100,000th Mazda RX-8 Rolls off Assembly Line

The heart and soul of the production RX-8 is Mazda's one-of-a-kind RENESIS rotary engine, sporting 238 horsepower and 159

Mazda's one-of-a-kind RENESIS rotary engine gives the unique RX-8 its life. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

lb-ft of torque when mated to the 6-speed manual, which may not match others in this category but nevertheless delivers enthusiastic performance.

But what truly sets the RX-8 apart from the rest of the sports car crowd is its ability to outperform the competition in sales. Even sport coupes with similar levels of power and pricing don't manage to meet the RX-8's high volumes. The RX-8 encountered no such problems amassing sales of 23,000 units in Japan, over 29,000 units in the United States, over 18,000 in Europe and more than 2,200 units in Australia from production's start to August 2003. The RX-8 also sold respectively in 20 other markets around the globe.

In its journey to the top, the RX-8 and its RENESIS motor have received more than 37 world-class awards to date, including "2003 International Engine of the Year" and "2003 Car of the Year" by Wheels Magazine, "2004 RJC Car of the Year" and "2003-2004 Most Excellent Developer Award" presented by Japan Automobile Hall of Fame.

Not only has the RX-8 outsold all other competition in the sport coupe segment, it has racked up more than 37 world-class awards to date. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

The RX-8 has also been appointed a spot on Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars 2004 list and has made several film cameos, snatching the lead role of super-hero transportation in the film X-2, an adaptation of the X-Men series of Marvel Comics.

Reaching 100,000 units in such a short period of time the RX-8 compares favorably to the world's best selling roadster, which also happens to be a Mazda. Recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's best selling convertible sports car, the MX-5 Miata reached 100,000 units in just 17 months. Given the RX-8's success, its popularity and high demand, the chances of Mazda developing a new 2-seat RX-7 off a shortened version of the RX-8's chassis are strong.