RX8

W

Woody

Senior member
 Bristol
Has anyone else noticed how cheap these are?! Seems average mileage examples in good condition are fetching circa £2k. Does seem very cheap for the performance and handling capabilities but then I suppose the mpg and tax puts people off...?

I did test drive one before I bought the Z4 and was left feeling underwhelmed; didn't like the driving position, the digi dash or the washing machine engine/exhaust sound.

But for £2k! Just see AT/PH if you don't believe me...sooooo glad I bought the Z now (as in my previous 3.0iR) as it was around the same price but would have depreciated so much more.
 
Might have something to do with oil consumption, fuel consumption, tax, servicing costs and the bills when it breaks!
 
oli445 said:
Might have something to do with oil consumption, fuel consumption, tax, servicing costs and the bills when it breaks!
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....... And it will break. That engine seems very fragile if not treated with kid gloves

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People are scared of the wankel engine. They are great cars but you need to find one that has been looked after really well. That's the hard part.
 
I nearly bought one of these when they were launched, the car was well designed with those doors, but the engine and its failings put me off, having no torque to speak of being the biggest problem.
 
nearly bought one of these istead of the Z,

why not :

fuel consumption is high but that wasn't the isseu.
the engines wil break down a lott, if you turn it off cold it's flooded and you can send it of to the nearest dealer/indy.

and there is no way to get more power out of the engine. there's 1 turbo kit i believe from greddy, but the engine breaks down even without, so what if you turbo it ? probably it wil break even faster.


i would buy one, but only to swap the engine out, put a good piston engine in. but why should you if you can buy a Z ??
 
A well driven one can show even a 3.0si a clean set of heels in the twisties! There's one out here with some choice mods (good brake pads, fluids, light wheels, semi-slicks, suspension, engine mods) that laps faster most 500+hp 4x4 Banzai Japs at our local track. I'm not even on the same level!

They've got a great chassis for track work and just lack a bit in torque. Plus they're not as fragile as people make them out to be. I've got lots of respect for them.
 
Mafoo said:
oli445 said:
Might have something to do with oil consumption, fuel consumption, tax, servicing costs and the bills when it breaks!
Click to expand...

....... And it will break. That engine seems very fragile if not treated with kid gloves

Sent from my phone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

+1 on both these points, but for £2k....whats not to like right?! Quick, torquey and has suicide doors :thumbsup:
 
I sold my last z4 and bought an RX8 and motorbike. I knew the potential engine issues, but found a well looked after example. You can have them pressure tested to check the rotor seals, and they can be rebuilt if needed. I started to have problems with mine, when it wouldnt start easily, which i think all started when a spark plug failed, fuel washout etc. I found it was slightly losing coolant into the engine (winner) but semi cured with some rad weld stuff. Was a ballache knowing it was just going to 'spin' and not start sometimes though.

They can be seriously and mentally tuned, YouTube 4 rotor RX8 etc

12mpg was a pain.

The handling was great, the interior was quirky enough to age well, and it was quick, especially hanging onto all 9500 rpm before changing up.

Would i recommend? No. The cold stop issue is not practical, and a small issue can damage the engine very quickly.

They are cheap though, so buy one and rebuild the rotor seals for good measure and it would be a cheap fast car.

Sent from my HTC One X
 
I really liked the 231 bhp I tested but just couldn't face the mpg issue, it's a shame really but I'm glad there are still makers with enough octane in their blood to develop and market unconventional motors, things would be so boring otherwise.

The original 1979+ RX7 is looking nice and retro now and a good one would make an interesting modern classic - do good unmolested ones still exist? I haven't seen one for a while.
 
i bought a supercharged one of these in about 2007..... it had a broke engine even though it only had 17k miles on it

i replaced the engine only to find that it had some sort of immobiliser issue that not even mazda could diagnose. i took off the supercharger and made it stock again..... eventually i had to buy another damaged rx8 to swap over bits from.... turned out to be the wiring loom. it has put me off these ever since and was glad to get shot of it

here's the bugger!

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envy said:
i bought a supercharged one of these in about 2007..... it had a broke engine even though it only had 17k miles on it

i replaced the engine only to find that it had some sort of immobiliser issue that not even mazda could diagnose. i took off the supercharger and made it stock again..... eventually i had to buy another damaged rx8 to swap over bits from.... turned out to be the wiring loom. it has put me off these ever since and was glad to get shot of it

here's the bugger!

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KIF_2204.jpg
Click to expand...
Don't see a problem with the immobiser issue on that, it should be hidden in a garage and never driven ;-)
 
Not a great fan of the looks.

It's a revvvvvtastic engine, that couldnt pull the skin off a rice pudding. But hey, 12mpg (of oil) and 17mpg isnt to bad :lol:

Seriously though, for £2k all that disappears. Would be a fun hooligan machine :thumbsup:
 
Had one of these for 2 years before getting the Zed. Didn't have not one problem with it, apart from a flat battery.

I sold it because of all the horror stories on the RX8 forum. Very low on torque and yes you need to rev the sh1t out of it to get any power out of it but it was a fun car to drive.

But yes I only sold it for £2,100 after buying it for £6k 2 years ago.
 
Woo7dy said:
Envy that is very fast and furious!!
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lol the stickers were not to my taste and i would of removed them if i decided to keep it.... the last owner can take credit for those and the bodykit..... but it was a fun drive if you revved the nuts off it
 
I had a friend that worked as a sales manager at Mazda. He said that they used to play "guess how many engines" every time an RX8 was booked into the workshop. According to him it didn't matter how well you looked after them. They broke regardless and he wouldn't have wished one on his worst enemy.

It;s a car that is so catastrophically bad in nearly every department that I could never even drive one knowing that any other petrol head worth his salt was probably laughing at what a poor choice I had made in buying such a thing.... even for £2k.
 
Mowflow said:
I had a friend that worked as a sales manager at Mazda. He said that they used to play "guess how many engines" every time an RX8 was booked into the workshop. According to him it didn't matter how well you looked after them. They broke regardless and he wouldn't have wished one on his worst enemy.

It;s a car that is so catastrophically bad in nearly every department that I could never even drive one knowing that any other petrol head worth his salt was probably laughing at what a poor choice I had made in buying such a thing.... even for £2k.
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Have to disagree there. They are great cars, fun to drive, practical, have a well built cabin and the ones that have engine problems are the ones that aren't looked after right. As long as the oil level is checked reguarly, serviced by specialists who deal with rotary engines and not swtiched off whilst cold then they will last. I have seen many RX8s with well over 100k on the clock and going strong.

The only major problem is the fuel economy, now that was poor.

Sold mine because it was getting into the high miles and I have a driveway where it kept getting moved in order to get the other cars out and you shouldn't be doing that and didn't want the hassle anymore of not being able to move the car a few feet without fear of engine flooding.
 
My mate had an RX7. Spent over £10k on engine rebuilds over 4 years. Was bloody quick for a 1.3l - 500bhp with staggered twin turbo set up.

Never been a quicker car, including the F360 I hooned around Silverstone


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