Mazda RX-8 Nemesis Special Edition : BEST OF ENEMIES

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The Mazda RX-8 isnt your run-of-the-mill sports car and the Nemesis special edition isnt your run-of-the-mill RX-8. Steve Walker reports

No matter how fervently they rave about the delicate handling balance or the seductive engine note, the majority of sports coupe buyers bought their car at least partly because they think they look pretty darn good in it. Good luck to them, the roadways would be all the poorer if everyone chose their transport purely on prosaic criteria and Fiat would never be able to manufacturer the Doblo in sufficient quantities. Theres a lot to be said for individuality in motoring and particularly in the sports coupe sector, just ask Mazda - the only thing more individual than their RX-8 in the mainstream marketplace is the RX-8 Nemesis special edition.

With its RENESIS rotary engine producing 189bhp from a 1,300cc capacity, suicide doors and rear seats that fully-grown adult humans can actually sit in, the Mazda RX-8 has torn up the sports coupe rule book, fed it through a garden shredder, reconstituted the resulting fragments back into paper and produced a second volume entitled Just do whatever you like. Its a policy that has proven remarkably successful, the unique RX-8 gaining plaudits galore and its unprecedented practicality bringing in buyers who would never previously have considered sports car ownership. Mazda quickly realised they were on to a good thing and a succession of special edition RX-8s has followed to further maximise sales, the latest being the Nemesis. The Mazda RX-8 Nemesis features a package of visual enhancements designed to boost the RX-8s already considerable head-turning ability.

Only 350 Nemesis models are scheduled to be produced, 200 with exclusive Copper Red Mica paintwork and 150 in the even more exclusive Stormy Blue Mica. Furthermore, all of the cars feature the Rotary crest on the front air dam in polished aluminium with the same insignia on the B-pillar, which turns out not to be a pillar at all when you open those doors. Theres also aluminium trim for the air-intakes behind the front wheelarches which serves to highlight what is one of the cars most distinctive visual cues. Inside the Nemesis, there are RX-8 branded aluminium scuff plates on the door sills, luxury carpet mats and all the seats get stone leather trim unique to this model.

"Theres nothing quite like the sound of Mazdas rotary powerplant"

The Nemesis special edition is based on the standard 189bhp RX-8 which means it comes with front fog lights, heated front seats, an electric drivers seat, climate control and a nine-speaker BOSE stereo system with a 6-CD autochanger. Buyers also benefit from a safety package that includes six airbags, DSC stability control, traction control and a limited slip differential. The £22,995 Mazda are asking for the Nemesis is £330 less than youd pay if you plumped for the standard 189bhp model and upgraded it to the same spec by means of options list box ticking. Factor in those exclusive paint colours along with the fetching grey leather interior and you have the Nemesis value proposition in a nutshell.

So the Nemesis special edition manages to render the markets most individual sports coupe even more so but does the RX-8 even warrant selection ahead of capable and desirable rivals like the Mercedes C-Class Sports Coupe, Alfa Romeos Brera, Nissans 350Z or Audis TT? Lets look at it from a practical perspective where the RX-8s innovative layout should shine. If you have any intention of travelling with more than one passenger on anything a approaching a regular basis, the Mazda is the only sensible choice in this company. The rear accommodation in most models of this type is fairly ludicrous. At best, theyll take a couple of small children, at worst; there are no back seats at all.

The Mazda, but contrast, can cope with two adults without any fuss with simple access via the wide side door aperture. You get a decent boot as well, so family weekends away are easily within the cars remit. Audis interior design and build is peerless in this sort of company and although the Mazda RX-8 is very well assembled, it cant really live with the TTs brand of top level Teutonic efficiency. The Germans tend to be a pretty sober bunch, however, and it you want a flavour of the excitement the RX-8 is capable of serving up on a contorting B-road whether youre parked in your drive or stuck in a 13-mile motorway tailback, the RX-8 might be preferable.

You feel like youre in a sports car from the moment you slip behind the wheel with the snug seating and the high transmission tunnel that splits the cab into four pods. The dash is sensibly laid out with aluminium detailing and moody dark plastic of various finishes. The super stubby gear lever with its triangular head feels great in the hand and the generous seat adjustment means its easy for taller drivers to get comfortable. Fire up the engine and the RX-8 serves up another dose of uniqueness.

Theres nothing quite like the sound of Mazdas rotary powerplant as is whistles and wheezes along at cruising speeds. Let the revs build and the noise takes on a more aggressive character, progressing to a full bore snarl on the heady 7,500rpm limit. Other engines in this sector have an addictive sound but none of those sound remotely like the RX-8s. The ride isnt too jerky for a sports car and as speed increases, the RX-8 floats more tenderly over the bumps.

There are massive reserves of grip for attacking corners with confidence and away from the lights, you could be at 60mph before seven and a half seconds have elapsed. Its not the quickest car amongst its peers but the RX-8 is definitely an experience and thats an essential part of what owning a sports car is all about. Despite packing an engine of just 1.3-litres in size, the RX-8 can only manage a class competitive 26mpg and hefty 247g/km emissions.

If youre put off by the prospect of having such an idiosyncratic piece of machinery under your bonnet, dont be. The Mazda rotary engine has been developed over many years and has proven itself to be reliable although it pays to get into the habit of checking the oil regularly. Theres nothing quite like a Mazda RX-8 but the things that make it such an unorthodox proposition arent just gimmicks, they actually work. As a sports coupe with genuine ability and a level of practicality thats unique in the sector, the RX-8 has plenty to recommend it and if youre still just about managing to turn your nose up, the Nemesis special edition model could be enough to swing the balance.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Mazda RX-8 Nemesis special edition
PRICES: £22,995 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 15
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 7.2s / Max Speed 139mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 26mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and curtain airbags ABS, EBD, traction control, dynamic stability control, ISOFIX child seat mountings
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4430/1780/1340