2004 Mazda RX-8 Review - The Legacy Of The Rotary Engine! 

As the original owner of a 2005 now with 58k miles, I have to say this review is probably the best and most accurate I’ve ever seen in terms of aligning with my 18 years of ownership. Well done, sir! So glad I didn’t modify mine :-)

Mazda fans, let's gather and celebrate !! Never had the pleasure to own a rotary myself, only a 2016 2.2L diesel AWD 6 estate/wagon (yup, you never had this one in the US !), then I convinced my father to restore a 1990 NA, and right now my daily is a 2022 2.0L ND, but every time I visit my local Mazda shop, there's always a RX-8 in there. Legendary car.

I've got a 2010 Series 2 RX-8 that I have been daily driving for 8 years. This car is super reliable as long as long as you know its quirks and upgrade the few deficiencies the original models had. Handling is amazing - worthy of a super sports car. The only real negative I have is the poor gas mileage (16 mpg in the city).

I've owned my 05 rx8 since 2015, and I had my engine rebuilt just before the pandemic started. It being my first and only car I've ever owned I absolutely love it. It's a bit beaten up cosmetically, but it runs like a champ. I'm never letting it go.

I love my RX-8. I bought it new in 2009. GT model. I’ve only put 9k miles on it.

Saw one getting on an on ramp in front of me last week. Sounded amazing as it got on the highway and hit the gas. If I was driving that I'd be on the gas through the on ramp turns the whole way.

The best review of an RX-8 *EVER!* I went through a Wankel phase from the late 1970s through mid-1980s where I owned a 1974 RX-4 Coupe, two different 1973 RX-2 Coupes, put a 12A engine into a 1973 MG Midget, and had a 1973 Hercules Wankel 2000 motorcycle.

Man, I just bought one of these on Monday and here you are with a perfectly timed review!

The guy I bought my Brembo calipers off of has a three rotor eunos cosmos sitting right in the front yard, and what’s even crazier is that it’s left hand drive because it comes from South Africa.

I liked how these looked till the last refresh

Love this review and completely agree about the joy of keeping them stock with light mods, they are so much fun!

Great video, thanks! Your review is honest and spot on (of course, looks are subjective), and I appreciate your enthusiasm for the rotary engine. I have owned a 2004 RX8 for 7 years and absolutely love it. Mine just gets driven for fun, has no modifications, and like you, makes me grin from ear to ear on every spin. It truly is an amazing car to drive, especially considering the age and it being stock. Mazda did a very impressive job. I am always on the lookout for an R3, which would be the only car I would move to. Thanks again.

my parents had an RX-8 when they were brand new and seeing those small rear doors open brought back a lot of memories for me. I remember getting in the back when I got picked up from school, and you're right it did feel like a rollercoaster ride! They (mostly my mom) definitely took it to redline a couple times haha. I've been wanting one myself ever since they got rid of it.

I literally just bought one yesterday, 2006, 6 speed manual, loving it

The new skyactive no rotary engines have that high long rev nature carried in that dna😁

Still blows my mind that it didn't come with a spare tire by default. it was an optional add on that is hard to find now. I love my 04 though, one of the best cars I have owned!

I miss my 2004 rx8, the rotary on rotary hate was vicious, automatic and poor fuel mileage. I purchased a tune, upgraded coils and it wasn’t worth it. Sold it and the new owner ran it hard and lost compression

When I was in high school, one of my classmates' older brother drove one of these. His sounded like a tractor and the suspension was completely worn out. He must have thought it was cool to drive it in that condition because he put a Japanese license plate on the front. You have to give Mazda credit for not giving up on the Wankel engine even with its many drawbacks. They're bringing it back as a range extender in the MX-30 compliance EV. It takes a dedicated owner to still have one of these on the road. The radio has a circle because CDs were a big thing in 2004. Mazda also made a trim level of the Protege called the MP3 with a focus on the audio system.

I love the RX8 styling since i was a kid imo

Love this review! What a blast! 😎😍

I've owned three FCs and one FD. When the 8 came out, I test drove one, but the problem was that the FD had already ruined me for EVERY other car out there. There is only one way to look at the maintenance factor. Is it not fair to consider this car an exotic, especially today? In that light who cares if you have to (God forbid) keep an eye on your oil, use pre-mix, or even replace the engine once or twice in the car's life? Yes, the rotary can be a time-bomb. It has the torque of a 4 cylinder, the horsepower of a 6 cylinder, and the gas mileage of an 8 cylinder. Knowing this, there's only one way you could still love an engine like that. It, and the car it's in, has to be REALLY good. And, it really is. I believe the future of the rotary is in the Liquid Piston design, which supposedly addresses all of the Wankel rotary's inherent flaws. I seriously wonder if this is a twinkle in Mazda's eye, and if not, why??

my granny almost got one but no dealership had one that wasnt manual so she just got another mustang.... i rly tried to help her find one since i was on my lil import phase at the time... i had a eclpise gsx

8:33 you can clearly see it's a well balanced engine with no parts going up and down inverting their direction hundreds of times a second xD

So many lovely triangles

I remember being in 7th grade my Uncle had one of these cars. Even when I was 12-13 I didn't fit in those back seats.

Adendum I would recommend. With the oil injection, for reliability and lifetime of the engine, a SOHN adapter to inject 2-stroke or rotary oil is invaluable. It really lowers the chances of things fouling up

Great car and review...I have a 2005...just planning on cooling mods like earlier fan and thermostat cut on

Great review, I'm in your area and I'm a big rotary guy. I've got 2 RX8's, one with a built street port motor, and one that's a work in progress:). You hit up any of the local events?

In the UK we didn't get the Automatic but if you had a 5 speed manual you got 189hp and the 6 speed manual got 231hp but the 189 had a little more torque

I remember driving one of these when it was practically new. I loved just how smooth the rotary engine was. And the 6-speed annual wasn’t too bad either.

Very cool video .. I own a 2011 r3 in red. 60k miles

Excellent review.

Great video ❤

I’m excited for the matchbox rx8

9:40 wait a second, the rx8 came out 3 years before the NC.. i guess it's the other way around

Wow only 29k what a gem!

heard the cup holders get hot after a while. How hot do they get? And any ways to make it less hot?

I’ve always loved using those suicide doors getting into my dads Rx8.

A few things, and this is coming from a rotary enthusiast of over 30yrs now. :-) 1st off, the NC actually took from the Rx8 platform. Since the RX8 came out before the NC. 2nd, you are correct in terms of the 8 being the most driveable. The rigidity of the chassis is what makes it feel this way. It has a number that surpasses alot of other high end vehicles on the market. Even today. This being said, it has had a very rocky existence due to alot of mechanical issues that will surface whether you're careful with it, or not. I'm saying this because I've been planning on keeping my R3 since I got it 5yrs ago. It only had 51k km's on the clock and it was stock with the exception of having a Racing Beat catback. When I picked it up, I noticed the previous owner also swapped out the ignition coils for BHR's. Which was causing the vehicle to stop reving at about 7500rpm. It would just break up. I have since thrown that out and went back to stock. Regaining the full rev range. The Revision C coils is a must. However, I also noticed it took awhile for the engine to rev. Since it was running the stock cat still, running emissions on any rotary is a recipe for disaster. Changed out the headers and the midpipe when I decided to get rid of the emissions entirely. Racing beat headers and BHR midpipe. The car was completely different after that. It's ability to rev was significantly noticeable. Dare I say, it actually felt like a quick car now. Not fast, mind you. But quick. As it should've been. So here I am, hoping that'll be able to own this thing indefinitely. It now has 105k km's on the clock, and wouldn't you know it, circumstances have changed. Unfortunately I can't keep 2 rotary vehicles at the condition I want. And since I've owned my FD since I was 19, the 8 has to go. Dont get me wrong, the 8 is a wonderful quick 2+2. Sometimes life throws you a curveball and you have to adapt. I'm going to miss her. Would I recommend her over an FD? No. But as a great commuter, definitely! :-)

Actually, Rx-8's chassis was designed before nc miata's. So NC's chassis is shortened version of the platform. Other than that, great review.

Proof rotary engines can be great power sources. They just need for one to understand their design, and maintenance characteristics. They just are not "dummy proof". As seen by the many Mazda RX-8's for sale for $500 because they need a new engine. Which can be hard to find for an RX-8 since I don't believe they are available new anymore? The RX-8 is a great car and testament to Mazda engineering. Curious, are their conventional engines that fit under the hood well as a replacement engine?

i have a 2004 rx8 and i dont have heated seats do you have a seperate model?

What wheels were on that blue RX7?

DAYUM i found an RX-8 on the abandoned bakery while it was rusting away and when i opened i saw a V8 and a turbo i was completely shocked that car was abandoned i was so sad why a car was abandoned i love taking cars because it's like a human to and a buddy sad though i was caught Trespassing

Which one more fun civic or rx8? I wanna get one so let me know.

A woman in my neighborhood has a gray/silver one...not sure if it is auto or manual though.

Most people don't appreciate what an RX-8 does best, which is to offer ride comfort that feels impossible considering the elite handling (eg, S2000s and FD RX-7s cannot/doesn't do this). It's more comfortable and handles better than a FRS/BRZ. The electric steering has supreme feedback and is even superior to BMW's F3x and G2x platforms'. You can play music with the throttle and the shifter feel is second to none. Trivia: RX-8s have carbon fiber propeller shafts, aluminum hood and rear doors for weight savings. The manual sport trim's curb weight falls under 3k lbs. Many high performance driving instructors have owned and praised RX-8s if you dig around. RX-8s command respect at technical circuits, but ridicule at drag strips.

Hey, test drive an '88 Fiero GT with 5 speed getrag.

R8x came before the nc miata no?

Bro Mazda 6 2003 please

Actually buying one again after I sold one. Planning to just upgrade the radiator and move license plate to allow better flow. Then just toss on a Re-Amemiya Hood and wing and then daily it like a savage cause fuck it, i want to enjoy my cars.

*I'm going to modify my S2...* Hybrid FTW.

If u got an RX-8 swap the POS renessis.. for a RX-7 rotory. Or cosmo

What about a turbo though 🤔

I still prefer the RX-7’s. The RX-8 is a weird neither-fish-nor-fowl car, it’s got this four-door body-style as if it’s trying to be a Grand Tourer, yet it has an engine that burns oil, and has problems with unreliability. Plus, I’m not the biggest fan of the shape and size of the thing. Looks better than a MX-5 NC, though.

RX-4 is my favorite

Had a chance to ride in one and boy it is such a blast this car. My mindset is that they're somewhat fragile and needy but I recognize the fanbase for Mazda RX models and the popularity these engines have despite the flaws. And the sound is simply unmatched by anything else.

By the 2000s, everything in a car was run by computer, so we didn't need to manually adjust things

The whole running rotaries on two-stroke oil mix is kind of nice for the reason you are never worried about when to change your oil or where to dispose of it. Once you get used to premixing, its probably no big deal and overall pretty convenient. I would love to own an RX8 as my "fun" car. I've always had a soft spot for them.

1.3 is tiny i would like to see a 4.5 liter rotary kinda sad mazda couldn't design a rotary that didn't burn oil. there has got to be mods to med that. 8:39 fails the scotty kilmer smooth test . wa wa waaa is there any other words for triangle ? tribox? trigon trihole

Why does every manual car have the cup holders behind the shifter? How are you supposed to use them without spilling your drink?

This year marks 20 year anniversary to the RX-8

Gotta convince the inlaws to let you review their r100

I’m not a big rotary guy and I don’t have a long history with them, but I absolutely love how the RX8 looks and I’d love to get my hands on one to LS swap it

Not true! 6 ports engine with 3 injectors weren't rely about the transmissions series 1 had most problem due the 4port engine (2oil injectors per rotors) series 2 (2009-2011) got the best 3injectors per rotors, means 50% les premix, but you still need to remove air pump change de cooler to a better one in aluminium with a decat and tune the car to makes the fans starts earlier and reduce the max heat your rx8 can go! Add an extra street port and you got a full reliable rotary rx8 daily ! Even in the cold winter❤❤❤

Technically the RX8 came out before the NC, so not sure which car is based on which car.

I very recently got to see an NSU spider for the first time! It was at a “micro car meet” and boy does it belong there.

I know where one is. Sitting.

That RX8 needs new engine mounts…

I liked the practicality and looks of this but just couldn’t get over the problematic rotary engine.

04 Titanium Gray 2.5 years 30k miles Daily driven/Tracked Regularly redline, premix/sohn, periodic maintenance only real problem Ive had has been coolant hoses ripping this thing has been super reliable, always starts hot/cold and FUN

I have been saying for years that the RX-8 is a sweeter handling chassis than the FD. I have a bone stock R3 that handles incredibly as-is.

Those misaligned strakes bother me lol!

Pipe dream is to get an old Mazda rotary truck and run it in local parades.

Does the RX8 make the beep when you hit red line like the FB RX7 does? I just think that’s so cool.

2004 to 2008 has 2 oil ports per chamber. 2009 to 2011 has 3 oil ports per chamber.

this probably needs a new engine mount

Unfortunately, rotary engines are not as reliable as regular engines

Fun fact the driveshaft of this car is carbon fiber

You look like you're lying down flat while driving lol!

NSU wasn't a ring in the Audi logo. Those rings represented Wanderer, Horch, DKW and Audi and come from the 30s. This was Auto Union before the war split it up (the factories were in East Germany and thus they continued to make cars for the eastern bloc.) When Audi came back in the 1960s even though none of the others were in production, it used the historic rings logo.

Twin-Turbo and Twincharged do not mean the same thing

5:03 - that is the sound of a ruined car approaching. It's also the signal that the driver is probably poor at conversation and personal finances.

Before Mazda went this new luxury route, they use to make really fun iconic cars

The rear doors are called the freestyle door system, not "suicide doors". As a rotary enthusiast yourself, you should know better.

its pronounced, "van-kel" not wankel.