RX8: Opinions?

its a good car but you really need to keep its maintenance in check if you want to enjoy it. decent power for a car that was released in its year, even if it doesn't get to rx7 levels of greatness

I really like the suicide doors on it, a nice compromise for wanting a coupe but being forced to make a sedan if you will

all around ok car but regular maintenance is a must

oh I should've said this but its also best to remember that its a rotary car that requires rotary care which is completely different from piston based cars

real problem is finding one's that's not an abused ruin

i don't mind the styling, not so keen on the half door thing, but whenever i see one i just think apex seals and have a sad :(

how did mazda go from rx7 to this fat ugly shit?

Most disappointing car I've ever driven. And I freaking love rotaries
>4 doors
Wtf were they thinking

I think only car mechanics or people with their own tools and equipment can really drive this car because of the requiered maintenance.
Kinda makes it very exclusive.

>UUUU
for you

Never owned one but they seem to be popular as lawn ornaments.

>unreliable
They're not. People don't understand the difference between reliability and maintenance intensity

i like them but definitely dont use it as a daily driver, despite the 4ish doors and 4ish seats they are track cars

>RX8
imho kys

As a dorito myself, I think it's a great car. I own one and daily it, it really isn't too bad unless you're picky about MPG and have to commute a literal rally stage every day.

Just keep on top of maintenance and it's as reliable as anything else. They're not known for leaving you stranded with no warning, in almost every case a rotary will give you months of warnings signs that it's on the way out. You have to be mechanically inclined and able to diagnose and fix stuff on your own or you might as well direct deposit your paycheck straight to the dealer/mechanic, but that's just because very few places will even touch triangles.

It's a very fun car to drive, it has handling unlike anything else out there. The engine is zippy and smooth, which makes it fun to run out and drive spiritedly. The ride quality is extremely good for how well it performs in a racing environment, and in Grand Touring trim the leather seats are nice and comfortable. I can't say anything about the cloth seats.

I'd suggest getting one with DSC if you have snow, as it can be a bit snappy about losing grip when you least expect it due to the short wheelbase and rwd+lsd. Just stay awake and it's never too bad though, as long as you know how to correct a slide it has lots of steering lock and control to bring the back end in line. Pretty much the standard for a sports car of any sort.

If you decide to get one, go with an 05-08, they had most of the bugs worked out by then. My 04 has plenty of first production year shenanigans that I have to sort out regularly.

As a whole, I think it's an absolutely awesome car, and the fun far outweighs the work required.

What’s so different in maintenance from a piston engine?

Rotaries are fidget spinners for autistic car dorks. The real reason why prices are low are because they're shit engines powering shit cars. If you feel like pissing away lots of time and money for no reason, by all means buy one.

>1 liter engine
>expected to push a 3000lbs car

mazda is fucking dumb
Nobody makes rotaries anymore for this reason

they need more oil, premixing is a good idea once you've gotten rid of the catalytic converter, and you REALLY need to rev the cunt out of the engine. A normal piston engine would hate to be so abused, but in a rotary it helps reduce carbon build-up.

also in the rx-8, the renesis takes very poorly to modification other than to the exhaust. Fucking with the intake often loses you horsepower because of the fine-tuning that mazda did with the air velocity, and forced induction just fucks the apex/side seals.

That means that modification ends up necessarily including porting and an engine rebuild if you're smart.

Otherwise, maintenance is similar to a piston engined car: change the oil regularly (maybe a little more frequently - ~3k miles), change filters, coolant, fluids, etc.

Maybe if you drove it in a straight line with your ears plugged.

most of the negative opinions are "it's not an rx7" the engine reliability doesn't mean shit when you can just drop a better rotary into it

If you can get one really cheap then I'd say go for it
They're fun, but only if you ring it out and go full throttle everywhere
Probably wouldn't pay more than 4k for one
Also I wouldn't have it if it's your only automobile and you'd be depending on it regularly

I got mine for a thousand bucks, fucked with it for a while, then sold it.
Nothing spectacular but if you want to tinker with a rotary it's a much better platform than an FC and a lot cheaper than an FD.

...

how did you get one for 1000 bucks? i adore rotaries and i dont really wanna fuck with a shitbox fc and i had a thing for rx8s when i was younger

>legs
>expected to move a fat fuck like you

>4 doors
>Wtf were they thinking
they were thinking lower insurance rates

The engine was flooded with fuel and wouldn't start so the owner thought it was toast
Most of them that don't run or have some inherit issue will be 1-2k
I got it running, got bored & ported it.
It's a good platform, but like I said not a car I'd depend on regularly. Have a second automobile and you're golden.

Pic related; another previous rotary venture

grand marquis rims

Its fucking shit, go buy a civic for 3k

This is completely incorrect. This is just another idiot who is jumping on the "I need to say what everyone else says to be liked" bandwagon.

I own one. Have never had a problem with engine. Only raced. Always used premix.

Here's what HAS broken:

Brake calipers needed rebuilding after about 20k race miles.
Did rotors too after a shop fucked them up trying to resurface (that fault is on the shop).
Ignition coils. Notoriously bad. Bought BHR coils. Increase power, better fuel economy, guaranteed for 100k.
Front left hub was acting up. So I will be replacing that, the outer tie rods, and the end links, just because. I got a good deal on performance upgrades so may as well.
Radiator. The plastic was soft and went out at 38k. Shame on Mazda because they know about this problem. Went with all aluminum KOYO. Fucking awesome. Engine runs nearly 30 degrees cooler at the track now.
Passenger side door lock motor is going. At 42k right now.
Dash plastic has a crack in it. Not sure how it happened. Talked to other rotary owners of rx8's, nobody has the issue. Guess I got unlucky.
Had to replace clutch. Was second owner, previous owner put a greddy in there. It burned out in about 10k of my race miles. Pretty sure the previous person tried to drag it or something. Either way, new clutch, shaved fly wheel. Works fine.

Responding to the idiot above, you come across a lot of these people. They make fun of you because of "lol apex seals" but if you take care of it, and drive it like it is intended (race the fuck out of it), you will never have an engine problem. Most people who complain about rotaries are those that have owned it and wasn't good enough to drive it properly (or too stupid), or those who have never driven one and like to repeat stuff to sound a part of something.

Oh, forgot to mention. There is next to no performance aftermarket. If you are into racing in non-stock classes, be prepared to pay a premium for custom work and bulk ordering specialty parts. No joke. Fucking google 2-piece brake rotors in the USA. They don't exist. And those that claim they are in stock will just call you a week later and say the order can't be complete because nobody carries them anymore.

Shhh, don't tell anyone. I'm still waiting for the good 2nd gen RX8s to depreciate to under 8 grand.

rotard.

evaluation finished

/thread

I own one and I really enjoy the car other than the motor is on the way out with low compression in the rear rotor causing hot start issues at 75k miles but it can still coldstart fine and drive fine. Plan on keeping and rebuilding the engine with an omp adapter and seeing if I can use the series 2 rotor housings for the 3 oil injectors as a hybrid build.

I've owned 3 turbo FC before it so I'm not new to rotaries and their quirks but at least the series one are deserving of some of the hate 8's get. If you do get one try and get a series 2.

This should somewhat explain their situation. They're fun cars to drive and surprisingly practical but do come with negatives that don't make them worth it for most people like the high maintenance as well as mistakes by Mazda.
rx8help.com/before_you_buy/engine_failure_story.html

It's the frs we should have gotten. Just make sure to budget for a rebuild and premix, especially on first series cars.

Why not just drill and tap a normal lower intake for extra oil injectors?

If you are not a lazy fatcunt who can't keep up with scheduels and knows jack shit about rotors and reliable mods. While also having a second car incase something goes wrong or it is a very short trip then yea good car that can be as reliable if treated nice. Keep in mind though this car could drain your bank account as many things could go wrong with it. Also the 2003-2008 RX-8's look way better than the modern ones. It gets hate from people who never owned one and they absorb it from people who treated it like a normal car and think they are all piece of shit once realising they brake down if not treated peoperly (fucking logic)

Posting for effect.

>you just need to take care of it's niggles
>t.someone who’s never owned this car

There’s a whole long winded daily routine you have to do along with regular oil top ups and mandatory engine parts replaced on a regular schedule, just so it doesn’t blow up on you. The car maintenance just so it doesn’t commit sepukku is ridiculous just for a mildly faster than normal commuter with doors that open in the middle.

t. Someone who’s owned an rx8