First drive: Mazda's wicked RX-8

SPORTS CAR fans rejoice! Mazda has produced a winner with the brilliant new rotary-powered RX-8.

That's the GoAuto verdict following our first drive of the striking new four-door performance car at the RX-8's international launch in the USA this week.

Due on sale in Australia on July 1 at a competitive $56,170 after making its domestic debut at next month's Melbourne motor show, the stylish new coupe-like four-seater heralds a golden new era in rotary motivation from Mazda and an entirely new and daring approach to practical sports car packaging.

So it was entirely appropriate the Hiroshima-built RX-8 was presented to the world's automotive media at the spiritual home of the classic car, Pebble Beach, where the genuine four-seater sportster was welcomed with unanimous enthusiasm.

Describing the RX-8 - the third new mainstream model in Mazda's millennium plan - as the only true exotic car priced under $60,000, Mazda Australia has thrown a curve ball the way of Nissan, which will begin deliveries of its 350Z coupe in February at a starting price of $59,990, with top-shelf versions stretching to $67,790.

While Mazda claims RX-8 - the world's only rotary-powered sports car - has no direct rivals, the local arm admits to pricing it to compete with the 1460kg/206kW 350Z.

Even more significantly, at $56,170 for the six-speed manual and $57,000 for the push-button/sequential-shift four-speed auto, both RX-8 variants are positioned (slightly) under the luxury tax threshold.

Of course, so too is Holden's 1640kg/225kW Monaro CV8, which at $57,850 similarly offers six-second 0-100km/h performance, as do other more expensive coupes from the likes of Audi, BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.

Interestingly, however, while the 1320kg RX-8 packs 184kW in manual form, the more expensive auto version makes do with a more breathless 154kW iteration of the new Renesis twin-rotor engine, and it's also the sole powerplant available in some unfortunate countries.

As such, Mazda Australia expects the majority of RX-8 sales - expected to number between 980 and 1050 units in the second half of 2003 and tick over at a rate of 70-80 per month thereafter - to be manuals. About 100 eager customers have already placed firm orders for RX-8, with a further 1500 expressing strong interest.

So what do you get for the money? Six airbags, for starters, plus dynamic stability control, cruise control, power windows/mirrors, limited-slip differential, six-CD audio, automatic climate control and 18-inch alloy wheels/tyres.

Even more highly specified is the optional RX-8 Leather Pack, which for $62,610 (manual) and $63,280 (auto) adds leather seat trim, Xenon high intensity discharge headlights, Bose sound system, power driver's seat, foglights and, on manual models, drilled alloy pedals.

Of course, all RX-8s get the same unique bodystyle, incorporating a long bonnet with reverse bulge and equally long, wedge-shaped glasshouse. The rear-hinged rear "Freestyle" doors open only after the front doors are opened, negating the need for a B-pillar - a feature found only on a handful of super-luxury cars.

With a front-door hinge angle of 70 degrees and the aluminium rear doors opening to almost a full 90 degrees, rear seat access is easier than for most two-door coupes - although it is still a feet-first affair - and the twin bucket rear seating positions offer class-leading head and legroom.

Mazda engineers came up with a number of clever solutions to avoid the weight gain inherent with providing effective side impact protection with such a body architecture. Most important is a large virtual B-pillar inside the rear doors, which reduces rear side vision to that of a regular coupe but connects to the roof to fulfil the same role as a conventional pillar.

Further, twin front side intrusion bars and three lower catch pins are claimed to allow less side intrusion than most traditional vehicles.

While RX-8 is yet to be independently crash tested, in-house Mazda tests involving between 30 and 40 cars are said to have achieved a maximum five-star rating for front and rear passengers.

Other safety measures include two-stage front airbags, front side thorax airbags and full-length head curtain airbags, plus front seatbelt load limiters and pre-tensioners, a crushable brake pedal, energy-absorbing ribbing in the pillars and roof rails, Iso-Fix child restraints and a pedestrian injury-reducing aluminium bonnet. The impressively unobtrusive DSC system includes wheel speed sensors, a steering wheel angle sensor and yaw rate sensor.

The all-new high-mounted backbone frame chassis, incorporating a full-length transmission tunnel rail, is claimed to deliver 1.7 times the bending rigidity of the discontinued RX-7, along with double the torsional stiffness.

Thanks to the front midship engine layout and a plastic fuel tank mounted within the wheelbase, the RX-8 offers 50/50 weight distribution, although Australian RX-8s may differ as they will be unique in offering a spare wheel.

Meantime, Mazda white coats say they reduced RX-8's yaw inertia moment (ease of which it changes direction) by five per cent from that of the RX-7 via a longer wheelbase and the FMS layout, while retaining the level of control of the nimble MX-5 convertible. The boot, aided by a ski-port and accessed by a small aperture, swallows an acceptable 300 litres of cargo.

Attached to all this is a new suspension design at both ends.

Up front is a redesigned double wishbone set-up with longer arms than RX-7 to provide a more linear action, as well as a strut tower brace.

At the rear an extravagant new five-link IRS employs 1.5 times longer lower lateral links than RX-7 to deliver constant preload and negative camber characteristics. Six rubber subframe mounts serve to maintain rigidity and reduce road noise.

The sports suspension specification will be standard on all Australian RX-8s, along with 18-inch wheels/tyres, and there are ventilated discs all round, with 323mm rotors up front with single-piston callipers said to be more responsive than RX-7's four-piston unit thanks to larger discs and master-cylinder and booster improvements.

ABS with electronic brake-force distribution is standard and there's a new electric rack and pinion power steering rack.

At the heart of RX-8 is a compact new 13B Renesis rotary engine featuring more efficient side exhaust ports and twin rotors, each displacing 654cc. Euro III emissions compliant, the new engine has a 30 per cent larger intake port area (six ports instead of four), 30 per cent lower emissions, drive-by-wire throttle and a variable intake manifold.

Vital statistics for the manual transmission engine include 184kW at a stratospheric 8500rpm, with peak torque of 216Nm available at 5500rpm. In automatic guise, peak power drops 30kW to 154kW at a lower 7200rpm, with slightly more torque (222Nm) and slightly lower revs (5000rpm) thanks to a longer inlet tract and lower redline.

Mazda Australia says peak power is achieved using the recommended 95 RON premium unleaded, although occasional use of regular 91-octane unleaded is okay.

DRIVE IMPRESSIONS:

MAZDA says RX-8 is the first production four-seat, four-door sports car without compromise.

And while it is true four full-size adults can enjoy the performance car experience with more comfort and convenience than ever before, there is no mistaking RX-8's intentions from the driver's seat.

The dark, high-waisted cabin, including body-hugging two-piece sports buckets, offers a cosseting driving position with reasonable stretching room in all directions - with the exception of an intrusive hump in the floorpan to accommodate the exhaust below the driver's left foot in right-hand drive configuration.

The Euro-spec cars we drove came fully loaded with satellite navigation, which is not compatible for Australia, but were otherwise indicative. That means a stylish dashboard with tactile controls, dominated by a large central tacho reading all the way to 10,000rpm and incorporating a prominent digital speedo.

The sports theme is reinforced with a turn of the key, which is met with a familiar but refreshingly civilised rotary burble. Revving cleanly from as little as 1500rpm, the crisp new Renesis engine becomes useable only from around 3000rpm, but the good news is there's another 6000rpm of linear power up for grabs.

The banshee-like rotary-buzz builds smoothly, progressively but wonderfully responsively until an audible beep at the 8500rpm peak power mark - at which point there's no shortage of urge under foot - and continues through the 9000rpm redline to a soft limiter at around 9400rpm. It is a refined yet unmistakable wail that fulfils the RX-8 promise perfectly.

Sensible gearing - 100km/h in sixth gear arrives at no less than 3000rpm - means it is easy to plumb the delightful new rotary's impressive depths with ease, providing just enough tractability for foolproof around-town trickling and enough of a top-end rush to satisfy all but the most zealous rotary fan.

The RX-8 powerplant is not dissimilar to Honda's S2000 VTEC four in the way it delivers its wares, meaning this is no tyre shedding, power-oversteering monster - more an efficient performer well matched to a superbly neutral chassis right to the edge of its significant performance envelope.

Some have lamented the relatively low peak torque figure - and it is true the lone rotary-powered sportster looks lame on paper next to its rivals - but RX-8's gearing, light weight, flat torque curve and its super-responsive, free-spinning nature compensate for any peak figure shortfall. And with 9000rpm available, the driver is rarely left wanting on the road.

The super-short gearshifter operates a tightly-gated manual transmission slickly (the auto version was not available to drive), with a regular clunk during the third to second downchange reminding you of its sporting intent. This despite pedals positioned nicely for hassle-free heel-and-toeing.

Ride comfort is typically sporting too, with a tautness that minimises bodyroll and is well matched to the tight-feeling bodyshell. But it does pick up road irregularities like pavement joints you sometimes cannot even see.

Still, it's a trade-off we are prepared to accept and while the tyre roar from the 225/45-section Bridgestone Potenzas was not, we are told Australian production models will come fitted with different Bridgestones that are quieter and just as grippy.

But this is a minor detraction from a brilliantly rounded package that offers responsive, communicative steering, strong brakes and the kind of chassis integrity and balance that reminded us of the MX-5 as well as other more expensive coupes.

In essence, Mazda has succeeded in delivering RX-7-like levels of cornering ability with all the predictability and adjustability of an MX-5.

Throw in the practicality of four proper seats and the bragging rights of a unique four-door architecture, and the RX-8 rotary is sure to be one of the best new car releases in 2003.

RX-8 proves again that Mazda is on a roll and while it might just be too unconventional to become an instant hit, this audacious sports car deserves to become a classic.