350Z vs RX-8

[volvo4me]

Hello Iceburn,

As I jumped into this thread at the mid point I did not realize your main point. Sorry. And yes I totally agree with you that simply stating a torque of "only 162 ft-lbs" does not come close to the whole story and is therefore misleading.
I did enjoy the part of the thread that I saw and thanks for your kind reply.

You are totally forgiven

See Ya,

Volvo4me

[Efini]

this horsepower vs torque thing has been discussed many times in many different automotive forums, please read this.

i remember reading an article in sport compact car stating that its the total area under the curve that will determine which is the faster engine. also i would like to point out, as you already read in the above link, that torque and horsepower are correlated. yes, the 350Z does have more peak torque than the RX8, but keep in mind that the RX8's torque band ranges all the way to 9000 hp, so if u look at the area under the curve, that rpm range really evens out the field. second, there is a big big thing that you guys failed to mention. the RX8 weights about 200lbs less than the 350Z. so the RX8 doesnt really need as much power as the 350Z does. lightweight as many advantages. braking, handling .... every aspect of performance is enhanced by light weight.

yes, the rotary engine had a bad reputation as being an unreliable engine. but to tell u the truth, most sports cars, esp turbo sports cars, tend to have engine problems why ?? because first, they are meant to be driven HARD, and second ... they operate very hot and are very stressed. for example, the 3000GT/Stealth twins were very very very prone to engine failure ... perhaps even more so than rotaries. also, mazda promises that with this new side exhaust port design of the rotary, oil consumption and apex seal wear is greatly improved, not to mention fuel efficiency and emmissions. and if u ever question the reliability of the rotary, remember one FACT: which auto manufacturer is the ONLY japanese auto company to ever win at Le Mans ?? NOT nissan, NOT toyota, NOT honda, but MAZDA ... and they did it with a rotary. enough said

[VR6Turbo]

all of you guys suck, (except efini)
The RX-8 is awesome. I know a lot about rotary engines, somthing most of you dont. The Renesis engine is much different than the 13b. The 350Z is still a VERY nice car, but i think the i like the RX-8 better based solely on its looks. I dont think there was one person who agreed with me here, but I dont care. Id like to have both of them!!!!

[cueball1029]

Well I think car and driver settled this for us. The RX8 beat the G35C and since the G35C is almost the same as the 350Z, well we have a winner.

[KhangFrUmHtown]

i still cant decide whether the z or rx is better. the only thing i know is that both are intended for similar yet different purposes. im leaning towards the rx because of some information that i have hear from a friend at nissan. it turns out that the new z has an ugly habit of eating its front tires. engineers cant figure it out all they can do is replace the tires until warranty goes out.