I'm actually working on an RX-8 conversion right now. AC motor (netgain hyper9), I'm keeping the transmission and clutch, lithium iron phosphate batteries under the car where the gas tank was and in the engine compartment.
I agree that it would be great if Mazda revived the RX-8 as an electric vehicle. Especially if they kept the stickshift.
Oh, that is an interesting project. I've been tempted to do something similar with an older Miata, especially after seeing a pretty decent conversion of one using Leaf packs.
The RX-8 would be much more complex, IMO, but I bet it would be a lot of fun to drive as an electric.
Are you blogging about your efforts somewhere? I'd love to follow them.
No, I'm not blogging about it. I might write something up eventually.
A Miata would likely have been an easier conversion, and it's probably what I should have done, though a convertible is kind of a tough sell when you live in Oregon and with RX-8s you can get a pretty recent car for not much money. (RX-8s with engine problems that no one wants to spend the money to fix are quite common.)
One thing to be careful of is weight balance. I'm told that if you have too much weight in the back, it makes the car a lot less safe in corners because it's easier to recover from front-wheel slip, whereas if the rear wheels break loose first you'll probably spin out.
So far, making battery boxes seems to be the biggest/most awkward task. I've never done welding before, and so I'm learning aluminum TIG welding. It took awhile to get the hang of it, but it's going alright now.
I agree that it would be great if Mazda revived the RX-8 as an electric vehicle. Especially if they kept the stickshift.