Mazda Europe has just revealed a facelifted version of the RX-8 sports car. For 2010 the RX-8 receives a new front bumper design, a larger grille opening, new headlamps, new front fenders, new LED rear lamps and a redesigned rear bumper with larger exhaust tips.
The interior benefits from new trim materials making a sportier cockpit with a new center console design. The tachometer now features a variable red-zone that rises as the engine comes to operating temperature much like the new BMW M3. Overall the redesigned instrument cluster was developed with colors to help minimize strain on the driver’s eyes.
Under the hood the 13B twin rotor RENESIS rotary engine delivers 231 HP at 8,200 RPM and 155 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 RPM. The compact power plant accelerates the redesigned RX-8 0 to 60 MPH in just 6.4 seconds and allows the four door sports car to reach a top speed of 145 MPH.
Press release after the jump.
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Six years after its official launch, the Mazda RX-8 is about to receive its first major facelift. With improved aerodynamics, new tail lights and a modernized interior, the new RX-8 will make its world debut in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
For the interior, the new RX8 receives better quality materials, a modified instrument display, the new three-spoke leather sport steering wheel with red decorative stitching, the standard Recaro sport seats (front) with black cloth leather references, a Bluetooth handsfree for mobile phones, Bose audio system with nine speakers. Safety features will include like ABS, dynamic stability and traction control.
The new RX8 will remain a mid-engine design model with rear wheel drive system, but will drop the 192 hp system. The 0 to 60 mph sprint will be made in 6,4 seconds and top speed will go up to 234 km/h.
Here at Top Speed we love anything and everything that goes fast, so during our weekend on the Monterey peninsula we had to make a stop at the legendary Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the MotoGP Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. Once there we were pleasantly surprised when the track staff offered us the opportunity to take a ride around the prestigious racing circuit aboard one of Mazda’s modified safety cars. The lineup of matte black and white pace cars included an RX-8 four door sports coupe, a CX-7 crossover and the all new Mazda 6.
At first we were a little disappointed not to see a Miata wearing the pace car livery, equipped with the fancy amber light bar and beefier tires allowing the trio of Mazdas to corner like champions and stay ahead of the two wheeled racers. However, after a quick trip in the CX-7 and Mazda 6, we were absolutely convinced that the Miata’s fun to drive DNA runs rich throughout the entire automaker’s lineup.
When the track marshall told me to get into the CX-7, our thoughts were limited to, “what a bummer, we come all the way to California and we get stuck riding in the cow of the group", boy were we wrong. Inside the crossover everything was stock except for a circuit board to control the flashing lights and a roll bar that gave the bright blue Scroth 4 point racing harnesses a place to secure themselves to while we were strapped in tight to the leather wrapped seat. The only modification to the drive train of the Euro-spec CX-7 were a set of Brembo brakes and a set of plus sized forged TE-37 wheels from Volk Racing wrapped in sticky rubber.
Nevertheless, it seems that these basic modifications were enough to turn the CX-7 into a track day special. It was amazing how well the sports inspired crossover handled on the track. We were instantaneously blown away by how fast this little Sport-Utility could lap the circuit, and especially the way that the driver was able to tame the infamous corkscrew. We were surprised to find ourselves on the heels of the other safety cars, the driver was really hammering it. Truning in sharply, pumping the steering wheel like mad, clipping the apexes, pushing the CX-7 to its limit. The car did an amazing job of staying on track. Mazda has truly figured out a way to incorporate their zoom-zoom high performance attitude into even the most unlikely of products.
Check the gallery for more photos and details about each of the cars.
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Mazda’s rotary powered rocket, the RX-8, has been given a few updates by the Japanese automaker in order to keep their sports car current and a bit more user friendly. The four-door, four-passenger sport compact has received rain-sensing windshield wipers, Mazda’s auto-light system and an audio-less option, all standard. However the most striking of the recent upgrades comes in the form of two new color choices for the exterior: Aluminum Metallic and Metropolitan Gray Mica.
Mazda has left the lovable 13B alone; the two-rotor motor still makes 232 HP in manually shifter vehicles. However, we are still awaiting word of a turbocharger.
Press release after the jump.
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Mazda is looking for some promotion during the 2009 Targa Tasmania by calling its entry "the only rotary-powered performance car in Australia". This Aussie race is something that we normally wouldn’t cover very heavily, and low-level news like an RX-8 entering the competition would usually only be posted on a very slow day, but then something interesting caught our eye in the press release.
As it turns out this RX-8 will be allowed to compete with a turbocharger. The rotary cars from Mazda haven’t been turbocharged since the RX-7, which was discontinued in 2002 (1995 in the U.S.)
Mazda didn’t release performance figures on the car it’s calling the RX-8 SP. We’re betting there is a significant increase to the 232 hp and at least a second shaved off the standard car’s 0 to 60 time of six seconds.
Press release after the jump.
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The facelift version of the Mazda RX-8 made its world debut last year at the Detroit Auto Show. And since then we haven’t heard much about it. But today we bring you the first real life photo of the car made here in Miami.
The facelifted Mazda RX8 was presented side by side with the SpeedSource Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8, winner of the GT class at the Rolex 24 at Daytona to kick off the 2008 GrandAm season.
The 2009 Mazda RX-8 is available as either a 232-hp model fitted with a six-speed manual transmission, or a 212-hp model fitted with a six-speed Sport A/T automatic with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters for a Formula 1-style driving experience.
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The Mazda RX-8 is a hit with those who love high-revving engines, but after five years on the vine, it may be growing a little stale. Now Mazda is doing some heavy breathing on the rotary-power car with the introduction of a special edition RX-8 called the "Circuit Trial" at the Tokyo Auto Salon (January 9 to 11).
The exact specifications of what Mazdaspeed has applied to the RX-8 for the Circuit Trial upgrade was not announced, but we expect modified suspension, brake, and engine components. We do know that it will offer Recaro bucket seats, large diameter tires, new alloy wheels, and a body kit.
The Circuit Trial treatment will also be applied to Atenza (AKA Mazda6) and Demio (Mazda2 in Europe, nothing in the U.S.)
There has been no announcement to offer RX-8 Circuit Trial in the U.S., which means Mazda’s fanboys over here are probably figuring out how to get parts (or whole cars) on container ships.
For those folks who don’t know, the
Mazda RX-8 R3 Edition features a new sport pack consisting in a re-designed front bumper, new side skirts and rear wing spoiler, Recaro sport buckets and stylish 19” alloy wheels. According to the Japanese manufacturer the new edition promises to deliver more stability and better steering due to the new Bilstein sports suspension kit. Mazda announced that the pricing for the new R3 Edition will be approximately £25,000 or $50,000.
Launched in 2003, the
Mazda RX-8 hit the global market with a serious bang. The RX-8 has won more than 50 global awards since its release including 2003 RJC Car of the Year in Japan Australia’s Wheels magazine’s Car of the Year for 2003, 2003 International Engine of the Year, 2004 Singapore Car of the Year, the 2004 U.S. Best Sports Car and UK Car of the Year 2004. It was also named on Car and Driver magazine’s Ten Best list for 2004, 2005, and 2006. All together, Mazda has sold nearly 167,000 RX-8s around the world
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Mazda will unveil the facelift RX-8 in a few days at the Detroit Auto Show. The company decided to release two official images so people can make an idea of what to expect, but as you can see many others were leaked.
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