so i took a fully loaded sports suspension package 6spd RX8 out today at work right after putting 4 brand new tires on it (Bridgestone HRi 245/40/I8. the car seems to put together very well, no creaking or rattling, everything felt nice and tight. the suspension was great for a stock car, with five links out back it better be. my only complaint is is that it has ZERO balls. no matter what i did the car couldn't excite me in the straight line. seriously, its slower than a single cam 240sx. it did manage to lay rubber in 2nd, no 3rd chirp though. the only thing that kept me interested was yet again, the handling and suspension. I noticed very little roll, it almost felt like i was riding in coilovers, but when you hit a bump you didnt get jarred like coilovers tend to do to you. the shifting was very short and tight, its almost hard to miss a gear even when shifting hard. the steering felt sort of assisted and mushy, im pretty sure i saw some electronics around the steering rack (assisted steering). the brakes were baller, i didnt measure but i think they were 14" in the front, with 4 piston calipers. also, the car was quiet, too quiet.

all in all the car was assembled VERY well, even with the crazy looking interior there was a sense of refinement. the brakes are great, the suspension is great, i just wish Mazda would have given it an extra 75hp (it has roughly 230 to the wheels). the only things i would do to the car would be a supercharger kit, a lighter set of wheels (around 17x9), a better steering wheel, some springs and sways and a damn aftermarket exhaust setup so i can actually hear the engine.

 

A good friend of mine has one, and I agree with you!!
Sick handling and gutless engine!

 

I think they just blow dick.

 

so its a slower s2k?

and i doubt 230 at the wheels. probably more around 200ish.

 

I remember when they dyno'd them, they made obscene numbers lol.. like somewhere in the mid-high 100's lol. Mazda had to buy them back if the owners wanted them to. lmao

 

they really need to tune up that engine.

 

2.3 turbo with the MS intake and reprogrammed ecu would do wonders for the RX8

 

I hasve one, I LOVE it. its not fast at all, the top end isnt too bad though. The handling is crazy. for the price of the car I dont think your going to get one that handles any better. the back doors make getting people in the back a breeze

 

the one i drove was the sport model. its rated at 235 or something. the japan's model makes 250.

 

^It's rated at 238. That's at the flywheel, not the wheels. You're putting down 19x at the wheels in most cases. If you get the automatic, it's only 200 at the crank. Pathetic.

Roarracer, I'm not sure what you mean by "2.3 turbo," but the Greddy kit is the only turbo I've really seen on RX8s, and the owners are very disappointed.