the wankels are interesting little engines...not many people know how they work, but props the japense for using them. WHo knew a 1.3l could pump out a 223hp ( rx8). But the genesis is a fairly low car as well, not nearly as low as the rx8/7. Hmmm do any other jags have "bad" ride characters? I wonde how the ride comfort is for th people on here running 20's and 19's

 

Switching between the snows on 16s and the summers on 18s is a HUGE difference in ride quality. The 16s are like riding in a 70s caddy compared to the 18s. So thats 50 series compared to 40 series sidewalls. So I would imagine going to an exexpat style 20 on 30s would be similar to riding on bare riims. But his rims poke too much for performance, the tires would roll onto the rim at speed I'd imagine. But less poke on 20s and it would be like an indy car I think. The less sidewall you have the more you feel the road, but also the less roll you have in corners so it is definately a trade-off. Personally I want to be able to accelerate into a corner.

 

Most of the weight is naturally found wherever the engine is located. The engineers have to figure out where to put everything in a vehicle without overloading either end or side. They'd obviously like to put everything down low right in the center, but that means we'd be strapped to the roof.

There's always trade offs when designing street cars. Race cars are designed for the track they'll be racing on. There are no potholes, no oncoming traffic, no stopping, no groceries, no pets, no skis, no surround sound, and all the drivers are basically doing EXACTLY what you're doing.

On the street, your car has to be able to perform in a multitude of environments and it wasn't built for your roads or your driving style. In fact, trucks are offered with more options so you can tailor closer to your needs, but they still have to be jacks of all trades. Cars usually have more options geared toward luxury and comfort than performance. We've taken what used to be a cart to haul things and turned it into an extension of our living rooms.

I used to win bets while "cruising" in my RX-7s. Somebody would pick a race and I'd tell him I'd beat him anywhere he wanted to go and he could hold my distributer cap. They'd always say, "Your car won't even start without it". "So we have a bet?", "Ok". Long story short... 2 rotors, 2 coils, 2 points, 2 wires, vrooom. I'd get my winnings without ever leaving the parking lot. The other 2 plugs are there strictly for emissions.

Yep, just pulled my 16" snows off for my 18's and it's like another car. Not sure why anyone goes with more than 18" but it's their car. I like enough sidewall for a mix of performance and comfort because in the end, that's exactly what an X is all about. It's not the best performing car and it's not the most comfortable car, but it pulls off both equally well with tons of style.

 

I agree 50/50 distribution is a good thing but as you said there are other factors that make for a good handling car. For the average driver who has a car that is 50/50 he or she probably wouldn't notice the difference.

 

I remember when these engines were first introduced in the Mazda, even thou they have been around for over 100 years. A guy that worked for me bought a wankel powered Mazda. The car was quick, a bit noisy, but not like a compression stroke engine, it was sort of a whining sound. The really bad feature was the gas mileage, around town I remember he told me he got about 12mpg around the city and I think 18 highway.

A few years ago my sons friend bought a brand new RX8 or whatever the model is now, and kept it six months and sold it. The gas mileage, he said was horrible.

After Mazda introduced this engine it only took them a few years to offer a compression stroke engine as they were receiving too many complaints about gas usage and blown seals in the engine, an inherent problem with these engines. My sons friend went thru one set of seals in 3 months, which was under warranty. But this kid drives like he is on a suicide mission. My son won't ride with him, when the go out my son always drives.

 

Yes, Mazda always seemed to be way out there on engine designs and I always that that was good.

In addition to the rotary design a few years ago they had a "Miller cycle" V6 in the Millennium sedan. That engine used a super charger to maintain constant cylinder pressure through out the stroke. A very interesting idea.
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My karma just ran over your dogma
'05 Jaguar X-Type

 

Rotary engines got a bad rap from a lot of people who didn't understand just how important oil was for their engine. Motor oil was injected into the fuel mixture for lubrication making it similar to a 2-cycle engine. The problem was worsened because they were selling the cars so cheap, anyone could afford them. They wouldn't have had half the problems if it was marketed strictly to enthusiasts who would actually take care of their cars.

I used to squirt Marvel Mystery Oil right into the carb of my 79 rx7 as a cleaner. Car ran like a fine watch from day 1, and I sold it with over 115k miles still as strong as ever. No small feat for a car built in the 70's. I liked it so much I went out and bought an 86 rx7. Too bad the car grew faster than the engine. They solved that in 93.

 

People dont relize that the seals require lubrication (correct word?) to keep the seals from drying out and needing to be replaced. Also synthetic is bad for rotary since it does not break down similarily to converntional oil...rotary engines require oil break down...and eat a bit of oil. Many noobs think this is a problem and try to correct it somehow and end up cuasing more problems...Ive also heard rotary's benefit from being driven hard and the power actauly increases over time.

HAHAHA that distributor race story made me laugh. Some people ehh. And the rotary's are difficult only becuae its not easy to find mechanic who understands them.

 

A Mazda mechanic taught me the distributor trick when I asked him how they adjusted the points at the dealership since there was no access hole like on other cars. It took forever to adjust both sets having to open the distributor cap for every adjustment. He grinned but eventually told me their "secret". Setting the point gap went from a 30 minute swear affair to a 5 minute miracle.

Here's a pic of what's probably the most fun car I ever owned on Daytona Beach. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the stage of my life I happened to own it, but it was a blast none-the-less. I loved those Gotti wheels.

 

Great Mazda, I've had a few friends who owned these cars and they loved them. I drove my son's friend RX8 and it was a kick to drive. A little tight for a guy my size. Also, the model he had a a back door I believe on the passenger side, no handle, opened from inside, so the outside looked seamless. It also was very quick

 

thats sick car. i wish up here in canada they would let us import the 04's but unforunatly they don't stupid laws and regulations.