It's slightly slower and slightly more thirsty - but Mazda says the revised RX-8 sports car is also a lot better to drive.
Power from the rotary remains unchanged in the manual model (170kW) - a decision based on "spiralling petrol prices", says the Japanese company. The automatic version leaps 17kW to 158kW.
Low to mid-range engine response has been improved for both versions which share the same torque figure of 211Nm at 5500rpm.
The six-speed manual and six-speed automatic gearboxes are new, derived from those of the smaller MX-5 roadster. Internal changes were made so the transmissions would work with the high-revving (up to 9000rpm) characteristics of the RX-8's "Renesis" rotary engine.
The revised gearing means although the new RX-8 is intended to be more driveable, it's also 0.2 of a second slower to 100km/h.
And just a little bit more thirsty, with the ADR economy figure up 0.3 litres to 12.9 litres per 100km.
The RX-8 is priced at $55,395.
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