weaklink

I read that article with interest. It seems that a gtech would be more accurate than a chassis dyno according to mazda engineers.

Mykl

Personally, I'm disappointed in the car. I think I let my hopes for it get too high. I was expecting a 250+ hp n/a rotary in a ~2800 lb car with a great suspension underneath it. Instead, we get a car that's a little over the originally promised weight mark, not quite making the power that was advertised.

It's a great looking car, and it's probably a lot of fun to drive. But I don't think it's going to be entirely unsuccessful. Just because the old, hard-core enthusiasts don't approve of it doesn't mean the car is complete crap, it just means that it's a bit different than the car the enthusiasts fell in love with.

If the car proves to be reliable I think it'll be as much of a success as Mazda hoped it would. But given it's competition and it's weight, the car really needs about 300 hp for the price they're selling them for.

I'm a rotary fan, but if I were going to spend that much money on a car that wasn't quite an "all or nothing" sports machine, I'd probably end up in a G35 Coupe and not an RX-8.

mazdized

Agree. Played with quite a bit of bridge port and other NA. RPM is the enemy to engine life. After 30-35k on a 13B bridge port of street and track whoring it looked like 150k plus turbo motor. Nothing was left salvagable. besides the usual stuff the gears were just beat, they were pitted and had wear makes. E shaft is may be ok but for sure all the scratches need to be polished. Side housing step wear was really bad. Side and corner side clearance trippled. It still ran good but it was loosing its get up. Renesis would be the same I am sure if it is teched to 9k all the time. I was at Racing Beat during SS5 and Jim Merceder was asked about the renesis and he said form what he know the guys in Hiroshima are working 10 hours a day to crack 250HP but they are really struggling, and if they can not do it the assymbly line will start no matter what. Well I think that is the case as we see it today. Here is my 2 cents..... Motor build with new parts does not really need to be broken in except for the bearings to see high rpms. The seals will seat in better after broken in but will not gain that much, at least not as much as the difference between the claim from Mazda and independent dyno result. I am no engineer but I have played with my share of NA motors, and from the start I though it is too good to be true to have NA 13B over 250hp with no over lap. ( but I guess the 10-1 comp. ration helps.) I remeber reading in How to Modify your RX7 when I was in high school it mentioned Mazda experimented with side exhaust but was found too conservative. I also read some where else that said the same. I just don't see how you can get over 240hp with out aggressive port timing. And with 3000 lb. I don't see how it does low 14's in a quarter mi. One thing I can see is when the car is on the dyno the front wheels are not turning so that might cause the car to go into limp mode or some type of traction control mode to cut power back, but that is just my guess. RX8's driving performance I think is mainly from the gear ration it has. Looks like it is geared very well with each gear picked up by the next exactly at the power band that to me explains why it has some what better performance figure than S5 Turbo II. Gearing alone with make a huge difference even when there is not much gain from engine power. RX8 after all is a good car I think, sure we are arguing over HP numbers but most consumers out there buy cars based on how cool it looks and how attractive is the financing, or is this cool for little princess or price's graduation gift and thing like that. All I want is the Renesis 10 to 1 ration rotors so I can build a super bridge port.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

the italians had the double bubble in 1960.


http://www.crimsonstar.com/home/faz0.htm

and if zagato did it in the 50's mercedes prolly did it in the 30's....

mike