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Most sports car fans are not unfamiliar with the legendary MAZDA RX-7, powered by the twin turbo charged twin rotor B-13 engine. However, high pollution and bad gas mileage caused the demise of rotary engine in the US. Until now…

RX-8, the spiritual successor of the RX-7, continued with the tradition of rotary engine. This new generation rotary engine, code named “Renesis”, not only met all of the environmental requirements, it also produced more power than the old rotary engine. No wonder this RX-8 garnered both “Car of the Year” and “Engine of the Year” honors.

The compactness of the Renesis engine allowed designers more liberty to sculpt beautiful lines within the compact dimension. One unique feature is the clam shell rear doors. This design really increased the usefulness of the cabin, and eased the entry and exit to the rear seats. Make this a legitimate 4 door sports car.

We test drove the 6 speed version of the RX-8. It produces 238 hp @ 8500 rpm and 159 lb-ft @ 5500 rpm; automatic version produces slightly less horsepower. This engine really needs to be revved to get the maximum performance out of it. The perfect front to rear weight distribution provided the RX-8 with a really high corning limit, even better than some of the so called pure sports car.

Driving RX-8 is really a test for one’s driving skill. When the engine is revving at 9000 rpm, every brake point selection, every heel and toe action becomes much more critical than in normal cars. Driving the RX-8 really takes on a different skill than driving a regular high torque sports car.

Gripes are few: RX-8 is heavier than expected, the suspension setting is on the soft side, the peaky-ness of the engine performance, and the bad gas mileage. If we can overlook these minor complaints, this RX-8 is really a good sports car; a perfect tool to train a driver’s driving skill.