Mazda RX-8

Mazda RX-8 at a glance

The RX-8 followed the Mazda RX-7 as Mazda's rotary sports car. Mazda's board approved it on one condition: it had to have four doors. Designer Ikuo Maeda, son of the original RX-7's lead designer, solved this with small rear doors hinged at the back and no central B-pillar; the rear doors open only after the front ones. The wider history of the brand is in the history of Mazda.

From RX-01 to RX-8: development

The engine is older than the car. Mazda showed an early version of the 13B-MSP in the 1995 RX-01 concept, which was shelved for financial reasons. A small team kept the engine alive in a stretched MX-5 test car nicknamed "gokiburi-ka" ("cockroach car"). The RX-EVOLV concept introduced the Renesis name and the freestyle doors, and a near-production RX-8 appeared at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show. Production started in February 2003.

The Renesis engine and gearboxes

The Renesis (13B-MSP) displaces 1,308 cc across two rotors. Unlike the 13B-REW of the RX-7, it has its exhaust ports in the side housings rather than the rotor housing, which improved fuel economy and emissions and allowed a high redline: 9,000 rpm on the six-speed manual and 7,500 rpm on the five-speed and automatic. Japan and North America had their own ratings, up to 250 PS in Japan. The engine has no turbocharger.

The Renesis II of model year 2009 added a third oil-injection port per rotor housing, an electric oil-metering pump and a new catalytic converter.

Chassis and handling

Mazda placed the engine behind the front axle and the fuel tank ahead of the rear axle, which gives near 50:50 weight distribution and a low polar moment of inertia. The front suspension uses double wishbones and the rear a multi-link layout; manual cars have a carbon-fibre propshaft and every RX-8 has a torque-sensing limited-slip differential. The body is steel with aluminium and plastic panels, including an aluminium bonnet.

The 2009 facelift added shock-tower bracing, stronger front suspension towers, revised rear geometry and a shorter final drive (4.777 instead of 4.444) for quicker acceleration on manual cars. It also brought new bumpers and lights, larger exhaust tips and new wheels.

Size, four-seat cabin and boot

The cabin has a T-shaped dashboard with a central analogue rev counter and a digital speedometer, according to the old 1cars text. The front seats have strong side, shoulder and thigh support; the two rear seats fit adults for short trips, with a fold-through hatch for long items. Up to six airbags, ABS with EBD and stability control were fitted, according to the same source.

Fuel and oil consumption: the real running costs

The RX-8's weak point is consumption. The 231 PS version uses 11.2 l/100 km on the combined cycle (21 mpg US), 15.6 l/100 km in town, and emits 284 g/km of CO2. By our calculation, a high-power RX-8 has about 123 kW per tonne at 1,379 kg, similar to many hot hatchbacks, yet it uses far more fuel. To see what that costs at your mileage, use our fuel cost calculator, or compare performance with the power-to-weight calculator.

Rotary engines also burn oil by design, because oil is injected to lubricate the seals. Owners should check the oil level at every fill-up.

Reliability and known issues

The best-documented problem is a failure chain: worn ignition coils leave unburnt fuel, which clogs the catalytic converter; the converter overheats and the engine's side seals fail. In North America, Mazda extended the warranty on the 2004–2008 engine core, seals and gaskets. Engine rebuilds and replacement units are common on used cars. Other checks include starting when hot, compression test results and the condition of the coil packs and spark plugs.

Rivals: how the RX-8 compares

The RX-8 competed with two-seat sports cars such as the Nissan 350Z and 370Z and the Honda S2000. Its unique selling points were four usable seats and a 9,000 rpm engine; the Nissan had far more torque from its V6, and the Honda was a pure two-seater. Today the closest spiritual successor in handling terms is the Subaru BRZ and its Toyota twin, both rear-wheel drive with similar power.