New Member - BRZ or RX-8 ?

[Dphillips1127]

Hey everyone,
I am new to these forums. Long story short, I am looking for an entry level track car. I live in SE wisconsin.

My ideal car is something super clean, and something that lets me get my foot in the door on the track. It wont be a daily driver, more of a weekend fun car and track car. I want a car that is nearly stock, that I can tinker with and upgrade as I get more comfortable driving it.

I found an 2009 Rx-8 R3 in Utah for $16k with 30k miles. Its probably one of the cleanest RX8s in the country...however, i feel it is worth that, I just feel that theres something that is a better bang for my buck out there..

So I guess my question is to see what you guys love about your cars? Also about when does a BRZ require a rebuild? Assuming it was well taken care of and maintained correctly.

So BRZ, RX8, orrrrrrr (recommendation).

Thanks everyone!

[soundman98]

No apex seals!

The aftermarket is a lot healthier for the 86 than the rx8 considering the first production years just ended this year.

A dealership I used to work at had an rx8 for an extended time that I would play with from time to time. I would say that while it could be made/built to be competitive, it's a commuter car with a quirky motor first and foremost. The 86 was built to be a fun solid responsive platform first, and lacks comfort options because of that.

Look up lap times for either car/class you intend to take part in-- the 2cars are very different, and the official times will reflect that

[beltax90]

Buy yourself a BRZ and then ask Santa for one of these for Christmas:

[x808drifter]

Miata NA or NB
End Thread

[DarkPira7e]

The RX8 is a nice car. I would do more research on upkeep of a rotary engine before even thinking about it. Being an 09, I would think that they'd have fixed the engine failure issues they had with the first few model years. I wouldn't consider buying unless the buyer has disclosed how many engines the car has needed to get to 30k miles.

For that price, you could get something much better for tracking, like a Miata. Hell, even an NA Miata could be had and refreshed several times over for that cost. The cost of wear items on the NA Miata is so low and the value of seat time in one is so high... if you're looking to learn, the 86/BRZ or NA/NB Miata would be my go-to platforms.

[LimitedSlip]

Originally Posted by Dphillips1127

. . . when does a BRZ require a rebuild?

Follow the maintenance schedule and don't abuse it, no rebuild required.

FYI regarding rotary engines - Be prepared to stock up on engine oil. It's considered normal to burn through a quart every couple thousand miles. Also, the fuel economy is not good.

[alphasaur]

The rx8 can be reliable with a diligent owner. That being said you're still looking at a new engine at 100-120k miles. Have to pay attention to oil temps, potentially adding oil to gasoline, keeping an eye on oil levels, cats, taking care during cold starts, plug wires constantly need to be changed.

They do VERY well at my local autocrosses. Have to lol at the commuter comment above. The chassis is just as capable as ours is IMO.

[Bluefire98]

Having not driven an rx8, I don't think my opinion is super valid, but seems to me that the handling will be pretty similar between the 2, probably a nod to the twins due to weight and the newer chassis. The layout is similar, with more usable back seats in the rx8 (suicide doors!!!), but maybe more usable trunk space in the twins with the seats down. The biggest difference is the engine imo. As much as the fa20 gets dogged on for being a bad performance 4 cylinder, it still produces surprisingly usable low end torque, revs out to 7400, and will do that all day with minimal maintenance, probably till 200k and up like you'd expect from a modern Subaru motor with a bit of Toyota mixed in. The rotary is going to be a way more entertaining motor for sure, I just don't think what you gain in entertainment is worth what you lose in reliability. If you don't need the car to be dependable and want that rotary experience, enjoy the rx8. If you need to depend on it every day and still have a blast on the track in one of the best new affordable sports cars you can get, go pick up an 86. Also, I second the miata if you want something even cheaper (or more for an nd) that can get you a similar driving experience assuming you like convertibles. An s2000 is also an excellent choice if you can find a decent one in your price range. Almost guaranteed to make a profit on one at this point lol.

[Bluefire98]

Oh and if you care, 16/23 vs 22/30 mpg. Quite a significant difference. Seems like most stock twins exceed the 30 hwy rating as well. Rx8's are worse on gas than a c5 vette ��

[NoHaveMSG]

Think of how much Miata you can buy for 16K.

[RToyo86]

The gas consumption is terrible considering power/displacement. Pretty sure I got better mileage too and from the track including 1 hour of track time than the highway rated mileage on a RX8.

I would only grab an RX8 if you love Rotary's and are willing to go all in and maintain it properly. They're finicky, consume oil regularly, need proper warm up etc.
You can't treat them like a regular combustion engine which is why you see so many issues.

If it's going to be track use, I'd rather buy a cheapo RX8, rebuild the engine. You'll want to upgrade stuff, and as a track toy you'll be less concerned about damage.

Twins are pretty low maintenance track cars. Engine will last if you keep them cool. Engine isn't as interesting but also less complicated.

[DarkSunrise]

RX-8 and 86 platforms are both great for what you're looking for. One of my track buddies has an RX-8. He's an instructor and has plenty of track miles on the original engine. Only thing he's done engine-wise is a de-cat and tune. As long as you take proper care of the rotary, it should have a pretty decent lifespan for a track car.

From personal experience, the 86 is an easy sell for a track car as well. Brake pads and fluid are all you really need to get started. Oil cooler is nice to have down the line. Great car to learn and have fun on. Consumables are cheap. Just don't expect it to be the fastest car out there given equal drivers.

If you're also going to use it as a weekend street car, I'd recommend the 86 over any convertible (Miata, S2000, etc.) unless you feel comfortable with a roll bar on a street car. A good friend of mine has an S2000 and wants to get into track days, but the requirement for a roll bar by most track day organizers is really limiting his event selection (not to mention the safety concern of not having rollover protection at the track). No need to worry about that issue with the RX8 or 86.

[Sasquachulator]

My friend had an RX8 when they used to be a thing.
He loved the car but the thing is finicky and gas mileage sucks. I dont know what his maintenence history with it was but i know he had to have the motor replaced once (apex seals related i believe) and the rotary (or maybe it was the whole car..i dunno) doesnt like winter that much. He eventually got rid of it (it still had issues) but the new owners i think were fans of the car and were happy to take it in its condition and he happy to let it go. I think he was fed up with all the issues he was having with the car that he was just glad its gone.

You have to really be dedicated to the RX8 to be able to own one.

[Bluefire98]

A friend of mine has a cheap na miata, and the "bolt in" solution for a rollbar is around $600. Doesn't sound like much on a $27k car, but it's a lot more significant for a $2k car. Open air is great but that alone makes me lean a bit more to solid roof cars for tracking