The 2009 RX-8 is an important vehicle to Mazda for the coupe market segment. The R3 is a member of a series of four trim levels for the RX-8 which include Touring, Grand Touring, Sport, and R3. The four-door car with its rear-wheel drive is positioned to aggressively fill this niche for Mazda. There is strong competition from vehicles from Lexus.

Mazda RX-8 Engine Specs

The restyled RX-8 R3 is equipped with a 1.3-liter two-cylinder engine that utilizes 12 valves. The engine is mated to a N/A six-speed transmission. This has resulted in an increase in horsepower and torque over the 2008 version.

The 2009 RX-8's exceptional fuel system runs on gas. The fuel is regulated electronically, with a fuel-injected multi-port fuel injection style of design. The fuel capacity of the car is 12 gallons.

Steering control is handled through a power-steering rack-style configuration. The RX-8 comes equipped with power-assisted brakes, with 4-Wheel ABS support. The front brakes are disc while the rear brakes are disc. The car uses coil front springs and coil in the rear.

Vehicle Statistics

The dimensions of the RX-8 R3 are inches wide by inches long. It sits inches off the ground. It seats a standard several adults passengers, with 4 doors. The wheelbase of allows for extra leg room for the rear passengers.

The original manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) was an industry-high price when new, with a dealer invoice cost of an industry-high price. This price was in line with the industry average price for a 4-door Coupe.

The standard warranty period for the RX-8 is 60* months, or 50,000* miles, whichever comes first. This is standard in the coupe market.

Fuel Efficiency

The RX-8 R3 received a miles-per-gallon rating of seventeen in-city driving and twenty three when it came to highway driving. Being a gas-powered non-hybrid car, this was exceptional.

We Think...

The 2008 model began the promise of the Mazda RX-8. The 2009 expanded on this success and has proven to be a strong seller in most markets. Even with strong competition from other manufacturers Mazda hopes that the RX-8 R3 will continue to be a profitable vehicle.

Tags: 4-Door, Coupe, Mazda RX-8, R3, United States market

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 5th, 2009 at 11:29 am and is filed under 2009, Mazda, RX-8. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.