I thought I'd spark a discussion about what the FE should have been. Most can agree that the current rx8 seems to be catering to a completly different crowd than its predecessor the fd.

Looking at the renisis, 232hp and 150tq at the crank, anyone can see that it's not going to move a heavy car, especially not one weighing almost 3100lbs. It would make sense to put it in something light, like some of the fd's running around here with only 26 or 2700lbs. Mazda focused on going lightweight by adding an aluminun hood and a carbon fibre driveshaft. The 8 is peppy, but it's not about to blow any doors off.

An fd would be a fast car with the 8's 6spd mtMazda shouldn't have done much as far as changing the chassis weight from the fd to the fe, but I like the idea of going NA like its competitor the 350z. It should have been kept a 2 seater and taken some of the new rx8's design style.

 

ok guy.....

 

i was a critic/skeptic of the Rx-8, until i drove a Z and an 8 back to back. i bought the 8. anyone thinking it was a replacement of the Rx-7 is a deluded idiot! it's something different, but it does what it does very well. it brought a new generation to the rotary. the way has been paved for another rotary sports car in climate that sports cars don't seem to prosper.

by the way, your comment on the Rx-7 with the 8's gearbox ... not true. the 7 might be quick with it, but not fast. i think it would suck. good for acceleration, horrible for top end speed.

 

I dunno how horrible it would be for the top end, even with the 4.44 rear in the RX8, 6th gear is still geared to 186mph =O

However, I wouldn't trust the RX8's gearbox to hold a lot of power. It's the same transmission as in the S15 Silvia, and all you hear about with those guys is blowing them up. Notice, all you hear about with RX8's is about them blowing up, too =)

But yeah, I bought an 8 too..

 

Renesis in an MX-5 Coupe, that should be the goal.

RX-8 is more like an RX-2, rotary sport sedans and all.
RX-8 crowd: "What's an RX-2?"

 

My bro just got an 8 on Saturday. He loves it. His previous vehicle was an RX-4 wagon with a 5" Camden supercharger. He said the dealer car was a little less powerful than his boosted wagon, but the new one they just delivered to him is better in every way. He's not sure whether it's the 4 port or 6 port model, but we think it's the 6 port model, since it has better low end torque than the dealer car.

He's a couple states away so I haven't seen it yet, but I know he's a happy camper. No need to compare it with the FD or the Z or whatever. All those neurotic types that like to compare apples to snow peas about these cars ought to get laid. lol

 

if that were true I could bolt up my transmission to an SR20DET (excluding transmission mounts/driveshat), which it cant.

cause I can bolt up an rx8 transmission to my engine.

 

If it's a 6 speed it is a 6 port motor at least on the older 04-06 models.The early 04-06 models had a 4-port on the automatics,but the 6 speed models had the 6-port motor.New maodels use only 6-port motors for both transmissions,but I could be wrong.

Chris
79 GS
74 RE/PU
Former 04 Base 6 speed RX-8 owner

 

Edited Double post...

 

The RX-8 is like the second coming of the FC3S not the FD3S. The FE competes with Mustangs and 350z's not Porsches like the FD. Just look at the price tags and adjust for inflation nuff said.

The FD in today's money would cost $49584.65 new (inflation). The RX8 is priced at $27000. By your standards the RX-8 should have cost $50k and competed with the Lotus Exige and Porsche Cayman....

 

J Tso I couldn't agree w/ you more. I bet mazda could easily create a new rx-7 by using the mx-5 chassis w/ a renesis and a permanent hard top, done. itll fit the definition of the rx-7 just fine, a 2 door, 2 seat pure sports car. hell if i had the money ide do it my self. the rx-8 is not a replacement for the rx-7 , its just the next gen rotary powered vehicle, more like the rx-2 or rx-5.
on a side note, has anyone noticed that the rx-8's vin starts as JM1FE17...?, so im not sure if mazda can make the 4th gen rx-7 follow the chassis lettering ie. SA/FB-> FC-> FD->FE... unless they make it a coupe version of the 8 (that way it could atleast be an FE33)

 

2.3DISI Turbo.

So people will buy it. Oh, and beat a 350Z and mustang in a line.

Nuff said.

 

It was the right car to bring out at the time, especially in the US were we lacked rotary engines for about 9 years. An affordable practical sports car hit the nail on the head. But NOW Mazda needs a higher performance model, Mazdaspeed Really needs to get on the ball and work with petite racing, there supercharger would be awesome on the FE.

 

Mazdax605, thanks for the info. His is a 6 speed model so it probably has 6 port engine. I'm not sure what model year it is.

 

They should bring out a parallel model with a piston engine like they used to do in the 70's they could call it the MX8.

With either the 2.3 na or turbo

 

One word: Power.

Mazda's trying to be a sports/sporty car company, and all of their models are underpowered. They need to wake up and have a look at modern power levels. 240 hp Renesys? That should in a miata. Anything short of 350 for the modern RX7 would be a non-starter.

 

I agree that the rx-8 is underpowered but my Speed6 is just right!!! In fact I traded the 8 in for the speed6 mainly for the increase in power.

 

If the current rumors pan out the next rotary will be a 1.6 liter (by Mazda displacement standards) 2 rotor direct injected with electrically assisted turbo and possibly a hybrid.

 

I dont think the Rx-8 is a FE, its a SE if I remember correctly. So the new Rx-7 should be a FE. I think a 4 rotor renesis with rotor shut-off under traffic and light load would be pretty trick. 464hp Rx-7 anyone? Haha, its good to dream.

 

I'm almost positive that's what Car and Driver said??? It's the S15 transmission?


Edit: Have you tried swapping the BELLHOUSING to that of what the S15 uses? The actual gearbox is said to be the same, not the bellhousing. I don't know of any non-rotary that uses the same bellhousing as a..rotary.

Piston engines have the crank/flywheel/bellhousing mating surface on the bottom. The rotary has it in the middle. Would DEFINITELY be a different housing.

 

The transmission can be the same model, yet the gearing, bellhousing, and tailshaft can all change to fit into many cars. Take a look at the TII transmission, that sucker was in so many different vehicals.

 

go look at rx-8's on ebay (they show the VIN's for all cars for sale)

 

My thoughts exactly.

I love rotaries as much as the next guy, but if it's anything like the 'Speed 3 with 263 HP and 280 TQ, that would haul ***, AND get better mileage. (Vs the Renisis)

 

My dad has a speed 3 now, previously had an Rx8. The Rx8 got better mileage, not by much, the 8 would avg 19 same commute the speed 3 avg is 18.

Course it could be that he just steps on the gas allot more now

 

which other cars have the tii transmission?

I think the next 2 seat rotary should be made like the FC, a NA version with the rx8 engine in a modified new miata chassis weighing 2500-2600 and a boosted version with either a turbo or supercharger.