On some websites I have found that 6 speed mazda rx8 will have 250 HP while Automatic one will have 210 HP. Is this really possible, or did the website lie about this?

 

Is what really possible?

The automatic cars will have a reduced redline in order to let the torque converter live a little easier. With the lack of overlap, you have to really twist the engine to make any power which is why the RX-8 engine has such low horsepower for the RPM compared to a current 13B.

 

Yes it's true, I read it in the new issue of Sport Compact Car magazine. The auto has 210hp and the 6 spd. has 250hp. I also read that the auto will have paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

Yes you read it right...the "automatic" will have paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

 

Big deal. They're just switches. Doesn't matter if you push them by moving the shifter side to side or front-back in a different gate, or press buttons on the shifter, or whatever.

Either way, it's a modern manumatic which means there will be an annoying "shift lag" where you call out a shift and it takes 1-2 seconds for the transmission to decide to shift. Anybody who likes a manumatic should drive a car with a manual-valvebody automatic and a ratchet shifter. Shift exactly when you want, not when some computer decides to do it. And no sopping-wet slushy shifts either