"The sleek, powerful and agile RX-8 debunks the notion of sports cars as fun
but impractical," said Weldon Munsey, RX-8 vehicle line manager. "The RX-8 is a
car equally at home zooming around a track or taking the kids to soccer
practice. It is a true sports car that can pull double duty."
The 2005 Mazda RX-8 is available as either a 238-horsepower model fitted with a
six-speed manual transmission, or a 197-horsepower model fitted with a
four-speed automatic with Sport Shift, which incorporates steering-wheel-mounted
paddle shifters for a Formula 1-style driving experience. Both automatic and
manual transmission cars come equipped with power windows, mirrors and door
locks, cruise control and a thumping AM/FM/CD audio system with six speakers.
Renesis Rotary Engine
Forty years of rotary-engine racing success went into the design of the RX-8’s
advanced Renesis (Rotary Engine genesis – or rebirth of the rotary engine)
engine. Incorporating many elements that made the RX-7 the most successful model
in International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) history and brought Mazda the
1991 24-Hours of Le Mans overall win, the Renesis engine is exceptionally
well-built and capable. This racing pedigree is evident through the various
motorsports series employing the RX-8, including Pro Formula Mazda and the Grand
Am Cup.
By turning a triangular rotor in a cocoon-shaped combustion chamber, the RX-8’s
rotary engine efficiently performs the four processes of intake, compression,
combustion and exhaust. The Renesis engine is remarkably smooth and high revving
- all the way to 9000 RPM
- and offers a smaller engine footprint than traditional
internal combustion engines (some 60 percent smaller than a comparably powered
V-6, and 40 percent smaller than a four-cylinder). ...Mazda RX-8: Page 2
