Fine Tuned For Joy | Razi's Mazda RX8

Many times I’ve been meeting some hardcore track junkies who take their track oriented toys quite seriously. The ones we usually notice are the ones that have the long list of power mods, the rare and expensive self-tuned coilovers or the FIA spec everything from harnesses to roll cage. On the other hand, there are those who just want to look for a way to drive hard on the track without burning a hole in their pocket. Majority of them running stock motors, they focus largely on fine tuning the handling and other basic aspects of the car.

Another example of this kind of tuning can be seen on Razi’s Mazda RX8 with its almost bone stock look that can be deceiving. But unlike the looks it portray, when you hear it coming down in a back alley in Petaling Jaya or down the back straight at Sepang, the unmistakable rotary roar echoes without any intention of keeping it down. There we know this car may be basic but it was tuned to take to the track.

When Razi first bought the RX8 in 2010, he only bought the car for the sake of taking it as a daily driven car. He decided to go with the RX8 at the time purely for the looks and also since it’s a rotary engine sports car that can seat four people. As a married man, it was just perfect to bring the wife and kids along. But like any typical guy who mods his car, Razi started taking the car for occasional track days two years later. Nowadays, every mod that is on the car is for making the car perform better on track and nothing else. 

While shooting the RX8 on location, just like every other car shot, my favourite time would be popping the hood open to see what goodies are loaded on the motor. But when the hood was opened, to my shock, the engine cover was still there and there was nothing aftermarket in sight. When asked, Razi explains that the cover actually helps channel the air from the grille then routed downwards to the motor. Thus, the cause of the heating issues experienced by those who remove the cover he explains. 

But despite the bone stock motor, Razi decided to use some low tech engine management to good use. The RX8’s motor runs with a piggyback ECU with an Ichiten AFR controller. The function of this controller is basically for fine tuning the fuel and ignition timing of the motor for each sector of the rev range. The advantage this controller has over an electronic unit is that the tuner can fine tune how the engine runs on the fly without a use of a laptop. Even though it is a basic form of tuning but it makes the job of switching and setting new fuel maps such a simple task. 

The RX8 is well known for its balanced handling in the corners. But to fully utilize the handling capability, BC Racing coilovers are used to replace the stock suspension. Stiff rings and corner weight balancing was done to further improve the handling performance of the car. With all this and other mods, it wouldn’t be much use without a decent set of tires to really put the power down so Razi selected a set of Yokohama Advan AD08R tires to provide grip needed. 

The end result is a reliable car that can be taken to the track every now and then. Not only a car put together for the sake of modding, but something that can decently perform and gives a sheer pleasure to the driver. This RX8 also holds a personal best lap time at Sepang of 2 minutes and 43 seconds which is not quite good for an FR car in Sepang that runs on a stock motor. This gives a great example that fine tuning can go a long way for real world results.

TUNING MENU

Owner: Razi

Model: 2003 Mazda RX8 SE3P

Location: Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

ENGINE:

1.3L 13B RENESIS Rotary

K&N Replacement Air Filter

Pivot Fan Controller

Mazmart Water Pump

Samco Coolant Hose

Walbro 255 Fuel Pump

RE Amemiya Exhaust Headers

3-Inch Custom Straight Flow Exhaust

Speed Limiter Delete

Rev Limiter to 9500 RPM

NGK Spark Plug Cables

Ignition Coil Booster (19V)

Oversized Eccentric Shaft Oil Release Valve

Ichiten Air Fuel Controller

DRIVETRAIN:

6 speed manual

Final Drive 4.77

ORC Single Racing Clutch

Autoexe Clutch Lines

Axialflow Shortshifter

2 way LSD

SUSPENSION, CHASSIS AND BRAKES:

BC Racing Coilovers

Stiff Ring Chassis Mounts

Corner Weight Balancing

Project U 4-pot Brake caliper

Slotted Rotors

Super Circuit Steel Braided Brake Lines

WHEELS AND TIRES:

Volk Racing CE28N 17 x 8.5jj Offset +30 (all round)

Yokohama Advan AD08R 255/40/17 (all round)

EXTERIOR:

Mazdaspeed Front Lip

Mazdaspeed Side Skirt

Mazdaspeed Rear Bumper

Autoexe Carbon Fiber Spoiler

INTERIOR:

Works Engineering Fuel Pressure Gauge

Works Engineering Oil Pressure Gauge

Air Fuel Ratio Analizer     

BONUS IMAGES: