Mazda RX8s...

No his was pov spec 190 I think? I read it's a totally different setup, less valves or something equally uninteresting.

FWIW I told him just to go get something like this instead -

That'll be a "ping Richard Kilwhatsit" post then?

That, to me, is what can only be described as a "Chest Wig Chariot", and if you want one of those, this is much better...

I think he's aiming for more of an open top motoring thing.

I think that might be toooooo gay.

He's one of your mates, it should be perfect.

Paging Lord Doug....

Well that's true. 350z just struck me as quite good for that kinda money. I confess entirely I don't know anything, at all, about rotaries and didn't mean to offend the Timonater with my regurjitated (spelling?) Usenet style reviews heh.

Doesn't matter, you were still right - zero torque unless you've got plenty of revs dialled in.

Well, zero is a bit of an exaggeration, but if you're used to driving anything with a bit of poke it's certainly not going to blow your socks off until you're doing silly RPM. I've only driven the 230 though, apparently the 190 supposedly feels more torquey...

It is quite nice to drive though, and handles surprisingly well. Not sure I'd want to own one day in day out though.

As I said somewhere else in the thread, I know literally nothing, at all about them. The closest I've got is once sitting in an RX-7 twin turbo and revving it at a standstill heh. It had the loudest dumpvalves known to man, and a hideous Veilside bodykit. Never so much as touched an RX-8. My opinions were entirely based on what other people thought :-)

Why surprisingly? The chassis is based on the FD series RX7 and has been lengthed a little. And an FD handles *very* well.

get one like this problem solved

Rotary. Until you've driven one you'll never understand. Superbike style low inertia drivetrain, unbelievable noise at full revs, super smoothness.

The oil is sacrificial, you use a lot but then ISTR you don't actually change it. Rotor tips are just an expensive consumable.

We had one the fleet, well sort of, it was a directors' plaything that he leased through the company. It was faultless other than a bit heavy on tyres. And a little thirsty in the context of 230 bhp machine, but only a little juicy.

The 190 has fewer gears and revs and it's reckoned that for normal driving it doesn't feel all that slower. The book says it's slower, I've only driven the two different machines in wildly different conditions (230 - boring urban crawl with some fast dual carriageway roundabouts, 190, usual test route from York).

Why buy one? Same reason why you'd buy most things with a petrol engine rather than a turbodiesel: revs. Like some of the older DOHC VTEC donks, it isn't no torque at lower engine speeds, just normal torque output. It only starts to excite once you've (a) nailed it and (b) have the tachnometer over

The 230 is geared to help you in this respect too. :) Plus it sounds great.

That and there's usable space in the back, a decent boot, good equipment and fun handling. It also looks good too.

Would I have one? Yes. In that lovely blue colour.

This suggestion...

... may well lead to that outcome.

Not changing the oil on a rotary is about as good an idea as not changing the oil on any other highly-stressed engine.

Even the local Mazda dealer told me he wouldn't be touching them 2nd hand with more than 30k on the clock as "too much risk".

In an RX8? Well first you have to find the engine, it's buried well under a huge plastic cover then nestled low and right back against the bulkhead.

They seem really well put together as well.

None of the Mazda dealers, or indeed any of the franchised lot locally will put anything more than 2 or 3 years old or with more than about 30k on the forecourt.

RX8 210Nm BMW 330Ci 214Nm Peter Hill one handed measured with a Halford's 0-200Nm torque wrench

I really don't think the seat of anyone's pants can detect that lack of 4Nm.

On a 4 stroke 1L/1000miles is a clear sign of a knackered engine, it's the acceptable limit not the norm. Under warranty it's the point at which BMW would have to accept that the engine was defective and haul it out to fix it.

Rotary engines are meant to use oil. They inject a small volume of oil into the inlet to lube the tip seals. It's like not putting the oil in the fuel for a 2 stroke chainsaw or strimmer - they don't last very long.