12th Dec 2005, 20:27
I have the #742 2005 RX-8 Shinka off the assembly line. I have had the battery replaced (some recall oddity) and the rear tires replaced since they leaked air.
I've got ~7,000mi on the car, and I don't think I'd trade it for much else. I fly by most "American sports cars" <cough> crap <cough> and I think - ha ha!... I love my car. Yes, the rotary burns oil, because of the design, so I have to remind myself that I need to check it every once in a while. It burns gas like a V8, but I didn't buy it to be a economy car.
I will admit that some of the interior feels "cheap" sometimes... and the construction could be a little better. Mazda has some work to do on reliability of their parts, no doubt... but overall, I wouldn't trade my baby for any other car.
Hope this helps someone... get the car - it's well worth the pennies. Especially if you're privileged enough to purchase a Shinka... WOW.
13th Dec 2005, 09:36
There are enough negative reviews and comments for the RX-8 on this site to show that it also falls into the "crap" category, sorry.
17th Dec 2005, 20:08
I love my RX8. Has about 4,000 miles and the only problem to date is a bad seal in the rear light. Broke the car in "hard" which is fast acceleration up to the speed limit. The motor really purrs and is an automatic, and fully loaded. It is also black exterior with black inside...awesome!! Have the auto-protect option as well. I only use the top premium gas in this "machine" and get about 13 miles a gallon. Oil addition is about one quart every 1,500 miles. My last Mazda was a RX7 that was sold at 300,000 miles. The is the best car I have ever owned and the Bose system is top notch. I intend to keep this car forever.
18th Dec 2005, 13:01
We've just traded in our 8000 mile RX8. We had it from new for 18 months, and while it was a great drivers car most of the time, it started a tendancy to cut out when you asked it for full power, like in the middle of a fast overtake.
I was chasing down a BMW M3 one night and it gave up on me at 143mph indicated, with a complete engine shut down. I coasted off the main road and had to be recovered home by truck. A main dealer replaced the cat' (as it was blocked?) and did the engine management system upgrades. The car still refused when you asked it to really go, so we got rid.
Replaced with a 7000 mile Mazda6 Sport Zugaro 2.3.
18th Dec 2005, 14:55
Maybe your RX8 with 8,000 miles was smarter than you. It may even have been cognizant. At least it showed a sense of self-preservation. Had you kept it, it would undoubtedly have been wrecked by now, but it continues to live!
23rd Dec 2005, 01:16
What were you doing racing a M3 anyway. That's juts plain dumb, you could never win, so why try... How old are you anyway???
16th Jan 2006, 18:44
Man I don't know what you're talking smack about, why don't you do your research before you write an post. Even though the horsepower difference in the RX8 and an M3 is pretty big, they have the EXACT same lap time. So YEAH, you CAN win racing an M3 in an RX8.
25th May 2006, 10:20
I totally agree, My 2005 RX8 actually blows an M3 out of water. I had done so yesterday in fact.
It has a lot to do with how experienced you are at driving it. To a newbie this car will feel like it has nothing, but if you know the engine and how it reacts and performs, you should know that this car can truly rip.
Another example of how awesome this baby is:
Last year I outran a Mercedes SL500 on I95 with moderate to light traffic. Of course we never got to go 150, I think the fastest it got was around 128 -130, because of the traffic. The Mercedes guy was trying hard, I admit. But when doing 100 mph + and the throttle is down RX8 can blow almost anything away. It just takes off... The guy in a Mercedes was furious. I could see his face when I passed him (multiple times in fact). We raced for about 15 min going towards Miami. I never down-shifted below the 5th gear, so whenever we slowed down to like 70 he would off course run a bit ahead of me because of more low end torque in his engine, but then every time my engine reached 5K rpm, I'd start gaining on him and there was absolutely nothing that German V8 could do about it.
I love my car. The only car in my opinion that stands close to RX8 in "Fun and Joy" category is a Viper. But that is really funded and based on nothing more, but my personal preference.
Oh and if I suggest to have wider tires for the rear, especially if you like to take off fast. It gives you a better grip. The stock tires tend to go into a spin when you give it a bit more throttle, and then the stability system blocks you down, so you lose on the takeoff.
21st Jul 2006, 11:09
Amer RX8.
I bought my RX8 a couple weeks ago by trading in my GTI VR6...
This Mazda is unbelievably fast at higher rpm's, but it is pretty slow off the line... I was wondering how could I turn off my traction control when racing because it is gonna mess up my clutch... I was never a Mazda fan til now... they really zoom zoom (literally)... did any one of you rx8 owners beat a Nissan 350Z? If so, what kind of mods do you have on your Mazda? good luck everyone...
7th Aug 2006, 21:01
I bought my 2004 rx8 2 years ago. It has been in the shop 4 times for the same thing (not starting) Thank goodness all 4 times it happened, it was parked in my driveway. I had to have it towed to the dealership. They have replaced the starter, alternator and a battery. I just had to have it towed yesterday and while mine was in shop, there was another there with the same problem. I'm in the process of trading it for a 2007 mustang GT. I love my rx8 but would not recommend it to anyone.
29th Nov 2005, 09:35
I also have a 2004 RX-8 with less than 12,000 miles. I drove it Sunday (November 27th, 2005) and last night (Monday) it wouldn't start. Battery power is fine, all electronics work great. The starter seems fine as well, because you can hear it cranking the motor. I did notice from time to time, a slight delay to start the motor, almost like what you'd expect if the battery was low in cold weather, but it would only last a sec or so and start up right away. I'm guessing it has something to do with ignition. I'm calling dealership today.