Used Mazda RX-8 for sale

The Mazda RX-8 is a sports icon that excites any motorheads that like to experience the thrill sound of a Wankel engine during the first decade of new millennia. It was first shown in 2001 at the North American International Auto Show. Like its predecessors in the RX range, including the famed RX7, it is driven by the special rotary Wankel engine. If you are looking for a Mazda RX-8 for sale, reading this is a must.

Though the first model of RX-8 began North American sales in 2003, Mazda representative announced on August 23, 2011, that there would be no more 2012 model of RX-8.

It was removed from the European market in 2010 due to failure to meet emissions standards. As a consequence, without the volume sales from Europe together with rising Yen prices, Mazda could not justify the continued sale of the RX-8 in other markets. Therefore, discontinuation of RX series after RX-8 was inevitable.

Mazda RX-8 For Sale: A Rotary - Powered Rockstar

From this point we can see the scarcity of a used Mazda RX-8 for sale. Is it also worth our investment in some sports driving?

1. Overview

Does the sporty look and charmingly buzzing engine outstrip the energy inefficiency? Though sport cars in general are always notorious for being fuel-drinker and a fancy beast on the commute roads.

Some impressions you can have at first glance at any Mazda RX-8 for sale should often be its fancy lights and curves, suicide doors, high revv rotary, decent kits, smooth drive with amazing handling, but ready to embrace high fuel and oil consumption, high insurance and servicing costs as well. The list of color choices are decent, including aura blue, black mica, sunlight silver, diamond gray, especially red mica but in reality they don’t look attractive and please to the eyes enough.

Check the review to see if you should go for a Mazda RX-8 for sale.

2. Exterior Description

Thinking of a Mazda RX-8 for sale, young and wild drivers are certain to fall in immediate love with the wicked quirky look unparalleled to other sports cars of the time. Road appearance is gorgeous with its low-down and wide underside and coupe bodystyle. Two small and big V cuts on the bonnet give the front view a air-piercing feel of aerodynamics though Xenon headlights and the small grille are not as sharply stunning as today’s sports models. On the side view, flowing design lines coupled with black sills and 4 wheel arches give it the aura of a speedy race car.

When all doors are opened, the RX-8 leaves all bypassers in awe and curiosity with its suicide doors. People really stop and stare pondering about how the car spread its four wings like that. The wheels are designed fairly naughty with the rim outer side consisted of 5 wicked-looking Y-shaped spokes.

The rear view of the car got a trendy single or double brake lights. Furthermore, GT model got a black rear bumper and 2 exhaust pipes, each of which blend in very well at 2 opposite sides near 2 rear wheels, leaving a really threatening look to the one who got behind in an imaginary street race.

3. Interior Analysis

With a Mazda RX-8 for sale, interior fit and finish is fantastic. The leather Recaro racing seats are well bolstered and hug you tight through the tight corners. The infomedia is not up to expectations though. The Bose speaker sound system is decent, but some says it lacks some taste of deep bass drops. Some drivers prefer an aux-in portal and more choices for music player in the car, the Bluetooth and the parking sensor and automatic headlights and windscreen wipers. There are aluminium pedals and leather-bound handbrake.

Mazda RX-8 fancy sporty interior look. Source: Mazda

The rear seats are cleverly packaged. However at the driver’s seat, the small knee room is a nuisance to tall and big guys with long legs who will have to adjust their knees and mind them from rubbing against the low-positioned steering wheel. Those guys may end up sitting with legs splayed, If they like to drive with your seat back a little more to give more legroom then goodbye rear seats. This 4-seater car would suit best for a young family with 2 small children at the back seats, rather than 2 adults so after a decade when the children grow up, the driver may have to think of a bigger car.

4. Engine, Transmission and Fuel Economy Values

The 2011 engine is of course famous for being a 1,308cc rotary Wankel engine, but produce a maximum torque of 212Nm @ 7500rpm and maximum power of 158kW @ 7500rpm. Its standard fuel ecomomy is 16 in city and 23 on highways, which is notorious for uneconomical for daily commuters. Most other models of Mazda RX-8 for sale in other years have more or less the same specs but all are rear wheel drive. Mazda RX-8 came in both 5-6 speed manual transmission and 4-6 speed automatic transmission.

Near the Mazda symbol, the Renesis is the latest version of the Wankel engine from Mazda. Source: Mazda

5. Performance And Driving Feel

All the fun with any Mazda RX-8 for sale indeed starts when you start driving the car. The feeling just get a bit better and better each time putting the accelerator a bit more. The car keeps pushing and pushing faster and bears its own soul at high speed. Once the speed reaches over 3000rpm, 158kW, the engine starts singing beautifully. The engine pitch is superb and the higher the revs rise, the punchier the sound becomes. The rev limiter will beep to remind you to upshift the gears.

RX-8 delivers most when thrown through a few bends. It’s one of those cars which isn’t built for straight line speed, it’s built for continuous thrills when lashed through corner after corner, like on the F1 race. Every corner steering gives you more confident because the car grips the road surface very firmly. This is thanks to the incredibly rigid chassis, Wheels of 18-inch alloys with extremely grippy 225/40R18 tyres. Such grip is actually a bit scary - not because it is insufficient, but so excessive that if you let it free from the accelerator you would still got a high speed chasing behind. Fortunately the stability control system is there to help calm you down at once.

As the car mimics bodystyle of a go-kart that hugs the ground for gravity reduction and increase in driving feel, the low riding front splitter may make any driver cringe on at most driveways and speed bumps, especially one may want to cry in such situation of no alternative routes other than bumpy roads under construction.

6. Safety, Driver Assistance, and Warranty Features

Front, side, and curtain airbags are the standard safety equipment for driver and front passengers. So are an alarm with immobilizer and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution. Dynamic stability control are installed as mentioned above. There’s a oil warning light to warn driver to change the oil as the car would drink a lot of oil.

For RX-8’s warranty, Mazda covers 36000 miles and 36 months for full warranty, 60000 miles and 60 months for powertrain warranty.

From 2007-2011, NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) give all RX-8 models 4-5 stars, which would prove a nice trust in this fun speed beast. Therefore you can feel good with any Mazda RX-8 for sale

Whether or not should I buy a Mazda RX-8 for sale?

Summarized upside:

• A fancy looking sports car
• Best to drive at high speed and long distance regularly
• A huge hype for speed enthusiast
• Fancy opened suicide doors
• Sing beautifully at high speed
• Give you a lot of confident at bends and corners rather than straight fast ride.

Summarized downside:

• Low fuel economy is not for daily commuters in crowded city streets and short distance travel
• Low underside is not suitable for bumpy roads
• Need privileged surrounding maintenance services to tend to its unique engine and engine parts
• More frequent oil change
• Not for a big family with big children
• Not comfortable for too-long-legged guys