Mazda RX-8 Mazda RX 8 PZ

The great thing about living with an RX-8 is it's just that little bit different. They might not be as flashy as a Nissan 350Z, or as ubiquitous as a Golf GTI; instead, what you get is an interesting, useable and affordable four-seat semi-sports car with all the thrashy idiosyncrasies of rotary power.

But has the love gone out of the relationship over the past three years? After all, it's still only a Mazda. It's not particularly quick, or comfy, and there's only so much oil you can put in a car before you twig that the Renesis engine is erring towards flawed.

So now that the honeymoon period with press and public has morphed into something closer to a sexless marriage, Mazda is trying to rekindle the fire. And it's Prodrive the company has turned to for counselling.

That, in itself, sounds very promising - a bit more like attempting to spice up your love life with a trip to the back room in Ann Summers than attending marriage guidance on the NHS.

In practice, this joint venture will offer a limited run of 800 of these £25,995 RX-8 PZs, which command a £3,650 premium over the standard 228bhp model. Power remains the same but the bods at Prodrive have gone to town underneath.

Ride height is down by 15mm all round, while bespoke springs and dampers keep the car flatter in the corners. Spring rates have been increased by 60 per cent and the dampers tuned to tighten body control. Suspension geometry has also been tinkered to improve steering and handling.

Of far greater consequence to the sort of person who's going to fall in love with the RX-8 all over again, are the unique dark-silver 18-inch alloys with carbon-fibre centre caps. There's also a bigger boot spoiler - wind tunnel tested apparently - and black mesh grilles over the air intakes.

Only available in flat black or metallic grey, there's a carefully constructed theme of menace to the PZ that's further enhanced by a more punchy exhaust note.

What's important, though, is that you need to love the RX-8 for what it is, not just dress it up in the car equivalent of bondage gear and convince yourself that things are going to last.

If you're not convinced by the RX-8 proper, then spending a load more cash on an RX-8 with tarty boots that rides like a dominatrix with a plane to catch, will only end in divorce.