Mazda RX-8

The RX-8 departs far from the sports coupe norm in passenger accommodation. The genre is notorious for rear seats that are better-suited to suitcases than humans over the age of 10. The RX-8 is different. With no central ``B'' pillar, access is easy for all four passengers. If four six-footers aren't quite in the design spec, a five-eight person can fit comfortably behind a six-foot front passenger. All four seats are comfortably-padded and bolstered for support in spirited driving - and check out the Wankel-rotor shaped inserts in the front headrests. A rear-facing child seat can be installed in the rear. Make no mistake, the RX-8 is a driver's car, with very good instrumentation and near-perfect positioning of the controls. For convenience, both front and rear passengers have small storage boxes and cupholders in the center console, and there is a passthrough to the trunk. Trunk space is almost at a compact sedan size. The RX-8 is as useful around town as it is fun to drive on the open road, and can easily be an only car, not just a weekend toy. PERFORMANCE: Hummmmmmmm. Ah, the unique sound of the rotary-piston engine. The RX-8's 1.3-liter 13B twin-rotor example goes from a tenor hum at lower speeds to a frenetic shriek (suitably muted for civilized operation, of course) at the 9,000-rpm redline. While power is adequate down low, the engine is best kept above 4,000 rpm for optimum performance. This is not a problem with the short-throw six-speed gearbox that is standard fare. Power builds in a linear manner, with a moderate top-end rush, and because there are no reciprocating engine parts, the engine is exceptionally smooth. And power there is, with 238 horsepower at 8500 rpm and 159 lb-ft of torque at 5500 rpm - from 80 naturally aspirated cubic inches, mind you. No turbo necessary. The four-speed automatic transmission model features a retuned engine, with more torque - 164 lb-ft at 5000 rpm - and less power, 197 hp at 7200 rpm, to work better with the automatic.