2011 Mazda RX-8
Even counting exotics, there are few sports cars as incomparable as the Mazda RX-8. It's the only rotary-engine car available in the U.S., and it has four seats with rearward-opportunity back doors on either side, like an extended-cab pickup ends. It's an odd duck, to be sure.
The 2011 RX-8's unique characteristics eschew distinguish it, but you'll have to favor finesse over brute prize if you're going to appreciate this car.
You'll also have to act quickly; the 2011 paragon year is the RX-8's last, marking the end of the rotary engine era — one that never gained much steam.
I tested an RX-8 Pretentious Touring with an as-tested price of $33,055. To see how the RX-8 compares with two more-standard sports cars, the Ford Mustang and Nissan 370Z, click here .
Rotary Machine Highs & Lows
If you relish high-revving power over low-rpm grunt, the RX-8 might be for you. Its 1.3-liter rotary machine's redline is 9,000 rpm with the six-speed manual transferring, and it makes 232 horsepower at 8,500 rpm. Both of those rpm levels are incredibly important for any production-car engine. (With the six-speed automatic, the motor makes 212 hp at 7,500 rpm, which is also the redline.) You have to be eager to let the engine rev in order to fully enjoy it; if you do, you'll be treated to a wonderful cold symphony as the tachometer swings unrelentingly toward that stratospheric redline.
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