You have just downloaded the 2004 Mazda RX-8 GT. Here I will explain some things about the real car:
The RX-8 project started to take shape back in 1995 with the RX-01 concept car. It featured a high revving naturally aspirated twin rotor 13B engine, which was basically inbetween the RX-7's 13B design and the Renesis design. The RX-01 went no where but it was a good concept car to test some new technology. Next, in 1999, the RX-Evolv concept car debuted, and it was the first car to feature the RX-8's body style as well as many features that would end up on the RX-8. In 2001, the RX-8 concept car came out. This car refined the features of the RX-Evolv and was a step closer to the RX-8 production car. This car is the RX-8 that is in Gran Turismo 3. In 2002, the RX-8 Production Concept came out. It was nearly identical to the RX-8 production car but had some different features that wouldn't make it to production. Then, in mid summer 2003, the RX-8 debuted in the US(Japan got the car several months earlier). Many people had the RX-8 on pre-order, and the people that didn't were able to get the car a couple of 
months later, when they were at the dealerships. Several months later, Mazda released the info that the US RX-8's power ratings were incorrect: it was 247hp before, that dropped to 238, and the automatic model(which isn't what you have here) was 210hp and dropped to 197. What people didn't understand was that the actual power of the car didn't change at all, it was merely the number ratings that changed. Still, many owners were upset. Mazda offered to either send out a $500 debit card and free service, or to buy back the cars. The 2 RX-8 owners I personally know chose the 1st option, but some did choose to sell back, which doesn't make sense. They drove the car, loved it, and bought it, and then because of a number change they return it. The rating issue took shape because the rating was for the Japanese RX-8. They have different emissions regulations than the US, so when the car came here, the emissions controls lowered the power to 238, but that was before any owner drove the cars. Through this issue, the 
RX-8 has won many awards, including Internation Engine of the Year. It has also won in many magazine comparos, and was featured in the movie X-Men 2. The RX-8 is also being used in Trans Am races and the Renesis engine is used in the Star Mazda race cars. Mazda has also created a MazdaSpeed RX-8 in Japan, and a US version should come sometime soon. Also a Hydrogen RX-8 concept car has been made. 

The car in Racer:
Stecki started modeling the car shortly after its release. I begged him to let me do the ini and other stuff, and he agreed. His main objective was to model the car to sell, but he also wanted it for Racer. Late 2003 and I figured that the RX-8 was basically done. I asked to release it, but Stecki refused, saying that he had to do more work on it and that he didn't know if he would release it for racer at all. After some arguing, he agreed to release it for Racer, but his busier-than-mine life left him little time to work on it and he didn't know when he would be done. As the impatient kid I am, I *almost* released the car on my own to spite him, luckily I was able to control myself and wait for his good work. Late March 2004 and I got an E-mail from Stecki with an improved RX-8 and him saying that if I finished the ini and stuff that he would work on the colors and small modeling things and release the car. And here we are!
Going back to what I did: 
As a 17 year old who has never driven the car and has only ridden in 1 once, my knowlage of how it drives is limited to mainly videos and technical information. Since I am MazKid, I have access to the RX-8 technical highlights training materials, the Yamaguchi RX-8 book, and several videos. I started the ini by incorperating all of the hard info(such as length, track, wheelbase, power, gear ratios, etc), and then I made educated guesses on the rest and test drove the car every time I changed something. Eventually, the car drove very well. Best Motoring got a time of 1 min 58 secs on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. I was able to get the car to run that time, and I use the keyboard to drive. Also, the 0-60 and quarter mile times were nearly right on. I got hung up on the sound for the car, all of my sound files from the car are with it accelerating, wind/ambient noise, and/or someone talking. I was using a sound that was different than the actual RX-8's sound, but it was ok to use while I was working on the car. 
Then I found a random engine sound that was very close to what the car sounds like, and that's what we have here. 

As far as how the car drives in Racer, it's pretty nuetral. It will kick the back out under hard cornering and acceleration, especially during the 1st to 2nd shift. The sliding can normally be corrected by countersteering and easing up on the gas. It'll also wipe out if you drive flat out and turn side to side, but who drives like that? As far as drifting, it'll kinda drift but isn't willing to, sorry! Also, for the best launches, rev up to around 7,500RPM and shift to 1st(from nuetral) or let off the clutch(if you are in 1st). You'll get good wheel spin, but it should stop before the shift to 2nd. If you rev all the way up to the limiter, you'll get loads of wheel spin and you can shift to 2nd and ride it out if you can keep it straight. Overall, just have fun and drive it everywhere. 

Also, please don't mess with the ini and then release it on the forums or anywhere else without my approval. I worked on the ini for a long time and I don't want to see someone come in and make something unrealistic and make me look like a poor-quality ini maker. I would be open to someone wanting to make a racing version, please let me know though. 

Thanks for reading, enjoy the car!

Ryan(MazKid)
MazKid@aol.com 