Was at a stop light next to an RX8 and put a little foot into it and he just looked over. Next light he put some into it. The third light I took off and he did nothing I slowed down and then he just floors it gets about car length ahead while im shifting to 2nd and I just reel him in and he is going bye bye! Pretty fun kill.

 

From what I understand, not too many peformance mods for the RX8s...

What are they rated at? 260hp at the crank?

Which S4 were you in?

 

More like 240hp. Even my 95 C36 could take it easy.

 

I think originally Mazda advertised 250, but it was quickly changed to 238 for accuracy. They're only making some 180+ rwhp.

 

Easy kill even for a slow Z much less an S4/AMG/SRT etc....Wouldnt call it a good kill more like a mercy killing...Euthanasia[?]

 

Forgive me RX8 fans, but the rotary engine is overrated in the sense of usable power. With pathetic torque levels and all the horsepower at the top of the powerband, one must really get that thing to howl to move. The S4, on the other hand, has an a torquey, revvy, and elastic motor under the bonnet. Even though the RX had the weight advantage, this more-usable performance motor proved its own here.

 

I was in the B5 and right now I just have piggie pipes on it. I didnt realize those RX8's werent very quick I always thought they had some go to them, but after destroying this person I guess I know.

 

Correction. The Renesis version of the rotary is undertorqued. The twin turbo version in the RX-7 has good torque (more if you turn up the boost - I've got over 300 rwtq in my R1 = Vette C5 5.7L V8 torque in a 2,700 lbs car...plenty enough ).

Now the RX-8, THAT is a torqueless JUNKER. What was Mazda thinking? Answer: They weren't!

-Matt

 

Indeed they weren't. I wish they still sold 7's...much more impressive than the current version in regard to the powertrain. I just never was impressed with a N/A rotary setup...but forced induction makes things a bit more appetizing.

Mazda, you listening out there?

 

I hear ya but now that Ford has had a controlling stake in Mazda, they killed the RX-7 (even for the domestic market & Australia years ago). I don't think Mazda is allowed any serious R&D dollars or "RX-7" project money for a return becuase Ford does not want Mazda canilbalizing any of its Ford GT or Mustang GT 500 (whatever that overweight turd is called nowdays ).

It's a shame. They could release an RX-7 on steroids (nice fat 325s in the back ) with 500 - 600Hp either in N/A form (all Aluminum quad rotor Renesis) or a single turbo Aluminum Triple rotor in a 2,800 car (make the whole body Aluminum...RX-7 are small so no big raw matl costs). Sell it for $100k & improve the workmanship/materials to today's standards. (&*uck I'd buy it! OK, ....wake up Matt....WAKE UP!~)

See ya,
-Matt

 

Haha, nothing wrong with dreaming bro. With the Skyline coming the the US and the return of the Supra, you never know what could happen once Mazda's performance division is put under pressure from the competition.

 

Turbo Rotary =
N/A Rotary =

 

Turbo rotary=problems

 

Wrong. Its idiots that don't KNOW how to mod their turbo rotaries that "cause" the problems. Know the car & mod accordingly & they run just fine.

-Matt

 

I still say they are pussies. I wish/hope you are right but I'm not "doubling down" any time soon on Mazda. The other Japanese firms have "evolved" (ie created brand recognition & market penetration via their Infiniti & Lexus lines). WTF has Mazda done? Minimal progress, at best. The other makers have evolved into making Pyramids. Mazda guys are just now learning how to make fire. I like the old RX-7s too but that car company is now royally f-ed via Ford's controlling interest. Too bad...time to move on....many other cars/choices out there.

-Matt

 

good they are a disgrace to FD's

 

nice work, I really like the S4. Bit of a mismatch though!

I love the sound from the V8 model- it really does burble.

 

I've killed an RX-8 before....

 

When I was a service writer/assistant manager with a Ford, Mazda and Buick dealership many years ago.....we would have 45k-60k mile RX-7 twin turbos coming in with stalling problems and lack of power. We knew right away it was the apex seals failing. Mazda did not allow us to rebuild the engine so they would replace the engine instead. If you were out of warranty....you were out of luck. The engine was @ $18,000 without turbos and a/c so we would send customers to a rotary specialist in Fort Worth. Man, the look on the customer's face when we told them they needed a engine!

The older owners of that car were almost as bad as the miata owners with their sh*t-don't-stink-attitude . The younger guys were always cool....they didn't want to **** us off because we still did warranty work to their modded cars.

 

i remember smoking one on the 5 fwy in 2000 a6 2.7t. i had apr chip rs4 clutch and magnaflow custom exhaust. the look on his face was priceless. if i hadnt totalled it i would be driving a stage 3+ a6 probably good for about 450 at the crank!

 

My friend bought an RX-8. We loaded it up with 4 people (two heavy ones) and raced another friend in a Corolla... it was rather sad to see.

 

Apex seals don't begin to fail causing the problems you listed. Apex seals fail entirely (break) when detonation occurs (detonation is ~ 12,400 lbs/Sq inch of force - that will break just about anything). Dotonation occurs when there is inadequate fuel (cuased sometimes by bad hoses or improper engine modding which leans the A/F out). A broken seal will rotate within the rotary housing damaging the housing and/or the turbos when its exhausted out of the housing (blown motor - unmistakable ROUGH idle).

The problem you list can be caused by several factors: A) a general lack of compression due to tired seal springs which generally starts occuring after ~ 10 yrs or 100k miles, B) turbo hoses that have dry rotted - almost ALWAYS the cause for the problem you listed. The simple remedy is not an engine replacement but a silicone hose replacement for the OEMs.....they dry rot after ~ 3 yrs due to the high heat the twin turbo rotary produces - silicone replacement hoses never fail.

Mazda did a horrible job in:
1) not using silicone for the 80 hoses used in the sequential turbo system
(an easy fix, ~$350 installed & they last foreever)

2) Not training their Dealer mechanics on proper rotary diagnoses (and not
offering the above hose upgrade/fix as part of a broad based Recall)

$18k for an engine replacement? Not only was it not neccessary but a complete rip-off. My brother & I have pulled, ported, & installed rotaries for $7k (2007, not 1995 dollars ) for over 20 yrs as a hobby. I never let Dealers touch my car. They were & remain CLUELESS about rotaries (maybe they are better on the newer Renesis powerplant but they don't know Jack about FD powerplants).

See ya,
-Matt

 

Not only is it a torqueless POS but its a GAS HOG! I got much better gas milage in my AMGs vs that POS.

 

hope you guys dont forget the purpose of the rx8. yes its underpowered but that thing is a very fun car to drive at the track. a very capable track car. with that being said, would i drive one? no. but hps isnt everything to a car.

 

Really? That's strange. Hmmmmm.

read here.............

http://www.rotarydynamics.ca/QA.html#Q1

True, heat can be a cause of apex seal failure. Oddly enough, so would a lack of driving and extended storage time; both causing carbon build up in an engine already known for it's "hot" and "cold" spot dirty combustion. (Rotaries are notorious for poor fuel economy and poor emissions) Hence low mileage RX-7 twin turbos coming in that have been babied my mid-life crisis men seemed to have had the most engine problems.........as I stated above.

TSB's by Mazda argue with you greatly Yellow R1.

Common gen II problem due to most with high mileage and abused. Not in the case I described though.

Not a common problem I dealt with. In fact, I don't recall that being a problem at the time I was dealing with Mazda. When the car gets older, I'm sure that would cause a problem.

Totally agree. Certified techs were not allowed to rebuild a rotary engine. Period. In fact, we had TSB's on problems and couldn't tell the customer any known problems due to them possible demanding out of warranty assistance......in which, Mazda would decline.

Please keep in mind that rotaries are alive because people like you demand them. Mazda has emphasized in the past (under leadership of Ford, of course) that rotaries are becoming more troublesome to build and warranty + trying to keep them under current emission standards.