Ditching the rotary engine for a boosted V8 is the best decision a Mazda owner can make.
This delightful back road burnout comes to us from the S_V_R 1000 YouTube channel and it features our take on the perfect Mazda RX8. To make this rotary-powered, Japanese sports car a better burnout machine, that 1.3-liter weed whacker has been scrapped in favor of a General Motors LS2 V8.
Building a Better RX-8
When the Mazda RX-8 arrived in the United States for the 2004 model year, it was powered by a new 1.3-liter RENESIS rotary engine that offered just 231 horsepower. Following the final generation of the RX-7, which packed 276 horsepower and 231 lb-ft of torque, the RX-8 proved to be a disappointment to many. The RX-8 was bigger, heavier and less powerful than the RX-7, so many owners looked to upgrade the cars for more power.
The easiest way to get big power from an RX-8 is to remove the rotary and drop in an American V8, and that is exactly what the owner of this Mazda has done.
There are no details with this video, but in looking through the other videos of this car, we found that it made nearly 1,000 rear wheel horsepower on the dyno at 22 pounds of boost. Of course, a car of this size with a twin-turbo LS2 makes for one mean tire slayer.
The Big Burnout
The burnout by this LS2-powered Mazda RX-8 is short and sweet, but it very clearly illustrates the power being put to the ground. With what appears to be a pretty beefy rear tire setup, this Japanese coupe rolls into camera view, comes to a stop and roasts the rear tires. The driver lets the car roll forward as the RX-8 obliterates its tires, with the LS2 roaring at wide-open throttle.
Oddly, the Mazda is well off in the distance before we can really hear the turbochargers. You can hear the waste gates opening as the driver feathers the throttle and keeps the rolling burnout going.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
