Did anybody watch the Grand-Am race from Watkins Glen raceway?

It is always impressive to see those Mazda Rx-8s battling against C-6 Corvettes, Porsches, and other more expensive cars. I sort of gets me to think about buying one.

 

Those cars don't even share a motor with the real RX8 (or chassis, or body, or suspension layout, etc). I LOVE those Mazdas, but you're going to be regretful of an RX8 purchase if you assume it'll beat a Corvette.

 

lol at mbellezzy. there actually was a great article on those cars in grm last year i believe.

 

indeed. or expect to drive it every day...

just google some of the crazy problems these cars have had - especially flooding and engine replacement issues...

 

I know that if I buy an Rx-8 it will never have a chance of keeping pace with a Corvette or a similar car. It will barely be able to follow a MazdaSpeed 3 to be honest. However, I think the chassis, body, and suspension layout on the Grand-Am Rx-8 is actually the same as the on the street version.

The engine obviously has had a ton of work done on it. I have that issue of Grassroots Motorsports where there is an article about the Grand-Am Rx-8s that I will have to find.

 

Grand-Am RX8's are tube frame w/ 3 rotor engines... nothing like the street version.

 

Ehh The Camaros, RX8, GTO, GXP.R, and even some of the corvettes are very very different then the road going versions. The racing is great, i'd just like to see GA come up with a way to level the feild along a 45min stint.

But that seems hard unlikely with the RX8 coming in at 2385lbs and every other car in the series coming in 200 to 300lbs more then it.

I say let them drop a 4rotor motor in there and a couple hundred pounds...


But with the rumor mill, and confirmed visits from GA officials to many many FIA events/headquaters, i think GT will get a WHOLE lot more diverse...

 

I guess I was thinking of the SCCA World Challenge Rx-8s then. Those use the stock chassis and engine, and are nowhere near as fast as a Corvette, Porsche, or something similar.

 

Everyone who I know who bought a RX8 has sold it within 3 years..
They break too much.

 

Yeah I don't plan on keeping for longer than 3 years anyway.

Normally I would never lease a car.

However I was thinking about leasing a brand new Rx-8 R3 for 3 years for a total of around $13k dollars. I assume I would lose at least that much on the depreciation after three years, and I also am thinking I probably will not want to own it for more than three years.

That way my payments would be in the mid $300 dollar range. If I were to buy a $32,000 dollar car my payments would be at least $600 a month, and then I would get very little resale value.

 

If I was going to actually buy a $32k dollar car, then I would get a new Evo, or 370Z or something.