Hello, My name is Kane and I live up in Colorado. Iv been thinking about buying a rx-8 for a long time now... but I've got some questions.
How reliable are the engines?
How does the car preform in the cold, rain, and snow?
How is it as a every day driver?
Whats the real life mpg like?
How badly does the engine burn oil?
What are the stereotypical trouble spots?
If you remove the rear spoiler, does it leave holes. would i need to replace the whole trunk lid?
What is a Shinka?
What are the best mods to boost the horsepower and torque?
Is there a supercharger for the rx8? (iv been looking around for them, I know their are a few but i cant find where to actually buy one.)
I really like this car but my dad isn't fully sure about them.(It would be my daily driver / a father son project car) I'v found some good ones that meet my criteria but need to know more before committing.
Thank you
How reliable are the engines?
Depends on how it is maintained/treated.
How does the car preform in the cold, rain, and snow?
It is a well balanced RWD with a decent diff and traction control so it will do fine if you put the right tires on and drive it with some care.
How is it as a every day driver?
Brilliant provided you understand what it is and isn't. I DD'd mine in Chicago for three years. It never let me down. I did have my wife's car as an option if the weather was really bad although I almost never needed it. 2 or 3 times over three years max.
Whats the real life mpg like?
16-18 city, 16-29 HWY. These numbers are from personal experience. how you drive it is the most important factor in the MPG. I got 29MPG on the HWY one time. I was driving from Chicago to CT with my mother in the car. Mom+aftermarket exhaust+no cats=taking it easy with the loud pedal=good gas milage.
How badly does the engine burn oil?
Not badly at all, actually it burns oil very efficiently. By design none the less...................
What are the stereotypical trouble spots?
Most of the troubles come from the person sitting two feet behind the steering wheel.
If you remove the rear spoiler, does it leave holes. would i need to replace the whole trunk lid?
Yes
What is a Shinka?
Special Edition
What are the best mods to boost the horsepower and torque?
Get a different car.
Is there a supercharger for the rx8? (iv been looking around for them, I know their are a few but i cant find where to actually buy one.)
Yes, Pettit. They had a website (maybe still do). Any significant HP upgrade for this car is VERY expensive and could easily cost more than double the purchase price for a decent used RX8. If you drive one and think it needs more power on the initial drive you need to run away immediately.
I wrote all this:
"If you are looking for a DD project get something else. I would suggest a Miata for the following reasons:
-Huge aftermarket. this is a big deal because more parts + cheaper parts. Look the cost of some Miata/RX8 parts side by side and you will see what I mean.
-Inexpensive start up cost.
-Lots of institutional knowledge out there. Go to any weekend autocross event and you will be able to find a couple of nice Miata owners who will have meaningful advice for you and your project Miata. I have been to more than a few joint Miata/RX events and have found the Miata folks to be great people across the board.
-Less money in to the project will allow you to enjoy the car more without worrying about damaging an "investment".
-Have a look at the difference in cost of something as simple as replacing the engine and you should be convinced."
Before I reread this
How does the car preform in the cold, rain, and snow?
....and now my answer is, get a FWD project car. If you can get through the worst days of the winter without driving your car then you could consider a Miata, but something FWD and more economical would probably be a better fit.
you should read both of the stickies in my sig for sure.
