EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: I have a real love/hate relationship with this car. I love the exterior design, but hate the way the B-pillar blocks your side view. I love the sound the rotary makes at full pitch, but hate how there is so little power at the bottom end. I love the interior design with its sleek, flowing shape, but hate the seats. I love the action of the six-speed gear box, the crisp, short throws, but hate the lack of power at the bottom end. Oh, did I say that already? Sorry.
There’s a lot to like about the RX-8 but the bottom line for me is that to get anything out of the rotary, you have to wring the heck out of it and that gets really tiring after a while. Plus, for such a small engine with not much power the mileage is monstrously terrible.
I’ve said this before: I’d love to see this car with the Mazdaspeed 3 turbo motor in it. It’d be a screamer.
NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: This is one of the most fun, reasonably priced cars to drive on the market. It has some flagrant flaws but I really enjoy its high-revving engine and short-throw gearbox.
The rotary powerplant is a bit of a curiosity, to be sure. The fuel economy figures are awful but the power output is impressive. And you do feel the tenacity of the engine when you’re whipping through the gears. Personally, I like the dynamic that requires you to move the needle to 8,500 rpm and work out your throwing arm cracking off shifts as the revs build. It’s a bit different from a lot of cars today that offer up gobs of power at the low end. I like it. Acceleration is pretty brisk, but launches in first gear don’t really propel you, even when you redline it.
The manual is superb. The shifter, the short throws, the relative ease of use–it’s sporty as heck in my book. The suspension is pretty tight but is better than I expected at soaking up rough pavement. The body is taut through corners and turns, and the low-lying demeanor is solid.
Inside is a driver’s environment. The cockpit offers a low but clear view of the road, and all of the controls are simple and within easy reach. I found the Recaros to be snug and comfortable even if the bolstering on the side slightly impedes on shifting.
Love the looks. The front is wide and beyond athletic. The headlights and taillights are sharp. The pronounced wheel arches add a hefty dose of character, too.
For this price, however, I’d go with a variety of other cars, such as a Ford Mustang. But logic aside, the RX-8 is a lot of fun.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: With a 1994 RX-7 R2 sitting in my garage, this RX-8 R3 really strikes a chord with me. The idea behind the R models is enhanced performance with specific suspension tuning, stickier rubber and some light exterior and interior upgrades, but unfortunately no engine upgrades. During the third-generation RX-7 days, it also meant eliminating a few luxury things in the name of weight savings such as cruise control and sunroof, but the RX-8 R3 retains the luxury and even adds a few things such as a Bose stereo system, Bluetooth capability, keyless entry and start and Recaro front bucket seats.
The results, quite honestly, speak for themselves when you’re behind the wheel. For the price, the RX-8′s composure rounding corners and instant response to all commands are nearly untouched in my opinion. The engine’s throttle response, transmission shift action, brakes and body motions are all so well thought out and refined. When driven hard, the car communicates exactly what’s going on to the driver.
To some, the Achilles’ heel to the RX-8 is the rotary engine. No, there’s nothing at the low end and you need to adjust the way you drive it in order to get the power out of it. Fuel economy is poor and its appetite for oil is larger than your typical piston engine. The low oil warning did come on and scare the heck out of me on my drive into work one morning, but that’s stuff you have to be able to live with to be a Wankel head.
What are the benefits of the 13B? How about a 9,000-rpm redline, instant throttle response, decent power at the top end, a compact package equaling the size of roughly a half keg and weight savings? Combine those positive traits with one of the best shifting manual gearboxes on the market, a perfectly tuned clutch, responsive and well-weighted steering with this tight chassis, and you’ll smile hammering around your favorite winding back road or local road course.
I also took the RX-8 on a short road trip down to Akron, Ohio, and it was perfect. There’s a good sized trunk to carry stuff and the ride from the stiffer R3 suspension was still capable of providing a smooth ride on the expressway and around broken surface streets. In no way is the car overly rough like the R1 and R2 RX-7s of old. The Recaro seats kept me comfortable and the interior is buttoned up well enough for long runs.
The RX-8 isn’t for everyone. But if you’re willing to live with some foibles in exchange for driving one of the most involving, refined and best handling sports car available today, you’ll fall in love.
2010 Mazda RX-8 R3
Base Price: $32,740
As-Tested Price: $32,740
Drivetrain: 1.3-liter rotary; RWD, six-speed manual
Output: 232 hp @ 8,500 rpm, 159 lb-ft @ 5,500 rpm
Curb Weight: 3,065 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 18/17.2 mpg
Options: None
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In his first communication with employees, new General Motors CEO Dan Akerson relayed in a Labor Day letter extended his hand to the company’s unions and gave employees a pat on the back.