Zoom...Zoom...Zoom. I have often felt that the people behind
that famous phrase were geniuses. After all, it perfectly
sums up Mazda's emphasis on
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2006 Mazda RX-8 (Photo: Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan) |
sporty fun, which the company seems to
build into every vehicle that they make. This is
particularly true of their
2006 Mazda
RX-8.
To call this car sporty is a bit like
saying; "Mr. McCartney has had a little success with one or
two of his songs". The RX8 truly has to be one of the best
looking sports models for the money on offer today.
The way which the fender lines follow those of the
225/45/18 rubber that the RX8 sits on is automotive design
at its best. This is one sexy looking automobile which can
turn heads with the best of them. In fact, I might even go
as far as to say that it has the makings of a budget Super-
Car.
Of course, there are not too many Super-Cars
running around with 1.3 L engines, then again, they don't
have Mazda's famed rotary engine in
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2006 Mazda RX-8 (Photo: Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan) |
them. Over the years, a few
manufacturers have dabbled with rotary power but Mazda has
stuck with the idea and has produced some quite impressive
vehicles utilizing this alternative engine design.
Unlike the more conventional engine, the rotary design
does not have any pistons. Instead, it produces power via a
triangular rotor running in what is basically an epileptical
chamber. This idea involves much fewer moving parts, and it
tends to runs smoother than the engines which we are used
to. It also allows for much higher revs, in this case,
almost 9000 RPM. Now, that is impressive! All this, of
course, does come with some cost, as typically the rotary
engine uses more oil than most and also tends to be a tad
(premium) fuel thirsty.
Some of my colleagues have
been heard to say that the RX-8 could use a little more
power, but I think that it is simply a car that you have to
get
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2006 Mazda RX-8 (Photo: Kevin ''Crash''
Corrigan) |
used to. Because of the
power plant, you need to become accustomed to driving it,
and in particular, using the rev counter more. Of course,
your ears tend to tell you when it is time to change gear,
and we all trust them. With the RX8, the red-line is much
higher than you think, and so you have to ignore that little
inner voice and use all of the revs at your disposal. When
you do this, and you work the six speed box effectively,
this vehicle is no slouch. The figures say that the RX8
accelerates from 0-60 in 5.9 seconds. I don't think that
this is too shabby for a car of its size and its relatively
small engine displacement; in fact, I'd call it quite
impressive.
The ride of the RX-8 is firm yet still
manages to be comfortable. It holds the road extremely well
and there is some nice feedback through the steering,
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2006 Mazda RX-8 (Photo: Kevin ''Crash''
Corrigan) |
even though it is
electrically assisted. This car can corner with the best of
them and I might even go as far as to say, that it has the
edge on the Speed6 which I recently reviewed, and that's an
AWD vehicle; this is RWD.
This brings us to the
interior of the RX-8 which is equally as impressive. Mazda
has made good use of quality materials and have produced a
cabin area which is comfortable, yet can still yield
excitement. The leather trimmed seats boast pleasant
contrasting colors and the dashboard layout is typically
Zoom...Zoom.