I've had 3 FD's, all of them were modded to some extent. They're not exactly daily drivers, running errands, etc. You need to warm up before you go somewhere, warmdown before shutoff and hopefully it's somewhere you can lift the hood to dissipate all the heat. They're for the pleasure of driving and make sure you have a big fat wallet. Lots of downtime with the RX-7 but when they run they're FAAAAST. Butt kicking fast! You gotta have an ATTITUDE to drive a 7 cause everyone wants a piece of you! Doesn't mean that's my last 7, but for now it is. Also have an FC S5 TII, currently for sale, because................................ I just bought an RX-8 yesterday.
The 8 should be a compromise between sportiness/performance and utility and can't beat the 4 year/50K mi bumper to bumper warranty. The mechanic at the dealership said he hasn't encountered an engine failure to date whereas it didn't take long for the RX7s to show up at the dealerships on top of a towtruck.

BTW I saw lots of RX8s at the last 7Stock, so no big deal if you have a 7 or 8. A rotary lover is a rotary lover. Now if you want a piece of an FD/FC you'll get the ATTITUDE!

 

I can give you attitude too..I GOT A FB BIATCH!!!!....ok ok i'm kidding i only have 101 hp (12A STOCK)....i know i won't come close to kicking your ***....but i'm still a rotary lover.

 

^^^Yah, what Silver8 said. I was looking for a more sports oriented car that could seat more than two. Ultimate performance wasn't tops on my list of priorities. My choices came down to a G35 coupe, M3 (way too much) and the RX8. A brand new 2 seater RX7, no matter how great a sports car, would not have served my purpose. The later gen 7s are more about all out performance. The 8s serve a different purpose. The 8 is not, nor was it ever intended to be a successor to the 7. If I remember right, the last 7s were way more costly to buy new than a current 8. There's good reason why Mazda cut the 7. The last 7s (and I might add the previous generation Zs and Supras) sold in the US did horribly in sales and it had nothing to do with how good a performer they were on the street or track or how good looking they were.

 

Only if 240 RWHP makes you sweat...

 

OK, I'll bite. I've been a fan of rotaries for a long time and I understand why some FD fans were disappointed by the relatively gutless 8. It makes some compromises in order to be a more practical, reliable, and comfortable daily driver (as well as being cheaper).

But it's not as watered down as some make it out to be. It handles as well as (or better than) the 7 and is more forgiving when driven at the edge (it's still nimble and balanced, despite the softer suspension). As awesome as the RX-01's specs looked, I'm glad Mazda added the two rear doors and kept the price down in exchange for some weight-gain... otherwise I wouldn't be able to own a rotary.

 

Onlyonthurs: The fastest RX7 I've seen on the road was a turbocharged 1st gen.
There must have been 25-30 RX-7s on the run and no one could catch him.

There's only one thing that bugs me about the 8 and that's the seat belt. I swear I'm going to dislodge a disc in my back the next time I twist around to grab it.

 

I don't understand why certain 7 owners complain about the 8, the 8 was never planned to be a successor to the 7, which you should already know, it was a practical sports car to bring the rotary back into production. Rather than rant about how much better the 7 is perhaps we should be thanked for buying the car and pave the road for the next 7.

 

Thanks guys for letting us hang out here. I actually think i will be spending time reading this forum more often now. The downing of our flagship may have been a good thing in the longrun for partnership in the rotary world.

Later dudes!

 

My RX-2 is not at all comparable to an RX-7. Totally different character. I wouldn't expect the 8 to be the same, and I don't see why anyone has to argue. The 7 went through three generations, all of them sporty 2-seaters (in the states). If there's a successor to the 7, it'll be another 7 or something else, but there's no reason to rag on 8s because it has a different dynamic. Chill, people, and keep coming back, RX-8 guys. At least until I get an RX-2 forum... then you can all just go to hell.

kids

 

Looks, Smells, and ....................Sounds like a rotary. I love them all.

 

Amen Bro! I want My RX2 Forum!! Or better yet...How about Fixin this one!!! They change the friggin web address & now the sites all F$%&*# Up! I Log on it Logs me out! Theres no Pics anymore I got these little friggin Red X's Everywhere!!

 

8's have potential.
http://rotaryheads.com/dyno/rx8_streetport/

i'm working on the aggressive porting now and i'm hoping for 13-15% hp gain before we do ANY tuning at all.

we should be able to get them around 220-230 whp with moderate mods, before the turbo.

 

Dave - One year and three months later... how many Renesis engines have you ported now?

 

yeah any advancements been made in the past 1 1/4 year

 

8
#9 and 10 are in the process.

what we've been discovering is the computer in the 8's blows. i did some heavy porting on one and actually LOST power!!!! the maf freaked out, and the computer freaked out and ran the afr's richer than 10:1. i was able to tune that out and get a 20+ hp gain, but this is the first time i've seen a car need an actual engine management system just for porting...JEEZ!

i've got 2 test engines, a turbo, and hopefully a blower on the way. i'll be using an fb or fc as an engine holder so i can get some real data on what they can do in ported, non, forced induction, and n/a form.

 

That sucks about the computer. I really want to see the potential of the renesis with porting and everything without going with an engine management system.

And as far as the eight goes. I'd buy one, but as a cruiser car, or a family type thing if/when I settle down and have one. For now I am an FB lover.