The 2004 Mazda RX-8 is a new sports car with a fair share
of unique appointments. For starters, the RX-8 employs a
rotary engine to handle the driving. It uses triangular-shaped
rotors that spin inside oval-shaped housings as opposed
to the conventional up-and-down motion of pistons in cylinders.
And with four doors, the Mazda RX-8 is a roadster that also
has interior room.
The Mazda RX-8 is based on the exemplary design of the
old RX-7, a two-door speedster last seen in 1995. The new
RX-8, in both name and design, is seen as the next step
in the evolution of the sports car. Mazda went through great
pains to hone the RX-8, and by all indications they have
succeeded.
Available Models
The 2004 Mazda RX-8 is offered in a base model featuring
several options packages.
Interior Features
The 2004 Mazda RX-8 seats four passengers. Up front you'll
find the most amount of seating space, as a total of 42.6
inches of legroom is provided. In the rear, you drop about
six inches of legroom.
The 2004 Mazda RX-8 has both front and rear bucket seats,
giving everyone that cockpit feel. The instrumentation up
front is easy to read and quick to pick out, with little
clutter to detract from the driving experience. Standard
features include cruise control, air conditioning, a tilt
leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls, power
mirrors, windows and door locks, an AM/FM/CD player, a digital
clock and illuminated visor mirrors.
There are a number of options available in groups that
combine extra performance features with interior items.
A stand-alone option is a navigation system.
Exterior Features
Larger than the RX-7, the Mazda RX-8 is perhaps more functional
than its predecessor. It's about 5 inches longer than a
similar-style car, the two-seat Nissan 350Z. The four-door
setup includes rear doors, but they do not open or close
independently of the fronts.
Performance
The rear-wheel drive 2004 Mazda RX-8 puts its unique engine
to good use. It can be mated to either 4-speed automatic
transmission with a manual shift feature, or 6-speed manual
transmission. The 1.3-liter rotary engine produces 207 horsepower
and 164 lb-ft of torque with automatic transmission, 247
horsepower and 159 lb-ft of torque with manual transmission.
The 2004 RX-8 has a stiff body construction featuring a
strong, high-mount backbone for the type of rigidity needed
for high-speed maneuvering. Mazda also offers a special
sport package to increase the performance level of the RX-8.
Automatics with this package receive traction control, an
antiskid system, limited-slip differential, fog lights,
xenon headlights, upgraded brakes and sport suspension.
Safety and Security
Mazda equips the RX-8 with an appropriate set of safety
features to counter the type of power it can deliver. The
standard package includes dual front airbags, front side
airbags, curtain side airbags, antilock 4-wheel disc brakes
and a tire-pressure monitor.
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Car Reviews
2004
Mazda RX-8 - Specs
2004
Mazda RX-8 - Price Quote
