The more things change, the more they stay the same with the reworked RX-8. This car is all about speed, and if you're going to go fast, go with the R3 trim level. Its 1.3-liter rotary engine pushes 232 horses. The regular RX-8 still tops 200 horses (212 to be exact) and has plenty of pickup. There were some things I didn't like about the RX-8. You fall into the RX-8, instead of sitting in it. Furthermore, the seats have very tight bolsters that required me to wear a nylon shirt so I could slide into it. However, the reason for the seat squeezing you is to make sure you don't flop around the inside of the car. Call it a snug fit. But once in there, I found the interior very cozy. There are lots of little reminders that the RX-8 uses a rotary engine -- the small triangle on top of the six-speed manual gear shifter; the trapezoidal handle on the emergency brake; and a few other spots through out the interior. No one uses a rotary engine anymore, though it was once very popular 90 years ago for airplanes. Instead of using traditional pistons and cylinders, the rotary engine rotates its triangle shaped piece inside the engine. These engines are typically more expensive, but also more reliable because they have fewer moving parts than a typical engine. Additionally, rotary engines are much lighter than their traditional counterparts. The RX-8 only weighs 3,111 pounds. The high beltline (windows) make the interior very dark. But that's part of the mystique to driving this high revving sports car. The big low profile tires are glued to the road, and the low center of gravity lets you whip around corners -- though you should be careful on railroad tracks. The regular RX-8 should get about 16 miles per gallon in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. I was only able to manage 18 mpg in combined driving around Detroit. But that might also be due to heavy-footed driving. It just comes out of you when you're hunkered down in the RX-8. Now Mazda did flatten out the front end by changing the front fascia for the 2009 model. I liked the previous front end better. However, at night I liked the new Xenon HID headlights and fog lamps. Mazda said it also improved the car's ride by adding a sport-tuned suspension with Bilstein shock absorbers and front suspension beams filled with urethane foam. The ride, however, is still pretty loud. Another noteworthy addition to the RX-8 was the Bluetooth connectivity to the phone. There are some advantages to connecting your phone to your car instead of using one of those silly hands free ear buds. First of all, you'll never walk around in public looking like a dork wearing the ear piece. Second of all, when a car connects to your phone, it automatically turns down your stereo when the phone rings. Those little distractions can make the difference between driving and crashing. With the RX-8 you don't even have to take your hands off the wheel to answer a call. Personally, I believe people should avoid talking on their cell phone when driving, especially a vehicle like the RX-8. This car was made for driving, not for chatting. That is, along as you fit in the seats. Scott Burgess is the auto critic for The Detroit News. He can be reached at (313) 223-3217 or [email protected].