Who's driven an rx8 and frs

[DarkSunrise]

I've done a ride-along at the track in an RX-8 with an exhaust, tune, springs, tires (Z1SS), and track pads.

Handling felt similar to my FR-S, just a bit softer/heavier. It takes longer for the RX-8 to take a set in a corner, but has more stability on corner exit. The longer wheelbase contributes to that stability. The steering on the FR-S is quicker.

Power-wise, it felt stronger than my FR-S in that it pulled longer per gear (9000 redline). Running a catless exhaust on the RX-8 produces flames that sound like cannon shots from the exhaust on upshifts, which is pretty cool.

Overall, the RX-8 feels refined/smooth, whereas the FR-S feels more raw and edgy. To me, the RX-8 splits the difference between an FR-S and E36 M3. The E36 M3 feels the most powerful and refined, but heavy, and the FR-S feels the least powerful and refined, but lightest on its feet. All are fantastic cars for the track IMO.

[enthennd]

Been a while since I've driven one, but I do remember 7000-9000 rpm was just joyful..and everything, motor & tranny. Like butter, so smooth.

[BRZ21]

they kickass at autocross...

[Snowball]

Originally Posted by ohayo

currently own both of them, 2013 FRS and 2010 Rx8 R3.

absolutely LOVE both of them. the rx8 is on tein flex coilovers while the frs is on cusco street coilovers. they both handle great. rx8 however feels a lot smoother whilst the frs gives more road feed back. however i'm sure this can all be tweaked depending what suspension setup one goes with. stock to stock i couldnt tell you which i'd go with, they both have their own personality, however i do like the oem recaro's in the rx8 a lot more than the oem seats in the frs. the 09+ series 2 rx8's have a revamped renesis motor so supposedly they're supposed to be more "reliable" now(doesnt burn oil as much, better oiling system, etc). either way if u dont know your way around or how to take care of a rotary motor you'll find yourself in the "oOOo stay away from rotary, they're scary" crowd. i'm at 78k miles in mine and dont even premix, not one issue. the weird fa20 with DI is just as weird imo. i'm just as paranoid having a DI failure on hard track days as i am blowing an apex seal. lol

Lol this thread just makes me smile and reminisce lol. I'd agree 100% with this post. The biggest thing I'll remember is the sense of stability and the endless redline. Tracking duty would go to the FR-S for the quick steering and weight, Daily duty goes to the RX-8 for the better ride quality & having easier access to rear seating.

[CatDaddysBBQ]

Had a friend that had a RX8. I absolutely hated it. So gutless it made the frs look like a torque monster. Sure if you let it spin high enough it had a slight power edge but 95% of the time it was slower than a corolla.

Seating position is awful for tall drivers and it's fuck-ugly.

[B3yondL]

RX8 is a beauty just like the MX5. Problem is the wankel engine is a big hassle to deal with.

Here's to Mazda for hopefully making a really solid wankel for the RX9, that RPM is godly...

[rubberband]

I love my FR-S; it's an awesome car. That said, a manual RX8 will smash a twin with equal drivers, in a straight line and around a track. If you're going to mag race, don't pick the fastest 1/4 mile time for a twin and the slowest time for the heaviest RX8. The chassis on the RX8/MX5 is probably one of the best you can get on a car under $50k.


What's with all the blind fanaticism some members of this community have? It's silly.

[xwd]

Originally Posted by rubberband

I love my FR-S; it's an awesome car. That said, a manual RX8 will smash a twin with equal drivers, in a straight line and around a track. If you're going to mag race, don't pick the fastest 1/4 mile time for a twin and the slowest time for the heaviest RX8. The chassis on the RX8/MX5 is probably one of the best you can get on a car under $50k.


What's with all the blind fanaticism some members of this community have? It's silly.

They have raced in the same autocross classes for a couple years now (CS and STX) and are incredibly close in both of them. I've driven both cars quite a bit and no a RX-8 won't "smash" a RX-8 with equal drivers. The RX-8 is definitely a better handling car out of the box and has wider wheels which helps it in CS, but in STX which allows suspension and some power mods the FR-S/BRZ has shown to be a bit faster.

One of the top RX-8 CS drivers has been driving a BRZ lately and feels it's really a toss-up.

The NC MX-5 isn't really a great chassis btw. I'm hoping the new one is better.

[Koa]

Am I in the minority here that think the twins blow the RX8 out of the water in terms of styling?

There's a lot of great perspectives and experiences on this thread so far that have helped clarify the relative strengths and weakenesses between the two.

Forgive me for having a subjective position but I couldn't ever see myself driving such a piss ugly car (imo)

[themadscientist]

I own an FC and like rotaries. I like that the 8 has a rotary, but it has the aesthetic beauty of a malignant tumor. Additionally, I pushed one down the road with a rented BRZ the other day, that car is slow in a straight line. My 7 would have been a block away by the first gear change. He knew his car, though; I bet he would have schooled me on a windy road with that knowledge and what I have heard about the handling on the 8.

[DeeezNuuuts83]

Originally Posted by Koa

Am I in the minority here that think the twins blow the RX8 out of the water in terms of styling?

I'd agree that the twins are better looking (ESPECIALLY the roofline and the basic silhouette), but I wouldn't say that it blows the RX-8 out of the water. The facelift that it had several years ago definitely made it a lot better looking. But the front end of the car was just so flat, though I understand it's because they didn't need to make it bulky.


Overall, I think I give the nod to the twins, just comparing the cars side-by-side, especially if you take ownership into consideration since the RX-8 was notorious for getting V-8-like fuel economy (and not the insanely tall geared ones) and sucking down around a quart of oil per month. The RX-8 definitely had way more room (I remember test driving one with all six-footers in the car, except me), but unless you're overweight and/or frequently drive with multiple passengers, it probably doesn't matter all that much.


I haven't driven an RX-8 in ages, but from what I remember, it definitely feels lighter up front, with it having 50-50 weight distribution (plus regardless of the weight distribution, the engine itself is already pushed pretty far back). But even with whatever grunt it has, I don't really think it has much of an edge in terms of acceleration. I remember how it was supposed to have 250 ps/247 hp, but then it got re-rated to 238 hp after the first batch of reviews questioned the authenticity of the claimed figures, which didn't seem to match the performance specs they were getting, and then I feel like it got re-rated one more time but I didn't really care about it much at that point. (But at least Mazda tried to do right the first time by offering to buy the cars back if the owners didn't want them anymore, though they offered free maintenance or something for those that kept them.)


The RX-8 handles more like a go-kart, but I think the twins are a little bit more lively. Neither of them are particularly torquey, but I feel like you could get the twins to slide the rear end if you wanted, whereas the RX-8 was a little more stable. It's not to say that it had a higher handling limit (whether that's true or not), but that when you turn the steering wheel, the nose goes there immediately without any drama.

[Sideways&Smiling]

Originally Posted by DeeezNuuuts83

The RX-8 handles more like a go-kart, but I think the twins are a little bit more lively. Neither of them are particularly torquey, but I feel like you could get the twins to slide the rear end if you wanted, whereas the RX-8 was a little more stable. It's not to say that it had a higher handling limit (whether that's true or not), but that when you turn the steering wheel, the nose goes there immediately without any drama.

RX8 = longer wheelbase and double wishbone suspension up front = more stable cornering.

The RX8 is underrated. It's not great looking, but it handles very well and is nice inside. It's let down by the exterior looks, slightly heavier weight, and a not so great engine.

I almost picked one up with a blown motor for only $1500 a few months ago. They can be found cheap pretty often. Would be a perfect car for a swap... LSx powered RX8 = Japanese 4 door Corvette.

[B3yondL]

I know looks are subjective but I don't understand why the rx8 gets a bunch of hate on the exterior. Sure the front doesn't look too hot (it doesn't look bad either imo) but the sides and rear look great. I also like the halfdoors for easy access to rear seats and I believe some models came with headlight washers. The interior is pretty sweet too...


Had it came with a regular piston engine making the hp it does and under a more 'recognized' manufacturer, it would easily be the best selling sub 30k sports car.

[themadscientist]

Nope. It's hideous. The halfdoors were quirky at best and ugly is ugly no matter what badge it's rocking.