Mazda RX-8, MSP, or any suggestions?

[Lunatik]

lmao! well i test drove an altima se r yesterday and im not gonna lie i love the looks and performance... im interested

 

[plankton88]

I checked out an 04 Nissan the other day. Felt really Protege like. Sometimes from a distance you can almost get them mixed up. The 2.5 SE-R 6 speed is an N/A and puts out a nice 175-185 HP stock. The yellow one looks very similar to a MSP.

 

[Wagonbacker9]

I checked out an 04 Nissan the other day. Felt really Protege like. Sometimes from a distance you can almost get them mixed up. The 2.5 SE-R 6 speed is an N/A and puts out a nice 175-185 HP stock. The yellow one looks very similar to a MSP.

you're talking about the sentra? the altima SER is NOTHING like a protege..

 

[plankton88]

Oh yeah, your right that Altima Se-r is a beast. A bit bigger, and puts out 250+hp. With a 6 speed, could be fun. That Sentra does look like a MSP though.

 

[HondaEat-R]

lmao! well i test drove an altima se r yesterday and im not gonna lie i love the looks and performance... im interested

Altima SE-R is an awesome car. I'd buy one. Interior could be classier, still nice though.

 

[Silverspeed2015]

if you're still giving gas to a car while starting... you need a one-way ticket out of the 1980s. lol

whats wrong with the 80's, lol yeah i know is from the 80's i just heard that screws the plugs up in rx8's

 

[Wagonbacker9]

not the plugs them selves, it will just very easily flood. especially when run and then shut off before fully warming up.

 

[solidtrance]

Not sure why this is in the RX8 section all of a sudden (thanks Carl!)

But.....

......but it's not a exciting car to drive

ummmmm, you're doing it wrong then.

.. the whopping 8-10mpg and they are slow as hell stock.. 04s had a lot of little quirks.. thats what year mine was.. and damn did it use oil.. buy ^^^^^^^^^ that guys msp

8-10 mpg....something was definitely wrong with yours. Might explain why it was slow too. The oil comment is right on the mark though.

Gotta love a car that intentionally injects oil into the motor....

True statement.

04 rx8's had a problem with the oil coolers I think it was fixed after 06. Don't let your friend tell you any diffferent.

thats automatics only.

The 04 autos only had one oil cooler. Is this the "problem" you are referring to?

Actually these two cars are closer that one might imagine. Both are modestly quick very precise handling cars that will turn circles around their competition, but are not going to blow you away in a strait line. Good luck with your decision.

Not sure I would go for a wrecked 04....even for 6500.

Lots of good RX8 info in my sig.

 

[Wagonbacker9]

Not sure why this is in the RX8 section all of a sudden (thanks Carl!)

because it wasn't a FS ad... and the disinformation was pissing me off. lol I knew where to go to set it strait.

 

[solidtrance]

this came from the FS section???

I guess that makes sense.....why not the msp section?

 

[HondaEat-R]

Not sure why this is in the RX8 section all of a sudden (thanks Carl!)

But.....


ummmmm, you're doing it wrong then.

8-10 mpg....something was definitely wrong with yours. Might explain why it was slow too. The oil comment is right on the mark though.

True statement.

The 04 autos only had one oil cooler. Is this the "problem" you are referring to?

Actually these two cars are closer that one might imagine. Both are modestly quick very precise handling cars that will turn circles around their competition, but are not going to blow you away in a strait line. Good luck with your decision.

Not sure I would go for a wrecked 04....even for 6500.



Lots of good RX8 info in my sig.

I've owned FC3S's, driven an RX8,... flogged an RX8, and it just felt weak. Revved for days yes, but when that novelty wears off, it's just lack luster. They definitely get poor mileage, more than 10mpg, but 20mpg or so realistically. Rotary motors are awesome, I agree, but the power could be delivered in a more desirable fashion, and they're high maintenance.

MSP is similar except for power delivery, haha, I agree with ya.

 

[solidtrance]

Not sure what you mean by power delivery. The power in an 8 just builds very smoothly and with no drama. The powertrain is nothing like the kick you get from a turbocharged car, and that consistent power delivery is usually considered a plus. The 8’s power delivery is so smooth that many people don’t realize how fast it is. I would think that this is the case here. See below.

Mazdaspeed Protg:<<<Click for the more details
Horsepower : 170 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque : 155 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
Redline : 6500 rpm

Top speed : 130 mph(estimated)
0-60 mph : 6.9 sec.
0- mile : 15.4 sec @ 91.0 mph
60-0 braking distance : 135 ft
200 ft skidpad : 0.89 g

RX-8:<<<Click for more details
Horsepower : 197 hp @ 7200 rpm(auto), 238 hp @ 8500 rpm(manual)
Torque : 164 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm(auto), 159 lb-ft @ 5500 rpm(manual)
Redline : 7500 rpm(auto), 9000 rpm(manual)

Top speed : 148 mph(electronically limited)
0-60 mph : 5.9 sec.
0- mile : 14.5 sec @ 95.6 mph(manual)
60-0 braking distance : 114 ft
200 ft skidpad : 0.88 g

I don’t generally like bench racing threads, and I am not suggesting that one or the other of these cars is “better”, matter of fact I think they are both great. I had a P5 and I still miss it. I can only imagine how much fun a speed Protg would be. One of these days I will get the chance to take one for a spin (Carl...), and I bet I will love the feel of the car. I just think you are either a little off base, or not describing yourself very well. Either way we both enjoy our DD’s more than most people out there.

 

[Wagonbacker9]

one thing the Protege definitely has on the 8 is the torque that kicks in on initial spool. Especially with my car currently running low (~5-6lb) boost i get a very satisfying low end (actually its more that I'm just lacking the top end I had at 10 psi on a leaky WGA.. LOL). a lot of a car "feeling fast" is very simply the torque it is making. for that reason (in addition to the smooth, almost linear power curve caleb mentioned) it doesn't "feel" as fast as it "is".

but you're absolutely right, I think trading some seat time together is definitely in order this summer. lol

 

[HondaEat-R]

I guess all i am saying is that for 240hp, it felt underpowered, and yes, I am sure it has to do with the smooth build up of power. The "Drama" part of power delivery is what's fun, for me. Though I really do appreciate what the RX8 does well, and the uniqueness of them.

 

[solidtrance]

I know what you are saying about the turbo feel. Every time I drive my wifes car and then jump back into mine I miss that kick when the turbo gets going. Not to mention its frustrating that she can pull a car lenght or two on me from a dig and I can't really get it back. not sure what would happen above 60 or so, because we have never pushed it that far, but I would imagine it would be more of the same.

 

[HondaEat-R]

How well did the Cobb AP and exhaust mods work ? 15hp increase or so ? Wifey drives the Speed 6 eh, that's sweet. I'm trying to get my fiance' into something she'll have fun in. RX8's were one of the cars I was considering before I bought the MSP, I really like a lot of what they offer, just too impractical for me right now.

 

[Wagonbacker9]

I'd definitely like to move from the MSP to an RX8... oh if only the money was there.

 

[solidtrance]

Mods first: Its definately louder. Shoots flames out of both pipes on even mildly hard upshifts. Stains the rear bumper with what seems to be raw gas.... Pulls a bit stronger. +15 at the wheels is about right I would guess. When I am done with everythign this winter I am most likely going to get a tune if I can find a place that can do it. I will know for sure after that. Regardless, I will hit up the next local dyno day just for kicks.

As far as the 6 goes, I didn't tell her it was a speed6. I just told her it was the only 6 with AWD. Since we are in Chicago and the P5 she was driving got hit while it was snowing, she was sold. Maybe that will work for you too.

 

[Wagonbacker9]

BAHAHA nice... I like that tactic!

my stall in the parking garage has a nice soot mark behind my tailpipe. its even a bigger version of the same oval shape as the tip.... which I enjoy probably a little too much. backfires down there are fun too.. they resonate.

 

[altspace]

Not sure where the "high maintenance" is coming from. I've owned my RX-8 for 3 years and all I have had to do is regular oil changes and a set of plugs. I get an average of 16-23MPG depending how and where I drive. Other than that I just add about a quart of oil every 2-3 weeks and that's it.

Simply put, some people want the feel of turbo, while others like the smoothness of a rotary. After my P5 I wanted something a bit more "sportier". The MSP would have simply felt like a P5 sedan to me with that little extra push. The RX-8 offered everything I could imagine and more. Best part was the price. I thought of getting a 350Z or G35, but there are so many things that are inherently unique about the RX-8 I could not even begin to go into explaining it all. My first test drive of the 8 was on an Auto-X course and I fell in love. As a daily driver it's very comfortable, easy to drive, and is basically a Grand Tourer. I can take my RX on 4 hour drives and still want to get in and drive more.

Personally I do not need or want tons of power in my car. I don't race it, but I do like the occasional spirited drive and for that the RX-8 suits my needs perfectly. In the end nobody can decide for you. Simply drive the car and if you do not fall in love right away, then don't buy it. That's it.

Edit: Oh yea...I admit it...I love the stares I get when driving my RX-8. And all the compliments no matter where I go. Most folks think my car is brand new. As for the Velocity Red..well...hehe...women flock to it all the time. Especially at car shows.