Turbo on RX-8

[Phoenix7]

Originally Posted by mazdamaniac

What do you mean? My "public" dyno at 9 PSI on my nice, extremely streetable turbo is over 315 RWHP.
With meth and a bit more boost, I made 20% more over that.
If someone wanted a 400 HP RX-8 and wanted to deal with the street performance liabilites of that (just like the 400+ HP club of RX- owners do), they could go to a GT3571 or similar and be there all day.

The problem is, most people don't want a high-HP car - they just want to brag about owning one.
A 400+ HP turbo rotary is annoying at best in stop and go traffic. Add summer to the mix and the sacrifices you make in vehicle comfort to make use of that power and you have a car that no one wants to drive anywhere but straight down the 1/4 mile.
RX-8 owners like their DSC/TCS, A/C and power seats. Did I mention the cup holders and the Bose 9-speaker stereo?

On a road course, I destroy cars that are supposed to outclass me by a considerable margin.
Watch as this "500 HP", single-turbo 300 ZX desparately tries to catch me on the 1/2 mile straight at Firebird Raceway as I hit nearly 150 MPH.
Then watch as I out-brake him!
VIDEO
The Cobra and the Saleen did the same thing, only I watched them spin behind me in the second corner after that straight.
Very sad. I almost spilled my latte.

good post. Looks like I'm not giving the Renesis the credit is deserves. Thanks for patiently clearing things up.

Now regarding hi/lo comp:
I can understand how a high compression motor can match/outperform a low comp one at lower or the same boost levels. HP-wise the high comp motor wins but isn't the lower compression motor safer for boost application, like Herb said, for the safety of the motor? Or is this another misconception? I know that tuning plays a huge role in the safety and longevity of the motor but doesn't the high comp motor wear and tear at a higher rate?

Also, thanks for joining and taking the time to bear with some of us.

Also, What I meant by "yielding little power" was : yielding little HP per dollar spent (compared to the older rotaries).

[mazdamaniac]

Originally Posted by phoenix7

HP-wise the high comp motor wins but isn't the lower compression motor safer for boost application, like Herb said, for the safety of the motor? Or is this another misconception? I know that tuning plays a huge role in the safety and longevity of the motor but doesn't the high comp motor wear and tear at a higher rate?

Every motor has a finite number of puffs in it. The more powerful those puffs, the fewer it will make over its lifetime.

Tuning is everything. Period.
If a motor is properly built, tuning can extract power out of it right up to the point it breaks from load.
Almost no one ever gets that far before they make a mistake or get it too close to the edge of what available fuels and prevailing conditions allow.

Originally Posted by phoenix7

Also, What I meant by "yielding little power" was : yielding little HP per dollar spent (compared to the older rotaries).

Now, that is a different question completely.
The people that have figured out how to make power with this motor are charging what the market will bear. Wouldn't you?
Do it yourself and the material investment is no different than any other motor.

As the charts I posted indicate, +300 HP is reachable for about the same cost as it would be on any motor that only made 190 or so to begin with.