No Rotary for Me

In the last post, I mentioned about the Nissan Fairlady 350Z and how it is so cheap these days but not one to be considered in Malaysia. Next up in the list, I have the Mazda RX-8 and I am very sure, I will receive some negative criticism about this blog post. There are many fanboys out there who believe that the RX-8 is a great JDM sports car. Let us start with the current market price for a RX-8. For a 2003 RX-8, both AT and MT is selling from around RM 45,000 to RM 67,000, depending on condition and modification. When you compare to the 350Z, it is a cheaper choice but it also could sell for more than what a 350Z could get for the same year. As you know from the previous post, the predecessor of the RX-8, the RX-7 FD3S could fetch a handsome selling price from RM 75,000 and above. I think by now it is safe to conclude that JDM sports car from the 90s that achieved "Legendary" status will cost a bomb and stop decreasing in value after a certain age in Malaysia. These Legends includes the Honda NSX, the Nissan GT-R R35, Mazda RX-7 FD3S and Toyota Supra. Other models that are not as legendary but still popular, will experience similar pricing.

Rx-7 FD3S vs RX-8

The Legend 4

Any enthusiast can tell you that the RX-8 would not be facing a problem with its road tax issue like the 350Z because we all know that the RX-8 have a RENESIS 13B-MSP rotary engine and is rated 1.3 liter. The road tax is only RM 70 and it is very, very affordable. This is the main reason the RX-8 is so popular in Malaysia. You get 190 bhp (4 AT) and 250 (Type S, MT) from the engine but only pay so little in road tax. Definitely a good bargain and a good selling point. Beside this advantage over the 350Z in terms of road tax, the RX-8 also wins by having rear seats and a decent boot. The RX-8 can sit 2 more people and these 2 person could access the rear seats thanks to 2 special doors. What makes these 2 doors so special is not just because it is rare to find rear doors on a coupe but because these are not ordinary doors but are suicide doors. These suicide doors make it easier to enter the rear seats than reclining the front seats on a regular coupe and it sure hell is awesome looking (not as much as gullwing doors though). So, what is the downside of a RX-8 ? Well, the answer, ironically is actually its engine. Owners are proud of the high-revving, high power 13B engine but there are many rumors and facts regarding how high maintenance the engine is and how difficult it is to keep it in good shape. Few of them are having to drive only after a warm up, having to wait for engine to cool down before turning off ignition and the engine is thirsty for engine oil and petrol. If you ever have big issues with the engine, it is easier to get a new engine to transplant compared to having the engine fix. Malaysia do not have many experts who knows how the rotary engines fully work and that worries potential buyers. If you look in the market, there are many RX-8 for sale. It could be the engine or the difficulty in maintaining the engine that made owners sell their RX-8. Price naturally decreases when supplies are high but demands are low.

RX-8 engine bay without cover

Cross section of Rotary Engine

All doors open with rear suicide doors

The RX-8 have never appealed to me as attractive especially the front view despite the many good review on how great the design is and how much of a chick magnet it is. I could not get over the bulbous front and the huge, round front fenders that is in my opinion, too much in your face. The pre-facelift front bumper is definitely ugly and is in need of a cosmetic surgery such as the Mazdaspeed bodykit. Another thing that I dislike about the RX-8 is the attitude and the reputation of its owners in Malaysia. Most of them have too much pride about their RX-8s and cause trouble among other JDM owners online or on the road. When I was still riding in my Celica, I once raced a RX-8 which I felt was a 4 speed AT model and I was on its tail the whole time. RX-8 owners (especially AT owners) love to mention that they have 200 bhp at their disposal from a small 1.3 liter engine and definitely could outrun most of the JDMs out there. That includes the "slow" Celica and that really bugs me. They seem to forget that their RX-8 is a RWD and not much power from the engine is left after power loss during transfer to the rear wheels via the long shaft. Compare to the Celica that is FWD, I think both cars have similar whp and with similar 4 speed AT, the Celica would have a fair fight and even win. I only know one person that used to own a RX-8, an ex-gf and she only mentioned that the seats are not comfortable and it drinks petrol like it is water. I do however, remember there is one thing that I do like about the RX-8 when it first came out and that is the cluster meter of the car. It is one of the earliest if not first to have a digital speedometer and this is more convenient when the speed-cut is removed. I remember having to source for an add-on speedometer for my Celica after I removed the speed cut.

Mazdaspeed RX-8

RX-8 Cluster with Digital Speedometer

Every time I imagine myself buying a RX-8, I would always think that beside its looks, the 13B engine is the main problem. I had ideas of replacing the rotary engine with some other engines but could not narrow it down to one engine. Then, one day while looking online, I found a 2003 RX-8 completely modified with a Toyota 3 liter, 2JZ-GTE engine from a Toyota Supra (AT) for RM 63,800. I was shocked at the choice and wonder how was this transplant approved by the government ? I would never have imagine to find out that this huge, powerful engine could fit in the engine bay of a RX-8 because the original engine was quite small in size. This transplant would allow this RX-8 to be more faster and have the reliability of a Toyota. A wonderful solution to its Achilles' heel but at the same time increases its road tax by 300% and now we have a dilemma. Mazda knew about its problem and in 2009, the facelift version came out and there were some revision to the 13B engine making it a more efficient model even by a small margin and the AT receive a new 6 speed gearbox. If you think maybe you should get a 2009 model, you will be disappointed to know that not many facelift model made it into Malaysia and even if you find one, it would be quite pricey. Now you know why the Mazda RX-8 made it into my cheap but no thanks list.

Toyota's 2JZ-GTE engine in RX-8 (photo from actual online ad)

Why not a "Lady" ?

As most readers of my blog know, I have been planning to purchase a JDM sports car on my own and have been looking for and researching for a suitable one. I even posted about the Subaru Impreza WRX STI which I would love to have and even went to look at one unit just last month. However, I found out that it was not that easy because although the price is cheap but not easy to obtain a car loan and not cheap enough to just buy it with cash. There are some JDM sports car that have reached certain prices that appear so attractive that you could just buy without much consideration. I wished it would be that easy because price is not the only factor you should consider especially in a country like Malaysia. One JDM sports car that is currently considerably cheap is the Nissan Fairlady 350Z (Z33). I remember when it came out during my high school days, it was cool but expensive. These days they are like everywhere. You can easily find a year 2003 350Z, both AT and MT for around  RM 57,000 to RM 65,000, depending on condition and modification. Let me give you some comparison to show you how cheap it is right. You could find an old like a 1993 Mazda RX-7 (MT) selling for RM 78,000 and a 1997 Toyota Supra (AT) for RM 95,000. Meanwhile something of similar age, a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII can easily fetch a range from RM 85,000 to even a ridiculous RM 105,000. It is very obvious that it is cheaper than some models made in the 90s and even lose out to its peers from the same time period.

Mazda RX-7 vs Toyota Supra

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII vs Nissan Fairlady 350Z

The biggest reason for being so cheap is the engine capacity. In Malaysia, car owners have to pay a road tax based on the engine capacity and the bigger your engine, the more you have to pay especially if it is 3000cc and above. For better understanding, a 2 liter engine costs RM 6xx and a 2.5 liter engine costs RM 8xx. It does not seem like a big difference but a 3 liter engine entitles you a road tax of RM 3xxx and the 350Z with a 3.5 liter V6 engine would cost you RM 4371 per year. Definitely for the rich only and because of this high tax, it makes the 350Z not so high in demand. Certainly not for someone like me and the next reason is the insurance issue. I have no idea how much its insurance premium is but I know it is difficult to find an established insurance firm to want to insure your 350Z and its sister, the Nissan Skyline 350GT (V35) with the same engine. Only those smaller firms would dare to insure. The last reason that affects everyone's consideration is the practicality of the 350Z. Being a 2-door coupe with only 2 seats and a small boot, the 350Z is more catered to a niche market for the rich and maybe singles or if you already have a daily drive. These 3 reasons mentioned above actually raised red flags with banks causing difficulty in obtaining car loans and directly caused demand for this model to be low. In the end making the 350Z cheap.

Actual 350Z Road Tax Slip

350Z 3.5 Liter V6 Engine

I do have other reasons that may only affect me personally which made me not considering the 350Z. If you know me personally well enough, you would know that I call the 350Z, a "FAT"lady instead of a Fairlady mainly because how round and overall big it is. I know 3 person who used to own one; a high school buddy who upgraded to a Nissan GT-R R35, a mechanic friend who is great at fixing Celica and an ex-gf who drove a convertible one but sold it. I once had my Celica parked next to my buddy's 350Z and you could easily see why I considered it fat. It does not look good stock but when it has a widebody Veilside bodykit, it shines. I also have some reservation regarding its power because back in the days, my buddy drove it like he was crazy and boy was it fast. However, when I drove my mechanic friend's 350Z, I could not feel the raw power even when I step on it. I also realized that the 350Z have many blind spots and the hood is too flat, making it hard to estimate the front. Finally, I am not a big fan of big engines. Look at how the Evos and STIs only have a 2 liter, 4 cylinder, Turbo engine and have more power than the 350Z has. I certainly do not appreciate the heavy car with big engine design.

My Buddy's 350Z vs My Celica (Front)

My Buddy's 350Z vs My Celica (Rear)

350Z with Veilside Widebody Bodykit from Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift

Although with this much said about how owning a 350Z is Malaysia is not ideal but its prices really makes me ask myself, why am I not getting one. I always this thought that if I ever buy a 350Z, the engine definitely has to go. I have actually seen a 350Z sold in Malaysia that has a RB26DETT engine from previous Nissan Skyline GT-Rs (R32 - R34) implant. That to me is a brilliant idea because with the smaller capacity engine, you get cheaper road tax but still maintain or get even more power than before. Definitely awesome and desirable but I know it is going to be a hell lot of work needed to be done especially since the 350Z is a RWD and the GT-Rs is a AWD. The RB25DET engine from Nissan Skylines (R33 - R34) is a better choice because it is also a RWD but everyone think it is far inferior to the RB26 engines. It does not really matter to me because either way, it is still better than the original V6. Anyway, in the end I have to say changing the engine is definitely a cool but troublesome process. I rather buy one that has everything I want, not just a cheap sports car.

350Z with RB26DETT