Automotive writers (including myself) are frequently discussing the importance of a vehicle’s road feel. If a car has too much insulation, over boosted steering or an ineffective suspension setup; road feel is mitigated. In luxury vehicles this can be the desired effect. In sports cars, the discerning driver needs to know what the automobile is doing.
Mazda placed a double wishbone front suspension and a multilink rear suspension in the RX8. It is bolted on to a sub-frame that connects to the rigid unibody providing extra strength and control. A direct-drive, rack and pinion, electronic power steering unit is sensitive, yet forgiving and communicates wonderfully with the driver.
Chassis stiffness is so robust that the driver can actually feel what the rear tires are doing in the seat of their pants. After a short acclimation period, nearly any driver can figure out what front and rear tires are doing based on the tactile sensations sent to them. Very few cars can communicate to their drivers like this.
The Mazda RX8 has outstanding road feel.
Those same writers that crave a car with feel love driving something special. How does the idea of 4 doors on a true sport machine sound? The Mazda RX8 not only has two rear seats, it has two reverse swinging rear doors (like on extra-cab pickups) for access to those two seats. And – those seats can hold an average sized adult fairly comfortably.
Few sports cars have useable trunk space. The designers at Mazda added a useful 7.6 cubic foot trunk and good cubby storage in the cabin. Last time I experienced a vehicle so accommodating, it was called a sedan.
The Mazda RX8 is special indeed.
Many question the hullabaloo behind the Mazda RX8’s “Renesis” rotary engine. This power plant’s main feature is the two triangular shaped rotors that spin on a center shaft producing what is one of the smoothest engines in the industry. It is turbine smooth and extremely powerful for its size.
The tiny 1.3 liter, 232 horsepower (which produces 159 lbs feet of torque) is smaller than a Mini’s engine, yet has the power to achieve 0 to 60 times in just a hair over 7 seconds. Another benefit of the rotary engine is far fewer moving parts than a piston engine.