I have a passion for cars. I will drive anything with more than 2 wheels, anytime, anywhere. I have pushed rental cars to their screaming limits, leaving them panting with steaming brakes and scuffed tires. I LOVE to drive. So it was with great anticipation I visited the local Mazda dealership last weekend. How could I resist? They had about 15 of the awesome new RX-8s out front. Just for fun I dragged my father- and brother-in-law with me. The salesperson was outside in a flash, and as usual I knew more than he did about the car. Oh well. He was nice enough and very enthusiastic about the RX-8.
In an ideal world all dealerships would have demo cars for all their model lines. Most don't, and it can be unbearably difficult to get a test drive in a hot car unless you show them money. In this case, the dealer had a silver Sport Package RX-8 already plated and prepped for test drives. "Why, yes, I'd love a test drive." If you're not bored already, click to open the rest of the review.
The initial walkaround proves that in the RX-8's case pictures just don't do the vehicle justice. This is one seriously sporting machine. Crouched aggressively on massive 18" wheels and slung low to the ground, the car screams speed. The aggressive front end treatment swoops into the rising beltline and terminates into a neatly wrapped rear end. Dual exhausts exit under the rear bumper which houses the nearly-too-common clear red and white taillights. Overall the car has a beautiful design.
Lift the hood and you'll see the only rotary engine in a production car today. This substantially revised Renesis II engine makes 201HP in the automatic transmission car and 238HP in the 6sp. Fire it up and oooohhhhh so smooth. Rotary engines have no reciprocating parts, so there is no need for balance shafts or other gizmos to balance the engine. Mazda has tuned the exhaust note as well--there is no need for a stereo in this car. The engine makes all the music you'll need.
Time to open the door. Wait. This is a sports car, right? So what are those additional doors doing here?!? The RX-8 is fitted with two small half-doors much like those on club-cab pickups or the Saturn coupe. There is no b-pillar in the way, either. Access to the rear seats is nearly as good as that in a sedan, and Mazda assures us that side-impact protection is as good or better than most traditionally built cars.
I'm a 6-footer, and I fit fine "behind myself" in the rear seats. I probably wouldn't want to spend 10 hours back there, but a few hours would be tolerable. Nice job, Mazda.
Slide into the driver's seat and you'll find three pods housing nicely scripted and easy-to-read gauges. The analog tachometer is smack in the middle with a digital speedometer nestled into its face. A few minute’s adaptation was all it took to get used to the arrangement. The easily adjusted, well-bolstered seats are comfortable and provide good support during lateral transitions. A funky CD-shaped stereo/HVAC control system dominates the center stack but is easy to use. The short-throw shifter falls readily to hand and features a rotor-shaped head with shift pattern clearly marked. Controls for the stereo and cruise control are duplicated on the three-spoke steering wheel, which is wrapped in leather and is nice and beefy.
Start up the award-winning engine and let it come to operating temperature. Make sure the tightly-gated shifter is in 1st and ease out the clutch. The car steps forward without stumbling--something I was afraid of due to its relatively low torque output of 159 ft-lbs. It handles easily in stop-and-go traffic. Visibility is quite good considering the low stance. The power side mirrors are big enough to reduce any blind spots to nearly zero.
Onto the interstate to let the engine roar. The onramp was handled with aplomb and lane-change maneuvers were effortless. The car reads your mind and responds instantly with little to no body roll. High-speed stability is excellent. The day of the test drive was particularly windy with crosswinds gusting up to 30 MPH. The RX-8 tracked straight with hardly a quiver. Getting off the interstate was a disappointment as we were slowed by a minivan and an SUV, but a quick blast past them in 2nd and back onto the cloverleaf onramp proved the handling prowess of the all-independent suspension. "Corners on rails" comes to mind. Get into a corner too hot and the traction control system will rein you in. I couldn't feel any intervention, but I wasn't pushing the car all that hard with the dealer and two family members riding along. Braking is excellent, with superb modulation and anti-lock brakes backing the system up.
The shifter is a dream to use. Gear changes are snappy with no notchiness and no slop. The only problem I had was trying to shift farther than the short throws allow. A positive action guides you into the next gear so missed shifts are difficult to make.
Much to my chagrin I did stall the car once--backing up at the dealership to park the vehicle. Bummer.
There is much to like about Mazda's new RX-8. The engine, shifter, and overall design are top-notch. The price is nice, too: around $30K for a nicely equipped model. There are a few niggles, however. Fuel mileage, while up from previous rotaries, is still around 18-20 MPG. There is no automatic climate control option, and trunk space is decent but not great.
Mazda has brought a great design together with a fantastic engine. All the dealerships around here have multiple vehicles on the lot so there's a bunch to choose from. Get them while they're hot.
One other reason to buy an RX-8: They're ticket-proof.
