As I posted recently, my colleague recently bought an RX8, which came with a free day at Prodrive's proving ground, with instruction on the road, a tight tarmac rally circuit, skid pan, high speed circuit and some mental brake testing.

He kindly took me with him, and I got to do half the driving, including some seriously fun fast laps, hearing the rev. alert at 9,000 telling you to change up is highly entertaining, as was switching off the EBD and traction control on the skid pan.

It definitely needs another 30-50 bhp, but I reckon it's a very useful car and exceptional value in the UK, it's brakes are particularly impressive, they got us to stamp on the brakes from 70 while taking our hands off the wheel, to demonstrate the EBD working, which it does!!! Definitely the only new car I've seen which could tempt me if I had the cash....far superior to his old TT.

Lots of entertaining stories from the instructors, like the guy who said "yeah I've had one big accident, I hit a stationary Rover City Car in the back on a high speed bowl.... in a Bentley Azure.... the Rover wasn't very well, it was airborne for a considerable distance before sliding for a few hundred feet, and the Bentley was borderline, but in over a million miles of driving one insurance claim isn't too bad, even if it was for £250,000..... :o :cheesy: "

The RX-8 is a great car in its stock state. I have heard from my buddy who works for Mazda they want to bring out a Twin Tubo version of it in the next few years (2 years). They have talked about the Twin turbo version being in the 340HP range when done which is not that out of the question. I used to have an RX-3 that I put a 13B rotary into and man could that car move! I am really hoping that Mazda will come throgh with the turbo version and make this car into what it really should and could be!! But overall it is still a great budget rocket!!

The RX8 does look to be a fantastic car.

Engine does have a scary thirst for oil (nearly as bad as its requirements for fuel), and Car magazine found that if the car does a lot of cold starts and short journeys the plugs get knackered which causes problems with cold starts and running.

The RX8 does look to be a fantastic car.

Engine does have a scary thirst for oil (nearly as bad as its requirements for fuel), and Car magazine found that if the car does a lot of cold starts and short journeys the plugs get knackered which causes problems with cold starts and running.


One thing you always have to remember about a Rotary engine is that it willalways need new main seals at about 45 to 60K intervals (after hard driving) and that cooling and oil are the 2 main convers of an engine. If you let a rotary get hot a few times you might as well just rebuild your motor with new tips and seals since they cook very easy. It amazes me that the rotary design is capable of producing so much power with a (roughly 125lb. motor). If you look at some of the IIRC 22B motors (large commercial rotary motors) they produce 1000 to 1500HP with ease. But for the RX-8 it will be a blast to drive once they get it totally refined in the next few years!

A friend of mine races an RX 8 and was up in New Hampshire a couple weeks ago and an SCCA race...

he/the car did great on the qualifying rounds on Saturday, they were flying and then, on Sunday, after the 4th lap, his clutch went <insert impending doom music, *** *** buuummm>

check out his web site http://www.casualracing.com and go to the photo gallery...there are shots not only of the cars but the nastyness that became of his clutch. i don't think that i have seen metal reduced to a hair like substance before this.

as he said, in order, "that's racing" and "that's what can happen to a clutch at 10,000 RPM's....

Ok thats bizarre!! Never seen a hairy clutch and I have fried some of the best!! Man! Was that the stock clutch or hadhe changed to an aftermarket yet? Goes to show you what type of power and torque some motors have.

bizzare is the perfect word for it!!

i don't belive that it is stock, very little on that car still is, as i understand it....

they got us to stamp on the brakes from 70 while taking our hands off the wheel, to demonstrate the EBD working, which it does!!! Definitely the only new car I've seen which could tempt me if I had the cash....far superior to his old TT.

I wish I had an airfield or something to go to so I coul test how my car behaves under such circumstances.

Right now I don't feel secure pushing my car too hard, casue I dont feel like I know when the tires will break loose, and how likely it is to over vs. understeer...

Is everything stock in the RX-8? oh yea, by the way I tried clicking on the link and it said action cancelled. is my computer just acting up again?
Tony

I can get to it without a problem, try again.
-Dirk

I can get to it without a problem, try again.
-Dirk

I've been trying for the past like 10 minutes, I'll try again some other time, stupid school!
Tony