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Photography by Zerin Dube

Price: $33,030
Major equipment: : 1.3L RENESIS 6-port rotary engine, 6-speed manual transmission, Bilstein shock absorbers, HID headlamps 19-inch forged alloy wheels w/ 225/40R19 tires, R3 specific aero kit, Recaro seats, Sirius satellite radio ($430 option)

In the fleet: 12/11/2008 – 12/18/2008

Approximate mileage driven: 170

Z. DUBE: When the original Mazda RX-8 was launched in 2003, rotary fans across the world rejoiced. Mazda’s famous rotary engine design had found a new home, by way of a very unique four-door sports car. Since 2003, Mazda has changed very little on the RX-8 with the exception of a few special edition models to keep interest fresh. This lack of change comes with good reason, as Mazda has managed to form a very tight knit community of RX-8 loyalists that simply love their cars.

For the 2009 model year, Mazda has refreshed the design of RX-8 to bring it more in line with the current corporate design language. A new front fascia and subtle body treatment changes like new mirrors and LED taillamps add some much needed aggressiveness to the design. The RX-8’s passenger cabin received a subtle update as well, starting with an all-new steering wheel that resembles those found on MX-5 and CX-7. Front and rear seats have been updated across all trim levels, and the dashboard layout has been restyled to achieve a better flow between the gauge cluster and the center stack. Under the skin, Mazda has fitted the RX-8 with a trapezoidal strut-tower bar and a revised front suspension tower to help improved body stiffness. The rear suspension has been updated to provide better handling while enhancing the ride quality.

More on the new R3, plus a competitive prediction from an SCCA National Solo driver, after the jump…

Continue reading Speed Read: 2009 Mazda RX-8 R3

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Story and photographs by Mark Baruth

In perhaps the most disturbing episode of nepotism since Ferdinand Porsche let his do-nothing kid “Butzi” style the 911, we have my brother, Mark, misusing the Speed:Sport:Life bully pulpit to rant about the SCCA Solo Nationals. Enjoy! – jb

Topeka, Kansas.

Not exactly the subject of many “Where I spent my summer vacation” essays. And yet, for many reasons (which have nothing at all to do with the fact that you can hit the SCCA offices with a rock from Heartland Park, the site of the event), that’s where the 2008 Solo National Championships are going to take place.

This year is to be my second attempt at competing against the best silly hat wearers the nation has to offer. My 2004 Mazda RX-8 was purchased before I even knew what autocross was, so I, of course, picked the coolest looking car on the lot-air dam, fog lights, ground effects, spoiler, traction control, stability control, even a spare tire kit! The same spare tire kit was the subject of nearly 5 pages of vitriolic discussion at RX8club (the brace makes the rear end stiffer! No it doesn’t! Yes it does!). I’m also reluctant to chop my exhaust on the car, since it is also my daily driver. Unfortunately, all of that stuff adds weight, and as ski jumpers say, Fat Doesn’t Fly.

However, none of that will matter this year. I feel great about my chances in Topeka- I trophied at a National Tour event, and have consistently placed among the top drivers in my region in PAX. On the negative side, I blew a motor earlier in the car earlier in the year (thanks for the new Renesis, Mazda!), plus I’m a new dad, so Topeka will only be my 6th event of the year. Never mind-a trophy is in reach-nay, it is inevitable.

Now, you may have heard from no less an authority than the SCCA website that autocross is a “low-cost, entry-level motorsport.” Tee. Freaking. Hee. Upon pulling into the paddock at Heartland Park on Monday afternoon, I am reminded why many people simply don’t go to Nationals. The preparation level of the cars is better than anything we’ve ever seen from Super Aguri. Not to mention the motorhomes, trailers, tow vehicles, and the d-bag who will stack up his Hoosier Wets in grid a few cars down from me on Tuesday morning, despite the fact that you could have driven 30 miles in any direction before seeing a cloud. One quickly realizes that in a competition measured by thousandths, your average Local Region Superstar who dominates F Stock in his ’93 Camaro is not on the same planet as these guys. When there are people writing articles in Grassroots Motorsports about how to build a $15,000 motor for a 1991 Miata (take a moment to appreciate the irony of that), something just ain’t right.

Continue reading Dude, put your cone away! The 2008 SCCA Solo Nationals from one driver’s perspective

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Story by Byron Hurd, photograph by Jack Baruth

We’re welcoming “Lord” Byron Hurd to Speed:Sport:Life as a new itinerant columnist. Please feel free to apply the usual hazing! – Jack

A little over a week ago, Mazda quietly began circulating a memo to dealer service departments and RX-8 owners outlining a further extension of the powertrain warranty for their 2004-2008 model year Renesis rotary engine. This 8-year, 100,000 mile warranty covers only the mechanicals within the engine itself (Rotary Engine Core, Rotary Housing and Internal Parts, and Internal Seals and Gaskets, in Mazda’s own words), but when you consider the simplicity of the RX-8’s drivetrain, you realize that it’s pretty much a catch-all for the only systemic trouble spot that hasn’t already been covered by previous recalls.

With its arrival coinciding with the wide release of the refreshed 2009 RX-8, this notice has sparked a good, old-fashioned free-for-all on automotive discussion boards. Is the RX-8 a lemon? Is this just a marketing/PR move, or is Mazda just trying to cover up their mistakes and wipe the slate clean? I no can has torks?

A compelling, introspective query, indeed.

But it’s hard to refute that this newly-augmented warranty makes the ’04-’08 a very, very tasty prospect for the enthusiast looking for a diamond in the used car rough. Depreciation never hit the RX-8 particularly hard, and shoppers leery of the prospect of out-of-warranty issues with an engine with such a “colorful” reliability history have likely been looking to Nissan or Honda for their late model sports car thrills. It’s hard to find fault with that logic, especially when you consider the reputation the rotary engine has made for itself over the last thirty years. Non-enthusiasts know only what they’ve heard from the mainstream press; run away as fast as you can.

But if you’re reading this, chances are you’re an enthusiast. You can’t hide behind such excuses. By carrying around that “car guy” card, you’ve committed yourself to being above the masses. You’re informed – enlightened even – and you’re going to read on and see why this new warranty extension may be the best thing to land you on the couch for a month since you came home from Vegas with a Bunny Ranch receipt sticking out of your suitcase.

Continue reading Lord Byron: Eight Is Enough