2009 Mazda RX-8 – Test Drive – 142

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2009 Mazda RX-8 – Test Drive – 142

April 21st, 2010 by NZPC

Has Mazda made a good thing even better? We drive a pre-release ’09-spec RX-8 to find out.

Nine and a half thousand revolutions per minute. There aren’t too many production cars that’ll let you rev that high. Then again, there really isn’t any other car out there like the Mazda RX-8. It’s hard to believe that five years have now passed since the unique Mazda first went on sale. With its 'freestyle’ doors, its free-spooling, advanced front-midship-mounted RENESIS 13B rotary engine and a superb chassis to boot, we were left suitably impressed and wanting more when it launched in ’03. The much-talked-about new RX-7 hasn’t arrived since, but for late ’08 a subtly refreshed 2009 model RX-8 has.

From the outset changes are minor, and instead of opting for an entirely new model, Mazda has simply enhanced the good thing it already had. RX-8 programme manager Noboru Katabuchi calls it “sophisticated dynamism”, which entailed evolving the design in unison with functionality. The result is a more grown up and refined machine, albeit with the same sports car purpose in mind. One swift sweep of the tacho confirms that.

Those with a closer eye for detail might notice the dual front bumper air intakes that have been doubled in size, and the centre opening that has been enlarged. This latter feature hasn’t just given the RX-8 a tougher rear-view mirror appearance, it also channels a little bit more air towards the radiator. There are new wider, sleeker Xenon headlights, too. The side indicators have been relocated into the side air intakes, and out the back a new LED tail light design and bigger exhaust pipe tips. The alloy wheels measure in at 18×8 inches front and rear, and include rotor-shaped detailing in their spoke design a cool touch.

Open the RX-8’s unique door system and you’ll find redesigned leather seats (once again complete with alloy rotor detailing on the head rest), a more user-friendly control system and a refreshed instrument panel that includes a new variable red zone system that limits RPM dependent on engine temperature. The leather-wrapped steering wheel has also gone under the knife and come out the other end lighter looking and nicer to the touch. The rotor-shaped shift knob reaffirms the company you’re keeping not that it’s hard to miss when the engine is whirring over at idle.

On that note, one of the great triumphs of the first generation RX-8 was its RENESIS powerplant. With just 1308cc of displacement the naturally aspirated twin-rotor motor is a silky smooth piece of kinetic kit good for 170 kilowatts of power and 211 Newton metres of torque. Those figures remain the same in the new car, but the way the engine delivers its torque load has made the Mazda a whole lot better to drive from low RPM, while still achieving six-second 0-100kph sprints.

The secret of the RENESIS engine’s success is its design, whereby the exhaust ports and intake ports are located in the side housings, thus eliminating port timing 'overlap’ (where exhaust gas gets carried over into the following intake cycle) and resulting in a far more stable combustion. Furthermore, Mazda’s sequential dynamic air intake system (S-DAIS) optimally regulates pressure at each port by controlling the opening and closing of the variable intake valves depending on engine speed. This system increases low-end to mid-range punch, where Mazda rotary N/A engines are traditionally lacking. Changes are minor for the ’09 RX-8 but include an electric metering oil pump to replace the mechanical unit for precise lubrication, and new twin knock sensors, which operate independently on the front and rear rotor housings.

Getting all the rotational energy to the ground are new driveline options. Both the 6-speed manual and the 6-speed Activematic auto transmissions now on offer for the RX-8 have been adapted directly from the MX-5, albeit matched to the characteristics of the free-revving RENESIS rotary engine. For the manual box this means improved syncros, slicker shifting and a final drive ratio that has changed from 4.44 in the RX-8’s previous incarnation to a taller 4.77 for improved acceleration.

Underneath the car’s skin there are suspension and chassis enhancements aplenty. Already a superb handler, the changes promote an even more impressive performance drive quality, and include a three-point front strut-to-firewall bar on the manual model. The strut towers themselves have been toughened up with thicker steelwork offering an increase in overall torsional rigidity, and extra spot-welding around the front door hinges improves stiffness.

On the suspension side of things, the front gas-filled mono-tube shocks have had their lever ratios increased to improve efficiency. Moreover the springs, bushes and stabiliser bars have all been fine tuned to suit. Out the back the multi-links have been lengthened for extra stability.

It all adds to something pretty special. When the RX-8 first broke cover in ’03 we had the chance to punt it around the Taupo Motorsport Park track, and it was there that we really got a taste for just how good the car really was. The improvements in torque delivery have since made the Mazda better to drive from CBD pace speeds. It’s very good on the motorway, too, especially when you squeeze on the throttle in the higher gears, and are met with a force mimicking that of a small turbo. Of course, there is nothing of the sort spooling away under the bonnet, but it just goes to show how far rotary technology has come. And with a car as good as the RX-8, it definitely still has a future.

2009 MAZDA RX-8 – Specifications

Engine: Mazda RENESIS 13B 1.3-litre twin-rotor, six-port, 10.0:1 compression ratio, multipoint electronic fuel injection, sequential dynamic air intake system, dual exit exhaust system
Driveline: 6-speed manual gearbox, torque-sensing limited slip differential, DSC, TCS
Suspension: Front — double wishbone, mono-tube shock absorbers, torsion bar stabilisers, Rear — multi-link, mono-tube shock absorbers, torsion bar stabilisers
Brakes: Front — 323mm ventilated disc, Rear — 302mm ventilated disc, ABS, EBD
Body: Redesigned front bumper, redesigned headlights/tail lights, twin exhaust tips, Xenon lights, freestyle door system
Wheels/Tyres: 18×8-inch alloys, 225/45R18 Bridgestone Potenza RE050 tyres
Interior: Redesigned leather seats, redesigned steering wheel, rotor-shaped shift knob, Bose audio system
Performance: 170kW @ 8200rpm, 211Nm @ 5500rpm
RRP: $55,395