2010 Mazda RX-8 Review

Launched in 2003, the Mazda RX-8 hit the global market in a big bang. RX-8 has won more than 50 awards worldwide since its release including 2003 RJC Car of the year in Wheels magazine's Car of the Year Japan Australia 2003, 2003 International Engine of the Year 2004 Singapore Car of the Year in 2004 U.S. Best Sports Car and UK Car of the Year 2004. It 'was also named Car and Driver magazine top ten list for 2004, 2005 and 2006. Overall, Mazda has sold nearly 167 000 RX-8 around the world.

For 2009, Mazda will further evolution of the four doors, four-seater sports coupe, giving RX-8 with a new exterior and interior design, enhanced performance and a new sports package for fans of the driving position R3.

Unchanged is the core of the Mazda RX-8 - the engine of a high-powered machine, lightweight and perfectly balanced, driven by the famous twin-rotor rotary RENESIS.

"Dating back to the Cosmo Sport released in 1967, every sports car ever developed by Mazda has the same fundamental mission - to provide car lovers with a vehicle that is fun, todrive, exciting to watch and easy to own," said said Tetsu Nakazawa, Mazda North American Operations "transmission line Mazda RX-8 vehicle." The new Mazda RX-8 embodies that mission, providing the DNA of the brand unique and distinctive Mazda maximum. "

 

To enhance the highly successful RX-8, Mazda engineers focused on innovation in three key areas for the new Mazda RX-8: styling, performance and packaging. "The improvements to the Mazda RX-8 exterior, interior, packaging and performance make it a whole new level of visual and driving excitement," remarked Nakazawa.

STYLING INNOVATION - refreshing design elements to provide "high quality" DYNAMIC

Mazda RX-8 is designed with an athletically sculpted exterior that provides a sense of originality that is unique on the market today. The new Mazda RX-8 receives design enhancements that are intended to refresh the style and give the Mazda RX-8 a new look, without compromising the basic design theme. Improvements for the new Mazda RX-8 include restyled front and rear bumpers and front fascia, sporty, before high quality finish and rear lights and larger exhaust pipes (now measuring 90 mm in diameter) . The new Mazda RX-8 also offers a new design five-spoke wheel with a symbolic and sporty design reminiscent of the rotary engine, with different arrangements for each wheel size.

 

Taut muscular lines give RX-8 is a relief to see an athlete in motion. The style remains classic proportions muscular sports car while adding a Zoom-Zoom edge that is unmistakably Mazda.

RX-8 is unique "freestyle" four-door design is proof that a true sports car does not need to sacrifice space or convenience for performance. The advanced design of the hinged rear doors provides a large door, so adult-sized passengers easily enter and exit the vehicle. This design is also an advantage in ensuring a baby or toddler in the back. With a spacious rear seat area providing sufficient room for four adults passenger full size and trunk space enough for a weekend worth of luggage, this sports car proves its versatility.

Mazda RX-8 exterior styling presents a genuine sports car form, while the interior has a comfortable and intelligently designed cabin. Minor improvements were made to the new Mazda RX-8 to provide a simple and functional interior design that supports driving pleasure. The center IP shape was redesigned to give the impression of dynamic movement, a variable red-zone was added to the tachometer that will rise as the engine comes to operating temperature and a new steering wheel and redesigned front and rear seats are also added.

 

One floor of the cab seat too low to be mounted under the chassis, with a little down and hood, allows a low center of gravity and allows the visibility of the occupants in circulation. Mazda designers concentrated on the shape of the front seats and rear seat cushions to provide knee space for rear seats. Slide the front seats are positioned to allow maximum leg for the rear passengers.

Rotary design element is incorporated through the interior of the Mazda RX-8, creatively, appearing in some places. The stylish cabin also provoke a sense of luxury and high-end quality. Mazda's design team examined every aspect and part of the interior and has created an elegant, driver-centric atmosphere. Using advanced ergonomic research, Mazda engineers determined that poor posture is a major cause of driver fatigue and built in optimum support for the front seats to help offset discomfort. In addition to the color of the Mazda RX-8's instrument cluster was developed to reduce eye strain and tension.

 

PERFORMANCE INNOVATION - more sporty driving FUN CAR

Through-and-half, the Mazda RX-8 is a pure sports car that gives the driver an exciting and dynamic. The new Mazda RX-8, engineers improved body rigidity with the addition of structural reinforcements, by adding a strut tower bar, trapezoidal, and local areas to improve the stiffness of front suspension tower. The rear suspension geometry has been reformed and improved maneuverability and the shaft stiffness is improved, lowering NVH levels and improving performance.

In addition, differential ratio manual transmission equipped cars are calculated to improve the 4444-4777 off-the-line performance. Although small, these performance changes give RX-8 acceleration and performance, as well as to better respond to the accelerator pedal - always a rotary engine and Mazda RX-8 mark.

 

To achieve this sophisticated dynamic, Mazda utilizes the advanced RENESIS (Rotary Engine genesis - or rebirth of the rotary engine) engine. The Mazda RX-8 remains the only engine of mass production of passenger vehicles in the world of Rotary. During the presentation of exceptional power for a naturally aspirated engine, RENESIS comparable reciprocating engines in terms of acceleration, the feeling of power in reserve and quick response.

The new Mazda RX-8 is available as a power model 232 equipped with a manual transmission sixspeed, or a power model 212 equipped with a sporty six-speed A / T automatic with steering wheel paddle shifters formula driving style.

By turning a triangular rotor in a combustion chamber shaped cocoon, the Mazda RX-8 rotary engine efficiently performs the four processes of intake, compression, combustion and exhaust. RENESIS is remarkably smooth and high revving - all the way to 9000 rpm (7500 rpm on Sport A / T-equipped models) - and offers a smaller engine footprint than traditional internal combustion engines (some 60 percent smaller and lighter than a comparable V-6 powered, and 40 percent smaller and lighter than a four-cylinder). In fact, the packaging and set the style, the Mazda RX-8 would not have been possible had Mazda engineers chosen a conventional piston engine.

 

40 years, improved models of rotation, the RENESIS engine is a semi-intake and exhaust ports for the suction port almost 30 percent more and the double exhaust port than its predecessors. The efficiencies gained through shortening intake / exhaust overlap and intake and exhaust as a major supplier of world class.

The Mazda RX-8 1.3-liter normally aspirated engine may seem diminutive to the untrained eye, compared to large displacement V-8 or V-10 V Heavy or 12 years. However, thanks to the incredible efficiency of a rotary engine, an intake system in three stages and advanced electronic throttle control, the RENESIS offers a smooth, linear power on a large scale.

Mazda RX-8-wishbone front suspension uses aluminum, reducing unsprung weight over the use of steel components. By installing the upper and lower arms extremely rigid subframe, long arms ensure linear alignment changes throughout the jounce and recovery of the front wheels. All corners are fitted with mono-tube gas shock absorbers shock absorbers designed for large-diameter internal pistons and valves, which provide excellent feedback and a smooth road.

 

An electric rack and pinion steering system transmits just enough so the driver information. Mazda engineers have chosen to follow their own path by using an electric motor for steering instead of a conventional power steering pump. The electric motor provides additional assistance at low speeds to ease parking and reduces steering assistance at high speed to provide greater road feel, responsiveness and feedback. And in keeping with the rest of development in the RX-8, is much lighter and easier to pack a rack of conventional power steering.

PACKIGING innovations - the RX-8 R3 peak

In response to the driving enthusiast-conscious, the new Mazda RX-8 R3 will offer a new sport package. Offering the best of the rotary engine car, the R3 back to the R1 and R2 packages offered on the mighty third-generation Mazda RX-7, and adds a sport suspension with Bilstein shock absorbers and front suspension cross filled with foam urethane. Fill the cross allows a smoother ride, minimized NVH and greater suspension control.

 

The visual appearance of the package, rear spoiler, side skirts, fog lights and sporty front bumper, which gives an aggressive, as well as 19-inch forged aluminum alloy wheels with performance tires. Within the R3 adds 300-watt Bose � audio system with Centerpoint � surround sound and audio-Pilot � noise compensation technology, Bluetooth hands-free, front Recaro sport seats in the leather cushions, leather-wrapped parking brake handle and Mazda Input and advanced keyless start system.

Three trim levels are offered, including: a plate sports a Touring (adds HID headlights, fog lights, auto-dimming mirrors with Homelink � and 6-disc auto changer on top of the Sport trim features and ASN adds 18-inch wheels, a limited slip differential, sport suspension and front disc brakes largest of these items for a car / T, and Bose � audio system, moonroof, SIRIUS satellite radio are offered as an optional package ) and an adjustment Grand Touring (at the top of the Touring features, adds automatic air conditioning, Bluetooth hands-free phone, Bose � audio headlights automatic wipers with rain sensor, driver seat with lumbar support and function poweradjustable memory, -. leather seats and heated front seats, heated outside mirrors and Mazda keyless entry and ignition advanced DVD based satellite navigation unit is available as a stand-alone option and uses a single DVD for mapping throughout the United States and parts of Canada.

Additionally, a moon roof and SIRIUS satellite radio is optional package).

 

All Mazdas come with a roadside assistance program. With a call to a toll free number, owners can access roadside assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in the United States and Canada. In addition, a wide range of three-year/36 ,000-mile warranty covers all parts of the vehicle except those subject to normal wear. In addition, all models have a five years powertrain warranty / 60,000 mile warranty and corrosion five-year/unlimited-mileage.

Higher security

The design of the Mazda RX-8, safety was given as much priority as was performance. For Mazda, the safety process incorporates both accident prevention and accident protection. In practice, this approach to security RX-8 can help the driver avoid various dangers and protect occupants in the unfortunate event of a collision. In rollover tests performed by the State Administration of Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Mazda RX-8 achieved an impressive five stars.

Mazda engineers integrated numerous elements of active and passive safety in the car. Active safety features that require intervention of the driver, include the use of large disc brakes on all wheels ABSequipped as well as precise steering and suspension systems. Dynamic Stability Control (available on Sport models with Performance package, standard on Touring and Grand Touring) delivers a superior level of handling that can be disabled when driving and road conditions allow safe operation.

Passive systems, or that take effect automatically without driver intervention, are also ubiquitous in the Mazda RX-8. Despite the absence of central B-pillar, Mazda RX-8 has an exceptionally rigid, unable to use the vertical pillars built in the rear doors and a series of locking pins that hold the doors together and bind each door directly to the ceiling and the floor. Integrating the frame components helps dissipate crash energy to the vehicle structure.

Other standard passive systems for the Mazda RX-8 include front airbags, seat side airbags and a half-curtain airbags. In addition, the front of the engine compartment has plenty of crumple zones, front seats are designed to reduce whiplash injuries, the brake pedal is designed to break away from a collision in force sufficient to protect the feet and legs and all four seats have three-point belts of the seat. Even pedestrian protection was considered, as the RX-8 is equipped with Mazda's design "shock-cone" hood offers more impact on a pedestrian on the bonnet as the uniform, but is strong enough to deform in normal use.