Encountered my first Mazda RX8 on the roads this morning.

Driving up the M40 I came up behind the new RX8 - it looked absolutely beautiful in black.

I pulled up along side, and the driver looked over towards me - I gave him a big and a smile.

He then pulled into the outside lane and accelerated - but only as far as the next car. Needless to say I joined him (at a safe) but "ready" distance.

As the car in front of him pulled in, he tried to accelerate away, but I stayed right with him. Unfortunately, he could only go a little distance before coming up behind "slower" traffic. It continued like this until I reached my junction, where I had to come off. Shame.

He looked well up for a "road test" 1 on 1.

It was on a 53 plate (do rotary engines need to be run in like normal piston engines)? Don't know if it would have been run in yet or not - so maybe it was just as well for him that the road didn't open up for us.

I'm sure others here will have more "profitable" encounters with this new car in the coming weeks and months. I have to say, though, - it did look gorgeous in black.

 

I agree.

Lovely to drive, too.

 

The black looks stunning, strange then that all the brochures/pr cars are in red Very impressive piece of machinery, I was very impressed on my test drive

 

Pity they couldnt make it look a little different than the S, the front and the back are almost identical !!!

 

it is nice looking I'm gonna test one, but no top down action lets it down IMHO

 

I don't think a standard RX8 will trouble an S2000, especially one that hasn't been run in yet. The same cannot be said of the Mazdaspeed version though. I saw a link to a video of this somewhere. Will dig it out. The standard RX8 could not keep up with the S2000 but the Mazdaspeed version drove right past.

I'll be looking at an RX8 only because I need the rear seats and like the look of the car. Otherwise the S2000 is for me a better looking and quicker car with the advantage of letting the sun right in but my need to take kiddies in the car messes all this up.

Perhaps the Mazda's handling will make up for the slight lack of engine performance. On paper there isn't much between them.

I'm still not convinced by the rotary engine. I'm monitoring the RX8 forums carefully.

As for the RX8 no show on Top Gear recently,it now won't be driven by the Stig until 19th November. This will apparently be aired on Top Gear on Sunday 23rd.

 

The rotary engines apparently burn through LOADS of oil too.

 

Oh not like the S2000 then

 

Theres a 'Best Motoring' Vid from Japan with a RX8 vs S2000 is that the one your talking about.
I thought the RX was standard and it whipped the S . Or maybe it was a v spec.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chris Mckenna