Mazda RX-8 R3

My poor family.

It’s always a mind-numbing hardship and painstaking adjustment when a sports car lands in the Lark driveway for a week’s worth of testing.

Not for the driver mind you, who gets welcomed flashbacks to his youth. It’s the passengers who typically balk at the cramped quarters, inconvenience of a two-door, wah, wah, wah.

Cry me a river.

Such was the case when the 2009 Mazda RX-8 R3 was delivered. Yet after a few days, the whines became mere whimpers.

The RX-8’s unique “freestyle” four-door design is proof that a true sports car does not need to sacrifice space or convenience for performance. The advanced design of the rear-hinged rear doors provides a large door opening, allowing adult-sized passengers to somewhat easily enter and exit the vehicle.

Back seat space is still at a premium, but there was trunk room for a weekend’s worth of luggage, proving this sports car’s versatility.

You’ll notice I waived the Larry golf bag test. It’s almost winter and it doesn’t really matter. Let it be said, however, that the RX-8’s CD player, XM satellite radio, heated seats and air conditioning were my amenities of choice during the long journey to cheer on the Kamiak High School Show Band.

Unchanged are the guts of the RX-8 – a high-powered, lightweight and perfectly balanced machine powered by the world-renowned twin-rotor Renesis rotary engine.

The RX-8 remains the only mass-produced rotary-powered passenger car in the world.

My tester was the 232-horsepower model fitted with a six-speed manual transmission.

RX-8’s normally aspirated 1.3-liter engine might appear diminutive to the untrained eye when compared to large-displacement V8s or heavyweight V10s and V12s.

However, through the incredible efficiencies of a rotary powerplant, an advanced three-stage intake system and an electronic throttle, the Renesis engine delivers smooth, sustainable power on a grand scale.

With a trip to Vancouver, Wash., on the docket, the RX-8 R3 quickly proved its prowess. After a couple of close calls with radar guns, cruise control was invoked to keep my heavy foot from creating unwanted problems.

You might have already wondered what the “R3” is all about. Catering to the performance-conscious enthusiast, the 2009 RX-8 offers a new R3 sport package that adds a sport-tuned suspension with Bilstein shock absorbers and front suspension cross-members filled with urethane foam to create a quieter, smoother ride.

On the visual side of the package, a rear spoiler, side sills, fog lights and sporty front bumper are added to give an aggressive appearance, along with 19-inch forged aluminum-alloy wheels and high-performance tires. Inside, the R3 adds a 300-watt Bose audio system with surround sound, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, front Recaro sport seats with leather side bolsters, leather-wrapped parking brake handle and Mazda advanced keyless entry and start system.

Three other trim levels are offered for the RX-8: Sport, Touring, and Grant Touring.

Mazda engineers integrated numerous active and passive safety elements throughout the car, including large ABS-equipped disc brakes on all wheels, dynamic stability control, front seat-mounted side-impact airbags and side-curtain airbags.