- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 4 seats
- Engine
13Bi Rotary, 2 cyl.
- Engine Power
177kW, 211Nm
- Fuel
NA
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2006 Mazda Rx-8 Revelation Review
Spinning to over 9000rpm from its throaty Wankel engine this strange beast knows how to thrill its young owner.
- Smooth, high revving rotary, Decent kit, Great looks, Amazing ride and handling
- Fuel comsumption, Oil consumption, Insurance costs, Servicing costs, Impractical
Brought just recently, I predicted days of low compression and large bills in my future but so far this little rotary has been nothing but a pleasure. With its perfect 50:50 weight distribution and front engine, rear drive set up with a whopping big LSD, this car handles like nothing else. The traction control set to just let a tiny amount of slip, it feels like a dream at the wheel.
This specialty Revelation model is one of rarity and this tuned 198kw 1.3 bridged Renesis rotary paired with a twin clutch plate 6 speed manual dominates short and twisty race circuits as well as every B road you point it towards. Fuel economy is not for those that value their hard earned money, as I average around 23 litres per 100 with just lightly spirited driving.
The leather Recaro racing seats hold you firmly in place to experience not only the thrill of this high revving, buzzing rotary, but also the Bose tuned 9 speaker sound system. The sound system is so good, it almost makes me forget about the insurance premiums of over $3000 I have to pay as a 19 year old owning such a car.
Servicing costs vary largely depending on what needs to be done. Spark plugs at close to $100 each though make large services quite costly. Getting new plugs, new coils and new leads can almost set you back $1000 if done with genuine OEM parts. The durability of the Renesis rotary has been long questioned but this particular example with over 110000km on the clock and with its original block, still has decent compression and handles tuning well.
The few things that can let the RX8 down are the low riding front splitter that makes every owner cringe at most driveways and speed bumps. The suicide doors, while cool to look at, aren't entirely practical. The boot, on my model, has a huge strut brace going across it and is really just a compartment to house the spare tyre.
When you drive it though, and I mean really drive it, it feels so alive. It has a soul and it gives you the impression that it would never let you down.
The RX8, immensely impractical, hardly economical, wildly expensive perfection.