Category: Affordable Sports 
Price Range: No data available
Technically interesting; practical four-door body style; fun to drive; good value for money.
High emissions, high tax; heavy fuel consumption.
An utterly unique proposition - and likely to remain that way.
The official figures for the Mazda RX-8 - 146mph, 0-60mph in 6.4 seconds - don't tell all the story, though there's no doubt that this is a quick car.
The interesting bit is how the power builds; like Honda's VTEC engines, the rotary is short on torque at low speeds, and gives little hint of its true potential, but get it spinning - it goes right up to 9000rpm once warmed up - and it's spectacular. You need to be rev-happy to get the most from this engine, but drop down a gear or two and it just keeps on coming, and the maximum 156lb-ft of torque finally kicks in at 5,500rpm. Sounds fantastic, too, with a whirring tone reminiscent of a turbo-prop aircraft.
This revised R3 model gets the new neatly-shifting six-speed manual gearbox as in the MX-5, with closer-ratio lower gears and a higher sixth gear for more relaxed motorway cruising.
Much of the MX-5's magic has made it into the RX-8, which is also rear-wheel-drive. Like Mazda's little roadster, it grips the road with perfect balance and poise, its excellent 50:50 front:rear weight balance almost giving the feel of a mid-engined car - but with a more controllable tail end.
Body shell and driveshaft rigidity have been enhanced: new Bilstein suspension fitted with new damper, spring, bush and stabiliser settings and re-tuned rear geometry, and the steering tweaked, making the RX-8 sharper than ever. The underbody aerdynamics have been improved as well, reducing high-speed lift and aiding stability.
Yet for all its credibility as a hardcore sports car, the RX-8 is also quite docile to drive in unsporting scenarios: it can trundle along in stop-start traffic without being too tiresome, and while it is low-slung and low of roof, all-round visibility is good and it's not difficult to park or manoeuvre in tight spaces.
