Talk:Mazda RX-8

The image on this page shows
a modified RX-8 with a non-standard body kit. Would it not be better to have an image of a standard production model? I could supply a picture of a standard UK car if required. Rob


 * Rob,


 * I had meant to change out this image before, but haven't had the chance (will do so in a moment, though). If you have some good RX-8 (or other) photographs, I'd like to encourage you to get an account and upload them to the Wikimedia commons.  Anything uploaded at the Commons is immediately available at all Wikimedia projects (such as the English and other-language Wikipedias) and saves us a lot of work.  There is an RX-8 page at the commons.  Because the Wikies are free projects, we encourage you to upload photographs that are released under a free license, such as the Gnu Free Documentation License (GFDL).


 * Thanks, and happy editing! --Milkmandan 19:40, 2005 Apr 21 (UTC)

I have now registered and will upload a photo/photos when I have the chance. Thanks. Umop ap!sdn 20:29, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)

"it is almost a surety that the RX-8 is still overrated by at least 35 hp (26 kW)" As stated earlier, wheel dyno's came up to 180hp. With a drive train loss of 30hp, this would make the actual power 210hp. 238 hp minus 210 would make 28 and not "at least" 35hp.

Standardization?
Now that there is multiple generations of the car, I think it would be a good idea to organize it the same way all other cars with multiple generations are organized. A separate section for each generation, with it's own picture and data sheet in the right-hand column. It looks good and reads very well in other articles, and I think this article would benefit from such a rearrangement. Agree/Disagree? EznorbYar (talk) 09:22, 13 July 2008 (UTC)
 * If you're talking about the 2009+ RX-8s as a second generation I'd have to disagree. It is the exact same platform/chassis as the previous year models with just cosmetic changes and a few mechanical tweaks.  It is akin to the Series 4 to Series 5 as seen on the 2nd generation FC RX-7.  Whether the series designations for the RX-7 came from official Mazda documentation or were created by enthusiasts I have no idea.  The point is that the 2009+ RX-8 is not a large enough change to warrant the dubbing of a 2nd generation as it is a mid-generation refresh.--Dinnercoat (talk) 17:27, 24 September 2008 (UTC)

I agree with the organization. The page is a catastrophy to look at as is in my opinion. The 2009+ isnt a mid-generation refresh, its the LAST of the RX-8s. There are a number of changes even in the motor... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.241.215.24 (talk) 19:58, 28 August 2010 (UTC)

Over Rated HP
It has been shown on the RX8, as well as certain Porches that while being dynoed, owing to the fact that the front wheels remain stationary as the rear ones spin that sensors on the car perceive that the car is doing a 'burnout' or something of similar effect that could possibly harm the drivetrain. Consequently set sensors put the car into a safe mode that eventually causes decreased power output to the rear wheels and a lessened measured HP output.
 * simple solution - disable DSC/TCS completely by holding the button for 8+ seconds. 81.241.215.24 (talk) 20:34, 28 August 2010 (UTC)

The fact that many people believe that car to be over rated HP wise is somewhat incorrect as 1/4mi. and 0-60 times support a horsepower rating given from the factory and not the one that most people speculate to be under rated.


 * This is an interesting supposition, and not one I've heard before. Can you substantiate it with sources?  --SFoskett 18:56, Jun 8, 2005 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure I understand why you think this, the 1/4 and 0-60 time HP calculations are rough estimates at best. I have seen 2 engine dynos of new stock engines, one from Racing Beat and the other from Australia if I recall correctly..  The Aussie motor performed as advertised, the USDM motor did not(see ECU talk just below this for why)81.241.215.24 (talk) 20:34, 28 August 2010 (UTC)

It should also be noted that the Japanese/Australian version having higher output due to "avaliablity of higher octane fuel" comment is entirely wrong. They use a different octane rating system than is used in the US, but their fuel grades are roughly equivilant (look up RON, MON, and AKI octane metrics). The US version of the RX-8 was "crippled" due to EPA requirements. In the higher HP configuration, the RX-8 put out a lot more heat and MazdaUSA could not guarentee that the cats would survive the required 150,000 miles (by EPA regulations). Therefore, a engine fuel mapping flash was done that had the effect of reducing HP. -- Patrick Williams, Sept 18, 2005.

Isn't the RX-8 not classifed as a sports car and actually something like a sub-compact? Tostie14 22:22, 17 April 2006 (UTC)

I thought the RX-8 has a chassis designation SE3P and classified as a GT car?

Flip Rating?
I remember seeing an article where *at the time* the RX-8 was the only car to recive a 5 out of 5 on the governments new Flip Rating scale... with Pickups being at the bottom of the scale... I donno if the fact is true now, but I know it is was the first car to recive the 5 out of 5 and may possibly still be the only one. Should be added somewhere...--Azslande 05:21, 17 June 2006 (UTC)

HP and Buy Back
Why was the info about Mazda's buyback removed? This is a significant piece of information about this vehicle.

Also, the horsepower listed in this article is overrated and should be corrected to what Mazda is now reporting. At the very least, both figures should be shown.
 * agreed, what needs to happen is have a note or mention or something if not totally seperated USDM models from the rest of the world.81.241.215.24 (talk) 20:35, 28 August 2010 (UTC)

It's now years later, and that section remains absent. Why?

285 PS in Gran Turismo 4
In Sony PS2's GT4, the RX-8 Type S (Japan-spec) is advertised as 250 PS when you are shopping for a new car, but after you buy it, the power figure becomes 284 or 285 PS... any thoughts on this? Gran Turismo shows the real power (rather than advertised) of some Japanese cars, for example, the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) is advertised to have an understated 280 PS but in actuality it has 332 PS. --24.125.38.214 23:46, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

the 280 hp rx-8 is a concept model with that power output. Did you notice the word concept? or are you to busy finding problem where there isnt.

Other video games featuring the rx8
"Need for speed underground 2" and "Need for speed: Most Wanted" have the mazda rx8 as a drivable car, the games should be added to the apperances in popular video games list

I'm not sure if nfs underground 1 had it as drivable.

http://www.nfsunlimited.net/mostwanted/carlist/ http://www.nfsunlimited.net/underground2/carlist/


 * After double-checking car list FAQs and my own laboured save file, I'm sure that there's no RX-8 race car in GT3. I removed that and tidied up the section a little (I hope). 88.105.79.123 14:00, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

IMHO adding video game and pop culture appearances is completely meaningless, as these days most car games will feature a myriad of current and previous sports cars. The addition of this info thus does not add to the readers experience of the article and is simply a case of WP:TRIVIA, which should be avoided. I will remove this section entirely, please discuss here if you feel it should be re-instated. Zunaid 08:42, 25 October 2006 (UTC)


 * Yeah, I should have seen that one coming. No objections here 88.105.67.26 21:27, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

FYI nealy every other car article on wikipedia has videogame appearance information. unless you hold a VOTE then randomly dleting info from one article and not teh rest proves your negative POV n the rx-7. Personally you are just vandalising the site and videogame appearances are an interesting addition to the wiki project. i have now replaced the article

Which exactly proves the point. Nearly every car these days appears in a myriad of video games, rendering such information of very little importance in relation to the rest of the article and to Wikipedia as a whole. FYI I've removed info from Nissan 350Z as well, I have no POV on any of these cars specifically. Please do not accuse other editors of vandalism, especially when they show that they are acting in accordance with a guideline (WP:TRIVIA in this case), and especially when other editors express agreement with the actions taken. I still feel the section should be removed per WP:TRIVIA, please provide a good argument for why you feel it should be kept. And please sign your posts by typing four tildes like so ~.  Zun aid  © Please rate me at Editor Review!  12:40, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

Personally, I really like having a "pop culture appearances" section in car articles, though one specifically for videogames is not necessary. Any videogame, movie, TV show, or other notable media that the car appears in should be fair game for inclusion in the article. I know that I will deliberately attempt to find a certain videogame or movie if it has a car I really like in. The only reason I own NFS: Pro Street is because Wikipedia told me it has the AE86 in. :) EznorbYar (talk) 09:19, 13 July 2008 (UTC)

Fuel Economy
The listed EPA estimates for this car are similar to cars such as the S2000, 350Z, and Subaru Impreza WRX (and STI). Unless there is evidence provided that this fuel economy is overstated, I will remove the passage describing the car's fuel consumption as "similar to a small block V8" and mention that it consumes fuel, just like any car, and that it's fuel consumption is easily comparable to many sports cars.71.235.66.254 21:12, 22 October 2006 (UTC)


 * heh, The MPG concerns for the RENESIS are legitimate and understood. In proper condition it performs as advertised.  But the factory ignition coils(when new) frequently exhibit misfiring at high rpm and degrade very quickly.  As mentioned in other sections, the ECU mapping from the factory is pig rich - I am looking at the '06 M/T OE mapping right now and there are areas where the target AFR is in the low 9's!!!  The spark plugs degrade quickly from peak performance.  And the catalytic converter commonly clogs, slowly destroying the motor along with your power/MPG/etc.  I have 65K miles on mine - swapped OE coils for GM Yukon based coils, got rid of the catalytic converter, and do not use OE ECU tuning.  I see 27mpg HWY with ease.  But in my experiences knowing owners who are not enthusiasts and those that are, the average owner gets 16mpg mixed driving.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.241.215.24 (talk) 20:20, 28 August 2010 (UTC)

weight in kg not lbs
considering the rx-8 is sold in OTHER markets NOT just the usa. the usa-centric figures do not coform to the iso standards considering this is a worldwide site the weight figures should be in KG NOT lbs

It is a "world car" as you say. However, articles should strive to be as complete as possible, thus the best solution would be to include both metric and imperial units. This goes for all figures, not just weight specifically. Since the wider world market more generally uses metric, these figures should be stated first, with imperial in brackets.  Zun aid  © Please rate me at Editor Review!  12:40, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

PZ
I edited the PZ section slightly, its available in two colours and the price was wrong. 81.179.153.196 04:41, 9 December 2006 (UTC)Kipper

design
Removed reference to fiberglass panels. From the factory, the Rx-8 has no such thing. Steel body, save for the aft doors and hood (bonnet).


 * and the bumpers, they are Metton81.241.215.24 (talk) 20:35, 28 August 2010 (UTC)

A whole article could probably be written about how mazda shaves weight, but I don't have the reference material as pertains to the rx-8. Suffice to say, Mazda will trim weight everywhere. Even the length of ignition cables play a factor.

Tigerplish 23:49, 30 January 2007 (UTC)


 * A small example is a magnesium cored steering wheel81.241.215.24 (talk) 20:36, 28 August 2010 (UTC)

The "Shinka" info says there are badges on the B-pillars. Earlier the car is described as not having B-pillars. Could someone who has actually seen this variant describe it more accurately, please?

75.30.225.121 (talk) 18:43, 20 January 2008 (UTC)mmbutler


 * My Shinka certainly has the badges.. The car has no traditional B-pillar, the area described is called B-pillar since the badging is in the same area.  Its on the black part of the door in between the front and rear windows81.241.215.24 (talk) 20:36, 28 August 2010 (UTC)

Redline it every drive?
I'm hearing from quite a few people that a driver should redline the RX-8 every drive to "clear out the carbon deposits" or something like that, and that specifically NOT doing so will result in engine failure sooner than not redlining it every drive. Pff... in second gear it doesn't redline until about 108kph... so when is someone specifically supposed to do this anyways? Anyone who can provide some credible information would be appreciated. If this is true, then it should probably be mentioned on the page. --Puellanivis 04:00, 2 December 2007 (UTC)


 * I believe the owner's manual recommends to redline the engine once a day to keep excess carbon from depositing yes. --Dinnercoat (talk) 05:20, 17 January 2008 (UTC)


 * Not true ... The manual says nothing about redlining it each drive for maintenance purposes. That said, nothing wrong with giving it a good squirt. That's what rotaries are for! -- Schellack —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.183.119.49 (talk) 01:20, 13 April 2009 (UTC)


 * you could put the car in neutral. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.56.224.188 (talk) 18:36, 29 March 2008 (UTC)


 * there is a very serious truth to this idealogy. But you will never find any hard data concerning such things, unless you have very good friends in motorsports engine builders - ie Rick Engman  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.241.215.24 (talk) 20:28, 28 August 2010 (UTC)

Top gear episode?
What was the episode number of the referenced top gear?Thomashauk (talk) 05:39, 30 December 2007 (UTC)


 * Series 3, Episode 5. Description here List_of_Top_Gear_episodes --Dinnercoat (talk) 05:30, 17 January 2008 (UTC)


 * It was actually Series 9, Episode 2. Details here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gear_(series_9). 28/2/08 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.5.10.153 (talk) 12:14, 28 February 2008 (UTC)


 * It was actually both. The first one was a proper review, and the second one was a competition against the Audi TT and Alfa Romeo Brera.  (Ultimately, the more powerful rear-drive RX-8 was beaten on the track by the much-more expensive front-drive TT because of the TT's iron-filing suspension wizardry.) Chaparral2J (talk) 23:15, 2 May 2008 (UTC)

2nd Generation RS ?
I have added a citation needed tag to the information regarding the 2nd generation RX-8. The only meaningful mechanical changes mentioned so far from the official Mazda press release are a lowering of final-drive ratio from 4.444 to 4.777. Aside from this there is no mention of any kind of drastic weight reduction, nor an increase in power. --Dinnercoat (talk) 05:49, 17 January 2008 (UTC)


 * well, lets see here what I can recall off the top of my head.. interior/exterior are obvious so I'm only talking mechanical.  New final drive, new transmission(possibly implimeted before the series change?), change from 2 to 3 oil injection ports in each housing, change from 6 to 4 fuel injectors, new ECU, change to a twin oil metering pump system, signifigant operational oil pressure changes...  theres more, but thats what i can think of while being sick81.241.215.24 (talk) 20:42, 28 August 2010 (UTC)

Here is a link to an incomplete collection of spec sheets and model year change documents from Mazda, pertaining to the North American models:  The North American 2009 manual transmission model was officially 19 pounds lighter than the equivalent 2007. The weight gain is even more for the automatic transmission model. The claim that the 2009 model was 90 pounds lighter should be removed. I will also say that driveshaft rigidity has no effect on rear suspension geometry on this vehicle, because the rear suspension moves independently of the differential housing. — Preceding unsigned comment added by John Stimson (talk • contribs) 15:34, 30 May 2013 (UTC)

Last section..
Is nothing more than an opinion piece without a single source and has no place in the article. It violates OR, NPOV, etc. I suggest it be removed, or at least backed up with automotive journalism sources. Until then it's just hogwash. Anyone else agree? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.23.2.81 (talk) 18:48, 15 April 2010 (UTC)


 * Agreed, but the entire article is just as poor. There are errors everywhere:

-car has 52:48 front-rear weight distribution - its actually 51:49 per Mazda -then in the racing section SpeedSource's car is mentioned. But it is not an RX-8, the motors are 13G's not 13B-MSP, it is not an RX-8 frame, suspension, brakes, transmission. it has RX-8 appearing panels, that is all.81.241.215.24 (talk) 20:52, 28 August 2010 (UTC)

The 2013 Ford Fusion that has a 2.0 Liter I4 turbo producing 231 hp and a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission is just as fast in acceleration and handling as a 228 hp Mazda RX-8. So much for Japanese rotary engined sports cars. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.10.134.231 (talk) 21:20, 3 November 2012 (UTC)

^-- you got some balls kid — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.91.174.0 (talk) 06:10, 31 January 2013 (UTC)

Japanese road tax and capacity?
A new and uncited addition claims a tax advantage in Japan as the Wankel has a small capacity, compared to a 4 stroke of similar power. Is this correct? In many jurisdictions, they take into account the Wankel's efficient use of internal volume and class it against a piston engine of larger displacement, thus closing the loophole. What does Japan do? Andy Dingley (talk) 17:13, 25 May 2015 (UTC)

External links modified (January 2018)
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Reliability
There’s no mention of reliability what so ever in the article and I think that it must be mentioned. It is impossible to search for “RX-8” on Google and not see an article on the infamous reliability of the RX8’s 13b wankel engine. Mazda’s decision to add add a third oil injection port in each rotor housing is an acknowledgment of that fact, as well as their decision to extend the extended warranty program to every year of RX-8. RX8 owners are aware that eventually their engine will have to be rebuilt as it’s a part of ownership and is expected. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Scott Chiste (talk • contribs) 00:04, 5 July 2020 (UTC)

Missing ref
could you please fix the ref that you named "Mazda2" that has no definition?&#32;-- Fyrael (talk) 06:38, 11 February 2024 (UTC)

Spirit-R Section
The section detailing the upgrades done from the factory to the Spirit-R are incorrect and are general to either the Series 2 (2009+) models or the R3 trim. The Spirit-R is purely an aesthetic trim to my knowledge

"Mazda reworked a lot of the engine and related electronics in order to enable the engine to have the highest amount of peak power. A high-pressure fuel pump was added, as was a larger radiator with faster fans to help with cooling. The cold air intake system was upgraded, and the S-DAIS gained a second intake port, which would open at 5,500 rpm to allow more air into the engine. The oil-metering pump was upgraded to provide more oil to the rotors. A less restricted stainless steel exhaust was added with larger 3.5-inch tips. A Tochigi Fuji torque vectoring limited-slip differential was added. the engine ignition system was upgraded to the high output revision-C coils, for increased performance and engine response. A bespoke track-ready suspension with Bilstein dampers and a urethane-foam-injected front suspension cross member was added. Mazda also focused on reducing weight. The front hood, rear doors and trunk lid were made from aluminum. A magnesium steering frame, together with a lightweight carbon fiber prop shaft, was also added. "

The S-DAIS did not gain a second port, this is a the VFAD opening at 5500, not unique the the Spirit-R trim. I am unsure on the exhaust claim. The diff is the same on all models, not unique to the spirit-r. All later models came equipped with Rev-C coils. The bilstein dampers were standard on all R3/Type-RS models. Same with the foam subframe. All 04+ manual RX-8s came with a carbon composite driveshaft. 162.233.201.244 (talk) 17:09, 18 July 2024 (UTC)