Mazda RX-8

The Mazda RX-8 offers four-seat practicality in an impractical-looking (ie, quite nice) coupe-thing. Suicide rear doors are a treat and the driving experience is one of a kind thanks to that manic rotary engine (sorry, ‘Renesis’ engine).

• Comfort

  Suicide doors allow easy access to small-ish rear seats, but you'll be able to get adults in there. Front-seat pilots will have plenty of room and the engine is super-smooth and rev-hungry - but heavy on fuel and oil. Firm suspension won't put you off either; this is one well thought-out car.

  

• Performance

  Mazda's rotary ‘Renesis' comes with 177kW. The static measurement of 1.3-litres is a bit of a dodge really - the ‘rotary' part means that this isn't a classic bore-and-stroke mobile. There are three chambers, so it means that the engine is probably more like a 2.6-litre. It'll rev like a beast (well past 8,000rpm) and the 177kW gets to 100km/h in 6.2 and on to 235km/h.

  

• Cool

  We like it.

  

• Quality

  Another well put together motor from Mazda. There were troubles with sticky revving on early 177kW cars, so check that's been sorted, otherwise it's stress free. And it's supposed to use that much oil by the way.

  

• Handling

  The rotary unit is very small and light, and the RX-8 takes advantage of that with a front-mid-engine layout and 50/50 weight distribution. There's little understeer unless you really throw it in, and the handling balance shades to oversteer in the wet. Otherwise you'll have trouble unsticking it. It provides bags of confidence - a bit like the MX-5 but on a bigger scale - so you can make the most of the rev-happy engine.

  

• Practicality

  Rotaries use oil as part of their combustion cycle to lubricate the rotor tips, so be prepared to get under the bonnet a little bit. Other than that, suicide doors and proper four seats make such a difference when a car drives this well. The RX-8 carves out its own little niche - there's not much to touch it.

  

• Running costs

  Bet on a litre of oil every couple of thousand kilometres and heavy fuel consumption (12.9L/100km). Insurance is reasonable for a sports car, dependant on your elapsed period of existance.