Tell me about RX8s (231BHP)

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Soldato
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Well I went out and drove a couple of these today. I was very impressesed with the amount of goodies you get for the money, the handling was very good, steering was sharp and engine was smooth but I think they all seem to suffer from the same problem, the right hand side pedal doesn't seem to do anything. I pressed it at 2000rpm and nothing. I pressed it at 4000rpm and nothing. I pressed it at 6000rpm and I *think* I accelerated a bit, but I can't be sure.

The only time I actually felt like I was accelerating was when I bounced off the rev limiter in 1st and 2nd.

Very nice cars overall but the jury is still out on the performance. I was expecting it to be like the CTR but it's nothing like that unfortunately.
 
Soldato
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RX8 owner here, love it to bits. Had mine for around 22 months and it's kept me happy since then.

If you want a car with torque then I advise something else, but don't mix that up with it not being a rapid car, it is and the lack of torque is good if 'racing' if your driving style.
 
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Evidently, sir, you and I have very different opinions of what entails a "rapid" car.

Lack of torque is never good. Your statement suggests that the less torque an engine produces, the better it will be if you like to drive your car hard. This is fundamentally wrong otherwise we'd all be driving around in Daewoo Matiz's.

High revving engines, yes. However, the RX8 unlike Honda VTEC engines, still does not perform significantly better at high RPM. It's completely pathetic up until about 7k RPM, you get a small spurt of power akin to a sparrow's fart, then it's all over. At least VTEC engines have a noticeable transformation.
 
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The RX8 is a nice looking car, but:

Rilot said:
The only way in which it annoyed me was that the 60 litre tank resulted in a range of less than 250 miles.

O_o

As a CTR owner, appreciating that my car isn't the most efficient of vehicles and is expensive enough to keep on the road, the prospect of this kind of uber ridiculous fuel consumption for a somewhat marmite type/level of performance makes me balk somewhat.

My CTR has a 45 litre tank, and it lasts at least 240 miles. I can't really compute how a modern performance car with similar power can be so much worse and have people still buy them??!

I suppose if your annual milage isn't too high, then these cars aren't so bad. But then neither are E36 M3 vanilla/Evos amongst various others. I just can't make sense of the RX8.
 
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Having had a CTR previously I never found the lack of torque an issue as no matter what gear you're in, a quick press of the accelerator and you're moving. The RX8 unfortunately wasn't like that, you pressed the pedal and watched the electronic speedo rise my 1mph every second, slightly disappointing. It really is the sort of car that requires you to be in the right gear or nothing is happening (or drop 2-3 cogs)

Don't get me wrong, overall it's a very nice car and exceptional value for money but I'm gonna need more test driving to be convinced that it's the car for my driving style
 
Soldato
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Evidently, sir, you and I have very different opinions of what entails a "rapid" car.

Lack of torque is never good. Your statement suggests that the less torque an engine produces, the better it will be if you like to drive your car hard. This is fundamentally wrong otherwise we'd all be driving around in Daewoo Matiz's.

High revving engines, yes. However, the RX8 unlike Honda VTEC engines, still does not perform significantly better at high RPM. It's completely pathetic up until about 7k RPM, you get a small spurt of power akin to a sparrow's fart, then it's all over. At least VTEC engines have a noticeable transformation.

I used to hate the lack of torque but then I thought i'm still going fast who cares if you don't feel it so much? Do you really always need that feedback? or is it to impress mates so they think 'wow this feels fast'. Overall performance and handling is how I rate a car. The RX8 made it round the top gear track in the same time as the M3, not bad for a sparrow fart engine eh? or maybe he started peddling flintstones style? :p

My notion of a fast car isn't how rapidly it gets to 60, by then the fun is only beginning.

With regards to racing a linear torque makes for a good, easy drive on the track. The last thing you want is more force on your body and torque spikes. The tracks are a violent place - there's a reason formula and racing cars have stiff stiff brakes and that's because with all the speed and forces flying around it's easy to accidentally brake.

I drove a 335i and then my RX8 round the track. I got the better time in the RX8, primarily due to the fact I'm used to driving it but the big difference was that the RX8 was so much easier to drive round the track. Best of all the 335i owner who drove the RX8 got to within 5 seconds of his best 335i lap in my RX8 :) Not bad considering he only had 5 laps to play with the 8.
 
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I drove a brand new Rx-8 when mazda were doing the hotlaps competition with the new Mx-5's and Rx-8's around the country. I got to rag it round a short track, and i gotta say i was appauled by the pull off speed and lack of torque. It felt like a sowing machine was under the bonnet. My Rx-7 on the other hand is an absolute beast even when it was standard and feels so much quicker. Probably because im used to the kick of the twinturbo's of the 7. With the rotary engine, it's so smooth, you lose the sense of speed because the engine doesn't feel as though it's being worked hard like a boinger engine. They are however fantastic handling drivers cars. As said above, Topgear tested one against an E46 M3 and a 350z. All 3 cars got the same time of 1.31.8, so they're no slouch either.
 
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Man of Honour
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I drove a 335i and then my RX8 round the track. I got the better time in the RX8, primarily due to the fact I'm used to driving it but the big difference was that the RX8 was so much easier to drive round the track.

:confused:

You obviously drove the 335i like a 318i then. It is blessed with a fantastic chassis, as good if not better than the RX8 at the very least, and has 306bhp to your 192bhp.

Best of all the 335i owner who drove the RX8 got to within 5 seconds of his best 335i lap in my RX8 :) Not bad considering he only had 5 laps to play with the 8.

5 seconds a lap is an absolute age - it is light years.
 
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[TW]Fox;12813400 said:
:confused:

You obviously drove the 335i like a 318i then. It is blessed with a fantastic chassis, as good if not better than the RX8 at the very least, and has 306bhp to your 192bhp.

5 seconds a lap is an absolute age - it is light years.

It is a fantastic car - but you know what it's like driving someone elses car, you take a bit of care :)

Agreed 5 seconds is a long time but it's quite good to get a time that close to your own best in your own car using a different car with less power, that you've not driven before and have only had the last 10 minutes to play with.

Also, the RX8-hi doesn't have 192bhp, it has 231bhp.
 
Soldato
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[TW]Fox;12813605 said:
So in other words the comparison you made is meaningless? :)

No, I think I gave it a damn good drive, but you can't judge how hard you actually pushed a car in such a short space of time. It's only when you own a car or drive it for weeks you know where it's limits are and how close you got.
 
Don
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when I drove one it was a very odd experience, the speedo said it was acceleration ok but there was no sensation of it

really didn't like the feel of the engine, just felt odd and wrong

build was good and handling superb

maybe I could learn to like it as a drive but no way would I put my own money into one, the fuel/oil consumption is dire and I would still be worried about reliability ( admittedly this is probably unfounded )oh and the depreciation is horrific

overall a great car to drive but maybe not so good to own
 
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