On the street and in a straight line, 9 times out of 10, I would pick the crossfire in a stoplight-stoplight race. I find it hard to believe that most owners will really wring their cars out enough to keep up with or beat our cars. It's the same story with the s2k, which is also a high strung car. To get the most out of them, you really need to go deep into the rev range with most people are not willing to do. (off topic: why buy the car in that case?)

On a track, I think it would be a totally different ballgame. The first time I took my car to the track I was absolutely shocked how different it felt compared with the street. The RX-8 would likely have the edge specifically because the handling is so much more precise, therefore making it easier to maintain speed through a turn. The crossfire isn't really designed to be a fantastic handler in the way that the rx-8, s2k, or boxster are. It would be an interesting matchup though. Once I pay off my car, I'd like to take it to a track day or two just to see how it does.