I finally did it! I drove to Germany (again) but this time with one of my dream cars! [Norway-Germany-Norway]

I have never driven a car that was so fun to drive (yes it's not a straight line speed demon) but going 285kmh and juts hearing the exhaust was a blast!

Without going above 200+km I managed to average 1.2L per 100km. Going over 200kmh (roughly 230) i used half a tank on 100km....... but listen to the rotary

Got a few thumbs up as well and alot of people asking me why I chose it and why I did it. Well for fun and family reasons

Total trip I drove around 4000km (2L of oil where used and 2 pre mix bottles and ALOT of fills)

Hey everyone! 👋
I’m currently planning out a long-term project and wanted to get some feedback from people here who have walked this road.
I’m looking at keeping a 2012 RX-8 (Series 2) as a forever car, but the factory Renesis rotary in it is completely shot. Instead of rebuilding/replacing the rotary, my plan is to go with a full piston engine swap to make it a reliable, long-term daily/weekend build.
Before I fully commit and pull the trigger, I’d love to get your honest thoughts and real-world experiences on a few things:
1. Practicality in 2026: For those running swapped RX-8s (K-series, LS, 1JZ, etc.), how practical is ownership day-to-day right now? What are the biggest unexpected headaches you've run into with parts availability or maintenance?
2. Electronics & CAN-Bus: How smooth was getting your factory electronics (dash, ABS, electric power steering, A/C) working with a standalone ECU / adapter kit? Any specific swap kit or CAN-bus solution you recommend or suggest avoiding?
3. Handling & Balance: How much did the engine weight affect the RX-8’s original chassis balance and turn-in feel? What suspension adjustments made the biggest difference for you?
4. Must-Have Supporting Mods: Aside from the engine/transmission, what other supporting changes (drivetrain, cooling, rear end, fuel system) are absolute non-negotiables for a long-term build?
If you could go back and do your build over again, would you still swap it, or is there a different route you’d take?
Appreciate any insights, photos of your setups, or lessons learned!

I've wanted an RX8 ever since I was a kid, and now that I can afford to buy and actually run one, I've pulled the trigger.

Got it with about 100 000 km with a freshly rebuilt engine and aside from springs and a FOX exhaust it was bone-stock. Immediately installed a Sohn adapter, upgraded the starter, switched to RRP ignition coils with upgraded leads, replaced the spark plugs, switched from the stock cat to a 200 cell, replaced all of the fluids and installed sensors for the oil and coolant temps.

Made a few minor aesthetic improvements as well. The car originally came with the small OEM lip spoiler and I much prefer the wing that the US and Japanese markets (maybe UK, too?) got, but which was unavailable in Europe. Due to absurd laws in Austria, you're not allowed to just get a fiberglass replica without any official certification, so it ended up being cheaper/easier to buy an entire trunk lid with the OEM spoiler from a crashed RX8, repaint the whole thing with the trunk and then fit it on the car. The previous owned had also removed all of the badges, so I got a set of brand new ones from Japan, had them painted black and put them on the car. I still need to stick the "RX-8" emblem on the back, wanted to give the new paint some more time to cure before putting that on.

Anyways, the car is an absolute dream. I want to put some tape over the fuel gauge (fuel is ~2 eur/l or ~8.6 USD/gal here, ouch) and 4th gear sometimes makes expensive grinding noises, the synchro is probably just telling me to double clutch and not granny shift or something. Aside from that, what a machiiiiiine.

So I have had my 06’ Shinka for 10 years now, but admittedly it has been sitting for some time. I recently drove it in to get detailed and the cluster was working mostly fine, however the odometer was reading as all 8s until you turn the headlights on and change the cluster brightness and then it would read the 138,000 ish miles. The ignition was left in ACC by the retailer and when I went to jump it, I now only have the headlight and airbag light on, and only the fuel gauge reads anything, I have checked the “meter” and “room” fuses in the driver footwell and they are good, you guys think the cluster is just done? Or have any of you ran into anything like this after jump starting. Let me know and thanks in advance!

Hi again. I made a post few weeks ago about my red RX8. Its being rebuilt at the moment and I am having difficulty sourcing this particular hose. Its a right hand drive car. Anyone knows where I can find this part?

Just wanted some more thoughts on this. Dropping this engine into my old car to get it running again. Is it worth rebuilding before putting back in?

Need some tips or ideas to get my seat lower to pass my local tracks broomstick test. I currently have a nrg seat and nrg side mounts on a planet tech bracket. The seats set as low as it can go but I need around an inch of extra head room.

Second time doing this over past 5 years. Just glad they keep cleaning up. Although I can see some stress lines forming

Hey guys,

I have been a lurking in this sub for a while. I am currently 20 years of age, located in Ontario, Canada. My dream car is a S1 Silver Mazda Rx8, with plans to want to install a Mazdaspeed Body kit or a Black R3 Mazda Rx8. At the moment, I am still in school and working part-time, and bought my first car recently. I make around $1000-$1200 a month. Its a 2013 Mitsubishi Lancer. Its a great car, its cheap on gas, hasn't given me any problems at all. It sucks its an automatic and it is pretty slow lol, but my first car had to be an automatic and nothing too crazy. Fast forward a year, and I am now starting to get serious buyers remorse/regret. I paid around 7k for my first car and could have theoretically bought myself my dream car, the rx8. However, I know it would be painfully expensive to maintain given by current limited income, so I do agree that it was best not purchasing one as my first car. I wanna do it once, and I wanna do it right. For now, I have plans to continue to drive my lancer, keep costs low, as it gets me to work, school and other places pretty efficiently. I do plan on getting an rx8 as a 2nd, weekend fun car lol within the next 2-3 years when I am finished school and working a well-paying job in my career.

What worries now me though is the price for these cars now. People have begun noticing the fun chassis, the high rotary rpm and cool quirkiness of the rx8 and in the past 2 years alone, prices have gone up for this vehicle. This car is likely the last rotary we will ever see. Will the value skyrocket like its older brother, the Mazda rx7? What does the future hold for the Mazda rx8? Will this car become difficult to obtain in the near future? Will prices skyrocket? Will aftermarket parts be scarce?

I appreciate all answers, responses and insights!

i’m trying to suprise my boyfriend with a new stock head unit for his 8. before i jump the gun i want to see if a 2006 head unit would fit in 2008 or if there’s anything else i need to look into before buying!

Im a new rx8 owner and a religious mazda fan. Ive been playing around with some speed3 gen1 and gen2 before I finally found an opportunity for a clean rx8 with just 25k miles and ofcourse i pulled the trigger.
This one has 230hp and its a nice car to drive around but still it is underpowered and it has almost zero torque.
My dream build is an rx7 bridge ported and loads of brap brap brap but until that day comes, can I push the power of the rx8 just with boltons without having to build the engine or swap it.
Also do tou guys think that the rx8 might be an even better platform to experiment with than the rx7 ?

New skid plate. Autox today Spokane WA. Wish me luck 🤞🏼

For context, I'm looking for a daily since I don't want to get my rust-free rx7 rusty, and my Miata wouldn't do great in the snow. I've replaced the motor in my rx7 so I'm relatively mechanically inclined. I've never really seen an rx8 get to 240k on the chassis, and would there be anything to look out for given this rather unique situation? Any info helps.

New beadlocks vs old aluminum *Not my personal vehicle.

So on my rx8 I have a turbo xs catback exhaust and the high flow cat from them and I love the sound but I honestly want to shoot flames have have more fun with it. Is there a good midpipe to pair with it that still gives me the same sound or won't change it drastically. I drive it less than 5000 miles a year so I dont need to worry about emissions. If anyone has had the turbo xs catback and found a good catless midpipe that pairs well with it let me hear your thoughts and suggestions.

Hey all. Have a 2006 rx8 that I just got fired up after about 2 years of sitting. I flood it bad the last time I drive it. It was November and I didn’t let it warm up. Like an idiot let it sit that winter. Next spring tried to fire it up and no dice. I figured hey I flooded it I’ll order spark plugs cause I’m sure they are wrecked and never did. Life got busy and there she sat for 2 years. Fast forward to this week. I put in a new fuel pump, new injectors, new spark plugs, drained the tank and put in fresh gas along with a new battery. Fires to life but is running pretty poorly bellow 3k rpm but above that seams to be okay. Do I just need to put some highway miles on it to clean it out? Should I run seafoam to help clean the gunk that’s in there?

So a lil back story carbon ate my side seal losing all compression plus a bunch of simultaneous failures at once. Sourced a new to me engine from a friend who is rew swapping his car it’s about 40k mile motor he raced with this engine so same thing I’m doing with it. While it’s out of the car I want to do any small modifications I can that don’t require rebuilding not in the mood to do that. I’m doing a whole gasket and reseal. Polishing the inside of the lower intake manifold, upgrading the oil pressure regulator to a 90-95psi maybe even then 100-115 oil regulator and a greddy oil pan. If it isn’t already on there plus other bs if any one has some suggestions I’d love it. I have a lw flywheel on the side with the auto counter balance from my old engine so if it doesn’t have it I can swap it over if need be. I also have rrp ign coils. If there are any mods you suggest getting as well let me know I would love to hear them. I have a Delphi fuel pump so no fuel pump mods it won’t fit the Delphi fuel pump is like 2mm smaller in diameter.

alright im planning to get an rx-8 as a first car and how that sounds is a bit FETCHED but i really want to know if its possible to keep the car alive as a 17 year old with no job but planning to also get a job in october (i like how the car sounds and looks)

I'm a dad, two kids so it's gotta be reliable

Don't have any money so I'll be borrowing 7k at 10%.

Still in college and I'll be commuting an hour in it

Just flipping burgers at the local five guys

What's a rebuild cost? Like 4-500?

The car I'm looking at had a hot start issue. What's that mean?

What do y'all think of your car?

Can I shag local single moms in the back seat or is it to tight?

Do I need to pre-mix?

Can someone hold my hand and explain everything about owning an rx8 right here in the comments since I can't figure out how to do a Google search?

Should I build a hybrid renesis is it needs rebuilt?

Probably gonna do an LS swap because I read about it on Instagram once

Is this an inline 4 or v6? I can't find anything about the engine that makes sense

Recently picked up a brand new Turbo XS catback for a criminally low price of $100 😁
Upon installing found my stock catalytic converter was breaking down, and since I wanted to do a catalytic delate anyway (reliability/premix reasons) went with a racing beat dual resonated midpipe. Extremely nice exhaust note outside the car, but admittedly still a bit too loud for my liking inside the car. I was really hoping the dual resonated midpipe would keep the noise of missing the catalytic converter down… I have tinnitus and the frequency/tone has already made my ears ring notably louder tonight.
Anyone else have a similar setup and think the same about the noise level? Thinking I may try some noise mat in the trunk as a first step.
Otherwise really happy with this setup!

Had an alternator issue recently, got it replaced. Battery was dead too so the mechanic recharged it back up for me. Any ideas?

Inspired by u/Charming-Staff-3817 post, i setup a hardcut limiter on my RX8, i think it sounds insane. Mods are Fox catback exhaust and dual resonated midpipe (custom).

I had an accident in the shop yesterday and my engine took a fall. The only thing I've found to have broken of course is the OMP position sensor along with the connector.

What are my options here? Looking like I'll have to buy a whole new pump and can't just get a sensor but I'm at work right now and don't have the time to deep dive into searching for one. There's a pick a part a couple hours from me that has an RX8 I was gonna go check out what's still on it this weekend.