Mazda · 2003–2012

Mazda RX-8

The Mazda RX-8 is a sports car manufactured by Japanese automobile manufacturer Mazda between 2003 and 2012. It was first shown in 2001 at the North American International Auto Show. It is the direct successor to the RX-7. Like its predecessors in the RX range, it is powered by a rotary Wankel engine. The RX-8 was available for the 2003 model year in most parts of the world. The Mazda RX-8 utilizes a rotary Wankel engine, and the non-reciprocating piston engine uses a triangular rotor inside a near oval housing, producing from 141 kW (189 hp) and 164 lb⋅ft (222 N⋅m) of torque, to 177 kW (237 hp) and 159 lb⋅ft (216 N⋅m) of torque from launch. The RX-8 was discontinued for the 2012 model year without a successor. It was removed earlier from the European market in 2010 after the car failed to meet emissions standards. Due to falling sales from Europe coupled with rising yen prices, Mazda could not justify the continued sale of the RX-8 in other markets. 192,094 units were produced during its nine-year production run.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Mazda RX-7

All Mazda RX-8 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years → + Compare

Background

Mazda introduced rotary-powered vehicles in the US in 1971, beginning with the R100 and eventually introduced the RX-2, RX-3, RX-4, RX-5, and three generations of the RX-7 sports car in the US and worldwide markets. However, due to the lack of conveniences and user-friendliness, coupled with the high price tag and declining interest in sports cars and coupés at the time, Mazda decided to withdraw the RX-7 from most major markets except Japan. After 1995, Mazda suffered from a relatively undistinguished and ordinary product line in the US except for the MX-5 Miata. As popular interest in import tuning and performance cars resurged in the late-1990s, due in part to various popular cultural influences, Japanese automakers waded back into the performance and sports car market in the US and in worldwide markets. Endeavoring to rejuvenate itself around this time, partially with financial and management assistance from its new owner Ford, Mazda developed a new line of high-quality cars with desirable styling and driving dynamics superior to competitors, beginning with the Mazda6 and followed by the Mazda3. This paved the way for the arrival of Mazda's next-generation rotary powered sports car. The RX-8 combined two previous products (the internationally sold RX-7, and the Cosmo which was exclusive to Japan), with the exterior dimensions of the RX-8 to be slightly smaller than those of the Cosmo. Mazda chose not to install the 2.0 L three-rotor 20B-REW, which was discontinued in 1996 when the Cosmo ceased production.

Development and design

The development of the RX-8 can be traced as far back as the 1995 RX-01 concept car, which featured an early iteration of the 13B-MSP engine. Naturally aspirated with side exhaust ports, this engine has a power output of 210 hp (157 kW). Because of Mazda's financial position at the time and the growing market interest in SUVs, the RX-01 did not see further development or production. However, a "skunkworks project" engineering team within Mazda kept the development of the 13B-MSP alive using an elongated MX-5 chassis known internally as "gokiburi-ka", or "cockroach car" translated to English, eventually catching the attention of management, which was by then heavily influenced by Ford. Development of the 13B-MSP advanced and eventually led to the RENESIS name debuting along with the RX-EVOLV concept car which began to bear semblance to the production version of the RX-8 with the "freestyle" rear suicide doors. The styling was further refined, in Mazda tradition, by competition between its design studios in Japan, the US, and Europe. The lead designer was Ikuo Maeda, the son of Matasaburo Maeda (the lead designer of the original RX-7). The project obtained official approval from management under one condition, that the resulting car should have four doors, and eventually the RX-8 concept car (design/engineering model) was produced and shown in 2001, closer resembling the production version. A near-production "reference exhibit" RX-8 was shown shortly thereafter at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show, pending final approval for production. The production version of the RX-8 closely resembles this vehicle save for minor trim details, and "Job 1" began in February, 2003 at Mazda's Hiroshima plant in Japan. The RX-8 was designed as a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, four-door, four-

Pre-facelift release (2003–2008)

The early models of the RX-8, having chassis codes SE3P, and JM1FE, were produced from the 2003 model year, though the car's U.S. debut was for the 2004 model year. It is powered by the RENESIS 13B-MSP (2-rotor, multi-side-port) Wankel engine displacing 1.3 L (1,308 cc). The four-port standard Renesis was rated at 191 hp (194 PS; 142 kW) and was coupled with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. From 2003 to 2008, the six-port engine was available with a six-speed manual transmission and was rated at 238 hp (241 PS; 177 kW). From 2006 to 2008, the six-port, six-speed automatic paddle-shift variant was available. The six-port engine was not sold in Europe. RX-8 Generation One port options. Notes For the North American market, Mazda revised the reported output rating of the standard and high-power Renesis soon after launch to 189 hp (141 kW) and 237 hp (177 kW), respectively. With exhaust ports now located in the side housing, the Renesis had improved fuel efficiency and emissions rating over the 13B-REW employed by the preceding RX-7, thereby making it possible to be sold in North America. At launch, the RX-8 was available in various models in different markets around the world. The variations according to different markets are as follows: 6-speed manual with a claimed output of 232 hp (235 PS; 173 kW) at 8,250 rpm and 159 lb⋅ft (216 N⋅m) of torque at 5,500 rpm with a 9,000 rpm (redline limited) (Sold in North America). This model was equivalent to the "Type S" trim in Japan. 5-speed manual with engine tuned to 189 hp (192 PS; 141 kW) with the redline reduced to 7,500 rpm. This powertrain combination was not available in North America. 6-speed automatic with paddle shifting option (introduced in the U.S. for the 2006 model year, replacing the

Facelift release (2008–2012)

In November 2008, Mazda improved the RX-8 body rigidity through the addition of structural reinforcements, by adding a trapezoidal shock tower brace and enhancing the local rigidity of the front suspension tower areas. The rear suspension geometry was revised for better handling, and the final-drive-gear ratio on manual transmission cars was shortened from 4.444 to 4.777 for improved off-the-line performance. While minimal, these changes gave the updated RX-8 increased acceleration and performance. Mazda engineers claimed that the second generation RX-8 was (slightly) faster than the previous generation due to the lower gearing and improved suspension. The Renesis II engine iteration that was launched in the 2009 model year included a third oil injection port in each rotor housing to feed oil to the middle of the rotor facing, making this their first all-new EMOP (Electric Metering Oil Pump) with a total of 6 lubrication injectors, plus an all-new engine oil pump with higher pressure rating that requires specific oil filter rated for the higher pressure. New catalytic converter was used to reduce clogging that resulted in overheating exhaust stream forward of the catalytic converter and eventual rotor side seal failure, which was responsible for majority of RX-8 engine failures. Ignition coil packs, which suffer reduced performance over time and leads to unburnt fuel and oil that eventually clogs the catalytic converter remained unchanged. Due to higher usage cycle that is two to three times higher in Wankel compared to Otto cycle, ignition coil packs on RX-8 can degrade much sooner than Piston engines using similar hardware, and cause unburnt fuel to reach the catalytic converter, clogging it and cause engine overheating leading to side seal springs failure. The update

Engines

== Warranty extension program == Mazda North American Operations extended the engine warranty on all model year 2004–2008 RX-8s. The warranty extension covered only the engine core, consisting of the rotor housing and internal parts, as well as the seals and gaskets. It did not include clutch or drivetrain (transmission or differential). An extended engine warranty for emissions was not offered in any other RX-8 markets.

Motorsport

The RX-8 has been campaigned and used in various racing series by privateers. It has seen a considerable amount of success, the most prominent of which being the 2008 and 2010 24 Hours of Daytona GT-class wins campaigned by SpeedSource Race Engineering. This victory also marks the 23rd endurance race win at Daytona by a Mazda rotary-powered race car. While the cars are powered by the 20B rotary engines, the car is in fact built on a tube frame chassis and not on the production car. Ryan Eversley won both races of the 2010 SCCA World Challenge Mid-Ohio Grand Prix in the touring car class. Other racing series include the KONI Challenge Series in the Street Tuner class. In the UK, the RX-8 featured in the Mazda sponsored "Formula Women" series (2004), which involved all women drivers with slightly modified RX-8s, and the RX-8 was also campaigned successfully in the Britcar series endurance races (2005/2006). In Belgium, Mazda are currently sponsoring an RX-8 silhouette racer in the GT series. The car also won the IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge in 2005. In 2014 the North Island Mazda Rotary Racing Association in New Zealand launched a RX-8 category in its Pro7 racing series which is the oldest MotorSport NZ sanctioned series in NZ. The RX-8's now dominate this racing series and is competed in the North and South Islands as well as a NZ championship. The category was renamed in 2019 to the Mazda Racing Series and now some of the largest grids in the country. In 2019, the Classic Sports Car Club in the UK launched the RX-8 Trophy for road legal first generation Mazda RX-8's. Developed in two years, the class was designed to provide the cheapest way of going racing in a performance car. The class stipulates that the RX-8 entering the race must have a valid MOT and

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Mazda RX-8

Manufacturer

Mazda

Production

February 2003 – June 2012

Assembly

Japan: Hiroshima (Hiroshima Plant)

Class

Sports car (S)

Body style

Quad coupé

Related

Mazda MX-5 (NC)

Layout

Front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive

Designer

Ikuo Maeda, Wu-Huang Chin (interior designer)

Engine

1.3 L Renesis twin-rotor

Transmission

5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, 4-speed RC4A-EL automatic, 6-speed automatic

Wheelbase

2703 mm

Length

2003–2008: 4425 mm, 2009–2012: 4470 mm

Width

1770 mm

Height

1340 mm

Kerb weight

Manual models: 1309 -, Automatic models: 1384 kg

Predecessor

Mazda RX-7

Model years

2003–2012

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q520673CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_RX-8CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1372478695 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mazda_RX-8_on_freeway.jpgGFDL 1.2 · Photo: Fir0002 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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