We test the 2008 Mazda RX-8 for Americas Best Handling Car comparison competition.
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00:00 Next up is Mazda's RX-8, representing the rear-drive sports car class.
00:09 Its Wankel engine doesn't make a lot of torque, but it's very lightweight and has almost perfect
00:12 weight balance.
00:13 That, along with the R3 Sport Package, which brings forged wheels, sticky tires, and a
00:18 nice stiff suspension, will make it look pretty good for the handling test.
00:21 Let's go see how she does at Mazda's Laguna Seca Raceway.
00:46 Now we've moved up into the rear-drive cars, first up the Mazda RX-8 with 232 horse, 1.3
00:52 liter rotary engine.
00:54 Your first rear-drive laps today, how did it feel?
00:58 In the pure sense of a sports car art, that car is number one for me so far.
01:03 I mean, I felt like it was just a glove on my hand.
01:07 I could just put it right where I wanted and drive the living daylights out of it.
01:13 Really, the RX-8 put a smile on my face.
01:17 Extremely well balanced.
01:18 I could enter the corner with a lot of speed and the car would just, in a balanced way,
01:24 take the speed and scrub it down to what felt like a very high speed at the corner apex.
01:30 Just a really enjoyable car.
01:32 Extremely nice shifter.
01:34 Very tight, quick, proper shifter.
01:37 It's not a very powerful car, especially in this group, but what a pleasure to drive.
01:43 Now I saw you coming out of 11 sideways.
01:45 It looked like a pretty easy car to drift, was it?
01:47 Yeah, it was.
01:48 A little too much entry speed, especially in second gear, and it'll get sideways.
01:52 But at the same time, wow, what fun to drive a car that's unfettered by weight and a lot
01:58 of electronic controls.
02:00 We had the stability control turned off.
02:02 It was a real pleasure.
02:04 I found it really an easy car to drive and an easy car to place right where I wanted
02:08 it, almost like a scalpel.
02:10 Although I wouldn't say that the road feel was on the order of the best Porsches, the
02:15 effect was in more of a classic sense of a lighter car that is more one with the driver.
02:24 Some of the more powerful cars, it's almost like riding a horse or a bucking bronco, even,
02:29 although not that bad in this group.
02:31 Whereas the RX-8 is, it's really more like the wings have been bolted right to your arms
02:36 like Icarus and you're a part of it.
02:39 I like that feeling very much.
02:41 Is this rate as your favorite car here thus far today, handling wise?
02:45 Handling wise, yes.
02:46 I miss the power.
02:47 I love the gearbox.
02:50 Handling wise, I've got to say, by far the most satisfying car to drive through the corners.
02:55 A couple more interesting entries to come.
02:57 Stay tuned.
02:58 [music]