RX8 very nice car, if you like a high reving car its really fun to drive
the down fall is its got hardly any torque, it uses quite a bit of gas and its drinks oil
but indeed a very fun car to drive
haha you know the 240sx , especially the s14 was marketed as a “Bitch car”
i had to edit this to add, yes, i am still laughing at you…oh yeah, the mustang was originally marketed to women too.
from an engineering standpoint i love rx’s.
Getting a ride in a beautifully build FD this summer was like nothing i’ve ever been in before.
If he wants one go for it, but look into the RECALLS!
…still laughing
really? Thats why most of the rx-8s i see on the road are driven by guys.
Miata is a great handling car and fun to drive, the new one also doesn’t fall in to the “chick” car look anymore.
rx-8 is a nice little summer car.
Andrew
Oh i Know 240s were marketed towards females. I would assume it to be a failed marketing ploy as i would say 95% of 240 owners are male. Just because its marketed to a certain type of people does not mean it will be successful in that market.
Mustang was marketed to women to? Any proof to back this up as i highly doubt this. If it was, again another failed marketing scheme.
Now the Rx-8 was marketed to guys I have seen the commercials and so have you. Thing is every rx8 I have ever seen with minor exceptions has been driven by females thus making me believe it is a girly car. But its not only this. what has 12 or so of Mazda engineering accomplished? As Mr.200 pointed out its bigger, heavier, and makes less power and just as unreliable. What an accomplishment.
As for the miata thing. I think everyone knows the miata, well at least previous versions were thought of as girly cars. Maybe the new one has changed that image.
If you want a inferior rx7 then by all means by an rx8. Hey you will have room for 4 and still retain the reliability problems from the rx7, Great! I would say get a used 350z and go from there.
I have been driven in one that is owned by my female friend and it was nothing spectacular. Hell I will drive it this week and let you know how it is to drive.On paper though it doesn’t seem like anything astonishing.
The RX8 is a Nice car. Your friend should go drive one then compare to others in the class.
Pro’s on the RX8. Interior is real nice, very comfortable and well layed out… Styling is love it or hate it. I sit in between, i think its nice but not a classy or sporty as a G35 or 350Z. The Engine with the 6spd manual is alot of fun to rev to 9000rpm and sounds great doing it. It Handles well but i found it wasnt as tight as 350Z or G35. 4 Seater makes it a good choice for yr round driving if you dont want another car.
Cons. Torque is a problem, u will have to rev it to make it go… Its not as fast as a G35 or 350z but it depends what your looking for as far as speed goes… Looks yes as i stated, personally i think its a bit of a chick car, but a hot chick car. Sadly the new rotary has proven to be fairly troblesome, but only in some cases…
Heres a few points to look at…
I think you buddy is best off to drive for himself then decide what best suite him or her…
Strange they only list the fully loaded one. The base coupe is $27,650 US on http://www.nissanusa.com/
The car has been plauged by recalls… It’s underpowered compared to the other cars in its class on the same year. Reliability would be the main issue.
The idea is good, but the execution isn’t cutting it…
I have lots of experience with RX-8s.
I really like the car. It’s way more connected and nimble than a 350Z, if it doesn’t have the grunt. It’s still a LOT of fun to drive to 9K. I much prefer that 13B to the VQ35.
In terms of problems and annoyances, there’s a few. I told all of my customers the proper shutdown sequence after driving it for less time that it takes to warm up the motor. There is that. However I never had any customers call in with flooding problems, and I’m sure it’s more of a better safe than sorry thing rather than a requirement to keep the car running.
If you’re a spirited driver, it’ll use a LOT of gas.
The most important thing that all these people who don’t like the RX-8 have to remember is that it’s NOT MEANT to be a RX-7. The RX line existed long before the RX-7 and will continue in the future. The fact of the matter is that this car matches the performance of cars like the 350Z while being cheaper and more practical and, if you ask me, fun to drive. This is a sporty 2+2 with a useable back seat. The G35 can’t be compared in terms of luxury, but in terms of performance the RX-8 is still better. All three are very different cars, but I think aside from the high maintenance of a rotary… it’s a gem.
That would be a major failure on Nissan’s part then in promoting the car. I personally always discounted the 350Z because I saw 50K and said fuck that. If it really is 10K cheaper like you say, then it’s a lot better car than what I gave it credit for.
I own an RX8 and have since 2004. I also had a well built SR240 up untill the end of the summer, and a fair number of decent performance cars over the years. A very good friend of mine also owns a near stock FD. All comparisons aside, I love my RX8. I drive it all year long and have done a fair deal of commuting with the car. As much as I love to sell my cars after two years of ownership, I cannot find anything at this time that I would replace the car with. It does get terrible MPG, but does everything else very well. When I first went shopping for a new car, I wanted a 350Z, but after driving both I went with the RX. In my opinion it is more car for the money, and much more fun to drive. With similair equipment, the cars are 8 - 10K apart in price. Comparing the RX to my 240 is pointless, they are two completely different cars with different purposes. But one thing I can say is that the RX is a lot easier to drive at the limit and will run with my 240 on a small track anyday. I have a decent amount of on track seat time in both, but prefer my 240 for track duty only because of the cost difference between the two. If I was not concerned about smashing up a car I make payments on, I would gladly use the RX as my daily, track and winter car. As for recalls and reliability, my car has never left me stranded. I treat it more or less like any other car I have owned and it treats me well in return. The recalls are minor, but should be checked when buying one used. It is likely most on the market would have all of the recalls taken care of. Lastly, for those who insist on comparing the rx8 to the 7. Please visit the rx8 forums and do a search. You will find many of us are sick of the comparison and understand that they were never ment to compare to each other. The rx7 is a great toy, but not much more then that. Even in stock form it can be a pain to keep in reliable condition. This is simply not the case with the RX8. It is reliable and practical. I hope this helps your friend, and I wish him luck in his search for a new car. I know there are some good deals to be had on a used 8.
It was intially marketed as a fun secratary’s car… when first released… 1965.5?
meh atleast it isnt now
thx for the input every one 
What I’m getting at is how it performs on the race track versus the 350Z is not a selling point considering that’s about 2% of the type of driving a daily driven car would see. Its lack of torque (like an S2000) makes it frustrating to drive daily. The 350Z has plenty of torque, and you don’t need to downshift 3 gears just to merge on the highway.
As well, when you need to push a car essentially to its limits for a reasonable commute, it’s easy to forsee a lot of maintenance down the road.
He asked for opinions, and I’ve driven a few, modified and stock. Turbo, they’re nice, but still miles away from the FD, and without anywhere near the fun terrifying feeling of the FC. The handling is superb, it just lacks the power to really take advantage of it. Don’t forget, Mazda had every intention of offering a turbo version when the car debuted.
And as for the Mustang, I’m going to have to call you on that. The Mustang was never meant to be a chick’s car. It was a gentleman’s car. It was originally supposed to be a European-themed 2-seater. But Ford said no way. Iaccoca then had to turn to the Falcon platform, jazz it up, and throw a V8 at it. The vision was really to be able to offer a Mustang for everybody, young and old. The Mercury Cougar was built and designed for women, because they weren’t buying Mustangs at all. They changed the body metal to something classier, added vanity mirrors, and shelled out big time to have a Bond girl drive one in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
I’ve driven an 04 auto RX8.
Tell your friend not to get an auto one, it’s slow… My friend and I drove my car and his 04 auto and it screams up top, sounds like its going fast, but my I30 still edged it out on top end.
If he does get one, tell him to not be a loser like my friend. Get a manual.
I totally agree with you that for over 90% of the car owning public, having a torquey motor is way better than a high strung one. However, personally, I love rev happy cars. I highly prefer the rev happy little 1.8s and 2Ls that I’ve had on my Toyotas to the KA. Infact, I take the Corolla to redline several times on a daily basis. I love hearing it, and I love how quickly it builds revs. It makes it a joy to drive for me. And the RX-8 is even more of that good stuff, but with way more power (compared to a Corolla anyway lol). I mean sure the salesguy was pissed, but when I wound that bitch up to 9k, I got a hardon 
I agree, it is a blast to bring to 9K, but as for downshifting 3 times to get to hwy speeds, thats not at all the case. I easily get through a day without going over 4K and at no time do I feel that the car is going painfully slow. In fact I often find myself attached to the back bumper of a slower moving car while merging. I also dont find the lack of torque frustrating in the least. Anyone who has spent a decent amount of seat time in one will understand that the linear power delivery makes up for the lack of torque. the 13B can not be compared to a “peaky” piston engine. There is no kick in the pants as the revs raise, just smooth linear power delivery all the way to redline.