This guy gets it. Initially a lot of people bought RX8s and were disappointed because there was no low end torque. Those people didn't realizes that you have to rev the balls off this car before it even wakes up. Yeah this guy totally gets it. He understands what those folks, early on, missed. The power band isn't like a Mustang, Camaro or Corvette, it comes a bit higher in the rev range.
@@SkyHighClaw brz / frs is more reliable to super or turbocharge, then they simply walk away on the straights at track days. I still love my Rx8 though.
@@subachad True turbo charging will fuck a Renny up for sure. BUT from what I read it seems like Super charging with a mild boost might actually still be reliable. I have no confirmation anywhere unfortunately but it seems like it might be true.
Dude why are you spreading so much hate on the Rx8? This car was super fun and ran very strong with meticulous maintenance. If you don't like them that is fine, but there is no reason to be so aggressive in your hate for the car.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 dude no one cares. we love the car we know how to maintain it and keep it going strong like real car lovers do. i dont know where you get your information from but only morons break there rx8 engines and then complain about it. people who know about cars know how to maintain an rx8 and keep it going. stick to your page that was opened in march of 2020 and has no videos on it. stop being a troll and go find something useful to do with ur life
After driving Honda type r's my whole life (ek9, dc2, ep3) driving an rx8 blew me away.... i am fully converted, the handing shocked me the most its so balanced.
Series 2 was 2009-2012. I have a 2008 40th Anniversary Edition RX8 with some mods and in excellent condition. One of seven Mazda rotary cars I have owned (both NA and turbocharged) for street and track since 1973 with over a million rotary miles driven. Love them and I know how to take care of them so they last. Cheers and we know you aren't in Mexico, but good for the cops watching. lol
I impulse bought an RX-8 R3 last weekend and honestly it’s so much fun to drive it makes the fuel consumption and road tax costs (maybe UK specific) totally worth it! And insurance is surprisingly cheap
Not one to steal ethics why insurance not too bad. Hardly subtle for key theft which is kinda the norm these days. Wake the dead. Lol. pain in arse sometimes to start with scanner, key and tool chest. Hahaha. Think 2 stroke dirt bike on cold day.... But I love it. Mine nearly set fiire to bushes next to it. 😆
@@malijames12 I don't think so either, but honestly, i don't intend to sell it anyways. I once seriously thought about it, but i simply couldn't, there is nothing on the market, that could fill the gap it would leave. I've owned mine for about 11 years now, and i hope to drive it until the day i die. So i don't really care if it's worth 1 or 100k.
I've got an 04 Rx8 with an Agency Power exhaust as well and the amount of smiles it puts on my face on a daily basis is incredible, just so much fun. I daily drive mine year round in Canada, it's even more of a hoot in the winter and so far, with 95,000km on it, zero issues. You treat it right, drive the piss out of it and it just thanks you for it. Oh and getting rid of the cats is one of the best things you can do for these engines, gets so much more heat out of the engine bay!
I’ve been AutoXing & tracking my ‘05 since I bought it new; still gives me big grins each time. And the most gratifying part is when other drivers at the track day come up to me and say “hey I was doing my best to stay with you just because I love seeing those flames pop out of your pipes!” :-D
I have an '03 RX-8 myself, and even though it needs a rebuild, i wouldn't trade it for the world, and i am in the process of saving up to buy parts to rebuild a replacement used engine that has shrunken soft seals, but is still holding compression. My particular aus spec model has gone 300,000km (186,000mi) on its original buildsheet matching block. A lot of reusable parts came out of it, and i cooked a few side seals on the front from a lean out condition and carbon locked seals, thanks to a vaccum line, it just needs new bearings, seals, and a couple of housings and irons, but has re-usable rotating gear, and an unmarked e-shaft, just typical 5w-30 wear on the stat gear bearings. Easiest beast i've had the pleasure to work on. (Edit 6 months later: This guy definitely gets it. Finally have my S1 running again, and my God, is that car fucking epic to drive in the hills.)
I have the same. I love it. The only reason people don’t like these cars and get put off by them, is because they don’t know how to look after them. You can certainly prolong the life, yes, it will eventually need a rebuild, but will still be better value for what you get from anything else out there.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 Hmmmmm, well I’ve looked after mine and had it since 2009, so it’s an 11 year old car and I’ve had no issues. So how do you work that one out? Really unreliable, yeh sure, lol.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 No, I’m completely aware that this is the case, but it’s mostly due to people not having the brains to look after them properly in the first place. This scares people away from them because they don’t know what they are talking about. The rotary engine didn’t kill itself, it was people that killed the rotary engine. 11 years on and mine is great though thanks 😂👍🏻
Had my Rex seven years, after a rebuild with street port and full free up exhaust including cat I can say without hesitation it's a blast.....high up revs it builds mental speeds very very quick, just don't expect alot of torque......drive it like a 600 sports bike and trust me....it moves
I think I was in my early 20s when I test drove one of these and it was no doubt one of the best handing cars I've ever drove. Along with the 300zx just phenomenal handling. I was just to scared of that rotary just because I knew nobody who could maybe work on it..
The downfall of most of these car are that they arent driven hard enough by the people who by them. Especially with the automatic trans. I work at Mazda and its pretty close to $5k to replace a motor through us which is why most of these end up "dead"
Unfortunately, people still have engine issues fully respecting and taking care of them. You can research forums on the issues. Other ways to help with reliability is to ensure it doesn't get too hot. These engines and transmission get super hot! Get a nice radiator and maybe an electric fan if you are in stopped traffic frequently, Also, especially if you premix, you need to make sure the catalytic converter does not get clogged up. If you can remove the cat with a mid pipe, that's the best!
I've had mine since 08. Put over 100k miles. I still have it. I've only replace oil, air filter,, clutch cause of the throw out bearing, and coils. Over a decade and very few problems.
You also need regular coil, plugs, lead changes. Along with cat, door lock actuators, Center console button, window button, passenger dash crack, sun visor, flooding and slippery seats. Besides that, no problems
@@lengerer i dont have the leather seats so slippery seats no problem in my car . The dash crash was replaced with some nice leather . The console and window buttons . None of those have hit me yet . The automatic door unlock only plays up during summer .
I have been in a bunch of iconic JDM cars all the way from the 1972 Civic to the 2002 GT-R and just about everything in between, except the MKIV Supra and 350Z, and my dad has a 93 FD. I've built a few high performance and stupidily great handling cars but then....my dad bought an S1 RX8 for $1200 and had a new engine built then I put it in and drove it for the first time. Now, I have a 1991 MR2 showcar that my dad really likes....I now have an RX8. This freaking car is BY FAR the best handling vehicle I have ever driven and it has some cheap BC Racing coilovers, big fatty swaybars and all the suspension recalls were done. That damn car is AMAZING and I am disappointed that I waited so long to drive one but am relieved the first one I drove was my own.
Just like the Miata, you need to keep the revs in the top half of the rev range to get anything, but that's how you are SUPPOSED to drive it if you want to enjoy it!
It’s refreshing to see folks finally see what I have known for 14 years of rx8 ownership… for the record I have an 04 on the original engine and I beat the life out of it. Enjoy my good man..
@@ve2430 I just installed ohlins road and track yesterday. I’ll do a quick video that shows how the car looks after the install and no height adjustments…installed using ohlins recommended settings
S1 Owners were you at!!??.brap brap brap!!......... not sure if you mentioned..but what exaust are you rocking? I got the Manzo coming in next week...Can't wait to get that bad boy on there..
2009-2012 = S2. Updated Oil Metering Pump with 3 nozzles per rotor. Special coating on rotors to help reduce carbon build-up. Renesis swap into 4th gen Miata RF is my next project. Gonna squeeze nearly 300hp out that engine ALL NA. Stay tuned! 😁
No special coating on rotors. Same as before. I cracked open my working one and lots of carbon. Rotors have grooves on surface that attract carbon. I had those mini grooves polished out flat
@@Soravia You sure your engine is the ORIGINAL? www.rx8club.com/series-ii-technical-trouble-shooting-160/renny-ii-mazda-rotor-surface-coating-232785/page3/
@@rotaryperfection yep. Low miles S2. Camry drivers left them carbons. Coils replaced around 45k? probably added up. Cleaned carbon and you see those fine grooves on rotor faces. Not sure why they are there but they ain't good for carbon. Possible they are they to create turbulence at low RPM to retain fuel droplets.
@@Soravia Hmm interesting! I haven't broken down an S2 yet so I really wasn't sure if the coating thing was really true or not. Me, I always did the water steam carbon cleanings on my FD every 12k. Original engine lasted 108k original miles and ran flawless until I blew the motor from over boosting. Even with one rotor working, I still had enough compression to fire the engine up and drive it 10 miles back to my parents house. Engine had very little carbon when I broke it down. What happened to your engine?
@@Soravia One more thing, the best way to reduce carbon build-up is to warm up the engine as fast as possible. Because the rotors are so heavy, it takes them a long time to heat up. That's when most of the carbon builds up. I NEVER let my rotary's idle to warm up because that doesn't put any heat in the combustion chamber. Start your car do highish idle at 2.5k for about 20sec and then just drive the car. You'll also have less plug fouling doing this because you also heat up the plugs a lot faster too. I been with rotary's since 1990 so I know all the little tricks.
With its high reving its just not apples versus apples. "F" low end torque numbers. My 2004 still goes 0 to 60 in 5 seconds (Stock) its got 133,000 miles on it (As someone else pointed out you NEED oil) I add a small bottle of 2 cycle in the gas tank everytime I top off the tank and change the oil regularly. If all your burning is used oil pan oil? Forgetaboutit. It burns oil on purpose. All rotorys do. If you ignore that fact? You munge your engine. Pure and simple. The only other "weirdness" of the car is you have to rev it up to 2 to 3K for a couple seconds when you turn the engine off. If you do JUST those two things the engine will last like any other and it won't flood. People just can't handle these simple changes in how you take care of running it. And the handling? I've never owned anything that corners like this car. Its THE most fun I can have my cloths on. Plus... Its got Suicide Doors!!! What car has that? And you can fit actual people in the back if tiy want to give them a thrill. Oh... And what gear am I in when I hit 60 MPH in 5 seconds? 3rd? 2nd? Its got a 6 speed. If you want to go like a bat of of hell take it out and rev it to 9K in 6th. One last word that I've been told (Don't know if its true) but you need to get it to 9K revs even if your going to pick up milk. Rotorys just aren't happy being driven like all the other cars. True or not its fun as heck going from a stop to screaming down the road.Oh one last thing. The 24 hour Lemanns race banned Rotory engines as having an unfair advantage. Find one that someone hasn't screwed up (compression check it) and go mental!
100% agree my friend! I will have one of these cars within the next few years. I have plans for a full competition time-attack prep for one. I'll likely keep the engine mostly stock and just go with a very high flow exhaust, intake, and a proper tune. Aside from that I'll just gut it, cage it, and let her rip with some pre-mix. This video made me want one of these cars so bad it hurts haha. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Aren't they Addictive? And I can't say for sure but being that the 2nd generation are a good bit slower thru the gears than the 1st gen( mazdas trade of performance for reliability i guess).it looks like the versatune gets you almost to where the 2003-2006 are out of the box.i have absolutely no mods on mine ,and it iis hard for my head to fight the G's in 1st-4th gear in the 4k to 7k acceleration thrust curve. What was the top speed you achieved? I hit 140 and was amazed at how stae the suspension felt. We venture if some one i a afraid of rotary, y I u would have a hard time finding such a capable suspension and frame dimension for any motor you want in a car. And what about turning it out as the new kit car platform.. might compete with the 70 beetle pan builds, eh .?probably can't even do that anymore. Though I digress. Its a wicked discovery ,and feels good to see some one react this way.congrats.
I really hope, that you bought one. they are dirt cheap, for some reason. I don't get, why people buy used Skodas for the same money as this corner machine. I love the high reving engine. the power delivery is so predictable and the engine reacts instantaniously. I have no problem, driving it on ice and snow. I simply don't rev it high, and then it doesn't deliver too much power. when conditions are better, i rev it higher and get more power. Having the option of having little power is not a disadvantage at all. You can always change gear and have more of it.
Would an RX8 be a good first car? I'm planning on saving up enough money to buy my first car and in my country it's one of the cheapest JDM car I can find ranging from 1200 to 3000 USD and it's been my favorite car ever since I played NFS Underground 2
It’ll teach you how to genuinely maintain, listen, and take care of a car. With the manual you got a lot of control over the sound and honestly just more fun because there’s is practically no cheap manuals with a 9000 redline. As he said there’s not much body roll so you can learn to drive a bit quicker and it’s always an eye catcher. If you have the money and time to take care of it go for it
@@danielkaniki5755 Thanks for the info. I'll do some more research about how to maintain an RX8 since I'm just a minimum wage worker I might have trouble maintaining an RX8. I need to know which problems can be prevented and avoided all together. I do feel that it'll be worth it though.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 ah yea I agree , part are the reason they get bad rep also why they are so cheap , which is why people who don't know shit about cars get attracted to them 😂 it's a viscous cycle . But not true of every rx8 owner . Alot of us are really passionate about the car
@@sandervanderkammen9230nope . You're just a hater . Never owned a rotary or an rx8 so your opinion is not valid. Debate me on me car's page @titaniumgrey8 on IG . Us rx8 and rx 7 guys love it when people like you talk shit about something you know nothing about or have no experience with it. We get a kick out of it. Some of my colleagues have owned the rx8 since release , and we get people who don't even have a license tell us are cars horrible lol. Rx8s are over hated and under rated
@@sandervanderkammen9230 lol I'm 23 and have owned my rx8 for 5 years. And I grew up around rotaries. Also happen to know much about cars since I was taught to work on them since the age of 13. Both my grandfather and my father are mechanics. My grandpa owns an rx7 and repu truck. You're a weirdo man, talking shit about something you know nothing about to someone who has been around rotaries for a long time. Emissions standards and efficiency killed of the rx name those are inherent problems of the rotary not the rx8.
@@shalooom Honestly they just rev a lot higher in the rotary engine, which is where they make their peak power. The most common thing to say is a redline a day keeps the carbon away, which this does do carbon buildup inside the engine if its... not revved high up at all. They seem to last longer when you drive them harder rather then not drive them hard at all.
@@shalooom carbon builds up very quickly inside the rotors. Redlining will blow out alot of the carbon that has built up recently. This is why it's recommended everytime you drive the car you should redline at least once
Ethan Lacayo the rotary simply turns, you don’t put ware on the engine by revving it higher as there is nothing to ware out even if you rev it higher. The design is totally safe even if you over-rev it. But The apex seal needs to be replaced roughly every 80k miles...that wears no matter what you do.
@@stevewelbert5039 I am pre-mixing mine. Everything I have read supports pre-mixing them, especially the Series 1 cars. They don’t have any oil injectors for the center of the rotor/apex seals, so pre-mixing helps lubricate the seals properly.
I have been thinking this as well. With FD RX7s going so far up, people are going to start paying more for clean RX8s as well. It will still be a couple years I think though.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 OK then, the LS swap for you! I talked to an NB owner with an LFX swap at The Tail of the Dragon and I decided if I could have two RX8's the second would have an LFX. Although I would scoop up an NC/LFX instead if I found one and had the cash! I rather like the LS in the Corvette, and 6 cyl in 3 series and Mazdas. It's one of life's mysteries why Mazda didn't come out with a V6 Miata version!?
@@sandervanderkammen9230 Correct, it's a mystery to me. As with so many models like the 3 series that have a smaller run of M cars, Mazda could have sold mostly 4cyl MX5's and then a sportier V6.
Yeah I have plans to address that for the track. Larger radiator, seal around the radiator with a good underpan and foam, and hood vents to get hot air out.
Update, well I got it back a few weeks ago, but in a hell of a state. They re-painted it with shitty spray paint to matte black on the sides and white on top... Used an angle grinder on the exhaust between the resonator and cat, made it super loud... Spray painted my nice black 18” alloys too, removed my spoiler and lower airbox, defaced all the VIN plates and more petty damage... They managed to do 3000kms in two weeks (not premixed probably driven hard 😞) found drugs and all the rest in it too. I’m selling her for cheap as it’s too hard to look at... At least I got my alloys and BHR ignition system back which I am happy about, thanks for your comments boys. Make sure your RX8 is garaged, it feels like shit to have something you take care of callously taken from you and basically destroyed
This guy gets it. Initially a lot of people bought RX8s and were disappointed because there was no low end torque. Those people didn't realizes that you have to rev the balls off this car before it even wakes up. Yeah this guy totally gets it. He understands what those folks, early on, missed. The power band isn't like a Mustang, Camaro or Corvette, it comes a bit higher in the rev range.
In europe we say diesel driver dont get it
Feels a lot quicker than an FR-S or brz
@@subachad Cause it is LOL
@@SkyHighClaw brz / frs is more reliable to super or turbocharge, then they simply walk away on the straights at track days. I still love my Rx8 though.
@@subachad True turbo charging will fuck a Renny up for sure.
BUT from what I read it seems like Super charging with a mild boost might actually still be reliable. I have no confirmation anywhere unfortunately but it seems like it might be true.
I have literately never seen ANYONE say they don't like these cars after they've actually driven them. I absolutely love my S2.
series 2 is a super cool rx-8. I really want it in replace of my s1 but the parts for s2 are too expensive
Yeah pretending like rx-8’s aren’t fun is strange 99 percent from non drivers of it
this man's hysterical laughter brings warmth to my soul
🙂
RX8 is so underrated it's crazy
Dude why are you spreading so much hate on the Rx8? This car was super fun and ran very strong with meticulous maintenance. If you don't like them that is fine, but there is no reason to be so aggressive in your hate for the car.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 dude no one cares. we love the car we know how to maintain it and keep it going strong like real car lovers do. i dont know where you get your information from but only morons break there rx8 engines and then complain about it. people who know about cars know how to maintain an rx8 and keep it going. stick to your page that was opened in march of 2020 and has no videos on it. stop being a troll and go find something useful to do with ur life
@@ShiftyIntentions The guy is a troll. Some BMW simp who thinks he knows better than everyone...
@cordellej 100% agree.
@@ralliartfanevoix haha it’s okay man. I banned that guy from the comments a while ago actually.
After driving Honda type r's my whole life (ek9, dc2, ep3) driving an rx8 blew me away.... i am fully converted, the handing shocked me the most its so balanced.
How does it compare to s2k?
Series 2 was 2009-2012. I have a 2008 40th Anniversary Edition RX8 with some mods and in excellent condition. One of seven Mazda rotary cars I have owned (both NA and turbocharged) for street and track since 1973 with over a million rotary miles driven. Love them and I know how to take care of them so they last. Cheers and we know you aren't in Mexico, but good for the cops watching. lol
I own 1st gen (2007) one for three years now, and i so freaking love it. Like my neighbors walk the dog, I take my car out for fun... ;-)
I impulse bought an RX-8 R3 last weekend and honestly it’s so much fun to drive it makes the fuel consumption and road tax costs (maybe UK specific) totally worth it! And insurance is surprisingly cheap
Congrats on the R3! I would love love love an R3. Someday maybe…
Not one to steal ethics why insurance not too bad. Hardly subtle for key theft which is kinda the norm these days. Wake the dead. Lol.
pain in arse sometimes to start with scanner, key and tool chest. Hahaha. Think 2 stroke dirt bike on cold day.... But I love it. Mine nearly set fiire to bushes next to it. 😆
These cars will go up in value. Future collector car.
Don't give me hope 🥺
They probably won’t become propper collector cars big they will go up in value
@@malijames12 I don't think so either, but honestly, i don't intend to sell it anyways. I once seriously thought about it, but i simply couldn't, there is nothing on the market, that could fill the gap it would leave. I've owned mine for about 11 years now, and i hope to drive it until the day i die. So i don't really care if it's worth 1 or 100k.
Lol they can't really get much lower :'D
S2 R3s are very sought after next to to mica black Shinkas
I've got an 04 Rx8 with an Agency Power exhaust as well and the amount of smiles it puts on my face on a daily basis is incredible, just so much fun. I daily drive mine year round in Canada, it's even more of a hoot in the winter and so far, with 95,000km on it, zero issues. You treat it right, drive the piss out of it and it just thanks you for it. Oh and getting rid of the cats is one of the best things you can do for these engines, gets so much more heat out of the engine bay!
I’ve been AutoXing & tracking my ‘05 since I bought it new; still gives me big grins each time. And the most gratifying part is when other drivers at the track day come up to me and say “hey I was doing my best to stay with you just because I love seeing those flames pop out of your pipes!” :-D
I've had my 07 for almost 7 years now and I still love it!
I have an '03 RX-8 myself, and even though it needs a rebuild, i wouldn't trade it for the world, and i am in the process of saving up to buy parts to rebuild a replacement used engine that has shrunken soft seals, but is still holding compression. My particular aus spec model has gone 300,000km (186,000mi) on its original buildsheet matching block. A lot of reusable parts came out of it, and i cooked a few side seals on the front from a lean out condition and carbon locked seals, thanks to a vaccum line, it just needs new bearings, seals, and a couple of housings and irons, but has re-usable rotating gear, and an unmarked e-shaft, just typical 5w-30 wear on the stat gear bearings. Easiest beast i've had the pleasure to work on.
(Edit 6 months later: This guy definitely gets it. Finally have my S1 running again, and my God, is that car fucking epic to drive in the hills.)
That laugh tho 👍👍👍 ITS SO DAMN CONTAGIOUS 😂😂😂😂
I have an 09 R3 and I absolutely love this car! So much fun to drive! Just keep up with the maintenance and oil and you will have no problems
@@sandervanderkammen9230 it is true!😊
I have the same. I love it. The only reason people don’t like these cars and get put off by them, is because they don’t know how to look after them. You can certainly prolong the life, yes, it will eventually need a rebuild, but will still be better value for what you get from anything else out there.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 Hmmmmm, well I’ve looked after mine and had it since 2009, so it’s an 11 year old car and I’ve had no issues. So how do you work that one out? Really unreliable, yeh sure, lol.
@@Robbo-2023 facts
@@sandervanderkammen9230 No, I’m completely aware that this is the case, but it’s mostly due to people not having the brains to look after them properly in the first place. This scares people away from them because they don’t know what they are talking about. The rotary engine didn’t kill itself, it was people that killed the rotary engine. 11 years on and mine is great though thanks 😂👍🏻
I loved hearing you crack up. This is definitely a car that makes me smile hard every time I drive it.
Had my Rex seven years, after a rebuild with street port and full free up exhaust including cat I can say without hesitation it's a blast.....high up revs it builds mental speeds very very quick, just don't expect alot of torque......drive it like a 600 sports bike and trust me....it moves
100% agree. Ultimate goal is a Street or Bridgeport RX8 someday!
I own 5 s1 and 3 S2 and I have to admit I love driving them all.
I think I was in my early 20s when I test drove one of these and it was no doubt one of the best handing cars I've ever drove. Along with the 300zx just phenomenal handling. I was just to scared of that rotary just because I knew nobody who could maybe work on it..
The best way to describe the RX-8: It's the fastest slow car you can ever buy
@@sandervanderkammen9230 oh you? Yea
@@sandervanderkammen9230 you cannot escape your sad, unhappy, bitter life
Had one with the 4 speed paddle shift auto, but we put a custom roots supercharger setup on it. It was a blast.
What I'd like to do man
Where did you add the missing oil cooler?
@@sneedlewoods829 we bought a stock one off a six speed manual parts car and used that location.
@@mdw1000 so do you drive manual or auto?
@@sneedlewoods829 don’t have the rx-8 anymore. Currently have a manual NC.
I love how giddy he is!
The downfall of most of these car are that they arent driven hard enough by the people who by them. Especially with the automatic trans. I work at Mazda and its pretty close to $5k to replace a motor through us which is why most of these end up "dead"
great, now i *HAVE* to do this when mine is fixed
I just bought a 2009 touring edition and I absolutely love it.
Thanks i have a few of then rx7 and 8 they always put a smie in my face cool video take care
Thanks man you too 🤙
I bought my 05 Shinka off the showroom floor after one drive, it's a keeper.
That laugh though!! 😂🤣😂 What exhaust do they have on it?
Agency Power full exhaust! Thanks for watching!
All renisis are reliable . They just need reving and 2 stroke oil mixed into the fuel !!!!
I love my rx8 !!!!
Unfortunately, people still have engine issues fully respecting and taking care of them. You can research forums on the issues. Other ways to help with reliability is to ensure it doesn't get too hot. These engines and transmission get super hot! Get a nice radiator and maybe an electric fan if you are in stopped traffic frequently, Also, especially if you premix, you need to make sure the catalytic converter does not get clogged up. If you can remove the cat with a mid pipe, that's the best!
I've had mine since 08. Put over 100k miles. I still have it. I've only replace oil, air filter,, clutch cause of the throw out bearing, and coils. Over a decade and very few problems.
@@lucdanh1509 Just replacing my fuel Pump 167000kms . Oil and air filter every 5000km
You also need regular coil, plugs, lead changes. Along with cat, door lock actuators, Center console button, window button, passenger dash crack, sun visor, flooding and slippery seats. Besides that, no problems
@@lengerer i dont have the leather seats so slippery seats no problem in my car . The dash crash was replaced with some nice leather . The console and window buttons . None of those have hit me yet . The automatic door unlock only plays up during summer .
I have been in a bunch of iconic JDM cars all the way from the 1972 Civic to the 2002 GT-R and just about everything in between, except the MKIV Supra and 350Z, and my dad has a 93 FD.
I've built a few high performance and stupidily great handling cars but then....my dad bought an S1 RX8 for $1200 and had a new engine built then I put it in and drove it for the first time. Now, I have a 1991 MR2 showcar that my dad really likes....I now have an RX8.
This freaking car is BY FAR the best handling vehicle I have ever driven and it has some cheap BC Racing coilovers, big fatty swaybars and all the suspension recalls were done. That damn car is AMAZING and I am disappointed that I waited so long to drive one but am relieved the first one I drove was my own.
Just like the Miata, you need to keep the revs in the top half of the rev range to get anything, but that's how you are SUPPOSED to drive it if you want to enjoy it!
I just purchased the same car, series 2 black on black, such an enjoyable car to drive, very very underrated.
People Who say engine is shit it's because previous owner didn't take care of it. it's à damn cool car I want one
It’s refreshing to see folks finally see what I have known for 14 years of rx8 ownership… for the record I have an 04 on the original engine and I beat the life out of it. Enjoy my good man..
What are your tips to make it last? Also do you premix?
@@ve2430 I made a video that goes into detail of my 15 year ownership experience. There you will get lots of answers. Check it out.
@@ve2430 and no I don’t premix.
@@pv4083 oh that was you? 😄 yeah I watched it last month. Good stuff. Which suspension are you running?
@@ve2430 I just installed ohlins road and track yesterday. I’ll do a quick video that shows how the car looks after the install and no height adjustments…installed using ohlins recommended settings
Smiles per gallon all day!
Planning to be doing rotary things myself soon! I’ll have some content coming out shortly.
My series 2 has 108k miles and has been very reliable since I bought 5 years ago.
Also love my laughter machine 🥳
Doritos 4ever!🙌
You don't buy a sports car to drive it like a Corolla, that's what a lot of people don't understand.
S1 Owners were you at!!??.brap brap brap!!......... not sure if you mentioned..but what exaust are you rocking? I got the Manzo coming in next week...Can't wait to get that bad boy on there..
This was an agency power I believe with an aftermarket header as well (Don’t remember the brand of that).
S1 04-08
S2 09-11
For the most part yes, Australia and others had S2 from second quarter of 2008. My R3 is a 2008
Great video
2009-2012 = S2.
Updated Oil Metering Pump with 3 nozzles per rotor.
Special coating on rotors to help reduce carbon build-up.
Renesis swap into 4th gen Miata RF is my next project. Gonna squeeze nearly 300hp out that engine ALL NA. Stay tuned! 😁
No special coating on rotors. Same as before. I cracked open my working one and lots of carbon. Rotors have grooves on surface that attract carbon. I had those mini grooves polished out flat
@@Soravia You sure your engine is the ORIGINAL? www.rx8club.com/series-ii-technical-trouble-shooting-160/renny-ii-mazda-rotor-surface-coating-232785/page3/
@@rotaryperfection yep. Low miles S2. Camry drivers left them carbons. Coils replaced around 45k? probably added up. Cleaned carbon and you see those fine grooves on rotor faces. Not sure why they are there but they ain't good for carbon. Possible they are they to create turbulence at low RPM to retain fuel droplets.
@@Soravia Hmm interesting! I haven't broken down an S2 yet so I really wasn't sure if the coating thing was really true or not. Me, I always did the water steam carbon cleanings on my FD every 12k. Original engine lasted 108k original miles and ran flawless until I blew the motor from over boosting. Even with one rotor working, I still had enough compression to fire the engine up and drive it 10 miles back to my parents house. Engine had very little carbon when I broke it down. What happened to your engine?
@@Soravia One more thing, the best way to reduce carbon build-up is to warm up the engine as fast as possible. Because the rotors are so heavy, it takes them a long time to heat up. That's when most of the carbon builds up. I NEVER let my rotary's idle to warm up because that doesn't put any heat in the combustion chamber. Start your car do highish idle at 2.5k for about 20sec and then just drive the car. You'll also have less plug fouling doing this because you also heat up the plugs a lot faster too. I been with rotary's since 1990 so I know all the little tricks.
Dope vid
I bought one too
With its high reving its just not apples versus apples. "F" low end torque numbers. My 2004 still goes 0 to 60 in 5 seconds (Stock) its got 133,000 miles on it (As someone else pointed out you NEED oil) I add a small bottle of 2 cycle in the gas tank everytime I top off the tank and change the oil regularly. If all your burning is used oil pan oil? Forgetaboutit. It burns oil on purpose. All rotorys do. If you ignore that fact? You munge your engine. Pure and simple. The only other "weirdness" of the car is you have to rev it up to 2 to 3K for a couple seconds when you turn the engine off. If you do JUST those two things the engine will last like any other and it won't flood. People just can't handle these simple changes in how you take care of running it. And the handling? I've never owned anything that corners like this car. Its THE most fun I can have my cloths on. Plus... Its got Suicide Doors!!! What car has that? And you can fit actual people in the back if tiy want to give them a thrill. Oh... And what gear am I in when I hit 60 MPH in 5 seconds? 3rd? 2nd? Its got a 6 speed. If you want to go like a bat of of hell take it out and rev it to 9K in 6th. One last word that I've been told (Don't know if its true) but you need to get it to 9K revs even if your going to pick up milk. Rotorys just aren't happy being driven like all the other cars. True or not its fun as heck going from a stop to screaming down the road.Oh one last thing. The 24 hour Lemanns race banned Rotory engines as having an unfair advantage. Find one that someone hasn't screwed up (compression check it) and go mental!
100% agree my friend! I will have one of these cars within the next few years. I have plans for a full competition time-attack prep for one. I'll likely keep the engine mostly stock and just go with a very high flow exhaust, intake, and a proper tune. Aside from that I'll just gut it, cage it, and let her rip with some pre-mix. This video made me want one of these cars so bad it hurts haha. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Aren't they Addictive? And I can't say for sure but being that the 2nd generation are a good bit slower thru the gears than the 1st gen( mazdas trade of performance for reliability i guess).it looks like the versatune gets you almost to where the 2003-2006 are out of the box.i have absolutely no mods on mine ,and it iis hard for my head to fight the G's in 1st-4th gear in the 4k to 7k acceleration thrust curve. What was the top speed you achieved? I hit 140 and was amazed at how stae the suspension felt. We venture if some one i a afraid of rotary, y I u would have a hard time finding such a capable suspension and frame dimension for any motor you want in a car. And what about turning it out as the new kit car platform.. might compete with the 70 beetle pan builds, eh .?probably can't even do that anymore. Though I digress. Its a wicked discovery ,and feels good to see some one react this way.congrats.
I love my RX/8. Best car ever made.
Mind blown
2 months later: engine blown
This car is still running 3 years later 🫡
I love this
The RX-8 blew his mind and it’s gonna blow it’s own engine within 300K miles
Man 300k miles would be the highest mile rotary in existence 😂
I really hope, that you bought one. they are dirt cheap, for some reason. I don't get, why people buy used Skodas for the same money as this corner machine. I love the high reving engine. the power delivery is so predictable and the engine reacts instantaniously. I have no problem, driving it on ice and snow. I simply don't rev it high, and then it doesn't deliver too much power. when conditions are better, i rev it higher and get more power. Having the option of having little power is not a disadvantage at all. You can always change gear and have more of it.
I have not yet, but I think it is coming soon!
Rx8 w the 2jz engine is my dream car
Rotary for life though!
I loved my rex
Fun! Hey, would you still premix a series 2?
I would personally.
Yes, you should. Idemitsu have a special oil you use on these cars. Or, anything JASO FC or FD rated is fine, too.
That is true joy.. lol
Not sure I’ve seen that part of Mexico before 😜
😂
It's a great car if you keep the revs up
Would an RX8 be a good first car? I'm planning on saving up enough money to buy my first car and in my country it's one of the cheapest JDM car I can find ranging from 1200 to 3000 USD and it's been my favorite car ever since I played NFS Underground 2
It’ll teach you how to genuinely maintain, listen, and take care of a car. With the manual you got a lot of control over the sound and honestly just more fun because there’s is practically no cheap manuals with a 9000 redline. As he said there’s not much body roll so you can learn to drive a bit quicker and it’s always an eye catcher. If you have the money and time to take care of it go for it
@@danielkaniki5755 Thanks for the info. I'll do some more research about how to maintain an RX8 since I'm just a minimum wage worker I might have trouble maintaining an RX8. I need to know which problems can be prevented and avoided all together. I do feel that it'll be worth it though.
I would probably say no, but only because they can require a lot of care to keep them reliable. I would go with a Miata or BRZ instead if I were you!
People who hate it , don't own one , probably never even seen one in person
@@sandervanderkammen9230 ?
@@sandervanderkammen9230 ah yea I agree , part are the reason they get bad rep also why they are so cheap , which is why people who don't know shit about cars get attracted to them 😂 it's a viscous cycle . But not true of every rx8 owner . Alot of us are really passionate about the car
@@sandervanderkammen9230 what does that have to do the rx8
@@sandervanderkammen9230nope . You're just a hater . Never owned a rotary or an rx8 so your opinion is not valid. Debate me on me car's page @titaniumgrey8 on IG . Us rx8 and rx 7 guys love it when people like you talk shit about something you know nothing about or have no experience with it. We get a kick out of it. Some of my colleagues have owned the rx8 since release , and we get people who don't even have a license tell us are cars horrible lol. Rx8s are over hated and under rated
@@sandervanderkammen9230 lol I'm 23 and have owned my rx8 for 5 years. And I grew up around rotaries. Also happen to know much about cars since I was taught to work on them since the age of 13. Both my grandfather and my father are mechanics. My grandpa owns an rx7 and repu truck. You're a weirdo man, talking shit about something you know nothing about to someone who has been around rotaries for a long time. Emissions standards and efficiency killed of the rx name those are inherent problems of the rotary not the rx8.
If u drove them hard everyday they'll last a lot longer. I think even the owners manual says to take to redline once a day.
Why would the car last longer driven to the limit ? Genuine question
@@shalooom Honestly they just rev a lot higher in the rotary engine, which is where they make their peak power. The most common thing to say is a redline a day keeps the carbon away, which this does do carbon buildup inside the engine if its... not revved high up at all. They seem to last longer when you drive them harder rather then not drive them hard at all.
@@shalooom carbon builds up very quickly inside the rotors. Redlining will blow out alot of the carbon that has built up recently. This is why it's recommended everytime you drive the car you should redline at least once
@@shalooom it cleans the carbon build up from collecting
Ethan Lacayo the rotary simply turns, you don’t put ware on the engine by revving it higher as there is nothing to ware out even if you rev it higher. The design is totally safe even if you over-rev it.
But The apex seal needs to be replaced roughly every 80k miles...that wears no matter what you do.
The Mexican authorities will be in touch soon!
all RX8 are for sale dude. you want to get one, then it starts to hurt you, but it is a great car
Someday I will have one!
I miss driving my rx8 :(
who care's about gas mileage when you can listen the pops and braaps..
I can't wait to get my '07 GT!!!
I’ll be making more content with an ‘04 soon if you want to follow along! 🙂
@@ShiftyIntentions absolutely!!!! I'm hearing mixed info and the second generation RX8s. Do I need to add premix when I add gas or not?
@@stevewelbert5039 I am pre-mixing mine. Everything I have read supports pre-mixing them, especially the Series 1 cars. They don’t have any oil injectors for the center of the rotor/apex seals, so pre-mixing helps lubricate the seals properly.
🙌🏼💯
mind = blown
motor = blown
So did the Rx8 also blow an engine? Haven't seen any videos on it in quite a while
Oh this wasn’t my car. A friend of mine owned this car and let me drive it for the video. Sorry, I should have been more informative about that!
They will reach 20k for them soon.
I have been thinking this as well. With FD RX7s going so far up, people are going to start paying more for clean RX8s as well. It will still be a couple years I think though.
what exhaust?
Unknown-brand catless header and Agency Power Cat-back.
I have a 04 RX8 I'm gonna buy another I have a feeling it's gonna be very expensive to buy in another 10 yrs
I will not be surprised!
Its around 88 mph in 3rd gear
With a 6 speed manual
Lol. Shhhh! That's how we time travel!
Yup 3rd gear matches perfectly with the rpms, easiest gear to rev match lol
the chassis is super stiff! 30,000nm of torsional rigidity its up there with super cars!
@@sandervanderkammen9230 get a life hater
@@sandervanderkammen9230 you need to learn how to do something productive with your life
@@sandervanderkammen9230 GM LFX V6 swap for you!
@@sandervanderkammen9230 OK then, the LS swap for you! I talked to an NB owner with an LFX swap at The Tail of the Dragon and I decided if I could have two RX8's the second would have an LFX. Although I would scoop up an NC/LFX instead if I found one and had the cash! I rather like the LS in the Corvette, and 6 cyl in 3 series and Mazdas. It's one of life's mysteries why Mazda didn't come out with a V6 Miata version!?
@@sandervanderkammen9230 Correct, it's a mystery to me. As with so many models like the 3 series that have a smaller run of M cars, Mazda could have sold mostly 4cyl MX5's and then a sportier V6.
It also blew your apex seals
😂
At 6000 rpm it feels a bit like vtec and wakes up below 6 it’s worthless
The real downside with my rx8 is the cooling problem. It really likes to get hot
Yeah I have plans to address that for the track. Larger radiator, seal around the radiator with a good underpan and foam, and hood vents to get hot air out.
My RX-8 got stolen last week
im so sorry man :( i really hope youve found it by now
@@thejuicytheory2544 nah, I don’t think I’m ever going to see it again... It’s really negatively affecting me
Dude that really blows...
Update, well I got it back a few weeks ago, but in a hell of a state. They re-painted it with shitty spray paint to matte black on the sides and white on top... Used an angle grinder on the exhaust between the resonator and cat, made it super loud... Spray painted my nice black 18” alloys too, removed my spoiler and lower airbox, defaced all the VIN plates and more petty damage... They managed to do 3000kms in two weeks (not premixed probably driven hard 😞) found drugs and all the rest in it too. I’m selling her for cheap as it’s too hard to look at...
At least I got my alloys and BHR ignition system back which I am happy about, thanks for your comments boys. Make sure your RX8 is garaged, it feels like shit to have something you take care of callously taken from you and basically destroyed
I owner of one I no what you mean
They’re great cars!
I appreciate that such a shitty engine design would ever even be considered much less survive 100k miles
The fuel economy also kills it for everyone that doesn't own one. I own a 2004 rx8 automatic
im fixing to buy the same year, with only 65,000 miles! so excited!!
Get a Manual dude
@@sandervanderkammen9230 nahh..I'm good! I love my mazdas
@@sandervanderkammen9230 u dont! U take care of ur unreliable german cars and I'll deal with my mazdas
@@sandervanderkammen9230 ur unable to accept
Do not downshift from 60 to second gear the stationary gear bearings will be destroyed don’t leasing to this clown
Thanks for the info man. I definitely won't do it again!