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2008 Mazda RX-8 Sport Coupe Review
Four-seat sports car.
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2008 RX-8 Sport Coupe Review Summary & Specifications
The Mazda RX-8 is a unique sports car. Its four-seat, four-door configuration is an original design that works. The rotary engine is super smooth, simple, high-revving and almost indestructible. It's complemented by a beautiful six-speed gearbox and great brakes. The RX-8 is a great sports car with an innovative approach and admirable engineering.NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Sam Moses filed this report from Irvine, California, with Mitch McCullough reporting from Los Angeles.
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| Vehicle Category | Sports Cars |
| Editor | New Car Test Drive |
| Model Lineup | Mazda RX-8 Sport manual or automatic ($26,435); Touring manual ($29,535); Touring automatic ($30,335): Grand Touring manual ($31,070); Grand Touring automatic ($31,770): 40th Anniversary manual ($31,370); 40th Anniversary automatic ($32,070) |
| Engines (standard) | 1.3-liter twin-rotor rotary |
| Transmissions (standard) | 6-speed manual |
| Engines (optional) | 1.3-liter twin-rotor rotary; 212 hp (automatic), or 232 hp (manual) |
| Transmissions (optional) | six-speed sequential automatic with steering-wheel paddles; six-speed close-ratio manual |
| Safety Equipment (standard) | front, side, and side-curtain airbags, seatbelt pretensioners; ABS; EBD; tire-pressure monitor |
| Safety Equipment (optional) | DSC electronic stability control with traction control |
| Basic Warranty | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| Assembled In | Hiroshima, Japan |
| Manufacturer Phone | 1-800-222-5500 |
| Manufacturer URL | www.mazdausa.com |
| Base Price MSRP | 26435 |
| Model Tested MSRP | Mazda RX-8 Sport with manual transmission ($26,435) |
| Standard Equipment | electronic power steering with tilting steering wheel; power four-wheel-disc brakes with ABS and EBD; air conditioning; AM/FM/CD stereo with six speakers and steering-wheel mounted controls; cruise control; cloth upholstery; power windows, mirrors and locks; leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob; floor and overhead consoles; rear window defogger; variable intermittent windshield wipers; alarm with immobilizer; 225/45 Bridgestone high-performance tires; 18-inch alloy wheels. |
| Destination Charge | 635 |
| Options as Tested (MSRP) | Performance Package ($1,300) includes xenon headlights, fog lights, DSC with traction control; in-dash 6-disc CD ($500); Rotary Accent Package ($159) |
| Gas Guzzler Tax | |
| Layout | rear-wheel drive |
| Price as Tested | 29029 |
| Horse Power | 232 @ 8500 |
| Torque | 159 @ 5500 |
| Fuel Economy | 18/24 |
| Wheelbase | 106.4 |
| Length/Width/Height | 174.3/69.7/52.8 |
| Track Front/Rear | |
| Turning Radius | 34.8 |
| Seating Capacity | 4 |
| Front Head/Hip/Leg room | 38.2/53.3/42.7 |
| Middle Head/Hip/Leg room | |
| Rear Head/Hip/Leg room | 36.8/48.1/32.2 |
| Trunk Volume | 7.6 |
| Payload | |
| Towing Capacity | |
| Front Suspension | independent, A-arms, coil springs, tube shocks, anti-roll bar |
| Rear Suspension | independent, multi-link, coil springs, tube shocks, anti-roll bar |
| Ground Clearance | 4.7 |
| Curb Weight | 3045 |
| Stock Tires | 225/45R18 Bridgestone Potenza |
| Brakes Front/Rear | vented disc/vented disc with ABS and EBD |
| Fuel Capacity | 15.9 |
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