A real sports car, with its qualities... and its shortcomings
Weight is the enemy. By keeping a car as light as possible, we improve its performance and its handling.
A good example of this theory is¸Mazda's RX-8. The Japanese automaker conceived a sports car that's different than what the competition currently offers. Just like its predecessor, the 1993-2002 RX-7, efforts were made to substantially reduce the vehicle's weight.
Rotary: fun but thirsty
No doubt, a rotary engine doesn't quite offer the same sensation as a conventional piston engine. However, we're not talking day and night here. Still, there are two things we notice with the rotary engine, called Renesis.
First, this type of engine can spin at higher revs than your typical automobile combustion engine. Second, its soundtrack resembles that of a ticked-off mixmaster; it's not addictive, but amusing nonetheless.
Its 232 horsepower are respectable pour a 3,040-lb (1,380-kg) car, but not its torque peak; only 159 pound-feet are generated by the rotary engine. And when one chooses an RX-8 with the no-charge 6-speed automatic transmission, the engine's redline drops from 9,000 to 7,500 rpm, and max power is down to 212 horses. Despite this, acceleration is still brisk, the car going from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds.
Fuel consumption is less impressive, with a calculated average of 16.1 L/100 km that's far from satisfying. I obtained better figures with cars almost twice as powerful. As for the rotary engine's reputation for consuming oil, we checked the last two RX-8s we tested right before returning them, and in both cases, there wasn't a drop missing.
The soul of a sports car
The RX-8 benefits from a chassis and mechanicals that can put a smile on your face. The steering transmits the feel of every inch of pavement, and answers very well to high-speed transitions.
The suspension is firm, obviously, but there's very little or no body roll. The center of gravity is low, so the car is stable and makes for an amusing ride; deactivate the stability-control system and mash the gas pedal in a tight turn or street corner, and the car's tail steps out of its trajectory. A flick of the steering wheel in the opposite direction, and the RX-8 straightens itself out. Hooray for rear-wheel drive!
Weight is the enemy. By keeping a car as light as possible, we improve its performance and its handling.
A good example of this theory is¸Mazda's RX-8. The Japanese automaker conceived a sports car that's different than what the competition currently offers. Just like its predecessor, the 1993-2002 RX-7, efforts were made to substantially reduce the vehicle's weight.
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| The RX-8 is powered by the RENESIS, a rotary engine, which uses a rotor instead of reciprocating pistons. |
Rotary: fun but thirsty
No doubt, a rotary engine doesn't quite offer the same sensation as a conventional piston engine. However, we're not talking day and night here. Still, there are two things we notice with the rotary engine, called Renesis.
First, this type of engine can spin at higher revs than your typical automobile combustion engine. Second, its soundtrack resembles that of a ticked-off mixmaster; it's not addictive, but amusing nonetheless.
Its 232 horsepower are respectable pour a 3,040-lb (1,380-kg) car, but not its torque peak; only 159 pound-feet are generated by the rotary engine. And when one chooses an RX-8 with the no-charge 6-speed automatic transmission, the engine's redline drops from 9,000 to 7,500 rpm, and max power is down to 212 horses. Despite this, acceleration is still brisk, the car going from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds.
Fuel consumption is less impressive, with a calculated average of 16.1 L/100 km that's far from satisfying. I obtained better figures with cars almost twice as powerful. As for the rotary engine's reputation for consuming oil, we checked the last two RX-8s we tested right before returning them, and in both cases, there wasn't a drop missing.
The soul of a sports car
The RX-8 benefits from a chassis and mechanicals that can put a smile on your face. The steering transmits the feel of every inch of pavement, and answers very well to high-speed transitions.
The suspension is firm, obviously, but there's very little or no body roll. The center of gravity is low, so the car is stable and makes for an amusing ride; deactivate the stability-control system and mash the gas pedal in a tight turn or street corner, and the car's tail steps out of its trajectory. A flick of the steering wheel in the opposite direction, and the RX-8 straightens itself out. Hooray for rear-wheel drive!
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| The rear-hinged doors provide better access to the rear seats. |