Are you in the market for a sports car that is fast, unique, and practical? Allow the Mazda RX-8 to liven up your senses and quench your thirst for speed.

First, the ingredients: what we have here is lightweight sports coupe that is equipped with twin suicide rear doors to ease access into the rear quarters. Sounds good right? This means that the RX-8 can carry three of your friends without ever bothering those who are seated on the front. The Mazda RX-8 is also rear-wheel drive. Meaning the front wheels can focus on one thing and one thing only—steer the car.

Next, we have the engine. The Mazda RX-8 is powered by a 1.3-liter rotary engine dubbed the ‘Renesis.’ This potent power plant can spin effortlessly towards 9,000 RPM while producing 212hp in an automatic transmission-equipped RX-8. Those who prefer to row their own gears will be happy to hear about the six-speed manual that allows the engine to further produce an additional 20hp.

The Renesis engine is silky smooth and relentless, delivering vast amounts of power and torque. However, the rather small 1.3-liter displacement means that there is not much low-end torque to fiddle around in traffic. The rev-happy nature of the engine also decreases the fuel economy of the RX-8 as it can only reach around 16mpg in the city and 23mpg on the highway.

But the Mazda RX-8 is a true sports car. Fuel economy aside, the RX-8 is one of those cars that not only look good but feels absolutely brilliant when driven. The compact nature of the rotary engine allowed the engineers to mount the engine further aft of the chassis, resulting in a perfect 50:50 front and rear weight distribution. This is then coupled with a stiff chassis and a sport tuned suspension system that delivers unprecedented handling.

Base models get 18-inch alloy wheels with high performance tires, full power accessories, leather wrapped steering wheel, air conditioning, six-speaker audio system with a CD player and auxiliary jacks for you MP3 player. Those with a manual transmission also gain a limited-slip differential.

Lease prices for the 2011 Mazda Rx-8 will vary so it is always best to take advantage of our free online lease quote. This will not only allow you to compare current lease prices but this will give you the ability to choose the dealer that offers the lowest price. Get a free quote today and experience the high-revving nature of the Mazda RX-8!