2010 Mazda RX-8
The valet parking guys at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa didn't exactly come to blows over who was going to retrieve my bright-red RX-8, but it was the senior member of the team who was in the driver's seat when it appeared under the portico of this grand old dame of hotels.
I recall thinking Mazda had gotten it all wrong when it replaced its venerable and much-revered RX-7 two-seater with the quirky door-and-a-half-per-side RX-8 coupe in 2003. But after driving it again, it became clear that it's still a highly entertaining sports car that continues to carry around some serious cachet.
And after driving it to Ottawa and back to Belleville, Ont., other things also became apparent.
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The RX-8, which was significantly revised for the 2009 model year but is little changed for 2010, is available in two models. The $41,995 R3 package-equipped version is aimed at those who want to experience the "rotary rocket" in full wind-it-out-to-nine-grand and beat-up-your-backside-over-the-bumps sports car style.
The pricier, at $43,795, but tamer GT with lower power, automatic transmission, softer suspension and longer list of luxury features will suit those who like the car's unique style but in a perhaps-more-easy-to-live-with-on-a-daily-basis package.
In basic equipment terms, they're virtually the same, with leather-wrapped wheel and shift knob, stability control, front and side curtain airbag systems, Bose audio, rain-sensing wipers, cruise control, Bluetooth and Smart keyless entry. The latter is a not-so-smart credit-card-sized fob I found oddly awkward, a vibe my new lab puppy picked up on and promptly ate it.
R3 specs include a spoiler, sports-style front fascia and side sills, 19-inch wheels with 225/40R19 tires, partially leather-covered and firmly bolstered red-stitched Recaro sports seats (that you fit into like a baseball in a brand-new first-baseman's trapper), front and rear consoles, Xenon headlights and sports suspension with Bilstein shocks and a stiffened foam-filled front cross-member.
The more touring-oriented and thus aptly named GT comes with a six-speed automatic transmission (and power is trimmed to 212 hp with a 7,500 rpm limit), more leather, a sunroof, power memory driver's seat and optional (for $2,595) navi system.
The R3 I drove was equipped with the full-on version of the Renesis rotary engine whose twin rotors (with a nominal 1.3 litres of displacement) spin to 9,000 rpm and make 232 hp and 159 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual gearbox, with its ratios selected by a stubby shifter working through a quick, tight pattern, delivers this to the rear wheels.
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Big torque fans should steer clear, but if you like motors that rev there are few that do it better. Toeing the rotary's throttle is akin to pulling the trigger on an electric drill and having it hum smoothly and rapidly up to full revs.
If you row the gear lever quickly enough, you'll get to 100 km/h in just over six seconds. And you'd better enjoy the shifting experience - which you will if you're a sports-car type at heart - as with less torque available than Mazda3 GS compact sedan, you need to use the gearbox to get the most out of this car.
All that vibration-free revving is accompanied by a pleasantly sporty sound that adds to the car's charm - most of the time. On the highway, however, at anything much over 3,000 rpm, it turns into a rather tedious background drone that becomes wearing after a while. Overall noise levels inside are acceptable though.
Also not too pleasant is fuel economy - never a rotary motor long suit - that's rated at 12.8 litres/100 km city and 9.2 highway but, of course, higher than that in reality. By comparison, Nissan's 370Z sports coupe, with 332 hp, is rated at 11.6 city/7.7 highway.
And another Jekyll and Hyde aspect of the car's nature is the stiff sports suspension - particularly the impact of those rubber-band-thin-sidewalled 40-series tires.
I really liked the immediate response to steering input this setup delivers and the well-controlled body roll, which makes the RX-8 remarkably agile and enjoyable to drive. And I'd be willing to live with the kidney-pounding penalty it imposes - my wife, who was happy we weren't taking our tour in my '68 Morgan, didn't find the ride objectionable, either - but on a long trip it does become a bit fatiguing.
In practical touring terms, the RX-8, with its divided-by-a-console rear passenger compartment, into which you could actually wedge two people for short trips, comes up aces - for two, anyway. There's 290 litres of luggage space in the trunk plus, of course, that back seat area.
The GT version of the RX-8 is likely the better choice for anybody contemplating long-distance travel. Its six-speed automatic actually gets marginally better highway mileage and its other features would likely make your trip more pleasant. Or a daily commute for that matter.
The R3 version is "imperfectly" capable as a long distance tourer, but definitely the choice for those who enjoy sports car performance on a daily basis - and who might want to take it to the track on the weekends.
globedrive@globeandmail.com
2010 Mazda RX-8 R3
Type: Sports coupe
Base Price: $41,995, as tested, $42,195
Horsepower/torque: 232 hp/ 159 lb-ft
Engine: 1.3-litre, rotary engine
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Drive: Rear-wheel
Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 12.8 city/ 9.2 highway; premium gas
Alternatives: Nissan 350Z, BMW Z4, Audi TT, Infiniti G37, Lotus Evora, Mitsubishi Eclipse, BMW 1-Series