Mazda has been the one manufacturer who was
able to make the Wankel rotary actually work, stay together
and become a worthwhile engine. For me, the Mazda rotaries
have all been brilliant, having raced a couple and had an RX 7
as a drive car for a couple of years. So I was very interested
to see what our Down-under correspondent John Weinthal would
make of the new RX-8. Here are the Words from Weinthal
“Mazda’s
RX-8 is unique in at least a couple of fascinating details. It
is the world’s only current production car powered by a
rotary engine and it is the only production four door,
four-seat sports coupe. It also has unique styling with none
of the current fad for retro or even a nod in the direction of
any other car - existing or past.
“At AUD 56,170 with six-speed manual
transmission it represents great value for those who want
sports coupe performance with more than adequate room for four
average size adults. While auto adds AUD 830 to your RX-8 in
Australia, in the US it costs about AUD 2,100 less than the
manual. Figure that out!
“The
manual version of the 1354 kg RX-8 develops a more than
adequate 177 kW, but the auto makes do with 141 kW from the
same notional 2.6 litre naturally aspirated twin rotary
engine. All this adds up to a car in a class of its own.
“However, there are other performance
cars which would-be buyers might well consider. The most
obvious is the more powerful Nissan 350Z costing within a
couple of thousand dollars, but strictly transport for two and
no more. Similar performance will be yours with the more
conventional but deliciously stylish four-seat,
front-wheel-drive Alfa Romeo 147GTA three-door hatch. This
Alfa is more than worthy of consideration for its outright
performance and how it will surely reward the enthusiast
driver with few compromises.
“Back
to the Mazda. It proved a far from easy car to review. It has
so much appeal, yet there are some basics which could prove a
bit much over an extended period. First you must love the
looks. It is very different and not to everybody’s taste. I
am a lover, both externally and inside.
“Second, you must drive like a
full-blooded enthusiast most of the time. The RX-8 does not
reward the tenderfoot. Forget swanning along in top or even
fifth gear all day.
“The lightweight and compact rotary
engine has only five moving parts. Although it is not
turbocharged, it continues the rotary tradition of having a
prodigious thirst for premium petrol. Apart from denting your
wallet this also means limited range.
“But the positives are many - terrific
comfort and safety gear; intriguing technology backed by a
three year unlimited km warranty; great handling, accelerative
potential for those willing to work the six-speed manual box,
delicious steering feel and brakes of formidable effect.
“The ride is sports firm, but nothing
like the near harshness of the Nissan or a Subaru WRX STi. The
Mazda’s ride is totally acceptable in terms of its
performance and excellent grip on this earth.
“The deciding factor for some will be the
unique entry to the back seats through the rear-hinged doors.
No coupe is easier to climb into the rear, and it is also very
handy for carrying things on the back seat. For a family with
younger children, there would be no more back-breaking
twisting to put toddlers into their safety seats.
“Equipment levels, particularly on the
Luxury Pack model, are up with the best in the AUD 60,000
range. They include climate control air, huggingly comfortable
and stylish leather seats, xenon headlamps, an excellent sound
system, cruise control and the usual power seats, windows and
mirrors.
“Drawbacks - for some - will be the
relatively torque-free rotary engine and its great thirst. On
the other hand it sits far back and low in the body. This
contributes to the outstanding handling, and the rotary sounds
fantastic nearing its 9300 rev limit.
“For my money, however, the rotary still
delivers more as a talking point than as a must-have benefit.
The RX-8 ensured a very special motoring week, but I am unsure
that its large novelty appeal would endure.”
(This is obviously an area where John and I
can agree to disagree. Petrol is the cheapest part of motoring
as soon as you look at the costs of insurance, repairs,
registration and all the other financial anti-inducements to
sporting motoring. My experiences with Mazda rotaries has left
me an ardent enthusiast of the engine for life. Dr. Iain.)
I
can remember back in 1968 buying a pale green bog standard
Morris 850 and putting a two white vinyl stripes down the
sides of the bonnet, ostensibly so that I could find ‘my’
pale green Mini in parking lots full of them, but the real
reason was to be different and assert one’s own
individuality.
I
was able to get my bottom in a modded CRV the other day. Honda
CRV’s are fairly plentiful on the road, being perceived as
good value for money, but like all of today’s offerings
(especially Japanese) tend to be mind numbingly bland. The
owner of this CRV has sporting aspirations, so much of the
outlay on his individual CRV was directed at correcting this
blandness. This included 17 inch Lenso wheels fitted with
225x45 Bridgestone Potenza RE 77’s, lowering the car by 1.5
inches and fitting Koni shocks all round.
So
to this week, and look at the photograph. This car returned 63
mpg in the old money (22 km/litre), a plastic body and a drag
coefficient of 0.25. It was built in 1982. What was it?