After a 500 mile round trip in an RX8 with an average of 18mpg, 3 fill ups (2 fuel, 1 oil), a host of strange noises and lots of oil pressure lights it still left me impressed

It seated 4 adults in comfort, handled the b roads brilliantly and had a great sound system to go with it. If only they had put a sensible engine under the bonnet it would really appeal to me.

Any cars that fall under the same category that appeal to you?

Updated November 12, 2012 at 9:08 PM

Ferrari Testarossa - rubbish interior build quality, no brakes, questionable road holding...
But what a look, and what an engine...

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Pilouil
Citroen C3 1.4 HDI 69.0424 bhp

Original Alfa Romeo GTV6, Lancia Delta integrale. I lust after both but they are unreliable and not very well made, I still have fond memories as a child of my brothers Delta HF Turbo. Yes it was unreliable, the immobilizer was fucked as it used to set the alarm off at all hours. It was all worth it for the turbo noises and just how special it was.

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MI5 have confirmed he had committed suicide using the traditional Russian method: He shot himself 3 times in the head then hid the gun.

Drove a mates RX8 many times, its a lovely car bar the lacklustre engine, handles well, strong brakes, interesting styling, good ergonomics. A shame really.

I really want an RX-7 with an LSx in it.

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+ Non-limited edition of the Exige 240R
- Uninspiring soundtrack

Considering the number for sale with shagged engines I'm surprised there isn't a ripe conversion market.

facelift Jag S Type R

Zonda_ said...

Considering the number for sale with shagged engines I'm surprised there isn't a ripe conversion market.

I wonder how hard/expensive it is to put a proper engine in an RX8? Say an S2000/BMW straight six lump for example?

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MI5 have confirmed he had committed suicide using the traditional Russian method: He shot himself 3 times in the head then hid the gun.

djchocice said...

Zonda_ said...

Considering the number for sale with shagged engines I'm surprised there isn't a ripe conversion market.

I wonder how hard/expensive it is to put a proper engine in an RX8? Say an S2000/BMW straight six lump for example?

Personally I'd like one with an VAG 1.8T, don't know why people are not doing conversions though.

Zonda_ said...

djchocice said...

Zonda_ said...

Considering the number for sale with shagged engines I'm surprised there isn't a ripe conversion market.

I wonder how hard/expensive it is to put a proper engine in an RX8? Say an S2000/BMW straight six lump for example?

Personally I'd like one with an VAG 1.8T, don't know why people are not doing conversions though.

There seem to be a few people who have started with VAG coversions but I couldn't find any finished builds. You can pick an RX8 up for as little as 2k so I can only assume it's a big ordeal to convert.

When I was looking a few months back they were available for less than a grand!

Presumably the faff of all the electronics is making it hard going.

But the 1.8T in an RX-8 does sound interesting. I remember reading about somebody tuning the first generation 1.8T to 450+ BHP and dropping it into a beach buggy shell.

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DeskJockey
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Now fueled by heavy oil...

i was looking in to rx8 conversions a couple of weeks ago, and the main issues people run into seem to be the electronics (but not too much), and finding an engine/gearbox combo that will actually fit. there's bugger-all space under the bonnet of those things.

I was thinking a scooby engine might be worth considering as a conversion. if it could be done, i'd probably go out and buy one.

When we had an RX8 and the scoob, I often wondered how much fun the RX8 would be with the flat-four in the front. The boxer unit is certainly one of the few with a low enough profile. Even if you could find a way to mate it however, a std scoob lump would eat the oem gearbox in no time, so you need to look at that too.

Strangely I never pondered what the scoob would be like with the RX8 lump in the front.

I think the problem is that if you do an engine conversion, instead of getting all the usual Renesis foibles (high oil/fuel consumption, garages that either fear working on it or charge 'specialist' rates, warm start flooding or whatever that thing was etc) you get all the usual 'conversion' problems - flaky electrics (unless done properly), physical fitment problems (unless done properly), potential weight distrubition issues (unless done properly) yadda yadda.

Which is fine if you can get someone to do it properly. Except that would probably cost more than, frankly, a better, newer, cleaner car.

I really fancy an RX8, I'll just keep the original engine, ta.

Zonda_ said...

djchocice said...

Zonda_ said...

Considering the number for sale with shagged engines I'm surprised there isn't a ripe conversion market.

I wonder how hard/expensive it is to put a proper engine in an RX8? Say an S2000/BMW straight six lump for example?

Personally I'd like one with an VAG 1.8T, don't know why people are not doing conversions though.

The VAG 1.8 Turbo lump didn't even cross my mind. The newer 2.0 Turbo lump would be more tantalizing surely? It seems you can up the Golf R/S3 spec motor to 300bhp ish with a remap and zorst, now that would make the RX8 a right laugh.

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MI5 have confirmed he had committed suicide using the traditional Russian method: He shot himself 3 times in the head then hid the gun.

The VAG 4-pot lumps would certainly provide a way to make the car sound utterly 5hit. Good plan.

mik said...

The VAG 4-pot lumps would certainly provide a way to make the car sound utterly 5hit. Good plan.

An exhaust would soon solve that, my Roadster has a terrible sound. For reliability in a great looking car, I could live with it.

Golf R32. Average car but what an engine sound

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I'd rather be wrong than dull

Ciroen XM and Renault Avantime. Had an XM that rarely worked and still fancy an Avantime but too scared of the reliability.

See also C6.

Updated November 13, 2012 at 9:52 AM

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What would Daddy Pig do?