Yep, the RX-8 6-speed is crapola. The JDM-only *5* speed is an FD transmission. I think you have to swap the tail shaft and the bell housing over.

BTW, the gearing in the RX-8 6-speed is super fun. I love going down the highway at 70mph at 4000 RPM (sarcasm). I think they did that so you don't have to downshift to, say, go up a hill .

But the RX-8 is SO FUN to drive. (Not sarcasm, dead truth!)

Dale

 

the gearing is very similar to the old competition transmission, but with a granny gear 1st. it shifts really nicely too, until it doesn't (i know if you go racing it fails instantly, but on the street they seem to be trouble free)
the S2 Rx8 trans seems to reverse that, they are fine racing, but on the street they pop out of gears and the 3rd gear fork is kind of weak (there is an updated part, and its better, but if you have a ham fist you'll still break it)

 

The RX-8 5-spd wasn’t JDM only, it was also EUDM and had some gear ratio differences depending on model year

JDM RX8 5MT
1st - 3.483
2nd - 2.015
3rd - 1.391
4th - 1.000
5th - 0.806

EUDM RX8 5MT
1st - 3.483
2nd - 2.015
3rd - 1.484
4th - 1.000
5th - 0.762 (S1), 0.791 (S2)


you’ll typically only come across the imported JDM version in the USA and Canada though.

Mazda Motorsport info

JDM RX8 5-spd shift **** - F151-46-030A - $112

JDM RX8 5-spd gearbox - R51K-03-000 - $2759

JDM RX8 5-spd bell/clutch housing (for push-clutch conversion) - N317-16-210D - $311

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