Last week celebrated the 40th anniversary of the rotary engine in the Mazda Lineup, an impressive number of years for an engine which potential has never been contested (Endurance lovers remember the 787B). This gave the "zoom-zoom" manufacturer the opportunity to present and put on sale a limited edition based on their latest car to use this technology: the RX-8!
We didn't get our hands on that version...but we still had an RX-8, and not a standard one!
It's been 5 years already since the RX8 was initially launched, so in the meantime, you certainly had the possibility to read/hear things and see some on the roads...no need for a long presentation...still, we had a spiced up version to test drive, one you may not have heard a lot about: the RX8 MazdaSpeed M'z Tune!
Mazda RX8 Mazda Speed M’z Tune, HDTV
(WMV9HD 720p Direct Download "Right click, Save as…")
Mazda RX8 Mazda Speed M’z Tune, HDTV
(WMV9HD 720p Vuze Torrent "Right click, Save as…")
Mazda RX8 Mazda Speed M’z Tune, HDTV
(DivX 6 HD 720p, Hosted by Stage6)
The backbone of the car is the "dynamic duo": rear wheel drive layout and rotary engine; the Renesis (Rotary Engine Genesis) taking you up and above 9000rpm! Despite the coupe look, the RX8 offers 4 doors and 4 seats even though the best one will, as usual, be behind the steering wheel...
This exotic cocktail has been providing amazing sensations in the past, especially on the "RX" versions, the RX3, then the RX7 and its impressive "FD3S" with Twin Turbocharger engine. This time, things are a little bit different, and the RX8 features a double personality... sporty on one side, and smooth on the other. At this point, the Mazda RX-8 is one of the best cars that you can get on the market...
So what's so special about this MazdaSpeed M'z Tune version? Technically speaking, the car is strictly similar to a Type S, equipped with a 250HP motor, 216Nm and a precise 6 speed manual gearbox. The (first) real difference comes from the body work; the MazdaSpeed aero kit gives the car a meaner and stronger look. A couple sports parts have also been added, including BILSTEIN suspension, new flywheel, new oil cooler, new brake kit and exhaust.
Once inside, the MazdaSpeed logo makes its appearance here and there, sometimes replacing the rotor logo from Felix Wankle's creation.
The second real difference comes on the road, especially on my favorite playground, the small and narrow Japanese roads! On this terrain, the perfect 50/50 balance of the car make it very agile and easy to drive, the relatively light weight and excellent chassis help confirming this fact.
Corner after corner, the M'z Tune shows its potential...but also its weaknesses...the handling/braking/steering are excellent, but unfortunately the engine rapidly shows its limits and those are way below our expectations...Once you start pushing each speed to the redline and enjoy the engine screaming as a motorbike, you soon realize that the "boost effect" is missing...enjoying the noise of the engine revvin' high does not translate into an impressive sensation of acceleration.
In the end, the car is fast, no doubt about that, it will simply take its time to get there.
The 0-100 takes just 6.6 seconds but this is not the main goal for an RX8 owner; as I said before, the car provides an excellent mix of sporty and smooth sensation, making it very nice to use on a daily basis. The difference with its elder sister, the RX7, probably comes from the lack of turbos this time...reliability or gas consumption issues, maybe.
Plus:
Design
Engine sound
Handling
Price (Japan)
Minus:
Lack of power
Conclusion:
The RX8 is technically, esthetically and mechanically different, and that is what's making it attractive to all those who want to drive a "different" car... especially here in Japan, as the car is really affordable, and offers a good driving pleasure between speed and comfort. Go check it out at your Mazda dealer!
Posted on 31/08/07 By G-A.G
