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2006 Mazda RX 8 Review

This car is a dream to drive. It handles near perfect through winding roads and its acceleration though not head jerking is surprisingly snappy. This car pulls strongly through every gear making the RX-8 a swift and very nimble. The 6 speed transmission is tight and has a short throw through all gears.

The sound of the Rotory engine as it spins up through the powerbands is almost hypnotic.

The Two seats in back are truly functional and are easy to both access and exit the vehicle making the RX-8 more than just a weekend warrior but a true four seater that can used to shuttle Four adults in comfort around town, or to take the family on a weekend trip, Two full size child car seats can be strapped in the rear seats using the ISO hooks provided. Pricey at the pump if using 91 octange but when a vehicle drives and handles like this one who really cares? Not many vehicles in its weight class or power to weight ratio can compare with the RX-8, closest competaters are the Nissian 350Z and the Honda 2000s not bad company to be in.

New for the 2006 Mazda RX-8
Automatic transmission-equipped Mazda RX-8s are a bit sportier for 2006. A new paddle-shift six-speed automatic replaces last years four-speed transmission, and the rotary engines maximum horsepower has been increased for cars equipped with the automatic.

Interior Design and Special Features

The RX-8s rear-hinged rear doors allow unobstructed access to the rear seats, giving this sports car the ability to comfortably carry four adults thanks to well-shaped seats and a roofline that allows ample headroom in back. The interior design carries a circular theme, with three round gauges and a circular central dash pod that houses the stereo and climate control functions, while "piano black" accents lend a touch of class to the cockpit. Unfortunately, an overly busy display for the audio system and climate control makes "at a glance" reading a challenge.

Safety

Side airbags and side curtain airbags for the driver and front passenger come standard, as do four-wheel antilock disc brakes. Stability control is optional. In NHTSA crash testing, the Mazda RX-8 earned a four-star rating (out of a possible five) for driver protection in frontal impacts and five stars for the front passenger. The Mazda received four stars across the board for side-impact protection. Additionally, the RX-8 is the only passenger car currently sold in the U.S. to earn a perfect five-star rollover rating from the NHTSA.

Powertrains and Performance

Both versions of the Mazda RX-8 are motivated by a 1.3-liter rotary engine that sends power to the rear wheels. When connected to the six-speed, paddle-shift automatic transmission, the engine is tuned to produce 212 horsepower. Manual-transmission versions get a 232-hp version of this power plant. Coupled with the vehicles light weight, the RX-8 delivers exhilarating performance along with ultra-smooth power delivery. Weve recorded zero to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds and a quarter-mile performance of 15.4 seconds with the six-speed manual.

Driving Impressions

The Mazda RX-8 handles like a true sports car, with great balance and precise turn-in. The suspension is soft enough for daily comfortable use and not as stiff as that of the Nissan 350Z, which corners like a race car but pays the price with a stiffer ride.

The Dynamic Stability Control works effectively yet allows the driver to work the tires without intruding. The RX-8 wasnt completely forgiving when driven hard on an autocross circuit. We found with too much throttle the RX-8 would understeer (the front tires plow and the car keeps going straight instead of turning). When we pushed it still farther, driving like hacks, the DSC would kick in to limit the understeer. What we learned is that the DSC is programmed to tolerate small errors but saves you from the big ones. In other words, it will let you get away with two feet of understeer in a curve, but not six feet.

And when DSC does take over, it uses the brakes, by braking one or more wheels needed to correct the imbalance. The electronic stability control systems in other cars correct skidding by cutting the throttle, which skilled drivers find intrusive. The RX-8s DSC will eventually cut the throttle too, but not so early that it frustrates you.

When we switched the DSC off, we discovered two things that together seem paradoxical: how good the DSC is (because we could barely feel it when it was on), and how superb the balance of the RX-8 is, because we could feel it in its natural state.

A brief word about that 50-50 balance, and where it comes from. The rotary engine, which is extremely smooth and simple, has been developed by Mazda for 40 years now. The RX-8 features the latest and by far the best rotary engine design, which Mazda calls Renesis (a shortened form of Rotary Engine Genesis). The engine is about 30 percent smaller than a typical inline four-cylinder, and its compact dimensions allow it to be mounted in a low and rearward position that results in that perfect balance. It also keeps the four-seat RX-8s center of gravity low and the curb weight down to just 3029 pounds, nearly 200 pounds less than the lightest version of the two-seat, 3213-pound Nissan 350Z.

Out on the open road the RX-8 feels even better. It hugs the road progressively, meaning the deeper it gets into a turn the harder it grips, which is wonderfully confidence inspiring.
The engine offers a sweet unique sound under acceleration and is very refined now, with little of the rotary rasp that early RX-7s were known for. The rotarys design features six power pulses per turn of the shaft compared with just three for a V6, resulting in an exhaust note thats almost hypnotic on a rhythmic road, and chainsaw-like under full steam. It revs extremely quickly, but lacks the mid-range grunt of a V6. Downshifts for quick acceleration are definitely necessary. The RX-8 can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph is less than 6 seconds, according to Car and Driver magazine, making it nearly as quick as a Nissan 350Z.

Downshifting is redefined by the rotary engine, especially when paired with the brilliant close-ratio six-speed gearbox. You can drop the RX-8 into second gear at a speed that would cause almost every other car on the planet to scream, if not explode. This baby revs.

When the automatic is equipped with the sport suspension and 18-inch wheels (standard on the manual RX-8), the brake rotors measure a massive 12.7 inches in front and 11.9 inches in rear, with increased ventilation ribs for more resistance to fade. The fact that the RX-8 is so light, thanks not only to the rotary engine but also to thoughtful design with aluminum in the hood and rear doors, reduces the stopping distance to an impressive number, with performance comparable to that of the 350Z.

Body Styles, Trim Levels and Options

The Mazda RX-8 comes as a four-seat hardtop with, essentially, four doors. The front doors are full-size, while two smaller rear doors ease access to the rear passenger compartment. The RX-8 line comprises an automatic-transmission model with a new six-speed gearbox, and a manual transmission version that also has six cogs. The automatic RX-8 comes standard with air conditioning, 16-inch wheels and power windows, locks and mirrors. The six-speed manual model adds a limited-slip differential, a sport-tuned suspension and 18-inch wheels and tires.

There are four option packages available. On six-speed models, the Sport package adds xenon headlights, stability and traction control and foglights, while automatic-equipped versions also get a limited-slip differential, larger brakes, a retuned suspension and 18-inch wheels. The Touring package provides a sunroof, Bose audio system, Homelink and auto-dimming mirrors. The Grand Touring package adds all of the above equipment, along with a six-way power-adjustable driver seat, heated seats, leather upholstery and heated side mirrors. The Shinka (Japanese for "Evolution") package adds both sporty and luxury features via a more aggressively tuned suspension, leather/Alcantara seating, Sirius satellite radio, upgraded interior trim and unique 18-inch alloys. Stand-alone options include a navigation system and an in-dash six-disc CD changer.

Rotary history

No other automaker offers a mass-produced passenger vehicle with a rotary engine.
The rotary internal combustion engine is firmly entrenched in Mazda history. A four-rotor engine helped Mazda become the first Japanese carmaker to win an overall victory in 1991 in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Rotary engines work by handling intake, compression, combustion and exhaust, one after another, via a turning, triangular-shaped rotor in a cocoon-like combustion chamber.
Rotaries are compact power plants, known to be smooth and high-revving, which was consistent with the RX-8 tester with manual transmission, whose redline was at 9000 rpm.

Torque isnt necessarily the best. The manual RX-8 with 1.3-liter twin-rotor naturally aspirated rotary that I drove was rated at 159 lb-ft of torque at 5500 rpm. This moves the RX-8 from 0 to 60 miles an hour in an estimated 6.4 seconds, not exactly a top number among sports cars.
In comparison, a 2003 Mazdaspeed Protege with a turbocharged four cylinder could put out 160 lb-ft of torque at a low, 3500 rpm.

Pros: Great acceleration, handling, braking. Very high tech car. Room for 4 adults. Plenty of trunk space.

Cons: nothing @ all. fuel economy 15/18 what do u expect in a sports car. who cares!!!! built for speed