SatinSilverAV6

iTrader: (2)

On my way home 2 nights ago I ran into a Mazda RX-8 6MT. I don't know what year it was, but I could tell he was modded by the sound of the exhaust. He had come up behind me from the left side. His HID's were bright as hell lol! Anyway the light went green and I started pretty normal, let 1st gear rev up to 4K. He heard my slight aggressive input from my exhaust and I saw that he had given it more throttle. SO I floored it from second gear at about 25mph and up until 75mph he was about a car behind. Knowing we both didn't have the best of starts I figured we could get a better start since the light ahead was also red So we both line up at the light, I turn off TCS and the light goes green. We both punch it! I had a decent launch, tires spun quite a bit through 1st but I still managed to keep him at my rear fender or so at the end of 1st gear. Through second gear I pulled slowly to put about a car or so between us at the end of second gear around 70mph. At that point I shut it down, didnt want to keep going due to another light coming up soon. I gave a thumbs up, and we went our separate ways. I would have liked to know what mods he had, but I felt I did well against him. I think stock they run mid-high 14's but again I am not too sure. Regardless I was proud of the victories! For those who don't know, I am a 5AT

TylerT

iTrader: (1)

Nice run!

RX8s have decent top end with little torque, but clearly no match for a fully bolted J series.

Do you have any plans on hitting the track any time soon? I'd be curious to see what kind of traps your car puts up.

SatinSilverAV6

iTrader: (2)

Thanks bud! With my new job it has been hard to find time to go to the track, plus the nearest 1/4 mile track is Fontana I believe. I wish we had more options here! How are you liking the S2000?

Ken1997TL

RX-8's aren't fast at all. However.. they handle very well, that rotary engine is light and very low/centered, so there's virtually never any understeer. They're quite fun to drive once you're willing to rev the (supersmooth) engine.

SatinSilverAV6

iTrader: (2)

Surprisingly, I found some stock ones that were running low 14's on dragtimes! 14.2 was the fastest, others were 14.4-14.6 stock. The one I ran had exhaust for sure, but I don't know if he had anything else. Was just a random person.

http://www.dragtimes.com/Mazda-RX-8-Timeslip-2899.html

Not to shabby with a proper launch. From a low rpm launch, I am sure you could take a second off of that 1/4 mile time. Similar to the S2000 launches, but the S2000 is a quicker car.

dgsedan06

Nice. Although RX-8s are pretty slow. I remember putting a bus length on an automatic one a while back. Go to a drag strip, see what you run.

SatinSilverAV6

iTrader: (2)

The automatic ones are slow. They only have 212HP and a 4AT 7600rpm redline. A whole different story from the 6MT. I have seen 232hp - 247hp for a high power version 9000rpm redline.

F23A4

Honestly, I'm actually thinking of getting an 8 6MT as a third car in my household. It's truly in its element when it comes to handling. While breaking into the 14s would be cool, I would definitely jump back into autox if I pull the trigger.

SatinSilverAV6

iTrader: (2)

I hear they are one of the best handling cars in its class. I could only imagine if the suspension and tires were upgraded. It would be a blast to drive either way. I also heard about reliability issues as well for certain years. Terrible gas mileage is another downside.

F23A4

A good friend of mine can attest to the poor reliability and fuel economy. To him, it was as fun to drive as it was painful to own.

If it were a primary/secondary car, I'd never consider getting one. But I figure, I have an extremely reliable 12 MDX and 12 Accord as safety nets; this allows me to be a bit risky with a recreational ride.