plex

iTrader: (11)

It might be just me but why would mazda boost their new SUV(CX-7) the Mazda 6, well I'm not sure if the Mazda 3 is still boosted. But why not have turbo in the RX-8

mmarshall

Probably because that Renesis rotary engine sucks up enough of both gas and oil WITHOUT a turbo....and this has been a source of owner complaints. Mazda, like many other manufacturers today, is becoming more fuel-economy conscious....and there are no plans that I know of to do a Rotary hybrid.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

dont forget poor emissions which putting a turbo on wont help

Lexmex

I think Mazda was going to sell the RX8 in Mexico for instance, but since it could not pass emissions in the largest market, they ended up waiting for the newer version of it to come out.

I still remember seeing them being driven around with demonstrator plates on.

saleem

The next car after the mazdaspeed3 is going to be the mazdaspeed rx-8 supposedly its a joint partnership with Vortech. Yes it will be supercharged and supposedly it makes around 350hp. The car is being tested as we speak. There was an article in a magazine with an actual supercharged car that mazda had testing in Irvine CA near its headquarters. They showed the car and its been in development for some time.

TheRupp

Finally. The RX-8's way underpowered IMO, although the decent price does justify it.

LexFather

I like Mazda more than some luxury brands.

doug_999

But boy does it handle....

TheRupp

That's definitely true. I love the styling of it, especially all those rotary accents inside the cabin. Very unique design

mmarshall

Yes.....go test-drive some of them if you have not done so. They don't call Mazda the poor man's BMW for nothing. And, unlike BMWs, Mazdas don't have you-know-what between the front seats.

( I drove them myself through a good part of the 80's and early 90's before switching to Toyota and Lexus )

mmarshall

Yes and no. I've driven the new Renesis-equipped version. I did a review...but privately for a friend of mine, not on CL. It is a little short on low-end HP and torque, primarily from the small engine displacement and flywheel size ( a big, heavy flywheel adds torque ) , but once you get it rolling and the RPM's up, things start to spunk. And...how many street production engines do you know, outside of the Honda S2000's, that will rev freely to 8500-9000 RPM all day long?
For some reason, Mazda rates the manual transmission version significantly higher in HP and torque than the automatic.


And......don't forget the fact that even if this car is not a first-class dragster at low speeds, throw it around a sharp corner and a smile is almost guaranteed to break out on your face.

The only real problem with this car, aside from the fact that it cramps big tall people like all small sports cars, is the engine's unacceptable oil and gas consumption....something that has plagued rotary engines since Day One. Engineers have worked on the root of this problem for decades.......the rotary apex tip seals that are the equivalent of a conventional engine's piston rings and the fact that some gas and oil are used up in the engine's actual lubrication ....but the problem still persists to some extent.

baddis es

iTrader: (3)

droppin down to third and punching it is where the fun is in the rx-8, i drive my cuzzins rx-8 and the handling and 3rd gear is the best thing in the world!

bmgs400

That doen't make any sense. Maybe they sell more SUV's??

I miss my 2nd gen '87' RX-7...great handling car. I would love to have a 3rd gen turbo'd RX-7.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

turboing the RX-8 motor would make its fuel economy and emissions more worse, and it aint even great in its N/A form

TheRupp

I'm not positive on this, but I think the manual version has a slightly different valve setup in the cylinders.