Cheap Mazda RX-8 Dyno Test Shows "Pathetic" Horsepower Numbers

We've seen them completely restore a high-mileage Skoda Octavia, make a Lexus drift car and turn the BMW 3 Series into a diesel racer that could out-lap the M3. But none of that could prepare them for the RX-8, which has an entirely different kind of engine.

Every few months, Mazda officials are asked about the possibility of the rotary engine making a comeback. And although the spinning cylinder is cool, it seems you can't bake reliability into it.

This particular RX-8 cost just £650, which is enough to get any hot-blooded car enthusiast excited. Of course, there are a few other problems with it, like the fact that's "running low on blinker fluid" and has a big dent in the driver-side door.

But the biggest issue is lack of compression. Now, there were some different factory outputs for this unit, ranging from 192 to 250 horsepower. But the dyno-testing mechanic says the real amount usually doesn't go past 210 horses at the flywheel.

So, care to bet what the RX-8 is making right now? If you said it could be as low as 163 hp, you guessed right. That suggests 50 ponies have escaped from the rotors due to lack of compression (compared to actual output, not the claimed 240 hp). It should also be noted that the dyno automatically takes into account powertrain loss, so we're not dealing with wheel horsepower.

Now, normally, you'd install a new exhaust, clean up some parts and do some cheap ECU mods to add power back into an old unit. But you can't do that with the blown Mazda engine. We can't wait to see how much the rebuild will cost them.