Issues with my RX-8

ginashamz

Hi I recently purchased a RX8 PZ model with the 231 engine. Since purchasing replaced the suspension springs and shocks to the ones that were suppose to come with the car - ProDrive springs and Bilstein shocks which have made quite a different in the way the car rides.

The car feels great and has a strong engine but I can't help but feel underwhelmed by the acceleration. In order to get up to normal speed in normal driving I need to rev the car to around 7k RPM. I struggle with merging on motorways, overtaking and entering a round abouts safely because of the lack of acceleration. All the "power" is in the top end from 7k RPM to 9.5k RPM which is virtually unusable in the real world. I mean just today I struggled to ahead of a bloody VW Polo TDI off the traffic lights!

Surely you'd think a car like this would come with more torque? Is there anything I can do to increase the torque/acceleration?

RichardD1970

Wind the elastic band tighter?

atrixblue.-MFR-.

ginashamz wrote: »

Hi I recently purchased a RX8 PZ model with the 231 engine. Since purchasing replaced the suspension springs and shocks to the ones that were suppose to come with the car - ProDrive springs and Bilstein shocks which have made quite a different in the way the car rides.

The car feels great and has a strong engine but I can't help but feel underwhelmed by the acceleration. In order to get up to normal speed in normal driving I need to rev the car to around 7k RPM. I struggle with merging on motorways, overtaking and entering a round abouts safely because of the lack of acceleration. All the "power" is in the top end from 7k RPM to 9.5k RPM which is virtually unusable in the real world. I mean just today I struggled to ahead of a bloody VW Polo TDI off the traffic lights!

Surely you'd think a car like this would come with more torque? Is there anything I can do to increase the torque/acceleration?

Did you buy this car because it looked good and did no research on a Wankel engine. Those rotary engine are prone to wear and expensive when it comes to having it repaired. hence why no one favours them.


I'd hedge a bet here and say you've had Hard cold turn over starting. Poor Idle and almost cutting off or switching off on its own altogether and some misfiring here and there like a spark plug on its last legs and the big one, when the APEX seals go on these engine the power is reduced allot, ive driven some with half of its power gone from apex seals gone. Sounds like your engine needs a rebuild, dig deep its costs allot.

facade

Peak torque is around 5500 rpm on one of those- perhaps yours is broken?


It should start to go once you get 5000 or so on the rev counter, it has loads of gears, so you have to keep messing with them to keep the engine around its torque band.


To me, loads of gears is simply a sign of an inflexible engine. American V8s got away with 2 gears and a torque converter for donkeys years.

ginashamz

Should mention that I got the car inspected and fully serviced a few days after purchasing the car. The compression results showed that the engine is healthy and it should be as it was rebuilt only 14k miles ago.

Are RX8s actually meant to be this slow?

atrixblue.-MFR-.

ginashamz wrote: »

Should mention that I got the car inspected and fully serviced a few days after purchasing the car. The compression results showed that the engine is healthy and it should be as it was rebuilt only 14k miles ago.

Are RX8s actually meant to be this slow?

What are those compression results from rotor 1 and 2 so I can take look? if you don't mind.

EdGasketTheSecond

You are better off asking on a Mazda owners forum

AndyMc.....

ginashamz wrote: »

Hi I recently purchased a RX8 PZ model with the 231 engine. Since purchasing replaced the suspension springs and shocks to the ones that were suppose to come with the car - ProDrive springs and Bilstein shocks which have made quite a different in the way the car rides.

The car feels great and has a strong engine but I can't help but feel underwhelmed by the acceleration. In order to get up to normal speed in normal driving I need to rev the car to around 7k RPM. I struggle with merging on motorways, overtaking and entering a round abouts safely because of the lack of acceleration. All the "power" is in the top end from 7k RPM to 9.5k RPM which is virtually unusable in the real world. I mean just today I struggled to ahead of a bloody VW Polo TDI off the traffic lights!

Surely you'd think a car like this would come with more torque? Is there anything I can do to increase the torque/acceleration?

You would do in a Yaris.


Or were you driving the imaginary Mazda that you haven't got and didn't do the custard test for?

wgl2014

OP - I thought you had previously said this isn't your first RX8? Is it comparable to the last one?

neilmcl

DM at his finest. Really mate, nobody is interested anymore.

motorguy

ginashamz wrote: »

Should mention that I got the car inspected and fully serviced a few days after purchasing the car. The compression results showed that the engine is healthy and it should be as it was rebuilt only 14k miles ago.

Are RX8s actually meant to be this slow?

Given you owned one previously for what was it? 8 years? Do you not know? You remember - the one you had before the Mighty M2 you bought for £35,000 cash and then wrote off? It was the one your wife drove because she wrote her car off too - unlucky family :eek: - because you do so much international travel for your business?