The driver's seat, of course, is the one to have. If you're looking for the edgy, visceral thrill of the RX-7, you might be slightly disappointed; the RX-8 barters a measure of that sports car's white-knuckle aggression for an extra dose of real-world civility. There's impressive hardware underneath to make that happen: a classic double-wishbone front suspension with forged aluminum arms, and all-new 5-link rear suspension; and in a page borrowed from the Miata and RX-7, a more rigid, closed-section truss that connects the transmission and Torsen differential and parallels the one-piece carbon-fiber driveshaft. Combine this with an engine placed 1.6 in. lower and 2.4 in. farther back than in the RX-7, and one should have a car that's agile and changes direction quickly.

One does. But first, twist the key to experience the near-vibrationless character of the Wankel. Even at idle, the 2-rotor emits a unique, chirpy murmur. As revs increase, there's a muffled, bandsaw-through-fiberglass wail as the tach soars to 9000 rpm. Even at redline it's quite smooth compared with its piston counterpart, because for every revolution of its eccentric shaft (the crankshaft's cousin in a Wankel), each rotor has made a leisurely one-third turn. It doesn't deliver a super-torquey feel like Nissan's 350Z, for example, but the power swells with rpm, and the close-ratio 6-speed with sublimely compact throws makes keeping this engine on boil a delight. Like a Honda S2000 with its similarly elevated revs, it truly engages you in the driving experience.

With a tire-smoking launch (best times were achieved dropping the clutch at about 7500 rpm), the RX-8 in our testing sees 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and charges through the quarter in 14.5 sec. at 95.6 mph — a match for the Porsche Boxster and certainly quick by modern sports-car standards. Rather than ear-pinning straight-line acceleration, though, it's the overall balance and coordination of this chassis coupled with the Renesis' inimitable delivery of power that make the RX-8 so rewarding to drive.

Stab the brakes and there's a reassuring firmness to the aluminum-capped pedal. Load up the suspension fully in a turn and discover 0.88g of grip, albeit accompanied by some very un-RX-7-like roll softness that's a tradeoff for its relatively supple ride. (If you've ever driven a third-generation RX-7, you know that a kidney-friendly ride quality was not its strong suit.) Steer into the mildest of kinks or a wrist-crosser of a hairpin, and there's precision feedback from the electrically-assisted rack, and a nice linear gain of effort the farther the steering wheel is turned. Everything works in satisfying harmony, building to limits in a predictable way. Exceed those limits and you won't be punished with snap oversteer or irretrievable push. Said another way, if you drive it in the toss-and-catch mode, the catching is easy.

So what we have here is an excellent, civilized sports car that just happens to have four doors. A bit of an enigma, perhaps, but a thoroughly fresh concept that is practical enough for some people to rationalize a sports-car purchase, especially considering its temptingly low price. Quoting ourselves, from Road & Track's own Illustrated Automotive Dictionary: "In truth, these days a sports car can include almost any performance car that is exhilarating to drive and puts a smile on the driver's face." Judging from the Cheshire cat expressions of everyone around here who's revved its 2-rotor with enthusiasm, the RX-8 wholeheartedly qualifies.