I have always been a bit hot and cold on the RX8. I always saw it as a downgrade from the FD generation RX7, and I thought it was underpowered, especially when compared to the likes of its competition. I had also heard it had no torque at all and needed to be pushed hard if you wanted to go anywhere at all. Everyone I had ever met who owned one loved it and swore by it as a proper driver’s car, and of course on Top Gear Jeremy Clarkson loved it as well. So, there are a lot of people who like it, but I was left wondering why. I realized the only way I could really finalize my opinion was to go out and drive an RX8, so I did.
The RX8 is definitely geared toward enthusiasts, it is low and all the controls are situated exactly where they should be for a solid driver’s car. You look down and the tachometer tops out at 9500rpm, certainly more than most cars. Everything about the interior itself suggests that this is a proper sports car.
When you blip the throttle the revs shoot up quite quickly, and when you let the clutch out it feels much like a racing car, very abrupt and grippy, with little slip time at all. (I was told this was a stock clutch) The RX8 did not have a tendency to want to stall like I thought it would, however under what felt like a normal slow start I noticed the revs were around 2.5-3k, much more that would be needed in a normal car.
When we got out onto the road, I gave it the beans starting in 2nd. The RX8 pulls from around 4000RPM but it just continues to pull harder and harder as the revs climb higher all the way to redline. The power band is ever-increasing and I say it feels a lot like the car has a turbine engine. As far as the force of its acceleration, it feels how I would expect a 247hp, 2900lb car to feel, but it is the manner in which it delivers its power that is truly unique. I would describe a rotary as being the exact opposite of a diesel engine (High revving with low torque, whereas a diesel is low revving with high torque). The car needs to be shifted quickly, but it engages gears in a solid, abrupt fashion making the car seem to leap forward into the next gear. It is a very fun sensation indeed, but not the smoothest. I found that when I tried to shift less aggressively the revs would drop too fast and it would shudder anyway. It is aggressive like a racing car and you need to operate it as such. The RX8 is not a very relaxing car to drive, but it is a hell of a lot of fun, and a very unique driving experience.
In the corners the car handled well and was very responsive. There is a lot of feel to the car in the way it drives. During a corner it behaves like any front engine-rear drive sports car should, neutral and balanced. No real surprises here for me though as I had expected it would handle well.
On the car I drove, the 4th gear syncro definitely felt a bit worn, with 3rd not feeling much better, and this made me realize that because the car needs to be pushed to be smooth and revs so high, there is surely a ton of strain put on the transmission. I haven’t looked into the details yet but I would imagine the transmissions would need strengthening if you wanted much more power than stock levels. It just seemed like there was a lot of stress on the drivetrain to me, and I wasn’t pushing it “that” hard.
Another thought I had while driving the RX8 was that the rotary felt brilliant alone and without a turbo, just a free revving low friction motor that you can rev the piss out of. An RX8 would be a fantastic car to take to the track and have a ball with for the day’ its high revving, aggressive nature would definitely be right at home on a proper road course like NJMP or Lime Rock. So, I would definitely recommend the Mazda RX8 to anyone looking to attend frequent track days. However, on public roads, while it was great fun, it needed to be pushed too hard in my opinion–as I said before, it’s not easy to relax in this. Also, while the rotary did feel great, and the RX8 was pretty quick, it could definitely put a lot more power to good use. I don’t think I would want a boost setup on it though, more like a larger N/A rotary that could put out around 350hp. That would be just the ticket, I think, because the RX8’s real problem as a sports car is that it just isn’t as fast as other offerings for the same money.
Overall the Mazda RX8 did exceed my expectations, and I did like driving it more than I had thought I would. It is quite a fun car, and quite a raw car in the way it drives, which I am certainly a fan of. However, my original gripe about lacking torque, especially on the street, does hold because you always have to push the car to really get anything out of it. Fine for having fun, but not great for more normal occasions. Also, while it is far from what I would call slow, it is nowhere near as fast as it should be. All in all though, the Mazda RX8 was a blast to drive and absolutely gets my thumbs up as a driver’s car. I would only caution those who are looking to buy one to make sure they drive one first and take time to really consider if it is right for your needs because it is a very unique experience to say the least.
WoM Score: Mazda RX8
Primary Function: Performance: 1
Secondary Functions: Practicality(2), MPG(0): 1…….. rotories are horrible on gas
Visual Appeal: 2
Build Quality: 1
Value for Money: 1……. it’s not bad, but for the money there are always better options no matter what your concern.
Final Score: 6/10
-Nick
Mind Over Motor 