usmc320

iTrader: (3)

I had an RX8. It's a beautiful and great handling car, but lacks power. I wonder what an ls1 swap would do to it's 50/50 weight distribution. If it puts it off too much you lose the handling that was the primary focus of the car when designed though. Still, I would love to see it!

How would you get around the independent rear suspension? I can't imagine it being able to handle anywhere near ls1 power levels (at least not modded ls1 levels!) Also, what about gauges, etc.? They're controlled by a Mazda PCM. Just a couple of things to think about.

inthetwisties

the ls doesnt weight to much more than the renesis, but its just the location....it would be over the front axle so the distribution is going to shift forward, but i dont think it will be anything extreme.

we have been thinking what we could do with the rear...like i said, its still up in the air, we are still trying to figure everything out...as for the guages, there is an adapter for the digital guages

marc97taws6

iTrader: (6)

Give it a try dude.. that would be the BIGGEST sleeper.. lol and if you have an M6 chances are your gas mileage would go up ALOT! I love RX8's and rotary's.. but gas mileage, power, apples to apples.. not for me.. lol beautiful cars though

SlayerMaro

iTrader: (3)

I used to have an RX-8 and I wanted to do the same swap. Then I realized that it would cost a ridiculous amount to do it. So rather than waste all that time and money on swapping engines, I just sold the car and bought one with an LS1 already in it.


If you want to go ahead with it, check out www.hinsonsupercars.com . Start looking at the for sale section here for an engine/trans.

inthetwisties

lol ive been talking with hinson and a few other companies..but because this is my dd, i think im just going to trade it in....ill know for sure what im going to do within the next month

usmc320

iTrader: (3)

Yea, I had heard the weight difference wasn't alot between the 2 due to the aluminum LS block, but weight placement would be the bigger factor due to the longer drivetrain. I always kind of wanted the turbo'ed 3 rotor 20B swap myself. Those guys are getting 650rwhp pretty easily with that setup. Pricey though considering it has to be imported.

Ultimately though I ended up just buying a T/A and selling the 8. Oh well.

Summerwolf

iTrader: (3)

Love the RX8 except for its downgraded from the FD rotary

usmc320

iTrader: (3)

They got a bad name though for the problematic twin turbo system on the 7s, so they tried to sacrifice power for reliability on the 8.

Flaring Afro

um, the rx8 weighs less than 200 less than ours. with the swap it would be the same, i can imagine.

put a 3 rotor in. dont take out the heart of the car. or forge a crank and put 2 2 rotors together. 700 horsepower n/a would be nice.


actually, its a better engine, just no turbos. but its not the replacement of the fd just because it has a rotary. mazda put that engine in more than rx7s and 8s such as the 3 rotor cosmos. rx8 replaces the mx6 because same price range, both 2+2 cars. the rx7 was competing with corvettes.

Summerwolf

iTrader: (3)

I'm sorry, half the HP is a huge downgrade. I know the renesis was an evolution but they could've evolved it to be more reliable AND have at least the same if not more power than the FD

And I'm sorry, when something comes out named "RX-8" several years after the "RX-7" its the replacement for what market they were lacking.

Bryan921SS

Wow glad to see some guys on here into the imports as well as the domestics..

Too many people trash the imports, they can make big power too, just have to work harder...and spend more money to get those horses out.

usmc320

iTrader: (3)

Actually, all the RX signifies is rotary powered. Go look at some older RX's like the RX-3 or RX-4. Do you think these are in the same class as an RX-7 as well

Mazda is actually considering a replacement now for the RX-7 line. Whether it will carry the RX-7 or a different name is still undecided as is the final outcome of the project. Their only kicking around ideas right now, but the talk has been about a replacement for the RX-7 NOT the RX-8. Mazda doesn't even consider the 2 to be in the same class. The RX-8 would certainly meet it's demise if they do finalize the project though. Mazda doensn't have enough rotary followers to have 2 rotary powered vehicles at once.

BTW the pic is an RX-4 SEDAN.

Flaring Afro

^ do you mean the furai? i think thats going to be more expensive than the rx7. probably zr1 territory. gonna be awesome though.

and saying an engine isnt improved because it doesnt have forced induction doesnt make sense. its better. the exhaust and intake dont cross for example. and without turbos the fd would have at least 80 horsepower less than the rx8. and rotaries are simple. not like piston engines which lower compression and such for forced induction. without forced induction, nothing changes with their internals.

are rx8s underpowered for their price? somewhat. tiburons are more underpowered for 25k+ (loaded) cars. but the g8 is the same price as a loaded 8 and has 400.

usmc320

iTrader: (3)

I haven't been following it that closely myself to know anything specific about it. I just know whatever that project is is supposed to be a replacement for the RX-7.

Summerwolf

iTrader: (3)

Sorry, were they producing RX-3's at the same time they were producing RX-7's....no?

okay. I know the RX signifies Rotary engined in the mazda hierarchy but have they ever produced multiple RX models at the same time....I honestly don't know. They had some weird stuff going on the 70's.

usmc320

iTrader: (3)

Sorry, are they producing RX-7s at the same time they are producing RX-8's...no

Seriously though. It tends to signify the next rotary powered vehicle - not really an in-kind replacement for the prior one. They never intended the 8 to replace the 7 in the same catagory. The 8 is a 2+2 with 4 doors unlike the 2 seater 7. That's the reason they go from 2 doors to sedans to 2 doors to 2+2s. The RX nameplate has nothing to do purebred sports cars per se like the RX-7 is.

It's more of an enthusiast vehicle to show off designs.

Summerwolf

iTrader: (3)

And you just found what I was saying. lol. RX-8 followed the RX-7 with a redesigned renesis rotary.

usmc320

iTrader: (3)

Of course the 8 followed the 7 along with a redesigned rotary engine. No one is disputing that. No one is disputing the lack of torque in the N/A engine either.

As Flaring Afro said earlier the 7 was competing with vettes. I can't imagine anyone thinking the 8 is Mazda's next generation "Vette Killer". It's not even Mazda's "Cobalt SS Killer".

Summerwolf

iTrader: (3)

All I said was it was Mazda's replacement for a section of market they were lacking in. They wanted to put out something RWD and sporty that wasn't a roadster. In that essence it DID replace the RX-7 since that was the closest thing that mazda had put out and didn't have in their stables anymore.

I said I thought it was a downgraded motor since it didn't have turbos. If that had a redesigned more reliable rotary (which they did) I'm sure they could have figured a way to package in a couple turbos, make it as much if not more powerful than the FD and still maintain the capabilities in the twisties as the current RX-8. But they didn't. Which sucks.

Flaring Afro

yes. in america? no. american gas sucks and they still havent tuned the rotary right for it. theres actually buses in japan powered by rotaries.

so the camaro and corvette are in same competing group? they both are nonroadster sport cars. mazdas furai will in a way be the replacement of the 7 since it will be competing with A corvette. but by the looks of the thing the zr1, not c6. so thats not really a replacement either.



and at one point mazda was considering bringing back the 7 while it was starting to produce the 8. i dont think they will though. not many here bought the fds. Why would mazda replace an unsuccessful car? In america it was made 93-95. In japan and europe it was made til around 01,02. They even had "99 spec" rx7s which had a different spoiler and some other changes like tail lights.