Rotary Revival
The new Mazda RX-8 challenges two sporting four-seaters.

BY CSABA CSERE
APRIL 2003

The idea of a four-seater that can play boy racer and satisfy its driver as well as any sports car seems like an inherent contradiction. But that is exactly what Mazda has tried to deliver with its brand-new RX-8.

This is a major about-face from Mazda's final RX-7, which garnered passionate praise for its performance, handling, and sporting character. Dedicated to the proposition that anything that didn't bolster its performance was superfluous, the RX-7 was light and tiny, with sheetmetal that seemed to be shrink-wrapped around its mechanical bits and twin seats.

Unfortunately, this intense sporting focus made it supremely impractical, a flaw that was ultimately unsatisfying to the buyers who could afford its lofty price, which was fast approaching $40,000 when it left the U.S. market in 1995. Mazda was determined the RX-8 would not suffer the same shortcomings.

As a result, not only does the RX-8 have plenty of room for its two front-seat occupants, but it also has a pair of rear seats. Moreover, these rear seats are touted as adult-sized and access to them is assisted by a pair of rear-hinged, pickup-style doorlets. No one will be criticizing this particular RX for its practical shortcomings.

That's all well and good, but buyers also expect that any Mazda wearing an RX designation will also be a serious sporting machine. To that end, the RX-8 benefits from an all-new chassis and a major revision of the traditional rotary engine.

The new chassis places great emphasis on rigidity, achieving about twice the bending and torsional stiffness of the last RX-7, thanks to extensive use of computerized design techniques and the reinforcement of the driveline tunnel, effectively turning it into a backbone frame.

Although the front and rear suspensions might sound similar on paper to the old RX-7's, they are actually all-new. In front, each wheel is located by a pair of forged aluminum control arms, which are about 1.3 inches longer than their RX-7 counterparts and provide improved geometry. Gas-pressurized monotube shock absorbers with coil springs and a hollow anti-roll bar control the excursions of this suspension, and the wheels are directed by a steering rack that employs fully electronic power assistance.

At the rear, the RX-8 uses a five-element multilink setup, again with links that are between three and seven inches longer than their equivalents on the RX-7. These links are mounted to a rubber-isolated subframe in a fashion that provides excellent control of wheel camber and minimizes friction in the suspension bushings for improved responsiveness.

Power for this new chassis comes from a massively revised version of the twin-rotor 13B engine, called the Renesis. In the interest of reduced cost, the RX-7 twin turbochargers are gone. However, thanks to a repositioning of the exhaust ports from the periphery of the rotor housing to the side plates, the new engine breathes much easier. As a result, the Renesis develops 250 horsepower at 8500 rpm, almost as much as the 255 developed by the last generation's turbo rotary. Moreover, the Renesis provides improved emissions and fuel economy.

The new engine is also more compact than the old one, allowing it to be placed in the chassis about 1.6 inches lower and 2.4 inches more rearward than the engine in the RX-7. This makes for a front mid-engine design with reduced yaw inertia, which means the car turns more easily. Placing the fuel tank under the rear seat and forward of the rear wheels reinforces this benefit. Yet with a wheelbase of 106.3 inches—10.8 inches longer than the RX-7's—the RX-8 portends excellent straight-line stability.

The car's real promise is sports-car satisfaction combined with genuine four-seat practicality. And the icing on the cake is a bargain window sticker. The base price for the RX-8 is $25,180, although that's for a 210-hp entry-level version with a four-speed automatic. But even the 250-hp, six-speed model starts at only $27,200, and prices barely top $33,000 even if you check every box on the options list.

To judge how well Mazda has achieved its goal of delivering an unbeatable combination of performance, practicality, and price, we put the new RX-8 up against two similarly well-rounded competitors.

The most obvious RX-8 rival is the recently introduced Infiniti G35 coupe. The G35 adds a larger body and rear seat to an elongated version of the chassis used by the outstanding Nissan 350Z. Many of us find the G35 to have a better-proportioned and more graceful profile than the Z's. And with a 280-hp version of Nissan's 3.5-liter V-6, 18-inch wheels and tires, and Brembo brakes, the G35 six-speed coupe is a serious sporting machine.

Even more directly focused toward speed is the Ford SVT Mustang Cobra. This final development of the current Mustang generation, which traces its bloodline to the 1978 Ford Fairmont, is also the best to date, combining a 390-hp supercharged four-cam V-8 with an independent rear suspension. The result is a car that is more refined than we thought possible. Equipped with a functional rear seat, which has always been one of the Mustang's advantages over the late and lamented Camaro, the Cobra combines utility with 12-second quarter-mile times for a reasonable 35 grand.

We devoted three days to identifying the strengths and weaknesses of this exciting trio. We found no losers in this group, but we did identify a winner.

Third Place
Ford SVT Mustang Cobra

Highs: Omnipresent power, exuberant oversteer, tight construction, large trunk.

Lows: Low-rent interior, feels slightly disconnected, smallest back seat.

The Verdict: The best Mustang ever built.

If you're a driver whose No. 1 priority is straight-line speed, look no further than the SVT Mustang Cobra. With 390 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, thanks to its supercharged 32-valve DOHC 4.6-liter V-8, this Cobra is easily the quickest car in the group.

It scorches through the quarter-mile in 12.9 seconds, hitting 112 mph. It rips to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds and to 100 just six seconds later. The 155-mph governed top speed comes up quickly and effortlessly. Not only can the Cobra easily show its heels to the two competitors here, but it is also substantially quicker than any car available for its $34,750 sticker price.

Nor is the Cobra a one-trick pony. Although its platform was designed before Super Bowl XXXVII's MVP, Dexter Jackson, was born, this ultimate Mustang acquits itself well in the corners. It easily turned the quickest lap time at the Streets of Willow road-racing circuit in Southern California, owing to the balanced way it was able to apply its superb power.

Although the Mustang's steering doesn't offer much more feeling than an electronic dial, the car turns in precisely and with minimal understeer. Maintaining a neutral balance is easy, provided you're judicious with the throttle. If you're not, this Cobra illustrates the textbook definition of power oversteer. Toe into the throttle as you exit a corner, and you can play dirt-tracker in the Cobra without risk. The chassis is so well calibrated for tail-out driving that you can use your right foot to control the car's attitude with micrometer precision.

On winding roads, however, where the consequences of error are so much more serious than on the track, the Cobra feels less secure. The lifeless steering doesn't impart great confidence. Neither does the suspension, which feels underdamped during small motions, giving the car a vague and unsettled feeling. Although the Mustang sits lowest of the cars in this test, from the driver's seat it feels tall and slightly tippy.

We all liked the Mustang's seat—it does need a finer backrest-angle adjuster—but we found the shifter to be too far forward. Combined with its long throws, we all felt displaced when we had to shift.

That's just one of the many ways the Mustang's interior is showing its age. The instrument and control layout is easy to use, but the design looks drab and uninspired. There are no bright accents, and some of the panel gaps are enormous.
The Mustang's rear seat is also the smallest. Six-footers can fold themselves into the rear, but their skulls will be bouncing off the rear window and their knees will be straddling the front seats. Better to reserve the rear for occupants who are 14 and under.

The trunk, on the other hand, is roomy, regularly shaped, and accessible through a large opening. A split-folding rear seat further enhances serious hauling.

In casual cruising, the Cobra is docile for such a high-performance machine. The engine note is quiet and distant in sixth gear. More important, decent acceleration is available without downshifting, which is good because the clutch is on the stiff side. Wind noise is low, and the ride is quite absorbent. Broken pavement generates more road noise than in either of the competitors here, but the Mustang is surprisingly buttoned down for a machine with such humble origins.

In the end, the pony car does its best work at the track, whether the pavement is straight or twisty. We defy anyone to experience the car in either environment and then try not to smile. But on the road, there's more balanced satisfaction to be had from its more modern competitors.

Second Place
Infiniti G35 Coupe

Highs: Beautiful styling, gutsy V-6, luxurious interior, fine road manners.

Lows: Notchy gearbox, somewhat nonlinear steering, no rear headroom.

The Verdict: The perfect 350Z for anyone with a pair of kidlets.

We can't imagine any car lover being unaffected by the G35's classic coupe profile. Its voluptuously tapered cab, perfectly proportioned atop its muscular lower body, defines the coupe essence. We never tired of looking at it, and judging by the comments of passersby, neither did anyone else.

Inside, the G35 is equally attractive, with the most luxurious appointments. Not only does the G coupe employ richer-looking materials than the two others, but the level of luxury and convenience features in this $37,465, fully loaded example was easily the most lavish. Coupled with a comfortable seat and sufficient adjustments to produce a perfect driving position, the G was the unanimous choice as the long-distance cruiser.

Lest you think these aesthetic compliments are damning with faint praise in this sporting test, the G35 was no slouch in the performance department. Clocking 14.2 seconds at 100 mph in the quarter-mile, this G coupe was quicker than the last 350Z we tested (December 2002), despite being 137 pounds heavier (3500 versus 3363) and motivated by seven fewer ponies (280 versus 287). With 60 mph available in 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 155, this is one fast coupe.

Not surprisingly, with its 350Z-based underpinnings, the G35 also took to the twisties, especially since the six-speed version of the G35 comes standard with 18-inch tires and Brembo brakes, just as the 350Z Track model does. Its excellent test measurements of 0.86 g cornering grip, a stopping distance of 164 feet from 70 mph to standstill, and a lane-change speed of over 70 mph were nothing less than we expected.

These figures better the corresponding numbers from the Cobra, but the Infiniti still couldn't quite match the powerful Ford's lap times at the Streets. Certainly, the Mustang's additional 110 horsepower was a big advantage, but the G35 was also hampered by understeer and a balky gearbox.

Pushed to the limit on the track, the G35 ultimately overloads its front tires, as does the 350Z, limiting its corner exit speeds. And under the massive loads of combined cornering and acceleration, the notchy gearbox feels even more stubborn. One other irritation was the traction control, which refused to completely cease its electronic kibitzing, even after we turned it off.

On public roads, however, where you'd have to be daft to push the G35's limits, you'll never experience that understeer. Instead, the coupe feels well planted and immediately responsive. Thanks to its rambunctious V-6, you can make excellent time without rowing the gearbox or squealing a tire. When you switch from one of the other cars to the G35, its steering feels slightly overly sensitive at first, but you quickly become accustomed to its distinctive character.

Over a variety of roads, the G35 was, by a small margin, the softest- and quietest-riding car of the group. During highway cruising, its engine is smooth and refined, thousands of rpm away from the slightly coarse edge it takes on above 6000 rpm.

We wouldn't recommend driving cross-country with two adults in the rear seat, although they will be comfortable if they're not too tall. Legroom is the best of the group, but headroom is the most limited, a result of the sloping rear glass. Getting in and out, however, is eased by the power-operated seats, which motor forward when the seatbacks are released for entry and exit.

Beautiful, powerful, comfortable, luxurious, and capable, the G35 is a great all-around sporting coupe. But if your emphasis is on sport, it falls a hair short.

First Place
Mazda RX-8

Highs: Responsive and capable chassis, excellent package, light weight, great value.

Lows: No midrange grunt, tiny trunk opening, bulbous profile.

The Verdict: A genuine sports car that holds four adults.

Die-hard RX-7 fans, conditioned by three generations of extra-virgin sports cars, have been waiting to see if this four-seat model continues its predecessor's sporting tradition. So let's answer that question first: From the driver's seat, the new RX-8 is the best RX ever.

Credit Mazda's clever packaging, which incorporates space for four adults into a body no longer than a Porsche 911. Even more important, the RX-8 weighs a mere 2940 pounds—that's 560 pounds less than the G35 and even 200 less than the aforementioned Porsche.

The RX-8's feathery weight provides the kind of delicate responsiveness that cannot be duplicated by a heavier machine, no matter how wide its tires or stiff its suspension. Much like its smaller sibling, the Miata, the RX-8 almost reads your thoughts and carries out your desires before you even move the controls.

Not only does the RX-8 turn into corners with a fluid linearity, but it also continues to respond accurately even as the cornering forces build at higher speeds. The car is so securely planted that you feel confident leaning on its tires as you corner ever harder. In the RX-8, that means leaning on its rear tires because the suspension has a very neutral balance.

Achieving this communication and responsiveness at low limits is not so hard, but the RX-8 does it at 0.91 g, a considerable margin beyond the cornering capabilities of these two competitors. Its transient handling is similarly superior. And the RX-8 is the best stopper of this bunch.

Despite these handling advantages, the RX-8 was the slowest on the racetrack, and that's because of a shortage of midrange grunt in its rotary engine. Peak power is decent at 250 horsepower, but it's developed at 8500 rpm. Torque, however, is a mere 159 pound-feet—down 111 and 231 pound-feet on the two other cars—and it comes at 5500 rpm, which is nearly as high as the others' power peaks. Think Honda S2000 power band, and you get the idea.

To get the most out of this car, you must be willing to use its 9000-rpm redline and maybe even the 500 additional rpm to the engine's rev limiter. As usual with rotaries, that's no hardship. The engine gains rpm so smoothly and freely that a tone sounds at 8500 rpm to warn you that the redline is approaching.

With the help of an 8000-rpm clutch drop and the engine buzzing like a flock of angry hornets, the RX-8 scooted to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds at 96 mph. But that performance falls off considerably without a tire-frying launch. In our street-start test from 5 to 60 mph, the RX-8 needed 7.5 seconds—1.6 seconds longer than the hard-launch time, which is twice the deficit we found with either of the other cars. And despite its trim weight and short gearing (20 mph per 1000 rpm in sixth), the RX-8 also had the slowest top-gear acceleration times by a wide margin.

Although the RX-8 never pins you to the seat, it still had no trouble keeping up with the two others on a fast winding road. Its six-speed gearbox is a delight to shift—almost as light and direct as a Miata's—so keeping the revs above 6000 is no chore. And with the RX-8's capable and reassuring handling, you simply don't slow as much for the corners as you do in the others.

Interestingly, this responsive handling does not incur a penalty in straight-line stability or ride harshness. With its 106.3-inch wheelbase and perfectly weighted power steering, the Mazda displays an excellent sense of straight-ahead that makes long highway cruises relaxing. The same goes for the ride, which is perhaps the hardest and loudest of this group but still far from uncomfortable.

This driving satisfaction comes with a back seat that is, among these contestants, the most suitable for adults. Headroom is adequate for six-footers, and there's enough legroom so you don't have to splay your knees around the front seats. And getting back there is greatly assisted by the little half-doors.

On paper, the RX-8's trunk is rated at eight cubic feet, the same as the G35's, but its shape is more convoluted. Combined with a rather small opening, it's the least useful trunk in the bunch. And in the interests of structural efficiency and rear crash protection, the rear seats do not fold down to expand trunk space.

Still, packing even this much usable volume into such a small and light car is a remarkable achievement. Although some of us aren't smitten with the RX-8's somewhat swollen profile, we were all surprised at how much character the front-end styling displays in person. The front fenders are much more highly sculpted than most photos show, and they drew a great deal of favorable attention.

Inside, the RX is trimmed with quality materials and unusual bright accents in the shape of engine rotors scattered throughout the cockpit. We all noticed the strange proximity of stereo and climate controls and the lack of a speedometer dial in the instrument cluster, but after a few hours, we got used to monitoring our speed from a digital display.
Despite its engine's lack of wide-ranging power, the RX-8 ultimately delivered the greatest driving satisfaction combined with the best four-person usability. And it did so at an as-tested price of $28,300 (an approximation for this preproduction car with a mongrel mix of features). In this trio, that was enough for victory.

Interesting that they were able to get a higher skidpad number out of the RX-8 than the G35 despite the fact that the RX-8 rides on Bridgestone RE040 tires and the G35 has Michelin Pilot Sports.

Original article: http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caran...aro_rotary.xml

 

Wow, I didn't realize that this thing starts at 25,100.....my parents are car shopping, and they ruled it out (as much as they didn't want to), because they heard that it didn't come in automatic.....maybe they'll look at it afterall.

 

I don't think it would be worth it in an automatic. The automatic model has the same basic motor with a different intake setup. The main reason for the lowe hp number is because peak power is made almost at redline on thr 6-speed model and the automatic is limited to 7500 RPM.

 

2940 pounds is feathery? :eh: Someone needs a thesaurus.

 

I heard they can't strap a turbo to it. Why?

 

Of the three, I'd choose the RX-8 (and that might become a reality come Spring). The G35 Coupe has no headroom, the interior sucks, and is too soft and pudgy. The Mustang is a Mustang.

Thread has been re-opened. :eh:

 

I think they were only using the term relative to the other cars in the test.
There are a few problems with slapping a turbo on the Renesis. The simplest explanation is that the compression ratio is too high, but that hasn't stopped people from turboing otherwise-stock S2000's. The more complex explanation is that they changed up the exhaust ports pretty significantly in comparison to the 13B-T ('88-'91 RX-7 turbo) and 13B-REW ('93-'95--or '02 in Japan RX-7 twin turbo) motors. The new ports on the Renesis are made possible because of a new kind of rotor apex seal which requires less oil to be injected into the motor. The ports also help with getting the cat lit up properly. The exhaust flow out of the motor however, does not encourage a turbo to spool up quickly. Also, throwing a turbo in the mix will make the emissions go way up. The standards have gotten stricter since the RX-7 was last sold here and it would be one helluva pain in the engineers' ass to get a turbo onto the Renesis and make it smog legal. Down the road maybe we might see something but I wouldn't hold out. It would be easier at this point for Mazda to bring out a normally aspirated 3-rotor version of the Renesis as opposed to a turbocharged 2-rotor version.

 

I've read the article Out of 3, I'd have to go G35 c. Mazda may have a better handling, but I think the G35c suits my need better. :thumbup:

 

is there any way to make the rx-8 go faster? if not, then that definitely takes it off my list of cars to buy in the future.

 

Well, I think Mazda may do something in the future. Their MazdaSpeed division might come up with something, as they did with their turbocharged Protege. Just what remains to be seen (and if it will ever happen).

Also, I have a feeling there will be plenty of aftermarket parts in a few years for the RX-8 (think RacingBeat.) Forced induction is not the only way to get power out of an engine (but it sure as hell does a good job).