Buyer's guide
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Buyer's guide & specs
Quick answer
The RX-8 (SE3P) is Mazda's four-door, four-seat rotary coupe with a naturally aspirated 13B-MSP RENESIS. Japanese launch ratings were 250 PS for the Type S 6MT and 210 PS for the other grades; Mazda's March 2008 sheet lists 235 and 215 PS. Production began in February 2003 and ended in June 2012.
Background
The Mazda RX-8 was built in one generation, the SE3P: a four-door, four-seat coupe with a naturally aspirated 13B-MSP RENESIS rotary engine. Mazda began Japanese-market production on 17 February 2003, facelifted the car on 10 March 2008 and ended production in June 2012. The generation guide covers grades, power ratings by date, compression tests, the fuel-pump recall and import rules.
Quick read
Constants
Chassis history
Dates distinguish production, announcements and sales. Mazda records June 2012 as the month production ended.
Identification
Generation names are broad families. The factory chassis codes below identify the variants represented in JDMBUYSELL's current Mazda RX-8 guide data.
Confirm the complete code on the vehicle's frame or VIN plate; drivetrain, body, and market variants can use different prefixes within one generation family.
Buyer's call
Market
This guide covers Japanese-market cars. Mazda's US 2009 release lists Sport, Touring, Grand Touring and R3 grades, with 232 horsepower on the six-speed manual and 212 horsepower on the six-speed automatic. US ratings and model-year terms do not replace Japanese PS ratings and sale dates, and R3 is an export grade name.
Specs
Japan, April 2003 launch specification: base RX-8 (5MT or 4AT) and Type E (4AT), 210 PS. Displacement uses Mazda's 0.654 L × 2 notation.
Japan, April 2003 launch specification: Type S 6MT, 250 PS; the high-power 13B-MSP RENESIS.
Japan, from mid-October 2006: base RX-8 and Type E six-speed automatics, 215 PS. Their six-port engine replaced the four-port automatic engine; webCG also reports the 5 PS increase.
Japan, March 2008 specification sheet: base RX-8 (5MT or 6AT) and Type E (6AT), net 215 PS. The base 5MT was scheduled for June 2008.
Japan, March 2008 specification sheet: Type S and Type RS six-speed manuals, net 235 PS.
Lineup
| Generation | Trim | Engine | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| SE3P (2003–2012) | RX-8 (base), April 2003 | 13B-MSP RENESIS, 210 PS | 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic at launch. The automatic became a 6-speed in October 2006; the facelift base 5MT was scheduled for June 2008. |
| SE3P (2003–2012) | Type E, April 2003 | 13B-MSP RENESIS, 210 PS | 4-speed automatic at launch, 6-speed from October 2006. March 2008: 17-inch wheels and punched leather seats (black, red or beige). |
| SE3P (2003–2012) | Type S, April 2003 | 13B-MSP RENESIS, 250 PS | 6-speed manual. March 2008: 235 PS, 18-inch wheels and fine-weave black fabric seats. |
| SE3P (2003–2012) | Type RS, March 2008 | 13B-MSP RENESIS, 235 PS | 6-speed manual. Exclusive aero parts, 19-inch forged aluminium wheels, Recaro bucket seats and Bilstein dampers. |
| SE3P (2003–2012) | Type G, May 2009 | 13B-MSP RENESIS | 6-speed automatic; the base grade renamed. Rain-sensing wipers, automatic lights, advanced keyless entry and start, and an audio-less specification standard on every grade. |
| SE3P (2003–2012) | Mazdaspeed Version, February 2004 | 13B-MSP RENESIS, Type S base | Announced 24 December 2003, 300 planned. Model-specific control module, fresh-air duct, sports muffler with catalyst and spark plugs; Mazdaspeed lightweight flywheel, oil cooler, sports springs, body bars and aero parts. |
| SE3P (2003–2012) | Mazdaspeed Version II, scheduled October 2004 | 13B-MSP RENESIS, Type S base | Announced 20 August 2004, 180 planned. Height- and damping-adjustable suspension, lightweight flywheel, model-specific control module and sports muffler, and eccentric-shaft rebalancing. |
| SE3P (2003–2012) | Sport Prestige Limited and II, 2004–2005 | 13B-MSP RENESIS | Sport Prestige Limited went on sale on 24 November 2004 with beige leather seats. Limited II was announced on 18 October 2005 for sale in mid-November, with sand-beige leather and Alcantara seats; Mazda's genealogy dates it to October 2005. |
| SE3P (2003–2012) | Rotary Engine 40th Anniversary, August 2007 | 13B-MSP RENESIS | Type S 6MT or Type E 6AT base, limited to 200 cars. Marble White, black leather and light-silver Alcantara seats, Bilstein dampers, urethane-foam-filled front crossmember. |
| SE3P (2003–2012) | Mazdaspeed M'z Tune, announced December 2006 | 13B-MSP RENESIS | Mazda's December 2006 announcement listed it as a production model for Tokyo Auto Salon 2007, with launch scheduled for February 2007. |
| SE3P (2003–2012) | SPIRIT R 6MT, November 2011 | 13B-MSP RENESIS, Type RS base | Recaro bucket seats, Bilstein dampers, bronze 19-inch forged wheels (225/40R19), aero parts, red brake calipers, curtain and front side airbags. |
| SE3P (2003–2012) | SPIRIT R 6EC-AT, November 2011 | 13B-MSP RENESIS, Type E base | Black leather with red stitching, gunmetal 18-inch wheels (225/45R18), sports suspension, red brake calipers, curtain and front side airbags. |
Gallery
Editorial
Start with the chassis plate, then the grade and the date. The Japanese gasoline grades under the SE3P code were rated 210, 215, 235 or 250 PS, so output follows the grade and month. Ask for a warm compression test (Mazda's reproduced export workshop figures) and oil-level records, check recall 5013 by chassis number, and work out import age from the manufacture date. The SE3P guide has the detail.
FAQ
Citations
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