Strip the Mazda RX-8 back to its specification sheet and the character is already there: 1.3 , 189 –. Mazda built from 2003 to 2012, in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. Its designer of record is Ikuo Maeda / Wu-Huang Chin (interior designer).
The background
The Mazda RX-8 is a sports car manufactured by Japanese automobile manufacturer Mazda between 2003 and 2012. It was first shown in 2001 at the North American International Auto Show. It is the direct successor to the RX-7. Like its predecessors in the RX range, it is powered by a rotary Wankel engine. The RX-8 was available for the 2003 model year in most parts of the world.
The Mazda RX-8 utilizes a rotary Wankel engine, and the non-reciprocating piston engine uses a triangular rotor inside a near oval housing, producing from 141 kW (189 hp) and 164 lb⋅ft (222 N⋅m) of torque, to 177 kW (237 hp) and 159 lb⋅ft (216 N⋅m) of torque from launch. The RX-8 was discontinued for the 2012 model year without a successor. It was removed earlier from the European market in 2010 after the car failed to meet emissions standards. Due to falling sales from Europe coupled with rising yen prices, Mazda could not justify the continued sale of the RX-8 in other markets. 192,094 units were produced during its nine-year production run.
The engineering
Under the skin sits 1.3 it is rated at 189 –. Kerb weight is 1309 -. Power-to-weight lands near 144 horsepower per tonne, which is brisk everyday performance. The gearbox is a 5-speed Manual transmission / manual / 6-speed manual / 4-speed Jatco JR405E transmission / RC4A-EL Automatic transmission / automatic / 6-speed automatic. The layout matters: the engine sits behind the driver and ahead of the rear axle, which puts the mass in the middle of the car and is why mid-engined cars change direction the way they do. The wheelbase is 2703 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Where it sits
Where it sits in Mazda's history is not in doubt: the Mazda RX-7 came before it; it was built at Hiroshima (Hiroshima Plant), Japan. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Mitsubishi Grandis, the Volvo B12M, the Lincoln Aviator. Its Mazda stablemates include the Mazda BT-50 and the Mazda T2000.
The money
On the used market today a Mazda RX-8 typically changes hands for $10,600–$15,300, and running it — fuel and maintenance at its age — costs about $5,788–$7,401 a year. Insurance sits around $1,120–$1,580 a year. The figures are class-level estimates from the federal record, with the formula on the methodology page; the model-year pages carry complaints, recalls and repair costs year by year.
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