Chasing Down Vettes | Mazda RX-8

Mazda RX-8 versus C7 and C5 Corvettes: Who Wins? It's another amusing battle of cornering prowess and momentum versus horsepower. The RX-8 is a daily driven street car, it's wearing the same rubber and brake pads i used to drive it to and from the event. This was a special HPDE event for Veterans of our Armed Services hosted by Washington DC Region (WDCR) SCCA.
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#512 Mazda RX-8 Summary
- 32mm front swaybar, NO rear swaybar
- Custom bilstein coilover conversion
- AEM intake (STX modded), underdrive pulleys, Versatuner
- Fujitsubo catback exhaust
- 265/35/18 Kumho V730s
My data acquisition setup:
• Full autocross / track...

[@trustcrony]

As a former RX-8 owner and having done some track days, this video almost brings tears to my eyes. Great driving, awesome video!

[@rx8matt]

Thanks! I think most people are blown away with how fast an rx8 can be with just a few mods. Maybe someday your life will have room for another rx8!

[@elysiumgaming2866]

@@rx8matt As someone who is new to the track racing scene, why do i see some people lift up their arms when you are about to pass them? And how come you don't drift at the corners? Also at 3:00, why isn't the corvette gapping you at this straight? I thought those cars are pretty fast on the straights thank you lovely race. I love listening to eurobeat while watching your videos

[@rx8matt]

​ @elysiumgaming2866 welcome, Elysium! thanks for tuning in, and great questions. the lifting of arms is them giving a "point-by". HPDE (high performance driving education) events are not racing and are more structured and restrictive. Many organizations either recommend or require "point-bys" to regulate passes and traffic. when a faster car catches up to you from behind, it is good etiquette to give a point-by. you even see pint-bys in pro racing on occasion. Regarding drifting through corners, it's a bit riskier, it's harder on the tires (heat and wear), and it's typically NOT the fastest way through a corner. Some corners benefit from a modest amount of rotation, but at least in a lower power car, drifting scrubs speed. (see link at the end). at 03:00, the yellow vette lifted to let me by since i cauight him and was faster in the corners. he was killing me on straights, but over the course of an entire lap (which is mostly corners!) i was the faster car. mag.toyota.co.uk/we-meet-keiichi-tsuchiya-drift-king/

[@rx8matt]

@@elysiumgaming2866 PS, always happy to answer questions and welcome newcomers to racing IRL.

[@KbaltRX]

Great driving + RX-8's superb handling abilities = awesome track day video! I always enjoy videos like this where skilled and experienced drivers with very well balanced GT coupes like the RX-8, are able to pass supercars on a track. I love my RX-8 even more now that I see their potential on a track. Great video and well done sir!

[@rx8matt]

i think they really can surprise people. enjoy the 8, mate!

[@Sparkling.Fresca]

Great driving

[@TforTouge]

Love the sound of that intake!

[@rx8matt]

i tell people that i don't care if i gained zero power... it just makes the experience fun!

[@TforTouge]

@@rx8matt I feel that. Planning to get one for my 8 as well. Fingers crossed AEM still provides a CARB certification (California boohoo)

[@16vPete]

Hell yes

[@thecarsmith]

This is awesome, reminds me why I've always wanted an RX8

[@rx8matt]

hopefully someday it becomes true. i loved mine so much i bought two

[@TexasVexes]

I wish I had time and access to a track bro. Fantastic driving giving that Corvette a run for his money

[@rx8matt]

Where about do you live? I would be surprised if there aren't any tracks near by!

[@bradleykenrick202]

If your car is fast on the straights and not on the corners, your car is slow. Great driving!

[@rx8matt]

Thanks man. The corners are also what separates fast cars from fast drivers.

[@bradleykenrick202]

@@rx8matt exactly man, it's about how to carry your speed and how a driver can learn about every ounce of power their car has

[@bradleykenrick202]

@@rx8matt plus your car isn't a boat aha, so many cars now are 300hp but 1.5+tonnes, way too much weight

[@rx8matt]

@@bradleykenrick202 agree, that's one of the primary reasons I live the rx8. Pretty light for what it is and a nice blend of modern while being simple. It's ready on tires and brakes too due to the low weight

[@bradleykenrick202]

@@rx8matt I have a celica gts and for it's weight and how much it revs it makes corners a brease

[@GRPE696]

Fantastic drive! Thanks again for the ride along. You drive the F out of that car.

[@rx8matt]

Thanks man, wish we could've chased each other some. Was great hanging out again at the track, even if briefly

[@vazzcars]

Love seeing people take the RX8 to it's natural habitat !

[@rx8matt]

Mazda DEFINITELY was focused on building a track-competent sportscar... but one that is still very comfortable on the street.

[@TheSH1N1GAM1]

Brilliant driving! Thanks for posting the video.

[@wma6019]

Great noise.

[@rx8matt]

Ah yes. The sound track is an integral part of the rx8 experience!

[@tarvisscotch6266]

can't wait to get my rx8 back on the road

[@rx8matt]

Good luck! What all does it need?

[@tarvisscotch6266]

@@rx8matt just waiting to get my midpipe done, cats all clogged up

[@rx8matt]

@@tarvisscotch6266 midpipe was one of my favorite upgrades on my white rx8!

[@BushidoDriver]

Putting on a clinic out there!

[@TrashRX8]

awesome vid dude! I wish mine wasnt so trash and had a track to mess around on HAHAHA my rx8 experience is full of sitting in traffic edging overheating and driving backroads by my grandmas house every now and then 😂😂

[@rx8matt]

Thanks man. yeah the OEM rx8 are one of the few known weak points in the car. The flex a lite FAL420 fan kit isn't a bolt-on affair, but you can get creative with mounting and it's a REALLY good upgrade. no more overheating in traffic, even in summer with full A/C on.

[@dogwink]

Really nice throttle modulation coming out of corners. Very entertaining drive!

[@rx8matt]

Thanks man. I have Cold track days, and especially wet track days, to thank. You've gotta be delicate with RWD in those conditions!

[@dianehuffman7079]

Wow, that driver is skilled, ❤I think 🤔 that I know him!! Mom.

[@charleshuffman6982]

Scotty is on confinement in his room reading the technical manuals....😁

[@rx8matt]

Well then I need to borrow the GTO's engine for a season or two. 😉

[@VictorMPR]

Why the rear sway bar “delete”? Is this the way it is always or just for this specific track?

[@rx8matt]

With the chosen spring rates (8k front, 5k rear), my alignment, and my driving style, i can push harder and drive faster with no rear sway bar. The car may suffer a little in sustained corners e.g. long sweepers, but it gains in being able to drive harder during transient conditions.

[@SupeRadJUSTable]

🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻👌🏻 you sure showed them

[@elturner7241]

It comes down to weight, balance, and handling.

[@rx8matt]

There's another critical factor at play too... and it is separate from the car.

[@theregoesmiller389]

I LOVE THIS PLATFORM / CHASSIS ! Hopefully i end up snagging one here in the near future. I have a 01 2zz mr2 spyder thats setup decently for the tight technical canyons we have here near my house. I am curious to compare the 2 chassis side by side with similar setups once i get my hands on one !

[@rx8matt]

The front midship, Centralized Mass, and long wheelbase of the rx8 should mean handling is significantly more predictable and easy natured. It doesn't get turn in understeer or bad lift off oversteer as some mid engine cars experience. Is stable and predictable and uses all 4 tires almost perfectly evenly. I do think it may be the greatest chassis and suspension combo ever in a production car

[@theregoesmiller389]

@@rx8matt I have very similar opinion on the platform as well ! just dont have any seat time in a 8. ive owned a fc vert but stock. rotaries are my fav engines. and i have been keeping my eye on the rx8 market for some time now and am just waiting for the "right" one to grab. they are either slightly over priced or absolute junk money pits. as far as my mr2 goes. its still on the stock 5spd with no LSD. so it tends to push slightly if i dive to deep into a corner and if i load it up to aggressively on corner entry she will get a lil tail happy.. ( still adjusting the setup and still need to put my 6spd and lsd and sway bars etc ) ( setup : 2zz w/ stock 5spd no lsd , bc coilovers w 7k/12k swift springs , hankook rs4's 225-45-15 square , carbotech xp8 pads up front , cusco underbrace ) but so far out of all the cars ive driven and owned , NOTHING has compared or came close to the way the mr2 handles. ( driven a few s2k's and they didnt give me the confidence like the mr2 did ) but from all the data i have gathered on the rx8 , it should be a match made in heaven for me !

[@rx8matt]

@@theregoesmiller389 so your mr2 is manageable with a square tire setup? That's impressive. Yeah all the s2k guys I've talked to have to do a LOT more tuning and development on their cars to match the rx8 easy drive ability, especially when they do from factory staggered tire setup to a square setup. The rx8 feels natural on a square setup

[@theregoesmiller389]

@@rx8matt yeah , my tuning philosophy is "keep it simple"... so when it comes to tire setups i like square setups cuz its easier to tune ( IMO ). I still have a TON of tuning to do to get it where i "want it" but that will come eventually.. just need more seat time and actually get it on track for an event etc. but like i said , its mainly an aggressive canyon carver. ( all my builds are ). and yup , i agree... the s2k is an MAZING platform and has great potential but it needs delicate hands. I love my mr2 cuz right out the box it was planted and not twitchy / happy at corner entry - exit. all my stuff is setup for 20-80 mph. ( 2nd - 3rd gear ) my build plans for the rx8 would be similar to my mr2 setup. a square tire setup with a 4.7 final drive or maybe slightly more aggressive like a 5.2 final drive and something w/ some port work ( gotta have the braps ) , a tune , exhaust , coilovers with custom spring rates and a light weight flywheel and thats about it. so basically something very rev happy with AMAZING throttle response and a good turn-in and i would be happy. the main canyon by my house is mostly 20mph-60 mph stuff... lots of hairpins and quick switchbacks / s corners.

[@rx8matt]

@@theregoesmiller389 as far as tracking the mr2, if it's a 3g spyder you may need a roll bar depending on the organization. Hopefully they're available for the mr2. Mr2 is nice for track because it's easy on brakes, gas, and tires, saving more money for seat time!

[@mamas_racer]

3:00 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣!!!!!!!!!!

[@banishlight]

I wish I could take my RX-8 out to a track… problems of Canada 😅

[@rx8matt]

Are there no organizations offering amateur track day opportunities up there?

[@banishlight]

@@rx8matt not in my part of Canada (Saskatchewan) sadly :/

[@johnwalsh3520]

That couldn't have been a stock RX8. It almost kept up with those corvettes on the straights. Not disrespecting the rotary but the corvette is a 6 litter V8. Maybe a twin turbo rotary (rx7 motor)?

[@rx8matt]

He lifted off the throttle on the straight to let me by because my overall lap times were faster. It's part of courteous one-track behavior. Both better were definitely quicker on the straights when they weren't giving a "point-by"

[@MaxTehLegend4]

Hey matt, does this blue RX8 still have the same engine from 2 years ago when you said it had low compression? also what happened to the white RX8? and why no rear swaybar?

[@MaxTehLegend4]

love the wheels btw

[@rx8matt]

Yes, still on the same / original engine the car came with. White car was wrecked at a hillclimb, was asked not to share video for the benefit of the club. No text bar because the car is too loose. I suspect the bilstein valving leads to the looseness.

[@MaxTehLegend4]

@@rx8matt ah makes sense. do you know how much compression this blue one is making? seems to run well

[@rx8matt]

@@MaxTehLegend4 just below rebuild limits, perhaps 90-100psi

[@DanMarcelino]

Time for a turbo maybe?😁👍🏼

[@rx8matt]

Lol, that would certainly help on those straights! Not sure my original engine could handle it, although it's hanging in there!

[@DanMarcelino]

@@rx8matt haha no doubt eh! I'll say! Your videos are top notch man, love em and keep 'em coming. I've got a wiring issue with mine.. fully built custom renesis but stupid wiring!! 😮‍💨 going to fix it over the winter and then turbo goes on in the spring! 😁👍🏼

[@rx8matt]

@@DanMarcelino will do - i plan to do a little more track stuff next year vs autocross. GL with the wiring job, hopefully it's a straightforward repair. factory wiring definitely gets crispy over time.

[@DanMarcelino]

@@rx8matt awesome! Would love to see 👍🏼👍🏼 and thanks 😅 yes.. in this case I kept blowing ignition fuses and the whole car would just shut off mid drive.. turns out a harness clip broke and melted all down the engine and tranny and it melted all the way back under the dash.. so now I have that to deal with 😒😂 track videos are always fun! Love the chase videos you post 👌🏼 I'd eventually like to post a couple too, but the "local" track here is EXPENSIVE! Lol Area 27 in Oliver BC. It's nice tho👍🏼

[@rx8matt]

@@DanMarcelino chases are definitely very popular. I'll going to aim for more next season

[@williamlumsden8514]

Pick on someone your own size

[@rx8matt]

Please come out to play next season, we'll have a great time!!