Faults:

Sirius Satellite antennae failed - Canadian dealer having difficult getting US part to repair it (this is a US model imported by me to Canada). Mazda Canada "finally" agreed to honor Mazda North America warranty.

General Comments:

Super handling car - superb high speed manners and corners so easily without any drama. The 6 speed automatic shifts lightning fast and is usually best left in auto mode. The car does have 4 steering wheel transmission gear selector paddles and the gear shift lever can also be used for manually selecting the gears - pull for a higher gear, push for a lower gear. The 7500 RPM redline is not as much fun as the manual equipped model's 9000 rpm redline but the car is plenty fast and a breeze to drive in stop and go traffic.

I don't know what all the fuss is about gas and oil consumption. This car usually gets at least 23 mpg city and 27 to 30 mpg highway. If you really thrash it, it dips down to 20 mpg. Oil consumption has been 1/2 of a litre in 2500 kms.

The car starts easy, idles easy, passes just about everything, has excellent seats for lateral support and adjustability for city comfort. It is a sports car but can seat 4 adults in relative comfort. Everyone loves the Copper Red color and Alcantara Suede interior. There are many luxury items such as sun roof and power everything. Visibility out the front window is excellent but only so so out the rear side and back.

The 300 watt 9 speaker Bose 6 CD/Satellite Radio Stereo is a bit disappointing with but does have good clarity.

The keyless entry and start sytem is confusing at first but when you are used to it, you think all other key fobs are just plain dumb.

I also have a 2005 MX5 Mazdaspeed (turbo charged Miata) and I must say that the RX8 is definitely a daily driver and highway high speed tourer. The Miata may be fun at times but isn't as good a car as the RX8.

General Comments:

My 2006 RX8 is the fourth Mazda I've owned. I previously owned an 808, RX2, a 626 GT Turbo, and now this RX8. Many people complain about no low end torque on rotary engines. It's true that some rotary models have low torque, and the newer model RX8s are lower than the RX7. These cars are not built to be drag cars. They are sport cars.

One thing that people should be aware of. If you need maximum torque, rev the engine over 4000 RPM and take off. Under 4000 RPM, the engines are somewhat anemic at low speeds. No, they won't take off like a hemi powered Barracuda or an old Pontiac Judge. However, I will take a rotary powered Mazda on any road with a lot of curves versus a V8 powered behemoth and I'll win.

If you really need more torque, you might want to look for an older model RX7. Some are still in decent shape and have more horsepower and significantly more torque, and several engine models are turbocharged. The trade off is poor emissions and lower gas mileage.

I'm hoping that someday Mazda will come out with a four rotor engine like Curtiss. They built a 2.6 liter engine for a speed boat in the early nineties that developed over 500 horsepower and over 300 ft lbs of torque. The only thing keeping me from buying a hemi powered Charger or Magnum is gas at $2.50 a gallon. I'll stick with my RX8 as it gives me a decent everyday touring car for the freeways and a fun weekend sports car on mountain roads. Remember to keep your RPMs up at low speeds.