Test Drive: 2010 Mazda RX-8
Interior
Inside the Mazda RX-8 and it's all rather plan and boring. There's not much to the interior as far as gadgets go, and that's just fine by me. The RX-8 doesn't need anything fancy because it's all about the drive, not the driver wanting his car to make him a latte. A simple entertainment system and a perfectly place shifter knob with Recaro racing seats is pure perfection for the Mazda RX-8. It's bare bones, but it's more than enough for this car.
Performance
Mazda introduced the rotary RENESIS engine with the RX-8 and has held the market in the auto industry for the rotary engine since. Why has no one else picked up on their genius engineering? Well, while there are benefits to a rotary engine (it's smooth running, there are no reciprocating parts, there's a better power-to-weight ratio, and improved cooling), the torque often suffers. Even though this car manages to get 232 horsepower out of a 1.3-liter engine (pretty impressive), it's left with a piddly 159 lb.-ft of torque.
While this model is unique on its own with Recaro racing seats, Bilstein suspension and 19" alloy wheels; there was more to it than met the eye. Nestled between the front-fender haunches hid a Mazdaspeed cold air intake. And while the intake doesn't really offer much of a performance upgrade, what it does do is make the car sound absolutely phenomenal.
The Mazda RX-8 handles beautifully. It's light on its wheels, nimble around the corners and responsive in the throttle and shifts. Plus, the sound of the exhaust will keep you pushing this car to its limits, not matter how straight or curvy the road gets.
