Trade in RX8 for FR-S??

[tripjammer]

Originally Posted by fatoni

i know but that 400lbs doesnt change the tq. it changes the weight

Your right the power to weight ratio...I do not know how this got into a torque ratio..LOL!

Well his new ride is defiantly going to be faster....

[Yenadar]

Originally Posted by tripjammer

You have to change the spark plugs in the rx8 every 30k miles? Wow!

People forget that on a piston engine a plug/wire combo, and often coils as well, fires once for every 2 rotations of the crankshaft. And the piston engine has an average in-use rpm of 2,500-3,000 or so. So call it 50 pulses per minute. A peak of about 100 pulses per minute.

A rotary plug fires 3 times per rotation of the e-shaft,and lives an average of closer to 5,00-6,000 rpm. Or about 300 pulses per minute, peaking around 450 pulses per minute. And under harsher comditions (heat and fuel)

So 4.5 to 6 times more stress/usage. 30,000 miles x 4.5 is 135,000, or x6 for 180,000 miles.

One of the RX-7s had ignition that lasted 200,000 miles, but it was $1,100 or something to replace. So to appease consumers they used weaker ignition that costs less.

Originally Posted by subatoy

trade in RX8 for FR-S???
lets see...

the FR-S...
-won't need a new engine every 50k miles. (Look up Elf on RX-8 Club. 220,000 on original engine. I'm at 94k original. Conversely, plenty of flat 4 engines have issues too.)
-will get WAY more than 12 MPG. (I get more than 12 mpg in heavily spirited driving. Can get 24mpg easily. The BRZ will get more, but it isn't an 18mpg gap. Just 6.)
-won't need oil every gas-tank refill. (the 8 doesn't.)
-won't break down every 2 weeks. (4 years and 93,000 miles, 1 break down at 89k when my worn clutch shattered and the shrapnel took out my starter too. 1 breakdown . I trust it completely.)
-has more torque LOL! (Incorrect. Look up the specs.)
-fixing it won't be as much as the rotary engine. (Incorrect again. Even if you mean a rotary rebuild vs a flat 4 rebuild, the rotary wins)
-it's lighter. (Only valid point here)
-doesn't have Ford parts. (Name a Ford part on the 8. Go ahead. I'll wait while you go to research.)

what was the question again?

I think the question was if anyone that knows what they are talking about would do the trade. People just regurgitating myths and twisted hearsay stories need not comment.


Anyone willing to separate fact from fiction about the RX-8 can read this thread for the basics.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=202454

[dori.]

Nobody should be popping Renesis motors anyway, it's not like it's taking 20 lbs of boost every day.

[tripjammer]

So is this the reason why Mazda stopped making the RX8?

[ryude]

I've never owned a rotary powered car, but the stigma of it's reputation may have been the reason Mazda decided to stop building the RX-8.

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by ryude

I've never owned a rotary powered car, but the stigma of it's reputation may have been the reason Mazda decided to stop building the RX-8.

i dont think so considering how long they have been building rotary powered cars. im going to go ahead and write it off as the end of its cycle and poor sales

[ESBjiujitsu]

I was heavily considering a RX8 prior to finding this car... i still WANT an rx8 but i think the frs will offer the same similar setup im looking for in the rx8 but slightly more reliable. The rx8 is just a great looking machine and if you love revs it has revs! Im hoping increasing the redline will come with tweaking the frs. I loved high revs in my S2000 and have been aching for something similar ever since.

[OrbitalEllipses]

Not sure if I'd trade the RX-8 for the FR-S. The cars are very similar on paper and the RX-8 has more aftermarket support at this point. Perhaps trade in a year or two when the market has matured a bit more.

An obviously modified RX-8 blew me away on the highway the other day, which factors into my opinion. They can be made fast RIGHT NOW, whereas no one's making the FR-S any faster for quite some time.

[reni]

I was going to say no, but since your car is automatic I say DO IT

Wasn't it 2006 that they switched to the higher revving higher power AT? The first version AT was pretty lame

[sastexan]

RX8 series I engines are known to have longevity issues and depending on manufacture date, a few issues. The series II RX8 (2009+) are reputedly much more reliable and have all the quirks worked out.

That being said, the RX8 is very similar in the sense that it is a RWD sports coupe with an engine that likes to be wrung out and has little torque, extraordinarily balanced handling, and is lauded primarily by enthusiasts and people who are more interested in driving a car than driving a badge / piece of jewelry.

[Slick]

Having recently owned an RX-8, I'd say do it.
It will be worth alone with the fuel savings.
I loved my RX-8 when new, but had 90k when returned off lease and engine was starting to die. But it was easily the best handling car I have owned to date.

Looking forward to getting into the FR-S so I can enjoy the driving again. I still miss the RX-8 and my previous Miatas because of that.

[eifer]

The fr-s is in all honesty probably a better choice than the rx-8 now. You'll get similar handling characteristics (correct me if I'm wrong), plus better gas mileage and lower oil consumption. The rx-8 is a bit more practical tho, that suicide door is convenient and the back seat isn't that bad. The auto is a severe handicap in the rx-8 though, since it literally has a tuned down engine to pair with it, where as both the auto and manual in the fr-s are supposedly excellent

[track_warrior]

I say:

[R8]

So ng01, are you still watching the thread? Have you definately decided on the FR-S now?

I agree with others who suggest the FR-S may be more fun for you than the automatic RX-8 - though I haven't driven either, so that's just a guess. If you do like automatics though, consider that the FR-S's automatic sounds pretty neat. It may not lessen the fun as it probably does with the RX-8.

That said, I'm having a difficult time justifying giving up my manual RX-8 for a FR-S. I really do love the FR-S, and consider it the closest spiritual match for the RX-8. But I do love my usable rear seats, the 9,500 rpm rev limit, the wishbone front suspension, and that unique rotary sound.

The only things I don't like are the 20ish average mpg when commuting (24 on highway trips), and worrying how long my compression will last. But as others have said about the FR-S, you tend to forget practical worries as soon as you turn the key