Bladecutter

Hmmn...

4 330 cc rotors combined in one engine, or 4 individual 330 cc rotors powering each wheel independently. Which setup would be easier to package into a vehicle, and which one would provide better performance?

I know which one would sound like the Tasmanian devil's 5 year old nephew, so that has an appeal all it's own.

Regardless, as the thread has gone round and round several times:

A new rotary powered Mazda would be great.
A new Mazda Sports car (non-Miata/MX-5) would be great.
Combining the two would be greater than great.

Someone at Mazda should make at least one of those three lines happen.

Someone here, who actually has direct connections with Mazda, should start poking those connections, and get us something to spend our money on.

BC.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

Rumored Mazda Rotary-powered Flagship Coupe Not Likely for 2017 ? News ? Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

+1 on that article.

Net.Metro

I like rotary rumor
Mazda rumored to be working on new rotary engine - Autoweek

wcs

iTrader: (2)

I luv me some RX8 rumour sauce

Always nice to dream a little dream

200.mph

iTrader: (9)

ill believe it when i see it and i hope to see it

Scottobot

Just another article based on the same info.. I too lap up any and all rotary rumours.

2017 Mazda RX-7/RX-8 successor to pack a 455 PS turbocharged rotary engine - report

New Yorker

"Another plan for the new car centered on a new SkyActiv engine, eschewing the rotary because of its oil consumption, low midrange torque and low fuel mileage, but the marketers objected saying that such a car wouldn't excite the marketplace. We have to agree."

I have to, too.

FazdaRX_8

iTrader: (1)

still hoping for Direct injection and laser ignition....

Waylon Chen

wait, so the news from yesterday was fake? Laser ignition? Direct injection? Twin scroll turbo?

Waylon Chen

They say it's close mazda source which isn't mazda source, does this makes them 2 different sauce?

FazdaRX_8

iTrader: (1)

I have been reading about the new range extender that they plan to employ with the EV Mazda 2. There is rumor and speculation that it may come out in Japan for the 2015 Mazda 2 model. The range extender is a single rotor 330cc engine that spins at 4500rpms and 6000rpms depending on demanded output. Notices the compression dish on the little rotor, it seems it may have higher compression then the rx8. As the articles state there seems to be much success with the 30hp generator, they are thinking of making it a portable generator as well. So they are indeed working on a rotary. Just not the kind we think. Its quite, it runs at its efficiency sweet spots, and runs on multiple fuels.

However it got me thinking, would an all electric motor with a rotary generator be a viable solution for the next RX? I mean the electric motor takes car of the torque issue, electric motors rev to 12,000rpms. It seems like a good match. I know the market probably isn’t quit ready for it, but it does seem like a practical solution.

http://www.autonews.com/article/2013...-lease-on-life
http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-revi...range-extender
Rotary Engine in Mazda2 Extended-Range Electric Vehicle - Revolution-Green

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Go look up the Frasier-Nash Namir...
Frazer-Nash Namir by Giugiaro: World's Fastest Hybrid... Concept

It's quite a few years old at this point, but proof-in-concept.

Personally, if they do a hybrid rotary sports car, I seriously hope the hybrid portion is something more like this: Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 First Drive - Autoblog

djgiron

I always thought the old Honda mild hybrid system would have been perfect for the Rx8, the one that just assisted. I would have helped with Torque, improved fuel effeciency, didnt weigh much, would have been a perfect start/stop engine feature without interfering with the fun of the Rotary engine. However if they used a rotary generator on a fast electric car, I would be all for it. I still think a hybrid setup with a rotary would be great, electric torque, rotary top end, weight saving from the rotary would help with the weight of the batteries, etc etc. Also given almost all supercars (or hypercars if you want to go that route) are now pretty much hybrids, it looks like the way of the future. Look the McLaren P1, 3.9L V8 hybrid, what about a 1.6L Rotary hybrid, less engine weight! But we will see, hopefully the work put in on this EV will help in the development costs of the next rotary beast.

FazdaRX_8

iTrader: (1)

[QUOTE=RIWWP;4617303]Go look up the Frasier-Nash Namir...
Frazer-Nash Namir by Giugiaro: World's Fastest Hybrid... Concept

It's quite a few years old at this point, but proof-in-concept.

Thanks so much for sharing, thats it man! install that in an sporty Kodu rx, and it would sell!!!

77mjd

If Mazda is ok with losing all of their RX-8 customers to another brand, they are pretty foolish.

bse50

Mazda doesn't care about their RX8 customers. They're just a liability given how much they spent replacing engines under warranty etc. They're more worried about re-conquering a lot of miata owners who didn't like the underpowered, overweight NC iteration.

SayNoToPistons

iTrader: (8)

Well, wouldn't call the NC "underpowered" or even "overweight". It has more than enough power for what it is, a Miata. Though dimensions and weight did sway further from its basic Miata principles. It was competitive when it came out, and still is considering it is a decade old.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

BSE thinks that the F1 cars are underpowered and overweight, so... take the NC comments with a grain of salt

Bitter people are bitter.

77mjd

Could we be heading towards the day where the american muscle will be the only affordable sports cars available? All the Japanese brands seem to be giving the finger to sports car enthusiasts right now. The Z will probably be the next one to cease production.

SayNoToPistons

iTrader: (8)

FRS/BRZ twins, ND Miata, and potential rebirth of the Nissan Datsun 510. The Japanese still got it.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Well, if all the unicorn-loving rotorheads get what they have been crying for (3 rotors, 400+hp, turboed, whatever), then yeah, probably.

If Mazda does what I expect them to do, the next rotary will be plenty affordable, although probably not the monster many here want.

reddozen

iTrader: (1)

I think you're 100% right. They will promise FI "in the future" like they did with the RX8, and like the engineer said a couple years ago (He hates FI rotaries BTW), and you'll end up with a 300 HP 2600~2800lb 2 seater. Really don't think it will compete with the new Supra or NSX in development like it did in the past. It will go down to competing with a Celica level car like the FRS.

That's what bothers me about it... The FD ceased production 12 years ago, and the new car will probably be only 20 more HP than that car, and maybe 150lbs lighter... what's the point. I'd probably be better off with my FC.

wcs

iTrader: (2)

No wait.
I love Unicorns.
And I have a rainbow shooting from my *** right now!

I'm serious when I ask:
Did I miss Mazda saying FI for the RX8 in the future?

I know I know it's all water under the bridge now but seriously I didn't know Mazda was throwing this around "at the time" for the rx8.
Would have been nice.

a few seconds later ...











Ohhhhhhh puppies and
Look Kenny a rainbow and a pot gold ..ooooohhh lets chase the butterfly

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

A) The next rotary would be 300hp TOPS in my opinion. I think a ~250hp car is far more likely, but faster than the 8 due to much lower weight. Again, my opinion based n what Mazda has actually done and what their company direction is.

B) I wouldn't put the Celica in the same class as the FRS, but the next rotary being faster than the 8 due to weight means that it would be much faster than the FRS, since the 8 is already a bit faster.

From a pure statistics perspective, yes, it will probably end up fairly close to the FD's stats, though a bit lighter. However, under those numbers is all the advantage of 23+ years of suspension, chassis, brakes, drivetrain, aero, and electronics technology advancement. Those points are already the reason why I can't bring myself to buy an FD, despite how much I like them. They are 20 years old, and even one in perfect condition still has 20 year old technology on it.

Who knows what poor decisions Mazda will make for the next rotary, but they are unlikely to be the same poor decision points on either the FD or the 8.

Mazda was "throwing around FI" for the RX-8 the same way that magazines are throwing around that Mazda will produce a twin turbo setup with twin scroll turbos (WTF?) with 450hp. At about the same timeframe too

The closest Mazda ever got was AFTER release, some PR guy mentioned that they MAY explore FI at a later point. The evidence of the accuracy of that statement is fairly obvious at this point.