From http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=107457

Mazda RX-8 Sets New Benchmark for Rotary Endurance

Date Posted 10-03-2005

PAPENBURG, Germany — Mazda's RX-8 coupe has set 40 international speed and endurance records for rotary-engine cars at a German test track.

The records were set during a 24-hour period on the 12.3-kilometer oval at the automotive proving grounds in Papenburg with two 231-horsepower Mazda RX-8s. Twenty records were set in the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) Category A (special vehicles) and 20 in the FIA Category B (mass-production vehicles). The two sports cars, one in racing trim and one a standard production vehicle, covered more than 3,000 miles during the record attempt, which has been certified by the FIA.

The RX-8s averaged 132.25 mph (production) and 134.18 mph (race trim) over the 24-hour endurance trial. Both vehicles shattered a record previously held by the 700-horsepower Mazda 787B race car, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race at an average speed of 127.46 mph in 1991.

What this means to you: Mazda has persevered with the rotary engine concept — and exercises such as this prove reliability problems are a thing of the past.


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When if ever was rotary reliability a problem?
Rotaries are widely known for their exceptional reliability.
I have owned seven of them myself starting in 1972 with well
over a million accumulated miles.

"Both vehicles shattered a record previously held by the 700-horsepower
Mazda 787B race car, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race at an
average speed of 127.46 mph in 1991."

This is a really stupid statement. The RX8 ran on an oval and the
787B ran on the Le Mans road race circuit. Apples and oranges.

What idiot wrote this press release?


Paul Lamar

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