If you enjoy driving, you would love to get behind the wheel of a Mazda RX-8. This sporty little car with the funky rotary engine loves to get out and play on the pavement. And unlike many drivers cars, the RX-8 actually has some kind of back seat. But best of all, you get all this performance without facing the super-high sticker price of some European performance cars.

Photo by Mazda (ENLARGE)

Mazda RX-8

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ABOUT THE MAZDA RX-8:

Body style: Sports coupe

Trim lines: Standard, S, XRS

Price: $27,085 -- $32,435

Drive: Rear-wheel

Seating: Two in front, two in rear

Engine: 1.3-liter rotary

Transmission: Six-speed manual; automatic available

16 city, 22 highway

WHAT'S SPECIAL: The RX-8 comes with a rotary engine -- basically one that rotates and has combustion chambers but no cylinders. This edition of the RX-8 celebrates the 40th anniversary of the rotary engine with some special markings and interior niceties. Those touches add to its beauty, but Mazda made only 1,000 of them.

WHAT WE LIKE: The driving performance is stellar. We recently tested a Porsche Cayman, which was wonderful, but the driving experience in the RX-8 was nearly as nice. The acceleration, handling and braking were fantastic. The six-speed manual transmission was smooth.

WHAT ISN'T THERE: There is a back seat, but not a whole lot of room there. But we appreciate the effort. Also, the fuel economy wasn't terrific, especially considering this is a pretty small car. The RX-8's EPA numbers are an underwhelming 16 city, 22 highway.

YOU OUGHTA KNOW: Among the 40th anniversary edition's special touches are heated leather seats that have a nice red and black design, matching door trim, specially marked floor mats and 18-inch wheels. But this isn't just a sporty, pretty package. It's safe too, with five-star ratings in frontal passenger crash and rollover safety, and standard traction control.

EXTRAS: The clam-shell doors, like those found on some two-door pickup trucks, are a neat way to access the back seat. It can erase some of the "I should be driving a minivan" guilt feelings when you are transporting small kids to school. The trunk is surprisingly roomy; it easily stowed two grown-up sized gym bags. Also surprisingly roomy is the cabin, which nicely accommodated a tall driver and tall passenger and left plenty of elbow room for both.

COMPETITION: The RX-8 competes against other sporty coupe models such as the Infiniti G37, Nissan 350Z and BMW 3 Series. In a previous test of the G37, it was found to provide a spirited ride but seemed a bit heavier on the road than the RX-8. Its ride was a bit less harsh, though. Both models handled quite nicely but not as well as the 3 Series.

ABOUT MAZDA: Mazda is on a roll. Its recently added crossovers, the CX-7 and CX-9, maintain the company's "Zoom-Zoom" credo. And its Mazda3 and Mazda6 sedans continue to be big sellers thanks to their brilliant designs and great performance. The MX-5 Miata, which was recently redesigned, is still one of the best roadster values on the market and is a hoot to drive.

AND ANOTHER THING: For some reason, putting the gear shifter in reverse was a little difficult. Shifting into other gears was a cinch.