Mazda RX-8 Facelift In Detail

On sale now in Japan

March 10, 2008 11:24


The facelifted Mazda RX-8 was revealed at the Tokyo Auto Salon back in early January before it showed its bonnet at the Detroit Auto Show. Back then Mazda refrained from releasing official specifications, which we can now bring to your attention. The freshened RX-8 has gone on sale in Japan today.

The current first generation Mazda RX-8 has been on the roads since 2003 and with this facelift it will grace the tarmac in primarely Japan and the US for a few more years before it will be replaced. The four seater will see an entirely new model added to its range, the Type RS. The Type RS joins the base model RX-8, Type E and Type S by offering an even more powerful engine combined with a new body kit.

The entire range is graced with larger air-intakes in the front bumper, the side air-vents now have a turn indicator and the rear lights contain LED lamps. The aluminium wheels come in three new designs and have been upgraded to 17 inches on the base model and Type E, the Type S has 18 inch wheels while the new Type RS sits on 19 inch rims.

Inside, the base model and Type S are adorned with densely woven black seat covers, the Type E models come equipped with leather seat covers in black, red or beige. The tachometer also received an update with silver markings and white illumination.

Under the hood Mazda upgraded the water and oil pumps improving the performance on the RENESIS rotary engine. The revised gear ratios on the manual transmission allows for a more responsive acceleration at lower RPM. Mazda also redesigned the body structure, increased local rigidity and improved aerodynamics.

Main features of the freshened RX-8
Exterior
While maintaining the RX-8’s distinctive sports car proportions, the freshened exterior produces better aerodynamics and cooling performance.

Enlarged central and side air intakes in the front bumper improve engine cooling and emphasize the athletic styling. Side marker lamps integrated with the headlights reflect fine craftsmanship.
The front fenders feature turn indicators integrated with newly designed air vents.
The new rear bumper, designed in the same color as the car body, elevates the sense of quality. Enlarged dual exhaust pipes express high power, and LED lamps set in a circle in each rear combination light spotlight the sporty appeal.
Newly designed aluminum wheels. The Type S has 18-inch wheels with a rotor-shaped motif that symbolizes the rotary engine. The Type E and RX-8 base grade have 17-inch wheels with a five-spoke design.
New high quality exterior colors, Sparkling Black Mica, Diamond Grey Metallic and the sporty Aurora Blue Mica, bring the total range to eight body colors.
Interior
Based on the RX-8’s iconic sports car design, detailed interior refinements improve the packaging and quality.

Updated instrument panel center section design. The pop-up type optional GPS navigation system has been replaced by a system fully integrated into the center stack.
The addition of silver markings on the tachometer enhances the vehicle’s sporty feel. White illumination improves its visibility and the sense of quality.
Tactile leather is now used to wrap the steering wheel and parking brake lever.*5 The appearance and feel of the door arm rests and rear console lid have also been improved.
Newly designed seats. The Type S and RX-8 base grade have densely woven black fabric seat covers. The Type E’s seats have a finely perforated leather center section (in black, red or beige). Grades with leather seats also offer improved functionality through an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat with a three-person memory function, an electric folding driver’s seat for easy access to the rear, and newly added heated front seats for extra comfort in winter.
The Mazda G-BOOK Alpha-compatible voice controlled HDD navigation system is available at as a factory-installed option.*5 The system offers access to a range of information and services, and also supports Bluetooth® applications.
*5: Available on the Type E, Type S and Type RS grades.

Mazda RX-8 Type E (with six-speed automatic transmission)
Performance
After a review of every aspect of the RX-8’s superb performance, the freshened RX-8 lineup now offers an even more refined sporty ride.

The RENESIS rotary engine now provides an enhanced acceleration feel at middle to low-engine speeds due to various improvements such as new water and oil pumps. These changes also contribute to improved durability and stability.
New variable red zone system. The tachometer red zone moves in three stages according to the engine temperature. This prevents over-revving immediately after startup when the engine is cold.
The gear ratios in the six-speed manual transmission-equipped grades have been lowered to improve off-the-line acceleration. Model grades with the six-speed automatic (Activematic) transmission feature a newly developed Direct mode. When driving with the gear selector in Drive (D), Direct mode allows the driver to temporarily change gears using the paddle shifters on the steering wheel without having to switch to Manual mode. This provides a boost in acceleration or engine braking to aid certain situations such as overtaking other vehicles or descending steep gradients.
The front and rear suspensions were revamped, and the dampers, coil springs, bushes and stabilizers were optimized to improve stability and ride comfort.
A trapezoidal strut tower bar (on manual transmission grades) and reinforced suspension towers and wheel aprons increase the torsional rigidity of the front body and improve stability.
Aerodynamics were improved by adjusting the shape of the front and rear corners, enlarging the front tire deflectors and adding an engine undercover to control air flow. This resulted in an improved drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.30 and enhanced high-speed stability.
Main features of the new RX-8 Type RS
This new grade was designed especially for customers with sporty tastes. Its base model is the six-speed manual transmission version of the RX-8 Type S. With heightened sporty driving performance and strong and athletic styling that sets it apart from the standard model grades, the Type RS offers exceptional driving pleasure.

Enhanced sporty equipment

Exclusive aeroparts
The large front aero bumper, side under spoilers, and rear spoiler create a more muscular impression and increase stability at highway speeds.
19-inch forged aluminum wheels
Gunmetal forged wheels with rotor-shaped motifs help reduce the unsprung weight. Matched with 225/40R19 89W tires, they yield exceptional grip and create a heart thumping impression.
RECARO bucket seats (front)
The exclusively designed RX-8 seats have fabric center sections (a black and grey combination), black genuine leather side supports and are accentuated with red stitching. They offer first-rate body support.
Leather-wrapped steering wheel, shift lever and hand brake (with red stitching)
The red stitching on the leather matches the exclusive bucket seats.
Hard suspension (Bilstein dampers)
The suspension was specially designed for the RX-8 to support its superb driving performance. It enables lithe vehicle movement with stable damping force for various driving situations.
Front suspension crossmembers filled with urethane foam.
Filling the crossmembers makes for excellent driving stability, linear steering and improved ride feel.