2011 Mazda RX-8 Grand Touring Review and Last Ride
Mazda Specs, Comparisons and Prices-Mazda Buyers Guide
2011 Mazda RX-8 Grand Touring Review and Last Ride
By Larry Nutson
Senior Editor, Chicago Bureau
The Auto Channel
The typical test vehicle “drive window” for an auto writer is one week. Drives are scheduled well in advance and carefully choreographed by the car handlers. Consider that every vehicle must be in perfect operating condition, spotlessly clean, fully fueled and the appropriate and required loan-documents prepared, thus any change or glitch can become a small disaster.
Additionally, my job is to drive a vehicle, fully understand what it is intended and designed to do and not do, understand its operation and features and then assess and draw an objective point of view. The best way for this to occur is on a long road trip. I am always pleased when a needed road trip falls into place with a scheduled drive. Conversely, I then really need the car to show up as planned.
My drive in the Mazda RX-8 had been scheduled for some time and I had made plans for a road trip with an overnight stay about 250 miles south of Chicago. I was looking forward to the time behind the wheel. What occurred between the car scheduling and my trip was Mazda’s announcement in August that the 2011 RX-8 would be the last. However, I was locked-in to my trip.
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Mazda introduced rotary engine vehicles in the US in 1971, beginning with the RX-2, RX-3, RX-4, RX-5, and finally three generations of the RX-7 sports car.
With this long history of the RX model line it’s natural to think if there will be an RX-9. Probably the more interesting thought to ponder is that if there is an RX-9 what would be the powertrain. The Wankel is not very fuel efficient and is problematic to meet today’s very stringent emission requirements around the world. For example, the EPA ratings of the 6-speed I drove are 16 City mpg and 22 Highway mpg on premium gas. Today, 40 mpg is all we hear.
Mazda has indicated that they will continue to develop the rotary engine. As to where that might appear and when is open at this point. There was a few-years gap between the RX-7 and RX-8, so we’ll just have to wait and see what comes next.
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The 2011 RX-8 is available as either a 232-horsepower model fitted with a six-speed manual transmission or a 212-horsepower model fitted with an optional six-speed automatic and steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters for a Formula 1-style driving experience. The exhaust note is so very sweet especially up in the high rev range towards 9000 RPM.
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The RX-8 Grand Touring test car I drove had an MSRP of $32,260. An entry-level Sport model is priced at $26,795 and an R3 model targeted at the driving enthusiast is priced at $32,290. And, color choice is simple, Red, Black or Silver.
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True zoom-zoom.
© Larry Nutson