2011 Mazda RX-8 Philadelphia

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The 2011 Mazda RX-8 is truly a unique sports car, this rotary-powered sports car features the ever unique 1.3-liter RENESIS rotary engine, aggressive styling and an available revved-up R3 trim. The one feature that makes this Mazda unique from any other vehicle is its rotary engine, which is super smooth, simple, high-revving and almost indestructible. It's complemented by a beautiful six-speed gearbox, great brakes, and steering that talks to your hands. The RX-8 is a great sports car with an innovative approach and admirable engineering. Overall, the RX-8 is an enjoyable sports car. With its smoother ride, smoother drivetrain, substantially larger cargo capability, and four-seat capacity, it's easier to live with than its competition. The 2011 Mazda RX-8 cabin is comfortable and surprisingly roomy. The seats are very good, a nice fit with good bolstering. Soft-touch surfaces are used on armrests and consoles, with hard plastics along lower surfaces that look satisfactory and help keep the weight down. The rotary engine offers a sweet unique sound under acceleration and the Renesis is very refined, with little of the rasp that characterized early RX-7s. The two three-sided rotors deliver six power pulses per turn of the output shaft, the same number as a V12 (and twice as many per revolution as a V6), resulting in an exhaust note that's almost hypnotic on a rhythmic road, and sport-bike-like under full steam. The rotary revs extremely quickly, but lacks the mid-range grunt of a V6. The axle ratio in manual transmission cars has been shortened to 4.78:1 for better acceleration, while the automatic is geared for cruising. For anyone looking for a true sports car, with power and handling that is superb, the RX-8 for 2011 is worth a look.

Power and Handling of the '11 RX-8

The RX-8's 1.3-liter rotary engine produces 232 horsepower when teamed with the six-speed manual transmission, but its output drops to 212 hp when paired with the optional six-speed automatic. The R3 is the best-handling RX-8 by virtue of its Bilstein shock absorbers and 40-series tires and yet it maintains a forgiving ride, merely stepping over bumps that super-stiff cars tend to crash over.  Extremely smooth and simple, the rotary has benefited from 40 years of development by Mazda engineers. The RX-8 features the latest and by far the best rotary engine design, which Mazda calls Renesis. This rotary engine is about 30 percent smaller than a comparable inline four-cylinder, and its compact dimensions allow it to be mounted in a low and rearward position for good weight distribution. It helps keep the center of gravity low and curb weight down to just 3,064 pounds. That's 500 pounds lighter than the lightest version of the two-seat Nissan 350Z, 200 pounds less than the four-seat rear-drive BMW 128i. It's just 200 pounds heavier than Honda's S2000 lightweight two-seater.

2011 Mazda RX-8 Design

The 2011 RX-8 retains a longish hood, pronounced fender flares and a cabin that has small, rear-hinged back doors to make it easier to get in the backseat. The front and rear doors open in opposite directions, which Mazda calls the Free-style door system. With no pillar between the doors, this allows very easy ingress and egress for the rear-seat passengers. This design also makes the RX-8 surprisingly versatile in its ability to carry cargo. As with similar systems in pickups, the front door must be opened before the rear door can open. Unlike similar systems in pickups, the RX-8 structure does not creak and groan over uneven surfaces or steep driveway entrances.

Inside the new Mazda RX-8

Recaro builds the superb sport seats in the R3, upholstered with leather around the edges and cloth centers for breathability. They feature stout bolsters so good that assist handles become redundant, cutouts for shoulder harnesses, and excellent long-term spine support so you can concentrate on driving. The passenger's seat backrest tilts forward, hence the different backrest adjusters left and right. R3 models wrap all major controls in leather.Inside the RX-8 there is room for up to four people. There are bucket seats in front and back, and a full-length center console runs the length of the cabin between both rows of seats. The tachometer has a variable redline that moves based on engine temperature. The rear-hinged back door and the pillar-less door configuration allows loading of large, awkward items into the back seat area that simply cannot be handled by other sports cars and sedans. The navigation system is DVD-based and features a dedicated, retractable seven-inch screen on top of the dash above the radio and climate controls. The system is easy to operate. The interface is clear, thanks in part to the fact that it does not incorporate radio and climate controls into the screen, as do many other navigation systems.

Mazda RX-8 Lineup for 2011

The 2011 Mazda RX-8 Sport comes with a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission, both for the same price. Standard equipment includes cloth-trimmed upholstery; air conditioning; AM/FM/CD stereo with six speakers and steering-wheel mounted controls; cruise control; power windows, mirrors and locks; leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel and shift knob; floor and overhead consoles; rear window defogger; variable-speed intermittent windshield wipers; alarm with immobilizer; and 225/45R18 tires on alloy wheels. Manual-shift models also get aluminum/rubber pedals, torque-sensing limited-slip differential and a rear lip spoiler.

The RX-8 Grand Touring package with upgrades with leather seating surfaces, heated seats and mirrors, eight-way power and three-position memory for the driver's seat, automatic air conditioning, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, Bluetooth, 300-watt Bose audio with nine speakers and AudioPilot noise suppression, keyless entry and start, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with traction control, xenon headlamps, fog lights, auto-dimming inside rearview mirror, HomeLink. Automatics get a limited-slip differential.

The RX-8 R3 gets upgraded suspension with Bilstein shock absorbers, forged aluminum 19-inch wheels and 225/40R19 Bridgestone RE050A performance tires, limited-slip differential, Dynamic Stability Control, rear wing spoiler, side sills, unique front styling. The R3 comes with Recaro sport front seats with leather side bolsters, 300-watt AudioPilot AM/FM/6CD, Bluetooth, fog lights, xenon headlights, Homelink, leather-wrapped handbrake, keyless entry, remote start, auto-dimming rearview mirror, short-throw shifter.

Conclusions

Mazda's RX-8 received minor exterior and interior updates for 2009, which is when the rotary-powered sports car gained an R3 sport package. Competitors include the Mitsubishi Eclipse and Nissan 370Z. The 2011 Mazda RX-8 is a true four-seat sports car. With near perfect weight distribution, it has great balance and precise turn-in. Yet the suspension is soft enough for daily comfortable use. The small rotary engine loves to rev and puts out lots of power. Mazda's lightweight rotary engine is a key design element in producing this light, nimble, high-revving sports car. For the latest updates on this incredible sports car, visit the official Mazda RX-8 website.