2006 Mazda RX8 from North America - Comments

Why do people buy this car when they don't research it and know nothing about it? This car has a unique engine that must be taken care of differently than a conventional piston engine.

The RX-8 2-rotor Wankel engine consumes oil by design, not a flaw. It has an Oil Metering Pump (OMP) that automatically injects oil into the rotor housing to lubircate the seals. It even says in your owners manual that you will need to periodically top off the oil.

Some rotaries do flood (too much gas in the chambers) in cold-weather situations, but the newest ECU flash takes care of it, and no one I know in my group of RX-8 enthusiast has flooded their engines. And if you do happen to flood it, it's easy to fix yourself. The procedure is, once again, in your owners manual.

The RX-8's fuel economy isn't stellar, but it's better than it's main competitors. I agree it should get better mileage, but it's still a sports car, and no one buys a sports car for the fuel economy.

No street-legal Mustang in the world has a 50/50 weight distribution like the RX-8 has.

The RX-8 makes less power because it has a SMALLER engine than the Mustang. The Mustang has a 4.6 liter V-8. The RX-8 has a 1.3 liter. That's nearly a QUARTER of the size.

For reference, let's measure specific output, using crankshaft-rated brake SAE horsepower:

Mustang GT: 300bhp/4.6 liters= 65.22-hp per liter

Mazda RX-8: 232bhp/1.3 liters= 178.46-hp per liter.

Obviously, the RX-8's engine is a more efficent design, because of it's power density and specific output. For the Mustang's V-8 to make the specific output of a STOCK RX-8's Renesis rotary, the Mustang would have to make over 820-bhp, stock.

The RX-8 is also the lightest 4-door car on the market today. And, unlike the Mustang, has useable rear seats. And it can take a corner at much, much higher speeds than any Mustang.

The RX-8 has the best side impact and roll-over crash rating of any vehicle sold in America- better than Volvo.

The RX-8 can stop better than any vehicle out there. It can do 60-0mph in 117 feet. No other 4-door car can match it, and all of it's direct competitors (Mustang GT, 350Z, G35, etc) do it in over 122 feet.

The RX-8 can pull over 0.94 lateral g's on a skidpad, bettering any other car out there in stock form for under $50k, and whopping it's competition.

I understand some people just want to get behind the wheel, mash the gas and go, and deal with a bland, everyday car. If so, this car, and it's unique engine, isn't for you.

The RX-8's rotary engine does indeed generate more power per liter than the Mustang's V-8. However, the reality is that due to it's higher displacement, the Mustang has more than 60 more horsepower, and double the torque.

The RX-8 definitely handles, and brakes better than most cars in its class, but for less than $50k, the Corvette, and S2000 will beat it.

Re 13:35: I'm in the owner category or previous owner that is. I have a lot of positives on the RX8, but also a lot of negative stuff that in the end led me to sell this car; I mean, there's so much great cars out there. I don't bother sticking to a specific model if I don't think it's great.

Positives and negatives on the RX8:

+ It handles great. Almost as good as an S2000. I'm serious.

+ Brakes are fantastic, and don't fade even after hard braking

+ It's a four seater; even somewhat cramped in the back

+ Interior has a quality feel and the car feels well built

- Engines wear quickly. This is a well known problem and it will lose power, run rough and drink oil like a camel

- It's not very user friendly. I would never let my wife borrow this car. It's just to much to check up on, like learning flooding procedures. She went pale on me when I tried to tell her about it. "Why can't it just start like a regular car"

- It's not an all year car. Performs poorly when cold. Runs rough and drinks even more gas until warm. I'm talking 10 mpg here.

- The rotary engine can't do anything a tuned four can't do. That's why a S2000 is always better. The RX8 main achilles heel is its rotary engine. Mazda should just scrap it and the RX8 would be a truly great car.

Let's be serious and realistic guys. Different strokes for different folks. Some folks like beer and some folks appreciate wine. Likewise some folks like Mustangs and Corvettes and some folks relish RX-8's. No amount of technical persuasion will win souls.

I currently own a 2006 RX-8 and the question I keep asking myself is: where have this car been all my life or where have I been? This is pure fun driving. Just enjoying the whine of the engine is exhilarating.

I can tell you that I recently took my RX-8 to the local Rally in the racetrack's parking lot just to be a spectator (the stuff where they set up cones). By the end of the day, the Horses (Mustang), Beemers (BMW) and M3 killer (Audi) owners were hating me. This is in addition to the guy in a Porsche Boxster that tried to shake me on the Taconic State Parkway.

The key things to remember is that with the correct amount of handling, care and appreciation, the RX-8 will not disappoint.

I am a 57 y/o owner of an '06 Shinka and now have over 22kmi on it. To date, the only failure has been the drivers side sun visor. Oil consumption runs about 1 qt./3000 miles. Gas mileage runs 19-20 mpg daily, 23-25 mpg on trips. My only complaint is that I'm needing new tires already - guess if I stayed out of the gas that would help.

I compared and drove the S2000. The deal breaker was the closed in feeling with the top up (5'10"), cramped side-side interior space and lack of seating/steering adjustment.

All I can say is my car is fun to drive and drive fast when conditions permit. I love the little rotary rocket.

I've realized that people are always putting down the Wankel motor. Lets pretend that all the cars were running on rotary engines, and the piston engine just came out, what would people say about it?

- Too heavy

- Low horsepower per liter

- Too many moving parts

- Consumes oil too

- Low RP-M's

- Not as smooth

... etc...

So as we all know, We all can't be satisfied.

.. Love the car for what it is.