Likes - Ingenious interior/seating
- Distinctive looks
- Fun to drive
- Tenacious gript
Dislikes - Low on grunt
- Somewhat pricy
- Hard to park
- Not an easy commuter car
Tech Specs - 1.3 liter Rotary Engine, 232 hp 159 lbs feet of torque
- Automatic makes 212 hp and 159 lbs feet of torque
- 0 to 60 times: (recorded at 5,300 feet elevation) 6.7 seconds (7.4 with the automatic)
- EPA city/hwy mpg: 16/22
What's New/Changed - Minor trim bits and packaging options
The Vehix View - The Mazda RX8 is a pleasure to drive and holds many surprises for the uninitiated. Only a handful of drivers can fully appreciate the dynamics of this sweet ride. I highly recommend you try one to see if you are one of them.
First Impressions
Since its introduction, Mazda has freshened the front and rear of the RX8 while keeping the overall design the same. There are certainly a healthy mix of lines, curves and angles. I find the very best view of the RX8 comes from the rear corner forward. Regardless of taste, no one can argue about the individuality of the 2010 Mazda RX8; no other car looks like it.
One of the most attractive additions is the R3 performance option. The Mazda RX8 R3 has striking aerodynamic add-ons (which are very functional) and exquisitely designed, 19 inch forged aluminum alloy wheels. With these visual enhancements, the Mazda RX8 still looks the business. This design helps the Mazda RX8 achieve an extremely low drag coefficient of .30.
Pricing, Trims and Options
The Mazda RX8 comes in a few trims: Sport, Touring, Grand Touring and R3. ‘Sport’ is the base model while ‘Touring’ adds a few goodies including Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Traction Control System (TCS) which is a blessing for those drivers who need help with their aggression. The ‘Grand Touring’ is the luxury loaded RX8 complete with leather seating and 8-way power driver’s seat. Both front seats are heated and the ‘Grand Touring’ comes with many more gizmos (Bose® stereo, heated mirrors, Bluetooth® etc).
I was lucky enough to be piloting the mighty Mazda RX8 R3.
The R3 has many of the same electronic goodies as ‘Grand Touring’ with the addition (or substitution) of Bilstein® shock absorbers, a urethane foam-injected front suspension cross member, 19" forged aluminum alloy wheels with 225/40 R19 high-performance tires, sharp looking rear-wing spoiler, front and side aerodynamic additions and front Recaro® sport seats with leather-trimmed side bolsters. This is a lighter, more aggressive RX8 that thrives when thrown into a corner.
Prices start at a bit over $27,000 and top out at about $37,000 for a loaded Grand Touring.
Interior Features
When the Mazda RX8 came to the United States in 2004, many were surprised at its aesthetics. Mazda wanted to trumpet its rotary engine by adding many triangular rotary-like accents throughout the design. Internally, the “rotary” theme continues with several triangular shapes throughout the cabin. Especially noticeable is the shape of the manual transmission’s gear lever; triangular, and rather comfortable to grip. Even the front seats have triangular inserts at neck level.
The Mazda RX8 not only has two rear seats and offers two reverse swinging rear doors (like on extra-cab pickups) for access to those two seats. What matters most is that 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.