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

  The RX-8 uses the latest generation of Mazda's Renesis twin rotary engine with a combined displacement of 1.3 litres. It doesn't rely on turbo-charging, yet manages to produce 228bhp. Instead of a succession of cylinders and pistons there's a large oval chamber in which a roughly triangular 'rotor' rotates. Where the faces of the triangle pass the spherical sides of the chamber, three separate crescent-shaped spaces are formed. Within these, the stages of the combustion process - induction, compression, ignition, combustion and exhaust - all occur as each pass the inlet ports, twin spark plugs and exhaust ports. There are two of these chambers, each with a nominal capacity o 654cc each. There's a subtly menacing whirring noise, while power delivery is progressive, instantly accessible and builds rapidly in intensity. A snappy six-speed manual gearbox and the fact that the rev counter's needle zips so swiftly round the dial means that a relative lack of torque rarely intrudes.

  

• Cool

  We like it.

  

• Quality

  The interior is suitably performance-oriented, with a high transmission tunnel running between the front and rear sports seats. The dashboard is a bit plasticky, but it's nicely laid out and has a quality feel. So far the Renesis rotary engine has been reliable, but it's a high performance unit so who knows what will happen to it over time.

  

• Handling

  One of the main benefits of the Renesis engine is its incredibly compact size. It allowed Mazda's engineers to position it very close to the centre of the car, giving the RX-8 a mid-engined layout and perfect 50/50 weight distribution. What this means in practice is well-balanced handling with little understeer. The RX-8 attacks corners with relish; feeling taut and controlled, and giving you the confidence to make the most of that 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 miles and heavy fuel consumption (26.2mpg and 24.8mpg for the pair of variants). Insurance is either 15 or 16, so high but not impossible. The only issue is high at 35percent tax bracket and fairly low residuals.