Mazda RX8

[d000hg]

Anyone got/had/driven one? This has been one of my favourite cars for a couple of years to look at but I didn't know much about it, other than that it has the rotary engine, weird doors and (I thought) flappy-paddle gearbox (are we calling this semi-automatic?)

I was looking to see what it would cost to insure one, but wasn't sure what options were right... I get a choice of 1.3L or 2.6L which sees a bit weird, both because 1.3L seems small and the difference between 1.3 & 2.6 is quite a lot - I think the BMW Z4 is 3.0L. Is the 1.3L the one I'd normally expect to see?

And in case you were interested, for a 26-year-old with 6 years NCD, a touch under £600 was the best I found. I can remember when my 1.0L Yaris cost more than that to insure!

[Mort]

Yeah the 1.3 is the standard one, sounds small but as it's rotary it's got a lot more then your grans fiesta. I'm no car nerd though, maybe someone else can get technical. All I know from a someone I know who had one is that they drink oil by the tankerload. Lots of it, so keep on top of it.

[daviejones]

Some people classify the Wankel, or rotary engine as 2 x 1.3L engines!!!!

[VectraMan]

It's 1.3, but you can't really compare that in any meaningful way to a normal piston engine. For one thing it drinks a lot more petrol than a normal 1.3. A lot more. A lot lot more. Only buy one if you have your own oil well and refinery.

[DS23]

don't have one but serously thought about it for a while. there are some great design features on it. it's a real 2 & 2 sports. the look is a perhaps a bit spivvy but the real problem is the crippling fuel economy.

[DiscoStu]

don't have one but serously thought about it for a while. there are some great design features on it. it's a real 2 & 2 sports. the look is a perhaps a bit spivvy but the real problem is the crippling fuel economy.

And the fact that it eats rotor tips at an alarming rate!

[Weltchy]

I've had one for nearly four years now. The engine in both the 192 and 232 bhp is 1.3 litres, but its classed as double as it has two rotary blades inside, hence the 2.6 litre rating.

The 192 only has 5 gears, whilst the 232 has 6. I've got the high-spec 232 with leather seats, etc.

Anyway, the car drives really well, you can really fling it round corners, get the back end out, yet the car is quite forgiving.

Fuel eco wise, a full tank is around 55 litres, which at todays prices is just under £60, which will get you somewhere between 170-250 miles depending on how you drive. I normally get around 200 miles to a full tank, mainly driving a 15 min to work route.

My car is a manual gearstick, didn't even know they did a paddle version. The gearstick is well suited to short fast gear changes, though is does stick getting into first quite a bit.

[d000hg]

the real problem is the crippling fuel economy.

Are we talking poor in comparison to other coupes (TT, Z4, etc) or to less flashy cars? I think I read a combined mpg of 24... no idea if that's good or not for a sports car.

The fact it has a boot and can fit people in the back is quite a big plus over some of its competitors in my opinion.

[VectraMan]

Are we talking poor in comparison to other coupes (TT, Z4, etc) or to less flashy cars?

It's a wankel, which is very inneficient compared to similar powered piston engined cars. I think the combined 24mpg figure is very optimistic.

And you can't fit people in the back, at least not unless the driver and all passengers are under 4 foot tall.

Buy an S2000 instead.

[Weltchy]

It's a winkel, which is very inneficient compared to similar powered piston engined cars. I think the combined 24mpg figure is very optimistic.

And you can't fit people in the back, at least not unless the driver and all passengers are under 4 foot tall.

Buy an S2000 instead.

You can fit 2 adults in the back quite happily. Technically, you can fit 5 people in the car, with a girl lying across the back. Not too safe however.

As for fuel economy, its comparable to other sports cars such as a TT, etc.