We’re 1 month old!

In about 24 hours, RXReviews will be 1 month old! Thanks to the support of you guys out there, we’ve gotten about 4,000 unique readers in the first month of publishing alone, with some 250 unique readers daily – and I’ve been told that for a new, month old site, this is actually pretty good, so thanks for the support guys! Some interesting info-nuggets:

•  In our first week of publishing, we were getting only 10-20 readers daily.We’re averaging 250 daily now, and are enjoying a readership growth of 10-15% a week now
• We’re now in the Top 10 in Google search rankings globally for popular rotary brandnames like RE Amemiya, and topics such as ‘rotary tuning’, ‘rx-8 exhausts’, ‘surbo’ and others
• Every day we get 50 pcs of spam, some from disgruntled manufacturers that we’ve reviewed negatively no less
• From a 90% Singapore readership mix, we are now pretty balanced with 20% Singapore readers, 20% US, 20% EU, and the rest from across the APAC region. Readers from ASEAN (SG, MY, TH, PH, ANZ & INDO) constitute almost half of readership base
• Big Brother watches us – we get MINDEF and Spore govt visits ever so often

We’ll continue to bring you unbiased reporting and reviews on products and modifications that are dear to us. Until then, do send us feedback on what else you would like to read about.

Exhaust Theory: Tuning Guide for Aftermarket Exhausts

I’m going to say it right out. Modern, post 2000 cars with small engine capacities (1.8l and below) should NEVER EVER install aftermarket exhausts if you want a speed increase (the Renesis 1.3l is an exception as displacement is nearer to 2.6l). You’ll get better sound no doubt, but you’ll never have more than just a couple of percentage points in bhp increase, if at all.

Aftermarket exhaust systems worked wonders for older designs such as the Corolla for a simple reason – the stock exhaust setup was crap – it had very small pipework that strangles the flow – just so that Toyota can get the fuel economy and emissions they advertised. So anything that made the pipes bigger and gave better flow did wonders for the Corolla.

Nowadays manufacturers can’t afford to throw away any spare power or fuel economy and modern exhaust systems are highly efficient “straight through” systems. Manifolds are still usually cast iron for durability but with longer runners and twin outlets that then lead into a long twin tubular downpipe. In essence it’s a productionised version of the tubular 4-2-1 performance manifold.

Exhaust systems really do help in higher capacity engines, and especially where exhaust gas temps are very high – that’s why aftermarket exhausts really do work for highly modified cars, race cars, and especially so for the hot Renesis engine. One thing that stops peak performance of engines is overtly high internal temperatures, and that’s usually caused by restrictive manifolds and exhausts – this especially becomes an issue in forced induction or lean stoich situations. So what’s recommended? A proper 4 branch tubular manifold and straight thru silencers.

But beware of systems that boast bigger bores / pipe diameters and all that rubbish. Lose the finely tuned bore sizes that manufacturers intend to be and you’ll lose power – it’s a factor of mathematics.

So what does RXReviews recommend? If you own an RX-8 or any other performance car,

1. Keep the pipes stock. Dun fuck with perfection
2. Change the muffler to a proven Jap rotary tuning brand – Autoexe, knightsports and RE Amemiya are good bets.
3. Change the catalyst to something that improves flow, WO changing bore size or destroying your emissions. the Knightsports metalit catalyzer is a good one to get
4. Change your manifolds. Here, I’m recommending RE Amemiya – race proven on the 4AT.

If you own a typical 1.6l car, don’t bloody waste your time. Do not kuitao at Man, Do not change pipes at Fong Kim, Do not get aftermarket exhausts from Supersprint, Remus, etc. Save your money and just get yourself a good dinner at Morton’s with foie gras or something.

Sponsor Singapore’s A1 Grand Prix Team? You’ll need at least US$1m handy

Preview: Green Drop-in Air Filter + REVi Ram Air Duct

Fresh from the States and lying in my storeroom: the Green high-performance drop-in filter for the stock RX-8 airbox, and a spanking new REVi Ram Air Duct from Racing Beat. For those that have been following my mod antics over the months, you’ll know i’m searching for that perfect price-performance solution for the RX-8 4AT.

Now my Apeximota – the Simota carbon fibre box + A’Pexi open pod filter intake solution works great – there is no loss in low end, gains in the mid and high end, and the car feels so much livelier. The only problem? It’s really LOUD – a hair under the same dB levels as the AEM.

Green Filters have been all the rage in Europe for some time now – the cotton material they use is far superior to K&Ns, they use less oil so there is less chance of ever mucking up the MAF, definitely better filtration performance in tests – just all-round better than an K&N. Check out the BMW, Porsche and AMG forums – Green is a mainstay there. In fact, Green is the standard OEM filter for all AMGs in Europe i believe.

So my theory? A high-airflow drop-in like Green will retain the heat/vacuum benefits of the stock airbox, perform as close as possible to an A’Pexi, get fresh cold air using the ram air duct without compromising water-damage (e.g. the AEM) – and tadaaa – a quieter with much better performance than the big-name/big-pricetag brands out there.

I’ll post a review once it’s set up.

RX-8 Reliability Race-proven in 24hr Round-the-clock Endurance Race

Mazda hailed the 2006 Britcar Silverstone 24 Hours a round-the-clock success as all three of its RX-8s saw the chequered flag on Sunday afternoon for the second year in succession.

Reliability is the key to endurance racing and Mazda’s strong showing was due to the RX-8’s outstanding durability and its unique rotary engine, coupled with immaculate teamwork under extreme pressure.

This weekend’s Britcar 24 Hour Endurance Race at Silverstone saw all three Mazda RX-8s that finished last year’s 24 hour race complete the round the clock marathon of flat out racing for the second consecutive year.

Reliability is the key to endurance racing and it was the outstanding durability of the Mazda RX-8 and its unique rotary engine coupled with immaculate team work under extreme pressures that ensured the three production cars could complete the 24 hour endurance, covering a distance of 1,597 miles on the same engines that have now done a season with Formula Woman, a season of endurance races and two 24 hour races without missing a beat.

Due to the success of the Mazda RX-8 in last year’s S1 Production Series of Britcar endurance racing the race organisers for this year’s 24 hour Britcar changed the Class classification for the Mazda Race Team. This resulted in Mazda RX-8 Race Car 96 competing with cars that were highly modified, significantly lighter and no longer resembling their production base. The Mazda RX-8 endurance race car still retains its original unmodified RENESIS rotary engine whilst others in this higher Class benefited from significantly increased power. The RX-8 Race Car 96 was placed in Class 2 due to its carbon-fibre doors, which gives a weight advantage of 80kg over the other two RX-8s which remained in Class 3.

The three Mazda RX-8s were essentially production cars with only the suspension changed to account for the slick tyres and safety equipment fitted to conform to RACMSA, (Royal Automobile Club Motor Sports Association), race rules. The rotary engine and gearbox are standard and the same as found on the road-going version.All three Mazda RX-8 race cars were entered by Mazda Motors UK/Guglielmi Motorsport led by Team Director Steve Guglielmi who commented: “The cars which we used in the 24 Hour Britcar Endurance Race are based on the standard, road‑going Mazda RX-8 sports coupés. The seats and many interior panels have been removed, and each car has undergone a number of essential safety modifications – including the addition of a roll‑cage, fire extinguisher, race seat and some suspension alterations necessary for racing.

“The revolutionary 1.3-litre, 231 ps RENESIS rotary engine is standard and the only slight modification we have made is to fit a racing gearbox.”

Mazda PR Director Graeme Fudge commented: “This 24 hour endurance success further reinforces the reliability and exciting handling of the Mazda RX-8 and the rotary engine. To enter three cars in this sort of reliability test and have all three finish is a testament to the quality of the Mazda RX-8 and the dedication and commitment of the whole team.”

Third 24 Hour Challenge for Mazda RX-8
The 2006 24 Hour Britcar Endurance Race marks the Mazda RX-8’s third 24 hour event which started back in October 2004 when Mazda set a total of 40 international records with two Mazda RX-8s during a 24-hour record attempt on the 12.3 km oval at the automotive proving grounds in Papenburg, Germany. The two 231ps Mazda RX-8s drove more than 5,000 kms during the 24-hour record attempt with average speeds of 212 and 215 km/h.

REVIEW: Upgrade your braking power for just US$10

No really, I’m dead serious. One of the most overlooked ‘upgrades’ when it comes to changing the bite of your car is the type of brake fluid you use. If you’ve got the cash to spare, nothing beats upgrading your pots, discs and pads for better braking power – but that normally costs thousands (especially if you go for Aragosta – Autoexe or Knight Sports). But if you don’t, try changing the brake fluid at the very least (go for steel braided lines too if you’ll got a couple of hundred bucks lying around somewhere).

The best brake fluid we would recommend – the Motul DOT5.1

It’s bloody cheap – US$10 (incl of the service), and it works wonderfully. You should be able to feel a noticeable difference in brake responsiveness and biting power.

Now who says ALL RX-8 mods are expensive? 😉

BBC Top Gear Host Richard Hammond Seriously Hurt in 300mph Crash

TV host seriously hurt in crash

The presenter is being treated at Leeds General Infirmary

Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond remains seriously ill in hospital after a crash in a jet-powered car while filming for the BBC programme. The 36-year-old was taken by air ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary’s neurological unit on Wednesday.

A hospital spokesman said: “He has seen some improvement overnight, but remains in a serious but stable condition.”

Mr Hammond had been in a dragster-style car capable of reaching speeds of about 300mph at Elvington airfield near York.

The hospital said his wife was at his bedside and, at the request of his family, no more information would be released.

The crash will be investigated by the Health and Safety Executive and the BBC.

The BBC said in a statement: “We are looking into all the factors of this accident and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage until we know the full situation.”

He has brought an awful lot to the programme Quentin Willson, former Top Gear presenter Send us your comments

The dragster car he was driving was believed to have been travelling at about 300mph when it crashed.

Motoring expert Adam Rayner, of Fast Car magazine, said that at those speeds the driver would experience forces similar to those endured by fighter pilots.

“These cars accelerate at 6G – the force is breathtaking and stopping is a real difficulty,” he said.

Former firefighter Dave Ogden, who runs private firm Event Fire Services, was one of the first people at the scene of the crash.

He said: “We were down there with Top Gear who were filming him trying to break the British land speed record.

“On the previous run, the car had just gone over 300mph but I am not sure if it had broken the record.

The scene at the former RAF airfield where the crash happened

“They had just done one more run and were planning to finish when it veered off to the right.

“One of the parachutes had deployed but it went on to the grass and spun over and over before coming to a rest about 100 yards from us.”

He said his crew and an ambulance that was already on the airfield rushed over and found the car upside down and “dug in” to the grass.

Mr Ogden said he felt for a pulse and heard Mr Hammond breathing before the emergency crews worked together to turn the car the right way up and then cut him free.

He added: “He was regaining consciousness at that point and said he had some lower back pain. But he was drifting in and out of consciousness a little bit.”

Former Top Gear presenter Quentin Willson said the presenter was “irreplaceable”.

‘International personality’

He said: “He is a wonderful, unique and distinctive Top Gear presenter.

“He has brought an awful lot to the programme and his indefatigable energy, the fact that he tries absolutely anything once, may have been the reason that he has overstepped the mark a bit.

“He has turned Top Gear into a gang show with Jeremy and James and the three of them have wowed audiences all over the world and he is an international personality.”

Mr Willson added: “There is no pressure from the BBC or the producer to take undue risks.

“But that pressure is in your own head. You want to do an item on the programme which is mindblowing.”

The presenter, who works on Top Gear with fellow hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May, grew up in Solihull, was educated in Yorkshire and lives near Cheltenham with his wife and children.

In addition to presenting Top Gear for the BBC, he is also presenting the current series of Brainiac on Sky One.

Review: Mazda 3 SP 2.0L

What do car buyers really, really want? No one really, really knows.

Two weeks ago, you read about the Honda Civic returning to the 1.6-litre segment. This week, Mazda is doing the exact opposite, by introducing a 2-litre version of the Mazda 3.

The Mazda 3 SP 2.0 distinguishes itself from the 1.6-litre models by the amount of kit it wears.

The hatchback model tested has tasty 17-inch alloys shod with sticky Bridgestone Potenza tyres (the 1.6 models get 16-inchers). It also has bigger and sportier bumpers with a nifty spoiler above the rear windscreen.

Other cosmetic upgrades include striking LED tail-lamps, a new snout and front grille.

The interior gets a mild makeover too, with new graphics applied on the instrument dials. The 1.6 models get new white-back dials with wood-coloured accents on the dashboard while the 2.0 wears RX8-style red-on-black instruments matched with black-grained inserts.

Power from the 2.0 nearly matches the top-rung Civic, being only 8bhp and 4Nm of torque short of the 2-litre Civic Si’s numbers. Compared to its own 1.6-litre sibling, the SP 2.0 feels properly energetic. The tyres even let off a chirp when you attempt full-bore starts.

The car is especially spirited when the tacho reaches the 3,000rpm mark. Having a fifth gear like the Honda Civic would be nice, but the Mazda is torquey enough to make up for it.

The 3 has always been among the better handling cars in its class and the facelift sees further finetuning, no doubt to match the Civic’s class-leading standards.

The extra juice from the 2.0 is perfectly in tune with the dynamic upgrades. Quite significantly, the revised chassis setting is more settled than before. Even on low-profile tyres, the cabin is rarely flustered by badly paved roads.

Where the 3 falls behind the Honda is in the space race. The 3’s 2,640mm wheelbase pales against the Civic’s 2,700mm (only the Nissan Sylphy and Hyundai Avante can match this). But the compactness will no doubt endear the 3 with those looking for a cosier and sportier car.

Last but not least, this top-of-the-line model goes for less than what a Honda Civic 1.6 commands.

This article first appeared in ST on September 2, 2006

Preview: Defi Super Sports Cluster

Introducing the Defi Super Sports Cluster – this baby is not available outside Japan, but those that can afford the tag price (about Y230,000 excl shipping), you can turn to local tuner importers such as Monster Garage for help. Additional gauges added on to the vehicle serves as an informant of the current vehicle condition. But too many gauges will cause confusion and clutter the cockpit. The solution to this is to replace all the gauges with one unit. This all-in-one meter is a proud product of DSSC, displaying various information with a built-in data logger function.

Data logger will allow drivers to inspect the information after a run. The EL display makes it easy to read!
Defi’s DSSC Kit includes 2 temperature sensors, one pressure sensor, and a turbo pressure sensor. A maximum of 13 different types of information can be displayed by purchasing additional sensors. The installation is no different from hooking up any other gauges. The wiring job is made easy by having a pre-made Defi wiring harness which collects all the wires into one unit for easy plug and play. For existing Defi Link Meter users, the installation time is cut down, for the same sensors can be used on this new product. Replacing the whole stock gage cluster with DSSC is possible too, because of its functional blinkers and odometer. The bright EL Display inside the meter panel is one of the best features.	This display is very visible from any angle and it also clearly displays small letters. This is the most visible and organized gauge clusters on the market.With the remote control, simple and quick operations can be managed. The buttons on the remote controllers were carefully designed so that the driver can operate even while wearing gloves. The DSSC also has a real time data logging function. A SD card can be inserted to an attached control unit to maintain various data. That data can be read by any home computer to display detailed information to inspect the machine performance.

	This is the display screen. What and where to display the data can be set according to individuals’ needs and preference.			The tachometer lights up red and a warning light in the center will turn on when the peak data is displayed. The peak data for each category can be displayed.
	Unlike the previous Defi Link Meter, there are no buttons on the unit itself since everything is remote controlled. The SD card can be inserted for data logging purposes.			The buttons on remote control was designed so drivers can easily operate it even with racing gloves. The center of the circle button is dented, and other buttons remain higher than the controller surface so the driver can operate it without glancing at it.
	The P-LAP2 adaptor is also included in the kit. The additional display of maximum speed, lap count and best lap time can be shown with use of the P-LAP2.			The data logger screen hat can be displayed with a PC software was released. Various ways of displaying the information other than the line graph will be available upon release of this software. It won’t be included in the kit, but will be released as a set with the G sensor and logger software at the price of 30,000yen (about $330.00).

Review: AVOID Cyclone, Turbonator, Surbo, etc

Turbulence of the air in the combustion chamber is vital to the operation of all modern petrol and diesel engines. The main effect of the turbulence is to speed up the burning of the fuel / air mixture, and manufacturers like Cylone, Surbo etc claim that their devices create more turbulence. But can a “bolt-on” device really increase the turbulence in the cylinder? The simple answer is no – the flow in the intake system is already highly turbulent at part load, with air speed past the throttle in the region of 200-300 metres/second. A device upstream of the throttle may make the air swirl there, but the swirl pattern will be destroyed as the flow squeezes past the throttle blade. Injection of “a small amount of turbulent air” into the inlet manifold, as some devices claim, will have even less effect. It is interesting that the makers of such devices state with confidence that the device increases turbulence, but do not have any direct measurements of turbulence to show that this actually is the case. How, then, do they know?But don’t just take my word for it – there have been many studies, both direct flow visualisation and computer simulations, showing turbulence in the intake system. For example, Rai Alsemgeest at Warwick University did a study of intake manifold flow for Jaguar; see his presentation for full details. Here’s his animation showing a section through the intake manifold, where different colours represent different air speeds – red being the fastest and blue the slowest. Air enters from the left of the picture; the white shape in the middle of the flow is the partially open throttle blade:

It’s very obvious how incredibly turbulent the air flow is. There’s no way that a swirling air flow pattern set up before the throttle could survive and affect the burn within the cylinder, nor that a small additional air flow into the mainfold from a “bolt-on device” could make any significant difference. At wide-open throttle the air flow is much smoother, but from a fuel economy perspective this is unimportant as the engine spends 99% of its time at part throttle.

• Engines already have high levels of turbulence, and the physics is well understood
• Adding more turbulence can give only a tiny fuel economy benefit – this is proved by experiment
• Ignition must be adjusted to suit the faster burn, or the effect will be worse economy
• Increased turbulence at full load will most likely damage the engine unless the ignition is retarded
• Anything in the inlet manifold is extremely unlikely to affect in-cylinder air motion anyway

2006 Japan Rotary Festival Tsukuba

Rotary fans across Japan gather commence at Tsukuba Circuit! Every year on July 7th, (7/7) the rotary heads from all across the island of Japan gather at this designated spot. What makes this year’s gathering even special is the appearance of RE Amemiya’s Mr. Amemiya and Sanai Works’s Mr. Ishii had formed an organization called the “Rotary Tomo no kai”; meaning Rotary circle of friends. To celebrate the start of this organization, the biggest rotary meeting in the history of Japanese motorsports took place at the Tsukuba Circuit. Some events that took place were a talk show with the drivers and campaign girls in the paddock area, time attack on the course with shop demo cars, and a drift competition. The 4 rotor 767B made an exhibition run which pumped the adrenalin of all the rotary enthusiasts that came to this event.

	The engine virtually remains stock except for the Trust TD06-25G Turbo with 1 bar of boost good for 420 horses. This rotary feels more like the stock turbos with increased boost meaning it is very easy to ride.	The vehicle is 100% compliant with the Japanese vehicle inspection laws and as a bonus, the a/c and the stereo is still intact. With that said, the machine managed to tear up the Tsukuba Circuit at an amazing 59.1 seconds. This is the dream FD3S that every rotary enthusiast wants.
Note : Windows Media Player may be required to watch this movie.

Show your support for A1 GP Team Singapore

Dynotest: RX-8 4AT Stock

One of the good bros in Singapore just did a dyno at ST Powered last weekend. (Apologies for my crummy picture taking – smoke too much, hands shiver). In summary, the results were:

• Speed: 170kmph@6496rpm
• Power: 105.8HP@5491rpm
• Torque: 136NM@5491rpm

True that the system was not able to capture power above 5500rpm, but looking at the power curve’s linearity, i would say that it wouldn’t even hit 130HP at 7500rpm.

Just In: Greddy Air Diversion Plate for RX-8

Hooa! Guess what just flew in from Japan and is now at the shop? Spanking new sets of the Greddy Air Diversion Plate. According to what’s printed on the packaging, it is ‘designed not only to improve under the engine looks, but also to contain airflow to the radiator core, thus improving cooling efficiency. Made from 1mm aluminum and embossed with the Greddy logo.’

Makes sense to me, and logically, it will definitely be a better conductor/dissipater of heat than the flimsy plastic thingie it replaces. For the price of just over 10 packs of Marlboros, hey who’s complainin?

Available with very limited stock at Monster Garage Ubi. (Saw quite a few reds and a couple of blues)

Preview: Apeximota intake (Apexi – Simota hybrid carbon fibre air intake for RX-8 4AT)

Air intakes for the RX-8 are notoriously expensive, with the brand name ones from Racing Beat, Autoexe and RE Amemiya going for an avg S$1.5k. But here’s a much cheaper option that could hit the sweet spot between price-performance n looks – the Apeximota!

I’m bringing it to my fav spot at Yishun to do some hard testing, but initial runs are very encouraging. There are noticeable performance gains esp in the mid-range, and man, can this baby scream…
But what’s the Apeximota? Quite simply:
– the famous Apexi open pod filter
– Simota’s beautiful carbon fibre airbox/heatshield
– specific rubber adaptors + mesh custom made for fit
– silicon sealing finished via superheated airjet
– 4th gen chrome intake pipe w maf sensor port

This is a variant of what RX8Club oldbird SQflyer did in 2005, who commented back then: “The intake works fine on auto RX-8s. No idling nor engine stalling issues and improvement in throttle response was noted. As for performance figures, an average of 2 runs using the new intake and an average of 2 previous runs using the stock intake on the same stretch of road gave VERY close figures. In fact, most timings were less than 0.1sec apart. Gains in HP were 0.8HP or 0.65kW and gains in Torque were 0.7Nm. Although a little inconclusive as the runs were done on a different day under different environment conditions, the results were not surprising. Gains were marginal for manual 8s and even thinner for auto 8s in our tests. Basically, don’t expect to see much improvement in terms of performance (as with other intakes). Just enjoy the improved throttle response, more “grunt” in the sound department and a nice shiny CF heat shield airbox when you open your bonnet.”

I’ll be posting a full review with pix these few days so look out for it!

RX-8 Recall: Reply from Huayang

Finally got a reply from my parallel importer Hua Yang – and they’re disclaiming any recall for JDM RX-8s. He says and I quote: “The parts used for Japanese Domestic models may or may not be the same as the ones used for US Models, and therefore may or may not be recalled, depending on the parts involved.” What utter rubbish.

For my Singaporean readers who bought theirs from Hua Yang, please feel free to continue adding pressure to, or make your enquiries to tecksiong@huayang.com.sg (Just getting this email address was a challenge.)

 

---

From: Peck Teck Siong [mailto:tecksiong@huayang.com.sg]
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 12:45 PM
To: Foo, Gavin
Subject: Mazda RX-8 Recall

Dear Mr. Foo,

Thank you for you email, and feedback.

We perform a search at Mazda’s Official Recall Website. www.mazda.co.jp/recall
The last recall is initiated on August 3rd, 2006, for Mazda Demio (A Japanese Domestic Model)

The parts used for Japanese Domestic models may or may not be the same as the ones used for US Models, and therefore may or may not be recalled, depending on the parts involved.

Mazda Corporation has not recalled any Domestic RX-8 in Japan as yet.
We will continue to monitor and keep you updated.

Once again, thank you, and Happy Motoring.

Peck Teck Siong
Operations Manager
Hua Yang Enterprise Pte Ltd

New RX-7 or 2008 RX-8?

Rumors have been circulating around the internet and other sources that Mazda plans on releasing a new rotary by 2008/2009. Some have said that it will be newly designed and will be revealed towards the end of the year, and most likely the RX-7 replacement.

Review: Shell V-Power vs SPC 98 Petrol / Prestone Octane Booster

Who says fuel doesn’t really make a difference? I’ve always been using V-Power as past experiences tell me that the car feels livelier and more torquey with that brand of fuel than any other brand in the market. In general, Shell V-Power is smoother, provides better linear acceleration, and definitely seems to provide the power when you need it (pedal to the metal).

Just a couple of days ago, as i was running out of gas, i went into SPC to pump their 98 octane fuel. And boy was i disappointed. Compared to Shell V-Power, SPC 98 is:

• rougher and noisier – revs are much louder now
• the car seems to be out of breath, especially in low to mid torque
• exhaust emissions smell a little better though, V-Power smelled awful
• cheaper

This then begs the question….why? Well, i think it boils down to additives in the fuel, and the amount of hydrocarbons packed per unit of fuel. Premium grades of petrol often contain more energy per litre due to the composition of the fuel as well as increased octane. A simple explanation is the carbon bonds contain more energy than hydrogen bonds. Hence a fuel with a greater number of carbon bonds will carry more energy regardless of the octane rating. A premium motor fuel will often be formulated to have both higher octane as well as more energy.

The power output of an engine depends on the energy content of its fuel, and this bears no simple relationship to the octane rating. A common myth amongst petrol consumers is that adding a higher octane fuel to a vehicle’s engine will increase its performance and/or lessen its fuel consumption; this is mostly false—engines perform best when using fuel with the octane rating they were designed for and any increase in performance by using a fuel with a different octane rating is minimal.

Using high octane fuel for an engine makes a difference when the engine is producing its maximum power. I’ll stick to V-Power

Review: Prestone 0 to 60 Octane Booster
Since we’re talking about fuels here, might as well do a short review of the Prestone 0-60 Octane Booster as well. One word of advice – NOT. The nice packaging and nifty artwork flames hides a completely useless and potentally cat-unfriendly product. The 10 points of octane increase is really only 1 real octane number as 1point = 0.1 octane rating. When i put this in, the car was slower – Gtech runs were about 0.5-0.8 slower in the century sprint. Now i know that this could have been an anomaly, but the coincidence and ‘butt test’ was compelling – the Prestone Octane Booster does NOTHING for performance, and in fact decreased performance. Also, i’m sure we all know how any fuel additive is potentially harmful to catalytic convertors. For those that really want a boost, mix in toulene/zylene or go raffles marina get ELF speedboat petrol

Putting the synthetic vs mineral motor oil in a rotary debate to rest

Over the years there has been much debate on whether synthetic motor oils can be used in rotaries. Previously, FCs & FDs did have seal swell issues due to reaction with additives in a relatively infant synthetic oil industry then. Today, there are a whole new range of synthetics – from PAO esters, double esters etc. Note however that some oils labelled fully synthetics are severely hydrocracked (read refined) dino oil – only the pure PAOs can be considered lab created. Then again, it is not uncommon to find mixtures of hydrocracked dinos and esters marketed as fully synthetics. So, will today’s synthetics cause problems with the RX-8 SE3P?

Yes and no – rem that a rotary engine needs to inject and burn motor oil for cooling and lube at the same time. If the oil doesn’t burn cleanly (and the culprit most of the time are additives and high-ash content), then deposits are left behind – that of course isn’t ideal.

So should we still use synthetics? Yes – synthetics by definition have qualities that can only benefit the rotary, BUT use only synthetics blended by rotary tuners, have proven efficacy, or are guaranteed by the oil manufacturer. Use anything else and it could be a case of Russian roulette. The brands i’ve used without problems and i highly recommend, ranging from 30wt to 50wt viscosities include:

 Idemitsu Fully Synthetic Rotary (avg S$170 per oil change, limited availty at Monster Garage)
Trust F2 Synthetic Rotary (it’s actually a semi-syn. Avg S$150 per oil change, avail at Autobacs)
 R-Magic Racing Energy for Rotary (Fully Syn, avg S$270 per change, avail at Autobacs)

So the advice from RXReviews is NOT to use any other non-rotary synthetic for now, until Mazda issues a circular stating otherwise – the safest bet is to go back to Shell Mineral, but the smoothness and slight performance advantage synthetics bring is compelling. Myself? I use Idemitsu 30wt and i’m very very happy with it.

And for those who’s asking what ATF oil i use? Redline Fully Syn High-temp ATF. It def makes the tranny smoother, a very slight performance increase but most importantly, peace of mind as i really whack my gears!

Ultimate Driving Watches

A watch nut that i am, i’m updating my collection to fit in with my passion for cars. Here are some watches that I highly recommend for the driving enthusiast – without breaking the bank!

Those I own:

Seiko Sportura Limited Editions, Tissot T-Race

One I plan on owning sometime soon:

Zenith Defy Extreme

The one that i’m searching high and low to find:

Mazda Rotary II Watch, available at Mazda Australia at aga AU$329, and Apex-Auto-Parts.com at US$175 + shipping.

RE Amemiya Exhaust Manifold

Singapore’s first RE Amemiya exhaust manifolds for the RX-8 is arriving anytime this week. RXReviews will bring you the review of this sweet performance mod as soon as it’s in – and for the 4AT!