Last updated August 4, 2026
The Mazda RX-8 lineup starts with Sport, the entry trim that delivers the car’s defining rotary engine, rear-wheel drive, balanced handling, and four-seat layout. Touring adds better traction management, stronger nighttime visibility, and a few useful conveniences. R3 is the performance branch, with a manual transmission, firmer suspension hardware, and more supportive seats. Grand Touring is the comfort-focused top trim, pairing the RX-8’s sports-car character with leather, heated seats, a moonroof, and other daily-use upgrades.
The Base Model trim level, sold as Sport, is the straightforward RX-8 experience: rotary power, rear-wheel drive, balanced handling, and useful access to four seats.
Best for: Drivers who want the RX-8’s core character without the specialized performance or premium comfort extras.
Highlights
The Mid-Level trim level, sold as Touring, adds traction, visibility, and convenience equipment while keeping the RX-8 driver-focused and cloth-trimmed.
Best for: Drivers who want more all-weather confidence and useful equipment without moving to a comfort-focused cabin.
Highlights
Adds a limited-slip differential, stability and traction control, upgraded headlights, fog lights, and an auto-dimming mirror over Sport.
0 in stockThe Performance trim level, sold as R3, is the track-focused RX-8, built around sharper suspension tuning and stronger support for the driver.
Best for: Enthusiasts who value a manual transmission, firmer responses, and supportive sport seats over added comfort features.
Highlights
Adds Bilstein dampers, a reinforced front suspension crossmember, and Recaro sport seats, while making the six-speed manual the only transmission.
0 in stock
The Premium Comfort trim level, sold as Grand Touring, is the daily-comfort RX-8, adding upscale seating and convenience without losing its rotary-powered, rear-wheel-drive layout.
Best for: Drivers who want sports-car handling with leather, seat heating, automatic climate control, and other everyday amenities.
Highlights
Shifts away from R3’s specialized track hardware and adds heated leather seats, driver-seat memory, automatic climate control, and a power moonroof.
0 in stock| Feature | Mid-Level | Base Model | Performance | Premium Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Includes | Touring0 in stock | Sport0 in stock | Grand Touring0 in stock | |
| Transmission | Manual or automatic | 6-speed manual or paddle-shift 6-speed automatic | 6-speed manual only | Manual or automatic |
| Front seats | Cloth seats | Cloth bucket seats | Recaro sport seats with leather side bolsters | Heated leather-trimmed seats |
| Handling hardware | Limited-slip differential | Sport-tuned independent suspension | Bilstein dampers and limited-slip differential | Core rear-wheel-drive chassis |
| Headlights | Xenon headlights and fog lights | Standard lighting | Self-leveling xenon headlights | Automatic self-leveling xenon headlights |
| Stability and traction control | Standard | — | Standard | Standard |
| Cabin highlights | Auto-dimming mirror with HomeLink | Straightforward comfort equipment | Bose audio and keyless starting | Climate control, seat memory, and moonroof |
The post-refresh lineup centered on Sport, Grand Touring, and R3. The 2009 range also included Touring, but Mazda dropped that middle trim when it simplified the lineup for 2010 and 2011.
No. In 2009, Touring was a cloth-seat middle trim focused on traction, visibility, and convenience. Grand Touring added a stronger comfort emphasis with leather, heated front seats, power driver-seat adjustment, automatic climate control, a moonroof, and Bose audio.
In the 2009-2011 lineup, Sport is the core RX-8. It has the rotary engine, rear-wheel drive, sport-tuned independent suspension, ventilated disc brakes, cloth seats, and either a six-speed manual or paddle-shift automatic, depending on the car.
In the 2009-2011 range, Grand Touring is the comfort-focused trim. It combines the RX-8’s rear-wheel-drive chassis with leather-trimmed heated seats, driver-seat memory, automatic climate control, a moonroof, xenon headlights, and Bose audio.
The 2009-2011 R3 is the performance-focused trim. It is manual-only and uses Bilstein dampers, extra front-structure reinforcement, a limited-slip differential, and supportive Recaro front seats. It also has xenon headlights and Bose audio.
For 2009, Touring adds a limited-slip differential, xenon headlights, fog lights, stability and traction control, and an auto-dimming mirror with HomeLink. It keeps cloth seating and the same basic rotary-powered character as Sport.
In the 2009-2011 range, Grand Touring adds the major comfort features missing from Sport: leather-trimmed heated front seats, power driver-seat adjustment and memory, automatic climate control, a moonroof, Bose audio, xenon headlights, and stability control.
The R3 sharpens the Sport formula with a manual-only drivetrain, Bilstein dampers, a reinforced front suspension crossmember, a limited-slip differential, and Recaro front seats. Sport has simpler suspension and seating and was also sold with an automatic.
R3 prioritizes handling with a manual transmission, Bilstein dampers, added front reinforcement, a limited-slip differential, and Recaro seats. Grand Touring prioritizes daily comfort with heated leather seats, power adjustment and memory, automatic climate control, and a moonroof.
No defining Touring upgrade is extra engine power. In 2009, Touring’s main gains over Sport were its limited-slip differential, xenon and fog lights, stability and traction control, and upgraded mirror controls.
In the 2009-2011 range, Sport and Grand Touring were sold with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. Touring also had both transmissions during its 2009 appearance. R3 was manual-only.
Grand Touring is the comfort-oriented pick in the 2009-2011 lineup. Its heated leather seats, power driver-seat adjustment and memory, automatic climate control, moonroof, Bose audio, and automatic-transmission examples suit routine driving better than the firmer R3.
Grand Touring is the trim with leather-trimmed heated front seats in the 2009-2011 range. R3 has Recaro sport seats with leather side bolsters, but its defining setup is driver support rather than the Grand Touring’s heated comfort seating.
In the later lineup, Grand Touring and R3 include the 300-watt Bose nine-speaker surround-sound system. Sport’s defining equipment is more basic, while the 2009 Touring focuses on traction, lighting, and convenience upgrades.