Mazda RX8

deesun · 13-10-2011, 11:04 AM

Hi guys, my son is looking at upgrading his MX6 to an RX8 and I was wondering if anyone here has one or has owned one around the series 1 mark and their experience. I have heard they use a bit of oil under normal circumstances is this true? What are the service intervals and is there a service which is major near or around the 100k mark or any? How were the servicing costs? I forgot to look in the service book in the one I saw the other day. I have reasonable experience at buying used cars and so far so good but of course an RX8 is a little different. Thanks.

flappist · 13-10-2011, 11:16 AM

Be warned, performance of a N/A 4 with the fuel economy of a V8.

They are a great little car that handles extremely well and are a bit of a TARDIS with easy access to the rear.

They are petrol eating monsters particularly if you stand on the right pedal a lot. The autos are significantly less powerful than the manuals with the same fuel economy.

On the other hand if you fit a turbo they are up with the Porsches, Nissan R3Xs, EVOs and M3s on any track day......

**Polyal** · 13-10-2011, 12:14 PM

Flappy's first line says it all.

They are a great car if you want something different, and there is nothing wrong with that. Their durability is not like your typical engine either.

Would a s7/8 RX7 not be a better choice (IMO one of the nicest looking coupes made)? Does he need marginal rear room?

I had a blast in the GT version and they are a hoot, but for a daily, perhaps not.

deesun · 13-10-2011, 12:35 PM

Yes I think thirsty, but I dont think 6.2 0-100 is in N/A4 territory. He's 24 and drives like a granny, no fines since driving so he's not a leadfoot but I think the combined fuel figure is similar to my my FGT. But all this is good info,thanks keep it coming. Yes he would like some rear leg room.

flappist · 13-10-2011, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deesun

Yes I think thirsty, but I dont think 6.2 0-100 is in N/A4 territory. He's 24 and drives like a granny, no fines since driving so he's not a leadfoot but I think the combined fuel figure is similar to my my FGT. But all this is good info,thanks keep it coming. Yes he would like some rear leg room.

Rear room in RX8 is not so bad. It sounds like it will be a good car for him.
They are quite stylish and if the fuel range was not so low I may have bought one instead of my datto. I got a loaner from the local dealer fo the weekend and drove it for 2 tanks of fuel. It was definitely fun.

You could always convert it to LPG

Franco Cozzo · 13-10-2011, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deesun

Yes I think thirsty, but I dont think 6.2 0-100 is in N/A4 territory. He's 24 and drives like a granny, no fines since driving so he's not a leadfoot but I think the combined fuel figure is similar to my my FGT. But all this is good info,thanks keep it coming. Yes he would like some rear leg room.

Just be careful with the driving like a granny part, our Honda dealership was next to a Mazda one and daily you'd see these things coming in on tow trucks, because an owner has decided to start it up and drive it right away, rotaries pump in a crap load of fuel when they're cold, need to be warmed up a bit, then driven sedately until operating temperature, then you need to thrash the crap out of it to clear out carbon build up. If you see it advertised "Lady owner, only driven to shop and back", avoid.

They'd come in on tow trucks flooded and with fowled spark plugs.

A fairly fun car, but barely any torque, so you really need to see high revs to get her moving along quickly but thats the point of a rotary engine.

Windsor220 · 13-10-2011, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Just be careful with the driving like a granny part, our Honda dealership was next to a Mazda one and daily you'd see these things coming in on tow trucks, because an owner has decided to start it up and drive it right away, rotaries pump in a crap load of fuel when they're cold, need to be warmed up a bit, then driven sedately until operating temperature, then you need to thrash the crap out of it to clear out carbon build up. If you see it advertised "Lady owner, only driven to shop and back", avoid.

They'd come in on tow trucks flooded and with fowled spark plugs.

This is correct. I work at Mazda and we get a lot of these in. Flooded and carboned up. Spark plugs are a fortune for them. The engines dont last very long either.

2011G6E · 13-10-2011, 10:47 PM

As with any rotary...a comprehensive service history is manditory...walk away if the owner can't prove someone who knows what they've been doing has been at it. Before I bought our 1982 Celica three and a half years ago, I fell in love with a heavily modified Series One RX7, but knocked it back because I knew we'd be living in a bush town, with qurstionable access to mechanics who knew what they were doing with a highly tuned rotary.

The Renesis is an amazing engine...but the old problem of poor fuel economy is and probably always will be an issue.

**Polyal** · 13-10-2011, 12:48 PM

Its one of those things, coming from a MX6 its just not the same. Most people buy them for the fascination of the rotory, realise that they drink like a V8 (because the point is to rev the bugger) then think they might aswell have a V8 if their fuel bill is going to be so high.

I couldnt imagine trying to drive a rotory calmly, its like putting extra mufflers on your V8..hehe

X000BOSS · 13-10-2011, 12:50 PM

yes consume plenty of oil, mazda do a drive through service for oil top-ups whenever you need to top up. well, they did 2 years ago anyway. just pull up in the services' department driveway and they will top it up. if you dont top it up, it will break! cool cars though.

XR Martin · 13-10-2011, 12:50 PM

Find one with a blown engine and slot in a LS1, or be one of the first to fit a Coyote 5L.

JJ500 · 13-10-2011, 01:08 PM

just read on drive.com.au that the RX8 is dead.

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...012-1lkqd.html

Stazza_Brendan · 13-10-2011, 01:25 PM

Good mate has one after owning several other rotaries.
sticks to corners like **** to a blanket. if your the only one in the car it goes alright, 4 people in car though and its sluggish.
I havnt heard him complain about fuel economy but it probably doesnt bother him. Has done some big trips in it, 2000km return trip mackay-brisbane and to NSW and back twice.
His also has a catback exhaust which makes it sound pretty good.

sysh · 13-10-2011, 01:25 PM

Never had too much faith with the rotary engines of the RX8. Takes too much effort to maintain it eventhough it has improved from the RX7 days

graham7773 · 13-10-2011, 02:37 PM

Wow, how much must they have improved since my RX4 12A days? And it was N/A. blew off TX5 2.2 Turbos ok. Admittedly the car had only done 32k (miles) but it impressed me at the time. Oil feed to the rotors was strange.

sysh · 13-10-2011, 03:14 PM

I feel a little claustrophobic whenever I sit in the rear seats of the RX8, perhaps it's just me and my big frame :(

**Polyal** · 13-10-2011, 03:50 PM

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/...1622&silo=1011

How can one not be impressed by that car!

naddis01 · 13-10-2011, 10:31 PM

Damo is on the money. They have a flooding issue (moreso the series 1 models) if you stop it before the motor has warmed up sufficiently.

You can find out more about them on rx8club.com.au. It is a very useful forum for RX8's.

drew`SEVNT5 · 13-10-2011, 11:19 PM

Early 350z?

Airmon · 14-10-2011, 12:09 AM

If he likes the Mx-6 get a Series 6-7 RX-7, Looks like a bigger MX-6!

**Polyal** · 14-10-2011, 06:57 AM

Yeah i wouldnt even contemplate anything under a series 6

V8XTasy · 14-10-2011, 08:19 AM

my sister had one for a couple of years, it was black so looked a bit like the bat-mobile (from the later films) with its flared wheel arches. She liked it, quite rev happy and poor on fuel. Also, if you stopped the engine when warm, you had to wait a certain time before it would restart.

deesun · 14-10-2011, 02:01 PM

Thanks guys, after this and a bit more research I am trying to lean him off it. Bit hard when they know everything. RX7s are getting a bit old now but I have given him a list with 2 unnamed options to compare. One is the RX8 and the other is an XR5. Both can be had for the same money but the XR is younger and although not a sports car per se I think it's the better option. Certainly fuel wise far better and parts not as dear etc etc. We will see but more coments wouldn't go astray.

flappist · 14-10-2011, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deesun

Thanks guys, after this and a bit more research I am trying to lean him off it. Bit hard when they know everything. RX7s are getting a bit old now but I have given him a list with 2 unnamed options to compare. One is the RX8 and the other is an XR5. Both can be had for the same money but the XR is younger and although not a sports car per se I think it's the better option. Certainly fuel wise far better and parts not as dear etc etc. We will see but more coments wouldn't go astray.

What about a datto? (350Z). They get good fuel economy, have around 800km range, will go faster than you ever need, handle quite well and are very well built.

They only have 2 seats though so if you need more you are stuffed.

If these are of interest give me a PM as there are many permutations and combinations and it is not always clear cut. e.g. 3 different engines 2 chassis not counting coupe/conv, several different brake systems etc.

deesun · 14-10-2011, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

They only have 2 seats though so if you need more you are stuffed.

Yep, stuffed, he wants back seats. But with only a quick look fuel consumption is getting up there at 11.7 combined and thats not much different to RX8 12.6. Makes me like my FGT at 12 even more. He cant tow my jetskis with his 6 nor the 8 and 350 doesnt say, mind you I think it would be a squeeze with the XR as well but I doubt he has thought about that at all. Thanks for the offer though Flappy.

Utilah · 25-07-2012, 03:13 PM

G'dey, i kow its been a while on this thread. I searched RX8s because my young excitable housemate is about to purchase one and i wanted to do some research, i know bugger all about rotary.

This info is really helping, appreciate it.

Deesun, what did your son end up doing? Did he get the RX8? If so how has it been going mechanically?

turbodewd · 25-07-2012, 04:00 PM

RX8s are funky and zippy and easy to park...BUT:

They have shocking fuel consumption for such a small car and consume oil too. Very cramped interior, Ive been a passenger in one. They had a very high RRP for what you get. Poor bang for buck.

Honestly, rubbish car if you look at the numbers concerned.

Peter B - CV8 · 25-07-2012, 04:54 PM

What about a Monaro...... there are still some good low k's models available (for a 6-7 year old car), reasonably low service costs, a good 4 seater, easy & cheap to mod for extra ponies, comparable/better fuel use than an RX8.
Just throwing it out there.....

Utilah · 25-07-2012, 05:11 PM

Well my housemate is set on it, like i said young and excitable, considering he is trying to sell his old man Cruze im all for him getting a fuel gusling sport car if it puts a smile on his face....we've all been there/are there/want to be there.
So just getting info on engine care for a rotary etc.
Trust me, I suggested an XR6T to no avail.

**Dave R** · 25-07-2012, 05:22 PM

Funny, my friend did the same upgrade from MX6 to RX8. Wrote the first RX8 off hooning, then bought another new one. They do drink, he was getting ~14L/100km, possibly a byproduct of their need for revs to go anywhere.