZO6 Corvette at 505 hp from a 7 liter engine puts out 72+ hp per liter, a Viper at 600 hp and an 8.4 liter engine gives 71 hp per liter. a Honda Accord coupe with a 3.5 liter and 273 hp gives 78 hp per liter. a Lexus SC 430 ( a beautiful car BTW) 288 hp 4.3 liter ='s 67 hp per liter and costs US $65k base.. so what's the point of all this? nothing, other than horsepower is only half the story, even acceleration generally becomes mote after cruising speed is achieved in the world most people drive in..

i am reminded that i had a similar argument in another forum over whether the mustang is a sports car. i said no...he said yes. but the thing that i most remember was his final comment to the extent that he was sick and tired of "handling and balance" as important in calling a car a "sports car" if a mustang had huge horsepower it was a sports car and he "just didn't want to hear any more about handling and balance", end of argument.

I'm sure most of you read the magazine comparison awhile back between an Audi TT, Nissan 350Z, Mustang(i forget which version) and RX8....the RX8 wasn't the straight line fastest, didn't have the most horsepower and wasn't the most expensive. Each car was driven in turn by each driver who then wrote their comments and logged their performances. The RX-8 out performed all the others hands down because it was the easiest to drive at its maximum and the limits of the track beating all the others tested. That's handling and balance, no brag just fact.

 

listen maximus, i am not arguing that the rx-8 isnt a true sports car. I am saying that in order to sway more potential mustang/camero/350z buyers away they should offer a bigger version of the rotary. Hp is king in America, every version of cars that are sold over seas we get have the biggest engines with the most hp. There is a reason for that, marketers arent stupid.

 

that's why i pointed out all the examples of hp per liter ratings............the RX8 beats about every other car out there, you are looking only at a high hp number without understanding its relationship to what and how it is powering the car it's in, weight distribution, chassis setup, all those things that don't show until the checkered flag.

oh look giggle giggle only 232 hp how could it possibly have better performance than a 350Z with 300+ hp, or an expensive Audi TT., or a hot Shelby Mustang GT V8 with over 300hp.

 

Every Mazda is a drivers car. They are not built to go the fastest in a straight line. They are built by people who understand what a good handling race car is suppose to feel like. As a professional driver myself, I wanted a sedan that performed well for under 20,000. The only car that fits this category is the Mazda 6. Now in regards to the Rx-8, the car feels like it should. Most Stangs, GTO's are made only to go fast in a straight line. They are horrible in the turns. The only muscle car I would ever consider for would be the Saleen Mustang. That is a well designed car!

 

I have to disagree on GTOs being made to only go fast straight, the independent rear suspension make the wheel hope horrible on a whole shot.