Yea,smaller engine or not, a turbo is gonna make lowend and midrange power......something the heavier RX-8 is sorely lacking,regardless of what the actual peak HP numbers really are.

In a straight line,I vote for the torquier,more tractable engine in the lighter chassis.

For a REAL race,its hard to beat the RX-8's easy to control handling....hell,even the Top Gear guys said it was one of the most aggresively driveable and fun handling cars they've tested.

 

i voted for the 7 because of the weight advantage. not to mention that as said earlier the turbo will give low and mid range power that the 8 is lacking. If you don't win you will at least be very close. as far as handling goes you would have to modify the **** out of your suspension to keep up in turns, but you said its a straight away so i would put money on the 7

 

but then she gets better traction then the 7!

 

i raced an 8 a while back and either he didnt know how to drive or there just not very fast, well there faster than my car but from what i saw not by very much..

 

She is going to get alot better traction anyways, no low end and traction control. The beauty of technology.

They really are pretty slow compared to what everyone thought they were gonna be.

 

Well--------- I can personally say that I spanked a RX-8 with my '94 318 BMW. From 40 mph, from 60 mph, heck he tried it at 80 mph, and all three times I out pulled the RX-8. I test drove one at a local Mazda dealer, and I can say that the turbo Miata is a heck of alot faster than the 8.

 

if you don't beat the 8 then sell your car hahaha.... oh and do not let your wife get the greddy turbo kit, well unless you have funds for a rebuild as well