New Car Review of the 2005 Mazda RX8 Sports Coupe

Description: Sports Coupe
Base MSRP Range: $25,375 - $26,875
Invoice Price Range: $23,460 - $24,844
Where built: Japan

The slinky sports coupe from Mazda is a high-revving sports car with perfect weight balance and an attitude that seems most satisfied when sent through a slalom course.

It's also a high-tech automotive wonder equipped with a modern version of Felix Wankel's rotary engine. And it's a two-door sports car that cleverly conceals a four-door design with the practicality of a sedan and two rows of seats.

Heart of RX-8 is its powerful rotary engine. The twin-rotor plant, displacing only 1.3-liters, puts intake and exhaust ports on the side in a new design that differs from every previous rotary. When tied to a 6-speed manual gearbox, the engine hits 238-hp. An electronically controlled 4-speed automatic transmission is also available, but the engine's output dips to 197-hp.

Mazda loads the RX-8 with equipment but clusters optional items in packages. The Sport Package includes xenon headlights, foglamps and a vehicle skid controller; a Touring Package brings a moonroof and Bose audio system, while the Grand Touring Package adds leather seats and heat elements in front buckets and exterior mirrors.