Mazda RX-8 – The Time is Now

When it came time for Mazda to replace the RX-7, you’d be forgiven for imagining things would be different. We’re talking about Mazda after all, a company with a proven reputation for taking the established and conventional – like the Lotus Elan or Porsche 924 – and making it better. Like the MX-5 and RX-7. And yet, there’s the RX-8. A car that is to convention what Oasis is to innovative dance music. It feels, on some level, like a motorised version of Mazda’s designers throwing their toys out of the pram. Enough with convention, perhaps they screamed, whilst manically throwing waste paper bins around the design studio. ‘Don’t make us reheat the Lotus Elan again. Let us work free,’ they may have shouted.

An Introduction to the Mazds RX-8

Looking at the RX-8, it seems a given that freedom was the order of the day. You can sense the fun those designers were having – little rotary ‘Easter Eggs’ abound across the exterior panelwork and the interior. This is no ordinary, conventional coupé. It has four doors for starters. Other manufacturers created coupés by re-clothing humdrum saloons and hatchbacks. Not Mazda. The RX-8 is related to the MX-5, but not much is shared. Instead, clever packaging means this front-engined, rear-wheel drive four-door has a very low curb weight and what there is has been perfectly distributed 50:50 front to rear.

The car’s route to market was similar to the MX-5. A group of engineers took the RX-01 concept car and set about developing it after hours. Management caught wind of it, a complicated brief was inflicted upon the project – it had to have four doors – and the RX-8 was born.

Then there’s the elephant in the room. The Wankel rotary engine. It wasn’t new – it could trace its development back to the mid-’70s – but that hardly mattered when its 1.3-litre displacement was good for up to 225bhp! Light and able to rev to hitherto unimaginable levels – i.e. 10,000rpm – this clever engine was the jewel in Mazda’s stellar bid to carve out a distinctive place in the market.

The car was launched with a range of engine outputs, from 185bhp up to 225bhp. It changed little throughout its life, save for a light 2008 facelift and some shuffling of the model range. Reviewers loved its ‘revability,’ steering, brakes and balance, describing driving an RX-8 as one of the most immersive driving experiences of the era. Heady stuff. The RX-8 was nimble, perfectly balanced and entirely usable. The main criticism then and now surrounds the lack of torque, which can make it sluggish at low revs. But most drivers learn to work around that. Unlike some of its contemporaries, this is not an intimidating car.

Except, perhaps, when you reached the local Shell or Esso where the 20mpg penalty of that clever engine became apparent. Then there was the reliability. The Wankel needed careful maintenance, without which it wore out (we’re looking at you apex seals) or simply stopped working quite quickly.

The result was a car hobbled by its unconventional nature and, increasingly, by its reputation. Sales were hampered and it would be the last Wankel-engined RX. None of which should put you off, though.

What Should I Look For?

You won’t need to look far to find why enthusiasts love the RX-8. This clever, innovative car is a brilliant steer. Driving one is quite unlike any of its contemporaries – brilliant balance, poised handling and, if you keep it on song, that smooth-revving engine. Every journey, whether to Tesco or Turin, becomes memorable.

But, of course, that’s not the full story. If you know anything about the RX-8 there’ll be alarm bells ringing in your ears. Likely loud ones, probably with a big red flashing light attached, possibly with the words ‘engine wear’ emblazoned upon them.

That unusual engine is not the most durable of powerplants. The compression seals wear, which is a costly job and, potentially, a regular one. That, and the fuel economy, are the reasons why RX-8s are cheap. The wear problem is a significant one, but it seems to have become the RX-8’s talisman in a way that isn’t quite matched by reality. Yes, the engines aren’t that durable, but 50,000 to 100,000 miles between rebuilds is realistic. Which, for a weekend car, feels far from catastrophic.

These cars also consume oil, whilst not quite at the same rate as petrol, certainly in the same ballpark. Poorly maintained cars also rust, much like other Mazdas built around the same time. When buying check the MOT history, check the structure and hope to find a raft of engine maintenance. Many have had engine rebuilds – the more recent the better. You’ll want the buyer to be knowledgeable too, as a check that they’ve stayed on top of that oil consumption. Otherwise, it merely exacerbates the wear problem.

Less common issues involve wear in the steering universal joint, leaking power steering hoses and failing roll bar linkages. The brakes may also need to be checked if the car has been unused for a while. Fortunately, parts are not silly money, and an enthusiastic army of owners is out there to answer questions and point you in the right direction.

Should any of that bother modern classic buyers? We’re not so sure. The RX-8 makes a lot more sense as a weekend weapon rather than a daily driver. In the realm of occasional B road blasts and mental health top-up drives, the fuel and oil consumption and the engine issues are less significant. A well-looked-after car, backed by a knowledgeable specialist, instead represents a bargain compared to a TT or 996. What you save on the purchase can support the maintenance.

What Are Prices Like?

Prices seem to have stabilised for a car that was in economic freefall for many years. Final facelift cars, with low mileage and good history, are most in demand. Expect to pay up to £10,000 for the best. At the other end of the scale, £2,000 will get you into an RX-8, but at that level you’ll want either a big maintenance buffer or your fingers firmly crossed behind your back.

Why Should I Buy One?

Because the RX-8 is a quick, immersive, distinctive and rare coupé for not a huge outlay. If you’re after a 20-year-old coupé then you’re not spoilt for choice. But none are as unusual as the RX-8 and none have a Wankel. It is a seriously capable car and still very much a head turner.

Do your research, spend as much as you can – ideally, on a car someone else has dumped money on – and you get one of modern classic motoring’s most entertaining cars. So start your search for your Mazda RX-8 right here on Car & Classic today.