2007 Mazda RX-8
or
2009 JCW MINI

Assume stock cars. Who would win on the strip and in an auto-x (am I forgetting anything?)?

This is all hypothetical, of course. Just wanted to see what NAM had to say.

 

Who ever is the better driver.

 

rx8 has no power..

 

+1

I was going to say that. I've had drivers in MINIs pass me on the track while driving my M3. I was the lesser driver.

 

Maybe I should have said "Which car would win?"

 

OK.

Whichever has the better driver.

 

I hate you all.

 

how about i help you out: which would win if driven by the same driver via time trials or a super-scifi cloning process

 

Allright, I'll actually step up and try to post my ideas. Straight line, the RX8. RWD hooks a lot better than FWD. Time wise, it'll be close but I imagine the Mazda having a slightly quicker 1/4 time although the MINI won't be far behind. It'll depend if you can get a FWD car to hook. Road course, that may be a different story. I think the JCW will have it. Short, tight course? No doubt, JCW. Longer, straighter course? A little tougher. The rotary is and always has been a screamer so it depends where this fight happens. Hope this helps although it's just my thoughts.

 

Rephrase it like this: If The Stig were to drive each in a series of challenges (drag, auto-x, road course, oval), which car would out perform the other?

 

why would you compare a mini cooper to a mazda rx-8. Compare it to the GTI, mazadspeed 3, and anything else in the sporty hatchback category.

 

Both are capable cars with strengths in different areas.
For drag strip or autocross, skill counts for the bulk of performance.

Depending on what you consider to be stock tires-
RX-8 has the edge on the drag strip since the MINI has runflats.
If you put the best street tires on both the RX-8 has a slight edge.
If you did aftermarket wheels and R compound tires you might close the gap.

For autocross I have real numbers from our Aug 3 Regional competition.
(All are moderately experienced drivers)

B Stock (19th overall with handicap for class out of 114 total drivers)
RX-8 BF Goodrich g-Force R1 tires- 34.12 seconds
G Stock (16th overall with handicap for class out of 114 drivers)
R53 MCS Kumho V710 tires- 34.52 sec.

D Street Prepared (23rd overall with handicap for class out of 114 drivers)
R56 MCS (not JCW) Kumho V710 on stock wheels)- 34.05 sec.
Street Touring Ultra (10th overall with handicap for class out of 114 drivers)
RX-8 with super wide Yokohama Advan Neova AD07 Street tires- 33.48 sec
Street Modified (17th overall with handicap for class out of 114 drivers)
2003 MCS with 19% pulley, 15x8 rims Kumho V710 225/50-15- 32.90 sec

 

There ya go. The man with the numbers wins.

 

If you look carefully you will see that for stock class cars the RX-8 has a worse handicap (0.832 x actual time= handicap time called PAX)
vs MCS in G stock (Not JCW) gets 0.815.

New R56 MCS JCW is B stock.

Older dealer installed MCS with JCW kit is D Street Prepared (0.842) or Street Touring X (0.821)

Stock class autocross allows for street tires or R compound tires.

RX-8 has wider wheels and better selection of good tires to choose from vs the MINI.

 

I was having a discussion with a friend and this came up.

 

It's actually a valid comparison, especially the autocross part. Both the JCW and RX-8 compete in B-Stock class (a fact many JCW owners are not particularly happy with, since I believe the JCW is the only front-wheel model in B-Stock (or at least one of a very few)).

 

Lemme put it this way.

SCCA SEB is their infinite stupidity, has place the 2006+ JCW's in B-Stock in autocross. It is the only FWD car in the class.

Running non-run flats (Hankook Ventus RS2's), I can't come close to the RX-8s. This is real experience.

If you look at SCCA National entry lists and results, you'll find no JCW's entered in BS since they were placed into that class. They can't compete realistically.

 

Sports Car ,Scca's magazine , Talking about the upcoming nationals,says B stock is basically a RX8 class.JCW loses.I agree it is probably in the wrong class. G stock is owned by the S. I cannot believe the Works is that many classes better than an S .

 

WHY SO SERIOUS?

 

 

That was one of the best movies in resent times.

 

Agreed.

 

According to www.dragtimes.com a 2007 MCS would be about the same as a 2007 RX-8 in the 1/4 mile. A JCW would be even faster.
1/4 mile time each 15.01 each
http://www.dragtimes.com/Mini-Cooper...lip-11704.html
http://www.dragtimes.com/Mazda-RX-8-Timeslip-12238.html