ArcaMax

* In addition to its unique rotary engine, the RX8 also had an unusual (for a sports car) four-door body design. An extra set of rear-hinged ("suicide") doors that greatly improved access to the small but now-usable rear seats. While the RX8 may have consumed more gas than V6 and even V8 powered 2-plus-2 sport coupes like the Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang, it could at least carry more than two people. The GM and Ford ponycars were (and still are) infamous for their vestigial and essentially useless back seats. The RX8 might not have gone as far on a tankful, but you could take more people with you, however far you did go.

* Beware the automatic-equipped versions of the RX8. The engine is detuned to 197 hp and torque - of which there is not much available - is virtually nonexistent until the engine is spinning over 5,000 RPM. The result is a bad case of The Slows. At least with the manual, you can rev the 1.3 liter engine up to the point in the powerband where it begins to make power (and torque). But with an automatic all you can do is floor the gas and … wait. Meanwhile, gas mileage with the automatic is even worse than with the six-speed stick. These cars were epic pigs, typically delivering about 16 MPG on average. Many V8 muscle cars from the '70s did about the same - and they at least had torque in abundance and worked great with automatic transmissions.

* To emphasize the rotary engined-heart of the RX8, triangular design motifs were used for the headrests and other shapes within the car and outside, too. Lead exterior designer was Ikuo Maeda - the son of Matasaburo Maeda, who had been the lead designer of the RX7.

* The RX8's "front mid-engine" layout and near 50-50 weight distribution gave the car what engineers call a low polar moment of inertia - in plain language, its resistance to turning. The RX8 turns more eagerly, with less input, than most front-engined cars.

It is also a very neutral-handling car, tending to neither over or understeer.

* The ax first fell on the RX8 in the export/European market after the car was unable to meet the latest EU emissions standards. Mazda had to stop selling the car in Europe after the 2010 model year. The loss of that market - along with anticipated problems keeping the car compliant with U.S. emissions standards - resulted in Mazda's decision to pull the plug for good after the 2011 model year.

Excerpted from the forthcoming book, Doomed.

========

www.ericpetersautos.com or EPeters952@aol.com for comments.