When Mazda came out with its first rotary engine vehicle in 1967, the buzz was that the Wankel engine would revolutionize the auto industry. With fewer moving parts, better gas mileage, fewer contaminants dispersed and smooth power delivery from a compact, lightweight engine, the 4-stroke power plant first used by Mazda in its Cosmo Sport (known as the 110S overseas) was the innovation car-buyers were looking for. Mazda used the hype to propel itself into being a major car-seller in the United States, but few other manufacturers followed the rotary course.
The engine was efficient, and while it “whined” rather than purred, customers lined up to test and buy Mazda’s rotary-powered vehicles. Mazda utilized the Wankel as a means of complying with tough hydrocarbon emission standards, but the public soon found that fuel consumption figures were not as environmentally friendly as one would have thought, and mileage per gallon was less than amounts achieved by traditional reciprocating piston engines.
Four decades later, the Wankel has virtually disappeared from the landscape, and it powers up only one production car, the Mazda RX-8. In tribute to the 40 years that have transpired since the Cosmo, Mazda has added the Mazda RX-8 40th Anniversary Edition to its line-up.
Billed as “a sports car like no other,” the 40th Anniversary RX-8 is a limited-edition model with only 200 units produced.
The RX-8 debuted in 2003, and the 2008 RX-8 Rotary Engine 40th Anniversary model takes the vehicle to a new level and new trim. The interior borrows from its Cosmo Sport heritage and includes an exclusive Cosmo Red cockpit while adding Bilstein dampers and a urethane foam-filled front suspension cross member for a higher quality ride and better performance.
I tested this limited-edition “Zoom-Zoom” for an entire week and found it to be a head-turner that exhibited great handling, excellent balance and weight distribution, a low center of gravity and a genuine sport suspension that allows the driver to feel every bump, rut and road nuance as would a bona fide race car.
While this last capability is a plus for club racers, track and autocross participants, it is not a comfortable ride for passengers, poseurs or cruisers.
My Metropolitan Gray Mica test vehicle was brilliantly accented by its Cosmo Red interior, and was sleek and sporty with a length of 174.3 inches, width of 69.7 and height of 52.8. Minimum ground clearance is only 4.7 inches, and with a weight of only 3045 lbs., the RX-8’s tiny 1.3-liter twin rotary was enough to zoom a few zooms for this Mazda.
The 1.3-liter Wankel, mated to a 6-speed manual transmission puts out a less-than muscular 232 hp and 159 lbs.-ft. of torque. This is not a tire smoker due to minimal low-end torque, but the torque curve gains momentum, in European style, later on, and I was able to move the rear-wheel-drive RX-8 from zero to 60mph in a steady 6.4 seconds toward a 14.9-second quarter-mile.
What surprised me was the Wankel’s thirstiness. EPA rated at a surprisingly low 16mpg in the city and 22mpg on the highway on premium gas, my seven days of testing in various conditions, with highway miles making up about 75 percent of my distance traveled, garnered a disappointing 16.3mpg. And I must admit that when I stepped on the pedal and heard the Wankel “whine,” instead of a good-old-fashioned V-6 or V-8 purr and throaty thunder, I felt this sporty, memorable vehicle was lacking in that sound aesthetic.
A solid autocross performer, the RX-8 utilizes power-assist 4-wheel ventilated disk brakes, Tochigi Fuji limited slip differential, direct drive electronically assisted steering, double-wishbone independent front suspension and rear multi-link set-up, front and rear stabilizer bars. The sport-tuned suspension with Bilstein shock absorbers and urethane foam-injected front suspension cross member react intuitively to quick driver moves and road changes.
Government safety tests awarded the RX-8 five stars for the passenger and four stars for the driver in fontal crashes, four stars in front and rear on side crashes and a perfect five stars in rollover tests, which enforced the perception that the RX-8 is built low to the ground in aerodynamic excellence.
Other safety features include dual front airbags, side airbags and side air curtains, tire pressure monitoring system, DSC with traction control, anti-lock brake system, 24-hour roadside assistance, alarm and engine immobilizer system and front 3-point seat belts with pretensioners and limiters.
Inside the cozy two-seater, is good younger-crowd entertainment via a 300-watt, 9-speaker Bose sound system and AM/FM stereo with 6-disk CD changer.
Also inside is a power moonroof with one-touch open and sun shade, air conditioning, 8-way power driver’s seat, leather-trimmed heated driver and passenger seats, leather-wrapped shift knob, keyless entry system, black scuff plates with aluminum inserts and power window and door locks.
Base priced at $31,370, my test RX-8 came standard with all the safety, leather appointments and gadgetry mentioned above. The only add-ons were Sirius Satellite Radio ($430) and delivery charges of $635 for a price as tested of $32,435.
Happy 40th birthday Mazda rotary … we hope to drive the 50th anniversary tribute.
Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
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