Mazda Facebook Next RX
01-20-2011, 01:28 PM
#76
Power!!
You do know that variable cylinder technology doesn't actually stop certain pistons/rotors from moving? It just stops the fuel injectors from injecting fuel so there's no burn.
01-20-2011, 06:46 PM
#78
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A few random thoughts and dreams:
The new car has to make money so why not focus the design on something the Chinese youth (under 35 crowd) would pin up on their bedroom walls? Mazda would be selling to a rapidly expanding market and, if done right, planting a seed of sports car lust in the youth of that market. The right "look" at the right price could blossom into a cultural "classic" and lead to exponential future sales as more of this demographic achieves disposable income.
Most of US (Rotary Freaks) are already "hooked" and will probably buy just about any rotary engined, sporty car that Mazda throws our way, but it seems we are not numerous enough to make it work long-term. Mazda keeps trying to appeal to the "majority" of US, but we are such a fickle group there is no happy medium. So no matter what Mazda makes for us it doesn't satisfy enough of US to make it econmically sustainable.
The MPG issue is real, but why not approach it from both sides at once? Make the new RE as fuel efficient as possible through mechanical design AND offer it at a few "trim" levels with more or less horsepower achieved by restricting the intake like they did in the late 70s and 80s. You could buy a "RX-9" that has 220hp and gets 28mpg or one that has 280hp and gets 24mpg. Obviously the span between horsepower numbers would not be that wide, but I exagerate for affect.
Also lighten the car considerably (compared to RX-8) to help improve performance AND fuel economy. Mazda should bring this car in under 2600lb.
The more affluent among us would go for the more powerful car as we can afford the extra gas money and gas guzzler taxes that go along with it; while the more thrifty could get a car that LOOKS 99% the same (Mazda would have to distinguish the more powerful car with higher performance mechanical design, but the styling could be very similar) and save $ on the purchase price of the car and on cost of operation.
The other, less likely in my mind, more interesting way to go is to design the new RE to be easily built in either 2, 3, or even 4 rotor trims. If Mazda can make it relatively easy to build them (read - incremental, not exponential costs) then you have 3 trim levels at 3 price points without any turbos (read - reliability issues and bad press because people can't help but play with the turbo system for just a bit more power... until it pops). Of course you need to leave space in all the engine bays to easily add aftermarket (Mazdaspeed or aftermarket) turbo systems once the warranty period is up.
Again, the folks that can afford the 3 and/or 4 rotor cars aren't worried about gas prices. I realize the volume of 3 and 4 rotor cars would be relatively small, but those lines could come out a few years after the 2 rotor's inital introduction IF the market is there.
Last thing: I believe market timing is absolutely KEY with a mass market sports car. Mazda has a bad habit of hitting the sports car market a year AFTER all the other manufacturers. They miss all the pent up sports car lust frenzy that the market builds between cycles, and they inevitably end up playing second (or third) fiddle to Nissan or Toyota or Subaru or Honda or even Mitsubishi. Strike first for once and find a bunch of new customers before they are satisfied by the other car makers' new products.
I did say thoughts and DREAMS!! Okay, tell me I'm nuts.
The new car has to make money so why not focus the design on something the Chinese youth (under 35 crowd) would pin up on their bedroom walls? Mazda would be selling to a rapidly expanding market and, if done right, planting a seed of sports car lust in the youth of that market. The right "look" at the right price could blossom into a cultural "classic" and lead to exponential future sales as more of this demographic achieves disposable income.
Most of US (Rotary Freaks) are already "hooked" and will probably buy just about any rotary engined, sporty car that Mazda throws our way, but it seems we are not numerous enough to make it work long-term. Mazda keeps trying to appeal to the "majority" of US, but we are such a fickle group there is no happy medium. So no matter what Mazda makes for us it doesn't satisfy enough of US to make it econmically sustainable.
The MPG issue is real, but why not approach it from both sides at once? Make the new RE as fuel efficient as possible through mechanical design AND offer it at a few "trim" levels with more or less horsepower achieved by restricting the intake like they did in the late 70s and 80s. You could buy a "RX-9" that has 220hp and gets 28mpg or one that has 280hp and gets 24mpg. Obviously the span between horsepower numbers would not be that wide, but I exagerate for affect.
Also lighten the car considerably (compared to RX-8) to help improve performance AND fuel economy. Mazda should bring this car in under 2600lb.
The more affluent among us would go for the more powerful car as we can afford the extra gas money and gas guzzler taxes that go along with it; while the more thrifty could get a car that LOOKS 99% the same (Mazda would have to distinguish the more powerful car with higher performance mechanical design, but the styling could be very similar) and save $ on the purchase price of the car and on cost of operation.
The other, less likely in my mind, more interesting way to go is to design the new RE to be easily built in either 2, 3, or even 4 rotor trims. If Mazda can make it relatively easy to build them (read - incremental, not exponential costs) then you have 3 trim levels at 3 price points without any turbos (read - reliability issues and bad press because people can't help but play with the turbo system for just a bit more power... until it pops). Of course you need to leave space in all the engine bays to easily add aftermarket (Mazdaspeed or aftermarket) turbo systems once the warranty period is up.
Again, the folks that can afford the 3 and/or 4 rotor cars aren't worried about gas prices. I realize the volume of 3 and 4 rotor cars would be relatively small, but those lines could come out a few years after the 2 rotor's inital introduction IF the market is there.
Last thing: I believe market timing is absolutely KEY with a mass market sports car. Mazda has a bad habit of hitting the sports car market a year AFTER all the other manufacturers. They miss all the pent up sports car lust frenzy that the market builds between cycles, and they inevitably end up playing second (or third) fiddle to Nissan or Toyota or Subaru or Honda or even Mitsubishi. Strike first for once and find a bunch of new customers before they are satisfied by the other car makers' new products.
I did say thoughts and DREAMS!! Okay, tell me I'm nuts.
01-21-2011, 08:35 AM
#80
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if that is so... there shouldnt be any new rx coming out in 2012 or 2013??
Hmmmz... If i look at it positively... that should make make my rx-8 seem worthwhile abit longer since no new models is coming to replace it
01-21-2011, 09:05 AM
#81
Also... "no one has invested any time into the possibility that I know of". So who knows... maybe they have, but they haven't talked about it.
01-21-2011, 09:20 AM
#85
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But Mazda has evaluated several cylinder deactivation schemes and idle stop schemes.
01-21-2011, 10:32 AM
#86
.The RE-MX5 will be ready for this years autocross season God willing. The production 2012 version, that's still in the works, maybe
.Paul.
01-21-2011, 06:56 PM
#88
Huge hole is huge
I honestly figured it would stop it, due to friction loss and blah blah blah.
I feel stupid.
01-22-2011, 11:54 AM
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02-04-2011, 08:58 AM
#90
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02-23-2011, 05:50 PM
#92
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Road & Track managed to grab a cleaner picture than the one previously posted in this thread.
They also claim to have some "inside information," although from this discussion, it doesn't seem so inside (check it out here: http://www.roadandtrack.com/future-cars/2014-mazda-rx-8). I'm interested to see how a mild hybrid would be received in a sports car. Enthusiasts who aren't journalists don't seem enthralled with the CR-Z... I don't know anyone rich enough to own a Tesla, so I can't ask them.
They also claim to have some "inside information," although from this discussion, it doesn't seem so inside (check it out here: http://www.roadandtrack.com/future-cars/2014-mazda-rx-8). I'm interested to see how a mild hybrid would be received in a sports car. Enthusiasts who aren't journalists don't seem enthralled with the CR-Z... I don't know anyone rich enough to own a Tesla, so I can't ask them.
02-23-2011, 06:13 PM
#94
Administrator
oh and that CD bit was written by Sam Mitani. He's as inside as inside gets for Journos and Mazda. They let him drive the renegade white SC'd 8. He was the first journo to drive both the Concept 8 and the Pre-Production 8
.
02-24-2011, 11:46 AM
#100
nice car...just give it 4 door and call it rx-9.
and build a shorter/lighter version 2 seater and call it rx-7.
the rx-7 could be not hybrid and with a full spec engine.....
i would trade my speed6 for that sedan
dreams?
and build a shorter/lighter version 2 seater and call it rx-7.
the rx-7 could be not hybrid and with a full spec engine.....
i would trade my speed6 for that sedan
dreams?