Discover

(Redirected from RX-8)

The 'Mazda RX-8' is a sports car manufactured by Mazda Motor Corporation. It first appeared in 2001 at the North American International Auto Show. It is the successor to the RX-7 and like its predecessors in the RX range it is powered by a Renesis rotary engine. The RX-8 began North American sales as 2004 model year car.

Contents

Design

Models

Shinka / Evolve / Sports Prestige Limited / Mazdaspeed M'z Tune

PZ

Hydrogen RE

Future revisions

Awards

Racing

Popular culture

Motorsports

References

Sources

Design

The RX-8 was designed as a front mid-mounted, rear-wheel drive 2+2 coupé. The car has a near 50:50 weight distribution, achieved by mounting the engine behind the front axle and the gas tank ahead of the rear axle. Weight is trimmed through the use of materials such as aluminum (hood & rear doors), and a carbon fiber composite driveshaft on the manual gearbox car; designed to reduce rotational mass connected to the engine. The rest of the body is steel, save for the plastic front and rear bumpers.
The car features a pair of rear-hinged "freestyle" doors (similar to suicide doors) in order to provide easier access to the rear seats. The RX-8 has no B-pillar between the front and rear doors, with the leading edge of the rear door acting as a 'virtual pillar' to maintain structural rigidity. Because of the overlapping design, the rear doors can only be opened when the front doors are open.

Models

The RX-8 is available in various models in different markets around the world. Standard models include:

★ 6-speed manual "High Power" with an output of between 170 kW (231 hp) and 177 kW (237 hp) and a 9,000 rpm redline. Japanese models produce 184 kW (255 hp).

★ 5-speed manual "Standard Power" tuned to 141 kW (192 hp) with the redline reduced to 7,500 rpm.

★ 4-speed automatic tuned to 141 kW (189 hp) in some markets, while the U.S. automatic is stated to deliver 197 SAE net hp (158 kW)

★ 6-speed automatic (available in the U.S. market as of 2006) developing 212 hp (170 kW) with a redline at 7,500 rpm.

Shinka / Evolve / Sports Prestige Limited / Mazdaspeed M'z Tune

Mazda introduced a special ''Shinka'' edition to the U.S. market in 2005, and to the UK market in 2006 where it was branded as the ''Evolve''. Unique features include Shinka badges on the B-pillars, re-styled mirrors, alcantara-trimmed leather seats on the 2006 MY, stiffer chassis and suspension tuning, and polished wheels. For the 2005 MY, the Shinka was only available in Black Cherry Mica, and in 2006, it was available in Copper Red as well as some of the standard model colors. Power output remains unchanged from the standard models. This model is also offered in Japan as the Sports Prestige Limited RX-8. The Shinka option is not available for 2007. Mazda Japan is working on a Mazdaspeed version of the RX-8 dubbed the Mazdaspeed M'z Tune and will be released as a 2007 model (http://www.rx-8.mazda.co.jp/mz_tune/).

PZ

In May 2006 Mazda released the RX-8 PZ for the UK market. The car was jointly developed with motorsports company Prodrive. Only available in six-speed manual, it featured custom 10-spoke alloy wheels supplied by Italian F1 team supplier OZ Racing in 'Dark Silver' finish, mirrors developed to reduce drag, front and rear black mesh grilles, and a rear spoiler to provide more stability at higher speeds. Both the alloys and rear wing are badged in carbon fibre with 'Prodrive'. Significant revisions were also made to the suspension to improve the handling: Dampers from Bilstein and coil springs from Eibach are used in addition to reducing the ride height by 15 mm and an increase in spring rate of 60%. Finally the car is supplied with a unique upgraded twin exhaust system, with exhaust tailpipes branded 'Prodrive'. Only 800 were made at an MSRP of £ 25,995 ($51,990). It was available in two colours, Galaxy Grey (320) and Brilliant Black (480).

Hydrogen RE

At the 2004 North American International Auto Show, Mazda unveiled the RX-8 Hydrogen RE concept car, designed to run on either hydrogen or gasoline. In February 2006, Mazda revealed that it would start leasing a dual fuel RX-8 to commercial customers in Japan, and in March 2006 announced its first two customers, claiming the first fleet deliveries of a dual hydrogen/gasoline production car.

Future revisions

★ Mazda had initially planned to release a two-seat coupé version of the RX-8, but the development costs were deemed too expensive and the model was cancelled. A second generation Renesis engine is currently under development, with a planned release by 2010.^[1]

★ 2007 / 2008 Mazda RX-8 Mazdaspeed M'z Tune (http://www.rx-8.mazda.co.jp/mz_tune/)

Awards

As of October 2006 the RX-8 has won at least 37 international motoring awards including 2003 International Engine of the Year, the 2003 Japanese Car of the Year, Australia's ''Wheels'' magazine's Car of the Year for 2003, the 2004 Singapore Car of the Year, the 2004 U.S. Best Sports Car, and several UK Best Car Awards. It was also named on ''Car and Driver'' magazine's Ten Best list for 2004, 2005, and 2006.

Racing

The RX-8 is currently in use in the KONI Challenge Series.

Popular culture

★ A slightly modified RX-8 was featured in the 2003 films ''X2: X-Men United''. This RX-8 was made especially for the movie, and cost Mazda approximately $8 million USD for product placement.

★ A blue turbocharged RX-8 is used by Neela in .

★ A red RX-8 is featured prominently in the Russian film Day Watch.

★ In the ''Need for Speed'' racing game series, the RX-8 has been used extensively as an available and drivable car.

★ An RX-8 is available for play in the Initial D Arcade Stage Ver. 3.

★ Three standard versions of the RX-8 (and some concept variants) are included in Gran Turismo 4, and the concept is featured in its predecessor.

★ The RX-8 forms the vehicle mode for a number of Transformers figures in the Alternators (US/UK) and Binaltech (Japanese) toy lines. Meister (renamed from "Jazz" due to trademark conflicts) is a standard RX-8 in white, with a red version released exclusively in Japan, and Shockblast (renamed from "Shockwave", again due to trademark conflicts) is a Mazdaspeed II RX-8 in that model's unique Strut Blue Mica paint color. A third version, called Autorooper will be a Japanese police-style repaint of the white RX-8 figure, with a different head.

★ The RX-8 is available for play in the game Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune, being the ride of Koichi Kijima.

★ A white RX-8 is shown many times in the TV Series MythBusters.

★ Several times in both seasons of the TV Series cars that are clearly based on the RX-8 can be seen, despite the series being set in the future.

★ The Mazda RX-8 is a confirmed vehicle in the upcoming 2008 release of

Motorsports

The car is used in the Formula Woman racing series in the United Kingdom which started in 2004, Mazda uses one of its cars to compete in the Britcar championship. Drag racer Abel Ibarra uses a 4-rotor powered spaceframe version of the RX-8 to compete in the NHRA Sports Compact series and is used in drifting events by Kouichi Yamashita and Rod Millen for the D1 Grand Prix and Formula D series.

References

★ 2006 RX-8

★ Mazda RX-8

★ RX-8 Overview

★ Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen rotary engine

★ Mazda Adds 6-Speed Automatic and New Shinka Package for 2006 RX-8

★ Future Products - Mazda

★ Design awards and honours

Sources

1. Mazda to Introduce New Rotary Engine