2009 Mazda RX-8
Although the 2009 RX-8 shown at Detroit is far from all-new, it is the first refresh of Mazda’s 4-door sports car since it hit the market in 2003. Besides styling tweaks, the new car offers minor performance improvements, slight interior changes and a new sport package.
If you squint hard, you can see the changes to the RX-8’s exterior design, though the signature bulbous fender flares remain. Restyled items include the front and rear bumpers, front fascia, head and taillights and the new larger-diameter exhaust outlets. The car also comes with new 5-spoke wheels that are intended to evoke thoughts of the car’s 2-rotor Renesis engine.
Inside, the instrument panel was redesigned to “give a feeling of dynamic movement,” according to Mazda. Also new for 2009 is the tachometer’s variable red-zone, which should keep drivers from using too many revs when the engine is cold. New front and rear seats and a new steering wheel round out the changes inside.
On the performance front, Mazda has given the RX-8 better body rigidity through structural reinforcements, such as a trapezoidal front strut tower bar, while the geometry of the rear suspension has been reconfigured to improve handling. A lower final drive ratio on manual-transmission models should improve acceleration, despite power figures from the rotary engine remaining at 232 bhp for 6-speed manual models; 6-speed automatics have 212 bhp.
In a move that is sure to conjure up fond memories of the revered third-generation RX-7’s R1 and R2 handling packages, the RX-8 will now be available with a version called R3. Choosing this option will add Bilstein shock absorbers, urethane foam-filled front suspension crossmembers, a unique front bumper, a rear spoiler, side sills, foglights, 19-in. forged-alloy wheels with high-performance tires and front Recaro sport seats.
