The Shinka's engine carries forward from the stock RX-8, which is hardly a bad thing. The 1.3-litre, twin-rotor engine puts out 238-horsepower at
8,500 rpm and 159 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm. I should also mention that a 4-speed automatic transmission is also available, complete with paddle shifters on the steering column; however, 40 horses are sacrificed along the way, dumbing the car down to a total of 198 horsepower.
Whether auto or manual shift, the RX-8 inherits the same ABS and EBD enhanced 4-wheel disc braking system as implemented on the popular Mazda6 sedan, which enabled me to slow down quickly before taking tricky turns. Furthermore, dynamic stability control (DSC) is a standard just incase I were to mess up an apex or lose traction on slippery surfaces. Hey, it happens to the best of us.
That would be a good time to get my mind off of what would have otherwise been a potential accident, and lose myself in a good tune. For such therapy the 9-speaker, 300-watt, AM/FM stereo with a 6-disc in-dash CD changer, stock with the Shinka package, was ideal. The surround sound effect is
mighty impressive too. Too bad it doesn't come with a DVD player mounted in that oh-so-useful centre console, to have an even more evolutionary experience. Sometimes, when so equipped, I like to park my test car in a park or even in my carport, throw in a movie and watch it.
Mind you, even if there was a DVD system in the back, it would not be the best car to chill in, because if I wanted to drape my legs over the rear seats it would be pretty uncomfortable due to that oh-so-useful console which extends right into the rear seating area. On the off chance that the RX-8 had a DVD player, and I had a date, this car would rank low on the backseat make-out-ability scale due to the barrier it creates between the two parties. On a scale of 1 to 10, it gets a 2.5 (3.5 if there a DVD player were included). It had to be said. On the positive, if you're just riding along as a passenger there's a heck of a lot of room back there - six-foot plus guys have no problem getting comfortable.
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| The 1.3-litre, twin-rotor engine puts out 238-horsepower when hooked up to the six-speed manual. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
Whether auto or manual shift, the RX-8 inherits the same ABS and EBD enhanced 4-wheel disc braking system as implemented on the popular Mazda6 sedan, which enabled me to slow down quickly before taking tricky turns. Furthermore, dynamic stability control (DSC) is a standard just incase I were to mess up an apex or lose traction on slippery surfaces. Hey, it happens to the best of us.
That would be a good time to get my mind off of what would have otherwise been a potential accident, and lose myself in a good tune. For such therapy the 9-speaker, 300-watt, AM/FM stereo with a 6-disc in-dash CD changer, stock with the Shinka package, was ideal. The surround sound effect is
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| The 9-speaker, 300-watt, AM/FM stereo with a 6-disc in-dash CD changer is stock with the Shinka package. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
Mind you, even if there was a DVD system in the back, it would not be the best car to chill in, because if I wanted to drape my legs over the rear seats it would be pretty uncomfortable due to that oh-so-useful console which extends right into the rear seating area. On the off chance that the RX-8 had a DVD player, and I had a date, this car would rank low on the backseat make-out-ability scale due to the barrier it creates between the two parties. On a scale of 1 to 10, it gets a 2.5 (3.5 if there a DVD player were included). It had to be said. On the positive, if you're just riding along as a passenger there's a heck of a lot of room back there - six-foot plus guys have no problem getting comfortable.