Road Test: Mazda RX-8 Spirit R

OVERSTEER ROAD TEST: Mazda RX-8 Spirit R

The last gasp from the now-iconic Mazda RX-8 may well, in reality, be the last rasp from the truly legendary rotary engine, despite Mazda’s highest hopes and best efforts. We take a look at the final special edition of the RX-8 to see if it still spins our wheels…

Introduced in 2003, the RX-8 was something of a stunner. The ultra-smooth, high revving rotary was sublime, the unusual rear-opening rear doors (for some reason Mazda never liked them being referred to as suicide doors…) and stunning shape were as unique as they were attractive and the handling was just perfect.

It went hard, it had an addictive rotary howl and it was just plain damn fun. It was an easy car to love, despite its faults (mainly related to the ‘enthusiastic’ consumption of both oil and petrol) and it quickly became a modern classic.

Now, the phrase “modern classic” is a somewhat loaded one and many of the cars saddled with the epithet suffer in making the transition for “modern” classic into true classic as they age. Think of it as their awkward teenage years, and part of the curse of being new and interesting is trying to sustain that interest until you are old enough to be interesting again…

But the RX-8 is one of those cars that have been surprisingly graceful at slipping gently into an impressive middle age. This is probably largely due to the fact that Mazda hasn’t ever gone silly with it; over the course of its life it has only really been massaged and tweaked. A bit more power here, revised suspension there and a few gentle facelifts to do away with the majority of the unnecessary rotary shapes that were scattered around the original car.

Still good-looking, decently quick and relentlessly fun to chuck around, the RX-8 is starting to show its age. Still a great car? Definitely, yes. Still worth buying? Well… that depends.

Someone asked me if I would still like the RX-8 if it had a more conventional engine, say, a turbo inline four or a small V6. And it is the answer to this question that is essentially the answer to whether the RX-8 is still worth buying…

Outside

Of course, it still looks great. The original design was one of those timeless shapes that just worked – and still works. It has aged gracefully and benefitted enormously from the subtle facelifts Mazda has bestowed upon it.

However, if there is a criticism of the RX-8’s exterior, it is one that is not really Mazda’s fault. That would be the curse of familiarity. Besieged by Japanese imports, the RX-8 is one of those unfortunate cars that’s good looks have been dulled by its popularity. They are hardly uncommon and are more often than not draped in all manner of hideous plastic exterior body additions.

Mazda do have to shoulder some of the blame for this though; its commendable restraint in not evolving the RX-8 into something silly has led others to do it on their behalf, but this has also allowed a NEW RX-8 to look remarkably similar to an OLD RX-8…

This final special edition – that Mazda have dubbed the Spirit R, in honour of the final run of RX-7s – has been bestowed with sportier Bilstein suspension, a set of (questionable, depending on your tastes) bronze 19-inch alloy wheels, a new (and again, surprisingly subtle) body kit and Spirit R badges on the C-pillars.

Our metallic black example was one of three colours available on the final RX-8, with the other two being an aluminium metallic and a white pearl.

While not being the automatic head-turner it once was, the RX-8 is still a very attractive car indeed.

Inside

Large, body-hugging Recaro seats are the main thing that sets the Spirit R edition apart from the standard RX-8, but not always in a good way…

While the seats grasp you at all times with a wonderfully authoritative and assertive grip, and are surprisingly comfortable with it, there are a few issues with them. Firstly, unless you are relatively slim of hip, you will struggle to fit into the seats. Larger buttocks will endure a side bolster jammed uncomfortably into each cheek as said fatty sits across, rather than in the seat.

But the main annoyance I personally endured with the fantastic-looking seats was the fact that they held you so tightly and positively that your torso was pointed towards the front of the car (as it should be…) while the pedals were ever-so-slightly off-set to the right. It was something I could never get used too and would annoy me every time I got into the car…

This aside, the rest of the RX-8’s interior was as special as ever. Beautifully designed, well stuck together and nicely laid out, it is a uniquely Japanese interior that suits the RX-8’s sporty, yet refined personality.

But… the age is starting to show here too, mainly thanks to omissions in spec that we take for granted in a new car today; mainly no Bluetooth connectivity and no USB audio input. Not vital, but noticeable nonetheless.

Under the Bonnet

Of course, it is under the long, swooping bonnet that the RX-8’s main attraction has always lurked; the 170kW 13B Renesis rotary engine. The distinctive-sounding rasp, the silky smooth power delivery and the addictive rush of the revs piling on towards a stratospheric redline have always been the RX-8’s trump card in any argument.

Although the associated terrifying fuel thirst has always been a problem too…

And not a lot has really changed here. The engine is still a smooth, high-revving delight. It sounds wonderful as the revs rise higher and higher and the power comes on smoother than Barack Obama in a velvet suit. The fuel gauge still goes down almost as quickly as the speed goes up, however, and this is no doubt the sole reason for Mazda dropping the axe on the RX-8.

The other flaw of the rotary engine is its utter lack of torque low down. LOTS of gear shifting has to be done in the manual around town (the Spirit R is only available as a manual, because the auto is a girl’s car…), but this is never a terrible hardship, as the six-speed manual transmission and the clutch are a delight to use. And blipping on the throttle is rewarded with a wonderful distinctly rotary yelp.

On the Road

Things are still sublime here as well. The RX-8 has always been a wonderful handler, with brilliant poise and a chassis that could reduce a grown man to tears of delight.

Chuck it into a corner and it responds like a terrier on a cat, ripping it to shreds and wagging its tail in delight. The steering is delightfully sharp and packed full of feel and the communication it offers is simply remarkable.

That applies to the whole car, really, as simply every part of the RX-8 talks to you and lets you know exactly what is happening at any given time, regardless of whether you are taking it easy or trying to rub the painted lines off the road.

The poise and precision of the RX-8 is still a thoroughly wonderful thing to experience and always leaves you wanting more. As soon as you have finished a good thrash, you instantly feel like turning around and doing it again. Except it will probably be out of fuel…

While the handling is simply remarkable, the ride does get a bit wearing, especially around town. Out on the open road at cruising speeds, it settles relatively nicely, to a bearable level of firm, but around city streets, it can become a chore, particularly when combined with the need to constantly shift gears.

This makes the RX-8 the perfect weekend car, but as a daly driver it would probably become a bit of a grind.

Verdict

So back to the original question: would I still like the RX-8 if it had a more conventional engine, say, a turbo inline four or a small V6?

The answer for me is yes, probably even more so. I love the way it looks and love the way it handles, but dislike the thirst and lack of torque of the rotary engine.

But for others, it is all about the engine. Which is fine, because those are the people who would, or rather should, buy the final RX-8 Spirit R. Because for people like me, there are better choices now that the Mazda has aged. The obvious one is the forthcoming Toyota 86, a wonderful car with utterly delightful handling, stunning looks and rather large price advantage…

But if you can’t stand the idea of the RX-8 without a rotary, then the Spirit R is the perfect car for you. It is a delightful car to thrash around a winding road and it still looks great. And your last chance to get it too…

Mazda RX-8 Spirit R Specifications

Price: $56,695
Body type: 4-door coupe
Drive: Rear-wheel drive
Engine Type: 13b rotary
Engine Capacity: 1308cc
Max power: 170kW @ 7500rpm
Max torque: 211Nm @ 5500rpm
Fuel Consumption: 12.9L/100km
C02 emission: n/a
0 to 100kph: n/a
Front suspension: Double wishbone
Rear suspension: Multi-link
ABS Brakes: Yes
Air Bags: 6
ESP: Yes
Air Conditioning: Climate
Lap/diagonal belts: 4
Satellite Navigation: No
Electric seats: No
Burglar Alarm: Yes
Panic Button: No
Wheel type: 19-inch alloy