In this article, Iâll go over the most popular RX8 body kit and list their pros and cons. Iâll also link where you can buy each body kit, provided the company still sells it. Before that though, a short history of the RX-8 first.
The Mazda RX8 is one of the most affordable sports cars of our generation. Succeeding the iconic RX7, the Mazda RX8 carries on the tradition of using an unconventional engine in the form of a âWankelâ rotary motor. In addition to its engine, one of the RX8âs main advantages is the way it looks.
Itâs a great-looking car and one which lends itself extremely well to the world of aftermarket tuning. Throughout the years, dozens of different AEM manufacturers have designed and developed body kits for the RX8, some gaining more popularity than others.
Rocket Bunny RX8
Pandem Rocket Bunny RX8 Body Kit â $3,450 Estimate
Pandemâs Rocket Bunny kit for the RX8 is arguably the most popular and aggressive body kit available for the platform at the moment. The term âRocket Buddyâ has become synonymous with body kits over the last couple of years, mostly because of how many platforms itâs available for.
When developing it, Pandem wanted to make their body kit as aggressive and insane as possible, and the end result speaks for itself. Pandemâs product is perfect for people who want the most extreme version of the RX8, with an aggressive stance and race-inspired styling.
Pandemâs kit is all-encompassing, meaning you need to modify or replace most exterior panels. It ships with side skirts, front bumper additions, a rear diffuser, massive wheel arch extensions, a duck spoiler, and a massive rear wing.
Since the Rocket Bunny kit widens the carâs overall track width by several inches, youâll either need wheel spacers or wider wheels/tires to fill out the wheel arches. Because of how extreme the kit is, youâll need to have some DIY knowledge to fit it yourself, but more importantly, you canât be afraid of drilling holes in the carâs body panels or cutting metal where necessary.
If you want to stand out and turn heads wherever you go in your RX8, then Pandemâs solution is definitely ideal. Plus, how many people can say theyâve got a âRocket Bunnyâ body kit on their car? You can find the kit through Pandemâs own website in the US or through Greddyâs shop.
Veilside RX8
Veilside Body RX8 Body Kit â $890 Estimate
You might hear âVeilsideâ every now and then. Itâs a name thatâs almost synonymous with a certain orange RX-7 which starred in a now-iconic movie called âFast and Furiousâ. Most people know Veilside exactly because of Hanâs orange and black RX-7 in the third installment of the âFast and Furiousâ franchise, âTokyo Driftâ.
Veilside is more than an RX7 body kit manufacturer though. They also build and sell kits for Nissans (370Z, GT-R), Chryslers (300), and even Toyotaâs tiny iQ. Since this is an article about the Mazda RX-8, you probably already guessed that theyâve also got a body kit for Mazdaâs âWankelâ-powered sports car.
Compared to Pandemâs body kit, the Veilside kit is a lot less aggressive and crazy, but itâs still relatively flashy. Unlike the Rocket Bunny, the Veilside doesnât ship with massively flared arches, keeping the car the same width as the original.
That being said, it does come with a rather unique-looking front bumper, side skirts, a rear bumper, and a hefty rear spoiler. You can also option the kit with either an FRP hood or a carbon-fiber one if you donât mind spending a bit more money.
The best way of buying Veilsideâs kit is through their own website or through Vivid Racing. If youâre a fan of mean-looking body kits but donât fancy cutting into your fenders or drilling holes to attach wheel arches, Veilsideâs solution definitely seems to fit the bill.
RE Amemiya RX8
RE-Amemiya RX8 Body Kit â $8,238 Estimate
Iâm not a massive fan of RE-Amemiyaâs body kit for the RX8, but I can definitely appreciate and see why people might like it. RE-Amemiya is an iconic name in the JDM world, and their RX-8 body kit definitely makes a bold statement.
In my opinion, RE-Amemiyaâs kit is slightly too old-school, but perhaps thatâs why people seem to like it so much. It embodies the late 90s and early 2000s car scene when the world of aftermarket tuning was in full swing and still in an upward trend.
Like the Veilside, RE-Amemiyaâs product leaves the carâs wheel arches intact, so you wonât need any wheel spacers or new wheels to fit this kit to your car. I have a feeling that the front bumper is not to everyoneâs liking, but people who appreciate the tuning scene in the 1990s will unquestionably find it good-looking.
What I really love about the RE-Amemiya kit though, if I had to single out one thing, is the hood. I love how aggressive the slats are, especially if the panel itself isnât painted and is left in a bare carbon fiber weave. Not only does it look amazing, but itâs functional too. It helps keep the rotary engine residing in the engine bay cool by giving the hot air a place to escape from.
RE-Amemiya also builds a body kit for the second-gen RX-8, and you can find that through the JapanParts website. You can find the original body kit for the first-gen RX8 through RHDJapan.
Mazdaspeed RX8
Mazdaspeed RX8 Body Kit â $400 Estimate (eBay)
Mazda offered a special bumper for the RX8 called the Mazdaspeed. For many people, including myself, itâs the single best visual upgrade you can do to your RX8. Not only does it look stock, but itâll fit perfectly since it was built by Mazda itself.
I especially love that it doesnât look too crazy or aggressive, but is more subtle and refined. It makes the RX8 appear sportier without ruining its lines or proportions. If Mazda ever built a special edition of the RX-8, a-la Mercedesâ Black Series edition, I like to think this is what they wouldâve made it look like.
Unfortunately, you canât find the Mazdaspeed bumper new since Mazda stopped producing it a long time ago, but if you shop around you can probably find a used one in good condition on sites like eBay or craigslist (similar marketplaces will also do).
If you donât want to go overboard with modifying your RX8 or just want an upgrade that doesnât require too much hassle, just find a used Mazdaspeed bumper and see your carâs exterior transform dramatically. One thing to note: you can find the Mazdaspeed bumper for first-gen Mazda RX8s, but not for second-gen cars. The reason is that Mazda stopped producing it with the introduction of the second-gen and the R3 variants.
Buddy Club RX8
Buddy Club RX8 Body Kit â $1,050 Estimate
People who want an ultra-aggressive, race-inspired body kit without going to Pandem and Rocket Bunny, will usually end up going down the Buddy Club route. Buddy Club was extremely popular back in the mid-to-late 2000s, especially in Japan. Weirdly enough, even though it was formed in Japan, Buddy Clubâs most production and design facilities are based in the US.
Buddy Club started operating in the US back in 2003. From there, they started exporting most of their products to the rest of the world, especially Hong Kong and the UK, in 2005.
With the rise of automotive content, especially in YouTube video form, through channels like âHot Version Internationalâ and the drift king himself, Keiichi Tsuchiya, body kits like the one from Buddy Club became extremely popular.
Out of all the bumpers weâll cover in this article, I think I like Buddy Clubâs solution the most. I love that they placed the biggest amount of emphasis on making the front bumper as functional as possible, by giving it a large central opening, and showcasing the radiator (or intercooler if someone decides to turbocharge their RX8).
Iâm not as keen on the rear bumper, but I donât mind it. If instead of giving it three separate mesh sections, Buddy Club decided to incorporate some kind of a rear diffuser, I think it would have looked much better.
You can buy separate body kit panels through Vivid Racing or buy the full body kit from Banzai Racing and Andyâs Auto Sport.
Ings Net RX8
Ings-Net RX8 Body Kit â $1,600 Estimate
Ingsâ body kit for the RX-8 is a weird mix between the Veilside body kit and the RE-Amemiya. The front bumper is extremely similar to the one found on the Veilside, with several noticeable differences though. For starters, the side air dams are much smaller, making the front end look less bulbous and bulky. The central opening is also a little bigger, which I like, but some people might not.
The rear end is similar to the RE-Amemiya kit, but once again, there are several differences. The exhaust openings are in the same place and have the same shape, but the Ings-Net kit has larger shrouds with sharper angles.
There isnât a rear diffuser per se, but there is a central section with fake mesh and even a little triangle âWankelâ logo slap bang in the middle. Out of all the side skirts weâve covered so far, I think Ings makes the nicest-looking ones. Theyâre fairly flat with fin-style cutouts at the ends.
The Ings-Net RX8 kit is available through several vendors, including Nengun and Vivid Racing, but you can also find it as a standalone item through Ings-Netâs own website.
AutoExe RX8
AutoExe RX8 Body Kit â $1599 Estimate
Scroll through the RX-8 forums, and one name that constantly keeps popping up is AutoExe. AutoExe became popular as soon as the RX-8 made its debut because they were one of the first aftermarket manufacturers to design and offer a body kit for Mazdaâs latest sports car at the time.
People thought the AutoExe looked radical at the time, but in todayâs world of Veilside and Rocket Bunny body kits, the AutoExe looks almost understated in comparison. After their initial product, AutoExe started building several different variants of their body kit, depending on which generation RX-8 you have and whether you prefer more aggressive or understated styling.
For first-gen RX-8s, the SE-02 body kit is probably my favorite since it just seems to fit the RX-8âs sports car shape so well. I wouldnât say itâs the best-looking body kit, nor the most aggressive, but itâs a great middle-ground solution. You can even buy an original AutoExe carbon-fiber hood if you donât mind dropping $2,400 on one.
For people who prefer something a bit more flamboyant, thereâs always AutoExeâs SE-03C body kit. The front bumper isnât particularly interesting or unique, but things quickly escalate as soon as you get to the rear. What makes this body kit so special is how it handles the exhaust outlets shroud. Designed for quad exhausts or large twin-exhaust shrouds, this kit is ideal for people who donât mind making a bit of noise, both literally and as a statement.
You can find the SE-03C through Nengun or buy the newest SE-05 body kit from AutoExeâs website.
NRF RX8 Body Kit
NRF RX8 Body Kit â $1,000 Estimate
This is a weird one, so itâs no wonder it isnât as popular as the other kits weâve covered so far. Iâve mostly seen it on competition cars and show cars, but I think there are a few street cars driving around. NRFâs body kit isnât my particular cup of tea, but Iâll admit itâs striking and shouty, for good or bad.
NRF builds and sells two different versions of the RX-8 body kit, called âVersion 1â and the âFinalSpecâ respectively. Theyâre similar in terms of design and concept, but the execution is completely different.
The Version 1 front bumper is as basic as bumpers get. It has a single large opening in the middle, with two massive air dams with mesh on either side, both as tall as the central opening. You can even specify it with stabilizing fins (winglets) if you really want to go down the full race route.
The FinalSpec is the âgrown-upâ version of Version 1 if you can even call it that. It has the same central opening with smaller side air dams to incorporate fog lights just above them. It doesnât look as aggressive, but itâs a much better solution if you need to retain your foglights or want something a little bit more conservative and restrained.
You can find both kits through Tifaria, and both the Version 1 and the FinalSpec cost the same, so the choice is really completely down to you.
Knight Sports RX8 Body Kit
Knight Sports RX8 Body Kit â $900 Estimate
If you want your RX-8 to look more like an RX-7, then go for the Knight Sports body kit and I promise you wonât be disappointed. The front bumper is definitely inspired by the RX-7âs front bumper, and for some reason, it works weirdly well on the RX-8.
I always thought the RX-8 has a happy face and this bumper certainly emphasizes that. This body kit is also dignified and understated, something I definitely appreciate. Â This particular bumper is the âType 2â, which Knight Sports likes to pair with a medium-sized rear spoiler.
If youâre a fan of massive wings, you can always buy Knight Sportsâ GT wing. Since words canât do it justice, I urge you all to visit the link and take a look at it for yourself. The thing is absolutely massive, thereâs no other way to describe it. I doubt itâs effective at generating any meaningful downforce on a road car at regular speeds, but perhaps if youâre building a time attack car or just think it looks cool, you can maybe opt for it.
Knight Sportsâ second body kit is the âType 3â, specifically designed for second-gen RX-8s. Again, it uses the same rear spoiler as the Type 2, but the front end is much more aggressive this time around. The second-gen RX8âs front fascia lends itself well to large air openings, so thatâs exactly what Knight Sports have done. You can also buy Knight Sportsâ front bumper through RHDJapan.
LEG Motorsports RX8 Body Kit
LEG Motorsports Body Kit â $1,700 Estimate
Out of all the kits weâve covered so far, this is honestly my least favorite one, but since thereâs a demand for it, some people obviously like it, so I have to show it to you. Designed and built by LEG Motorsports, it looks like a quality item, but I still canât get over that front bumper.
Theyâve obviously tried to mimic Mazdaâs newer design language, by copying the lines of the later Mazda 6 and the newest Mazda 3s, but all theyâve done is made the RX8 look like some sort of water creature. It looks like a big fish thatâs beached ashore.
I donât like to be unnecessarily harsh to any particular brand, but Iâm not a fan of this body kit, and itâs all down to that front bumper. I love the rear spoiler, and I even kind of like the way the rear wheel arch extension integrates into the side skirt, but that front end is too much for me.
If you still want it you can find it through Nengun. LEG also built a similar bumper for the second-gen Mazda RX8, which you can also find through Nengunâs website. Again, Iâm not a fan of the fish-like opening at the front, but at least this design suits second-gen RX8s a lot better.
I read through some forums that the build quality is good and fitment seems to be a non-issue, so it has that going for it. If you do decide to opt for it, do note that the tow hook and the daylights pictured in the images arenât included with the sale. You can add them on as additional extras.
You can find all these parts and much more accessories for the RX-8 on LEG Motorsportsâ website.
Fujita Engineering RX8 Body Kit
Fujita Engineering Body Kit â $7,000 Estimate
Last but by no means least, we finally arrive at Fujita Engineering and their well-thought-out, well-developed body kit. Iâm a really big fan of this kit because itâs a no-frills, straight-to-the-point product. The front bumper isnât particularly interesting for instance, but itâs been designed with function in mind. It directs air towards the underside, producing more stability and feeding air inside the engine bay.
The large GT Wing is almost ridiculous as the one Knight Sports offer, but this one seems more functional somehow, especially coupled with the rest of the body kitâs intended functions. Fujita even offers a carbon aero hood with two massive slots serving as hot air outlets. You can get it painted or in a dry-carbon finish.
Theyâve also got old-school-shaped aero mirror covers, similar to those on the second-gen RX-7. The only downside to this kit? Itâs a bit on the costly side, as it will easily run you $2,500 for the carbon-fiber hood alone. You can find all of Fujita Engineeringâs listed parts for the RX-8 on their website.
Conclusion On RX8 Body Kit
Obviously, this list isnât final as there are dozens of other body kits for the RX-8 available out there, but these are the most popular as well as some of the best built. My personal favorite is undoubtedly the Buddy Club because it perfectly combines function and form all into one.
The Fujita Engineering kit looks sweet too, but itâs a bit pricey and it still isnât as good as the Buddy Club in my opinion. In terms of standalone parts, Iâd definitely single out the Mazdaspeed bumper as being the best out of everything listed in this article.
Itâs built by the company which made the car, so you know itâll fit perfectly, and it completely changes the way it looks. As I mentioned before, the only downside is finding an example and buying it, since Mazda stopped making them a long time ago.
I was able to find a few on eBay, but most of them were Duraflex copies of the Mazdaspeed. One important note: whenever you see Duraflex, just know that itâs not an original and it may require some modification to make it fit perfectly. Duraflex produces affordable alternatives to some of the popular brands we highlighted in this article, but you know the old saying: âYou get what you pay forâ. Once you have made your RX8 look a lot cooler with a body kit also consider an LS engine swap to make it go faster.
FAQs On RX8 Body Kit
If youâre still curious to learn more about an RX8 body kit, perhaps our FAQs here might have the answers youâre looking forâŠ
How Much Is A Rocket Bunny Kit
Rocket Bunny is one of the most well-known and iconic makers of body kits, including ones for the Mazda RX8. In particular, there have been special Rocket Bunny kits made by Pandem for the RX8. Inspired by race cars, these Pandem kits for the RX8 are even more aggressive and racy than the oft-insane Rocket Bunny offerings. Although to get this bold stance, you will have to make a lot of changes to the RX8âs exterior body panels. This includes installing brand new side skirts, add-ons for the front bumper, larger wheel arch extensions, a rear diffuser, a ducktail spoiler, and a huge rear wing. Plus, youâll have to add wheel spaces to extend your carâs overall track width. All of this doesnât come cheap, however. A standard Pandem Rocket Bunny kit for your RX8 will set you back at least $3,450.
Modified Mazda RX8
The Mazda RX8 is one of the most popular cars to modify and tune to your heartâs content. In particular, its powertrain is ripe for extensive tuning if youâre keen to get more power out of it. Among the most common performance mods for an RX8 is the inclusion of a cold air intake. To make the best use of the added airflow into the engine, itâs worth getting an ECU flash, as well. Having sorted out the intake side of things, we can now look at the exhaust. Installing a midpipe and a catback exhaust system should free up a lot of exhaust flow and reduce any backpressure. There are a lot of things that we can modify on the engine, too. A lightweight flywheel, intake and exhaust porting, as well as the use of a turbocharger or supercharger, should handily up the horsepower from that RENESIS motor.
Widebody RX8
If youâre looking to give your RX8 that wide, mean, and aggressive stance, there are plenty of widebody kits available. Perhaps the most iconic of them all is the Pandem and Rocket Bunny RX8 body kits. They made a widebody RX8 a while back alongside TRA Kyoto, and itâs an absolute stunner. Although, the modifications themselves are extensive. The kit includes new side skirts, widened wheel arc extensions, front bumper add-ons, a rear diffuser, and a massive rear wing. In addition, it requires the installation of wheel spacers (or wider wheels) to widen the carâs track by at least a few inches. On the more extreme side of things, you might even have to cut away and drill into the existing RX8 frame to fit it. But the end result is certainly breathtaking.
RX8 Spoiler
Apart from installing the body kit itself, the spoiler is another point of interest for those keen on getting an RX8 body kit. If youâd prefer to be subtle about it, there are loads of great ducktail spoilers, which should be more than sufficient to supply the needed downforce. Yet, add a subtle hint of racy looks and aggression to your RX8. However, and if you donât mind something more out-of-this-world, there are plenty of other options, too. Perhaps the most sought-after units are either the Mazdaspeed carbon fiber rear wing. Or, an R Magic rear wing, instead. A lot of RX8 owners have also recommended the GTO spoiler, or perhaps even the APR GTC-200. The latter is a great pick for a track-based RX8 project car. Or, if you just want to stand out from the crowd.
Fast And Furious RX8
As is the case with a lot of Japanese tuner cars stateside, Fast and Furious had a huge cultural impact in making them popular amongst mainstream audiences. One of those cars was the RX8, which appeared in Tokyo Drift and Fast & Furious 4. Its first appearance in Tokyo Drift saw it adorned in a Veilside RX8 body kit. As well as, striking blue and black paintwork. Later in the franchise, the fourth Fast and Furious movie saw another RX8. This time around, it had an Extreme Dimensions Duraflex M-1 Speed body kit on it, including an M-1 carbon fiber rear spoiler. Alas, this particular RX8 was driven by the bad guys. During a chase scene that took place inside a tunnel, this RX8 was destroyed by falling rocks during a cave-in.
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