RX-8

[Wild Rumpus]

I had an inkling to buy one a few years ago, but after some research I decided against it. You can get better fuel consumption from a 6-litre Vauxhall (Holden) Monaro with much better reliability. The Vauxhall is also RWD and a four-seater so a useful alternative to consider.

[Foxy100]

Normal car
Warming up slowly is best practice purely to ensure the oil is operating correctly & everything that should be has the correct coat of oil.
There's many variable in this from oil quality to designed in tolerances etc... But ultimately we do test everything in the worst of worst conditions for oil delay.
Even so I'd advise the "don't hammer it until warm as a given".

One of my neighbours has a 997 Turbo S and the 6am warm up procedure seems to be start, pull off immediately, at the top of the road (i.e. within 20 seconds of pulling away) floor it, then floor it out of the next junction and repeat until the car's about two miles away and you can't hear it anymore. I don't remember exactly what the problem was but it's already been back to Porsche for some engine work.

Back to Mazdas, someone in the MX-5 world is gauging opinion on fitting RX-8 engines to MX-5s as a business. It's an interesting idea but I'll stick with my plan to do some light head and cam work and put individual throttle bodies and a plug-and-play ECU on my MX-5. I suspect it will go just as well and cost a lot more but possibly not sound as good!

[paulpsz008]

I had an inkling to buy one a few years ago, but after some research I decided against it. You can get better fuel consumption from a 6-litre Vauxhall (Holden) Monaro with much better reliability. The Vauxhall is also RWD and a four-seater so a useful alternative to consider.

Funnily enough this is something I've considered as a potential replacement although it is a very different car, but I've not felt the need just yet.

[slever]

I’d probably look at a used Toyota GT86 instead.


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[paulpsz008]

I’d probably look at a used Toyota GT86 instead.


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If you're selling one for £4k I'll take it.

[snowman]

Monaro or GT86 instead?

Both possible candidates of course, but one is about 500KG heavier, so a truck by comparison - A cheap alternative to an AMG E-Series, but not in the same league handling wise (again, the RX8 isn't about straight line speed - If you want that, shop elsewhere) and the other is a (much) slower 2 seater - A hardtop MX5 really.

Some people will, of course, find them perfectly suitable alternatives (always amused me that dealers seem to think people will only shop for a very close alternative when buying cars and seem genuinely shocked when you suggest something very different), but neither are directly comparable to an RX8.

I don't own one any more, but, honestly, I think it's one of the most under-rated cars around, especially at the stupidly cheap prices they sell for.

Buy a structualy good one with a duff engine (or a good engine, but budget for a rebuild) and fix the engine.

Trouble is that the cheap prices means most aren't being maintained properly, so soon it'll be nigh on impossible to find a good one...

If I had space for a 3rd car (I don't), I'd have a good PZ.

I didn't like the R3 - Suspension setup is 'wrong' (too much like a hot-hatch) for an RX8 and the Recaros don't adjust for height, so you feel like you're sitting on it, rather than in it!

I only sold mine (to someone who knew what they were looking at, thankfully) because I needed more space for dive gear. I'd been thinking of changing for about 5 years, but nothing ever impressed me enough to spend money on! 20 MPG is low, but not spending 10-20K on a new car that would do 30MPG would have paid for a lot of petrol!

M

[Captain Morgan]

Back to Mazdas, someone in the MX-5 world is gauging opinion on fitting RX-8 engines to MX-5s as a business. It's an interesting idea but I'll stick with my plan to do some light head and cam work and put individual throttle bodies and a plug-and-play ECU on my MX-5. I suspect it will go just as well and cost a lot more but possibly not sound as good!

I'm sure a gent such as yourself will already be aware of this but just in case...

MX-5 V6 - http://www.rocketeerltd.com/

[Jonesy9]

I had an MX5, and a colleague an RX8. The RX8 is obviously a lot faster but my MX5 just kept on going and was so cheap to service and run even over 100k miles. He sold his RX8 as the rotary engine was on the way out after less than half the miles and would have cost more than the car to sort.

I'd love an MX5 again.


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[Foxy100]

I'm sure a gent such as yourself will already be aware of this but just in case...

MX-5 V6 - http://www.rocketeerltd.com/

Thank you and yes, I have been following this. Thing with the MX-5 is it doesn't really need that much extra power. I had a go in a turbo with 200bhp at the wheels and it was just too fast (and had cooling issues). I would far rather something normally aspirated and 200bhp at the fly (or about 175 at the wheels) from a bit of engine work is just right for me. The Rockateer (Jag? Can't remember) engine is lighter than the standard one, but the cost is rather high bearing in mind you need to source the engine (and presumably have it checked over etc) yourself on top of the cost of the conversion.

[snowman]

I had an MX5, and a colleague an RX8. The RX8 is obviously a lot faster but my MX5 just kept on going and was so cheap to service and run even over 100k miles. He sold his RX8 as the rotary engine was on the way out after less than half the miles and would have cost more than the car to sort.

I'd love an MX5 again.

I think you either love the rotary or you don't - It certainly got under my skin, miss mine

Driving half a Le Mans winning engine was always fun, as was 9,000 RPM

M

[Chewitt13]

Pound for pound, the rx8 was best car I’ve owned, mine didn’t need to much oil and I sold it for a slight profit

[AlphaOmega]

Resurrecting this as I've been looking at RX-8s again. They are cheap.

If I managed to find one with a decent body but lunched engine, how much would it cost to rebuild the engine - presumably you can't buy a new engine?

[JasonM]

Resurrecting this as I've been looking at RX-8s again. They are cheap.

If I managed to find one with a decent body but lunched engine, how much would it cost to rebuild the engine - presumably you can't buy a new engine?

I can ask a friend, his dad noticed a RX8 of someone’s driveway for months and months, it never moved, he knocked on the door and the lady owner had parked it up after the engine went, the rest of it was fine, he bought it for £500!
I’m not sure the info will be that useful as he did the work himself as he’s a retired mechanic but he’s now enjoying the fixed car.

[adrianw]

Resurrecting this as I've been looking at RX-8s again. They are cheap.

If I managed to find one with a decent body but lunched engine, how much would it cost to rebuild the engine - presumably you can't buy a new engine?

There is a company in Coventry that reconditions 13B's and does three rotor conversions

[AlphaOmega]

Thanks Jase and Adrian.

I was idly looking through AutoTrader and there are quite a few around £1000 with low miles but engine problems.

[Andyg]

A couple of friends bought them when they first came out. Both liked the idea of the 3 door coupe and of course the Rotory Engine. Neither kept them longer than 18 months, mostly because of fuel consumption about 18-20mpg, but also because of its oil consumption - which was only slightly better than Tory Canyon.

If you like high reving engines have you considered a Honda Type R or even an S2000?

If you are wedded to the idea of a Rotary, then why not try an find an RX7 - my brother had a twin turbo version and it was mega quick (when it was not being fixed).

[osmononame]

I have one - a 06 Evolve 231 - seems that they are a bit marmite - you either love them or hate them. To me the RX-8 is just so much fun to drive. Cost me £800 and has needed nothing other than regular servicing. Had it for just over a year and 10k miles and if it starts to suffer the usual hot start/worn seal issues then I will break it and recoup what I can.

Just to add car history - I used to have a 350z, sold it and for a 420d (yes you can talk about good mpg and economy and everything else but it was a pretty boring/dull car). When I got rid of the 420d I bought a M5 F10 but I found that too big and cumbersome for our roads - like a faster 420d. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would (it had always been a dream to get a M5). That's when I bought the RX8 as a runaround and I haven't looked back since. When we go out I always pick the keys for the RX8 - only if there are 4/5 of us does the M5 even get a look in.

Whats the worst that can happen? - they are pretty cheap to pick one up and if you buy right then it should last you and even if you don't you aren't going to lose much.

[mowflow]

Keep an eye on gumtree and the rx8/drift Facebook groups. I've seen them being sold for as little as £250.

I think the best bet is to start planning a new engine before you even buy one. Personally I wouldn't bother with another rotary. The VAG 1.8t engine seems to be relatively popular for transplantation and I've seen a few V8 conversions.

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[DavidL]

There's a place just down the road from me in calne that rebuild rotary engines. No idea if they are any good but they advertise as a specialist.

[Tifa]

WANKEL

The clue's in the name.

[adrianw]

Thanks Jase and Adrian.

I was idly looking through AutoTrader and there are quite a few around £1000 with low miles but engine problems.

I don't know where you are in the country but these people look like the know the RX8 well

http://www.apexrotary.com

We used to have a turbo11 convertible when they were new, it was a fun car

[Maris]

Did you watch the Car SOS episode were they fixed up the RX7?
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/c...guide/series-5

[snowman]

An engine rebuild seems to run about £2500, but you'll probably need extra things as well (replacement cat, clutch, coils, maybe an engine mount - If the rotor housing on yours is beyond repair, that may cost you too).

My total for a rebuild was £4000 a few years ago.

Thing was, I'd had it since 3 years old, knew exactly how it'd been treated and the best I could find to replace it was a 318i (slow, slow, slow) at twice the price of the rebuild - The rebuild seemed a bargain!

M.

[IAmATeaf]

My neighbour has one, we call it the McDonalds breakfast car as the only time he ever uses it is on Sundays when he returns with a Maccie Ds bag. He also doesn’t appear to know how to look after it either as as soon as he starts it, bear in mind it’s been off all week he revs the nuts off it.

[Foxy100]

My neighbour has one, we call it the McDonalds breakfast car as the only time he ever uses it is on Sundays when he returns with a Maccie Ds bag. He also doesn’t appear to know how to look after it either as as soon as he starts it, bear in mind it’s been off all week he revs the nuts off it.

Just as long as he doesn't turn it off again soon after starting it up.

[AlphaOmega]

Thanks - will check those specialists. And gumtree. Appreciate all who have posted on this thread. It is a marmite car.

My total for a rebuild was £4000 a few years ago.
M.

Thanks.

I seem to wax and wane about these cars. Hearing that it's £4k makes me think it's a bit toppy as overall, that makes it at least £5k.

Even if the job means I can run it without trouble for a few years, I won't get that back.

@Andy - I've had three S2000s.

Back to the drawing board...

[tixntox]

I had a Mazda RX3 which had a Cortina 1600GT engine put in it. Cheap as chips and it went very well. Not sure if conversion kits are available for the RX8???

[adrianw]

I had a Mazda RX3 which had a Cortina 1600GT engine put in it. Cheap as chips and it went very well. Not sure if conversion kits are available for the RX8???

I'd love to own an RX3, anything worth having is stupid money now

[snowman]

Thanks - will check those specialists. And gumtree. Appreciate all who have posted on this thread. It is a marmite car.



Thanks.

I seem to wax and wane about these cars. Hearing that it's £4k makes me think it's a bit toppy as overall, hat makes it at least £5k.

Even if the job means I can run it without trouble for a few years, I won't get that back.

Well, who knows?

A solid RX8 with a good engine in 5 years time might be almost unobtainable - They're going to go up in value at some point, people will suddenly realise how good they are.

It's a punt, I agree, but you might be kicking yourself in a few years time.

If had the space, I'd be getting a decent PZ now and putting it away safely, except on warm, sunny days.

They're only money pitts (sic) if you repair them - At the current prices, they're disposable!

M

[AlphaOmega]

Well, who knows?

A solid RX8 with a good engine in 5 years time might be almost unobtainable - They're going to go up in value at some point, people will suddenly realise how good they are.

It's a punt, I agree, but you might be kicking yourself in a few years time.

If had the space, I'd be getting a decent PZ now and putting it away safely, except on warm, sunny days.

They're only money pitts (sic) if you repair them - At the current prices, they're disposable!

M

Hadn't thought about that. Good point.

Was a bit of a shocker to browse the car forums the other day and see that fairly mundane Fords from the 80s are 5-10k.

[Mj2k]

I have one - a 06 Evolve 231 - seems that they are a bit marmite - you either love them or hate them. To me the RX-8 is just so much fun to drive. Cost me £800 and has needed nothing other than regular servicing. Had it for just over a year and 10k miles and if it starts to suffer the usual hot start/worn seal issues then I will break it and recoup what I can.

Just to add car history - I used to have a 350z, sold it and for a 420d (yes you can talk about good mpg and economy and everything else but it was a pretty boring/dull car). When I got rid of the 420d I bought a M5 F10 but I found that too big and cumbersome for our roads - like a faster 420d. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would (it had always been a dream to get a M5). That's when I bought the RX8 as a runaround and I haven't looked back since. When we go out I always pick the keys for the RX8 - only if there are 4/5 of us does the M5 even get a look in.

Whats the worst that can happen? - they are pretty cheap to pick one up and if you buy right then it should last you and even if you don't you aren't going to lose much.

Damn it, I was planning an M5 later this year & you’ve just started me rethinking. I’ve only had 520d versions of the F10 and always thought the M5 would be immense fun combined with comfort.


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[andyb28]

^Ah.

Thank you all for your responses - sounds like a mistake to go ahead as you're all fairly of the same opinion that they're a bit fragile.

I will be keeping my S2000 but thought 2+2 accommodation would be handy for a daily driver.

Right, back to the drawing board...

I haven't thought about an S2000 for years, but happened to watch the re-run of the Wheeler Dealers episode when they fixed up one and it reminded me of how good the S2000 is.
Looked on Autotrader just to see what they are going for and they seem to have shot up in value.

[Vampire]

I just Googled RX8 engine rebuilds and found a place near Coventry that does rebuilt engines on an exchange basis for about £1250+VAT, which doesn't sound too bad if you get the car cheap and the rest of it is OK. They warranty their engines for 2yrs/30000 miles as well.

I half fancy getting one, but I do a 65miles/day round trip to work and an RX8 doesn't sound like a great choice for that.

[paulpsz008]

After 6 years of ownership I can report the following;
- The car has never let us down, ever.
- Oil usage is very comparable to other performance cars I've owned from BMW & Mercedes.
- Fuel consumption is as terrible as you've heard, its slightly better than my supercharged e55 AMG.
- Tax is a joke.
- Standard maintenance is slightly more expensive, but not silly. e.g. Coil packs change at 3yrs.
- Repairs are very reasonable, clutch change has just cost me £350 fitted, even the dreaded engine rebuild is "only" £2,500 fitted. This is a key point when you consider that the Z3 dreaded steering column failure is £2,200 for parts alone.

Circa 6 months on I may as well update this.
In December & at 90k miles my PZ's clutch started to play up a little so I had it, & both slave & master cylinders replaced.
Whilst in I had the compression test done & whilst very consistent the compression was a little too low, so we started to do the maths about whether to rebuild it or not.
Ultimately we decided to have it rebuilt preemptively in February this year before anything else was damaged as it failed & the rebuild cost was £2.3k including a years garuntee.

Here's how I came to that decision.

Bought 2012 at 60k miles for £4.5k
Annual servicing average £150pa.
Significant maintenance spends;
Up-rated lifetime guaranteed coil packs 2014 £500,
Battery & starter motor 2015 £400,
Clutch & cylinders 2017 £750.
Engine rebuild 2018 £2.3k

Value today ~£3.5k with rebuild & ~£1.5k without (still running well but below spec compression test).

Thus TOTAL SPEND less than £1k per year, including depreciation.
Money pit indeed.

[snowman]

I just Googled RX8 engine rebuilds and found a place near Coventry that does rebuilt engines on an exchange basis for about £1250+VAT, which doesn't sound too bad if you get the car cheap and the rest of it is OK. They warranty their engines for 2yrs/30000 miles as well.

I half fancy getting one, but I do a 65miles/day round trip to work and an RX8 doesn't sound like a great choice for that.

Depends - If you spend £10K on a car and you're getting 35 MPG or 2K and get 25 MPG it'll take a long while for the 10K car to pay you back.

By my rough sums, you'd save £40 a week on fuel and that means pretty much 4 years before it saves you any money, buying the more economical car.

A £2K car can't depreciate much, either!

People often seem obsessed by the cost of a litre of fuel, but sometimes the numbers don't add up!

Better still, buy something dreary, but comfortable and economical for the commute and keep the RX8 for the weekends.

Mine was my day to day car, but I didn't tend to do a lot of mileage in the latter few years.

M

[gavsw20]

Let me know if you need discs for this as I have brand new ones boxed, from my Rex that I sold.