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Yeah but I think if you drove an M3 or something similar you would feel different. I mean I love the 6MT in the 8, but I just know most of the people who bash autos just have not driven a decent one because I used to think the same way.
Agreed. Even a run-of-the-mill F30 328/330 4.0cyl with the ZF results in super snappy shifts (both up and down), while maintaining seamless comfort between shifts. Hell, the SkyActiv (post 2013 reprogramming) 6 speed auto is nearly as good as a well programmed ZF 8 speed auto minus two gears.
There is no questioning that a well sorted manual transmission car is more visceral to drive, but most consumers and enthusiasts couldn't care less if daily city traffic and lap time is thrown into the equation.
Last edited by SayNoToPistons; 09-08-2017 at 02:56 PM.
Agreed. Even a run-of-the-mill F30 328/330 4.0cyl with the ZF results in super snappy shifts (both up and down), while maintaining seamless comfort between shifts. Hell, the SkyActiv (post 2013 reprogramming) 6 speed auto is nearly as good as a well programmed ZF 8 speed auto minus two gears.
There is no questioning that a well sorted manual transmission car is more visceral to drive, but most consumers and enthusiasts couldn't careless if daily city traffic and lap time is thrown into the equation.
It's one of the things that has improved recently. Interestingly, in this area when marketing ***** talk about "fuel economy" they can also be said to be talking about power. This is because it's about making the most amount of useful power from a given amount of fuel. If you're heating up a torque converter, you're wasting energy. Efficiency means using less fuel for a given amount of power or making more power for a given amount of fuel.
The SkyActiv drivetrain in my 6AT CX-3, while not the peppiest thing in the world, is still fun to drive. Tap the paddle-shifter to downshift and it blips the throttle and shifts easily as fast as I could in my 6MT RX-8. No, it's not as engaging but it's a damn far cry from the shitbox transmissions from 10-15 years ago.
But what if it comes to a high-revving car? Family cars don't typically rev past 7500, which is the redline on the AT RX-8.
I am just curious to see if there is a modern AT that can handle high revs.
Originally Posted by NotAPreppie
I am in that heretical crowd. Mazda have the know-how to make an AMAZING sports car but they're too pig-headed about building the perfect rotary (regardless of transmission choice, these are two different discussions). Sure, they'd lose a few rotary purists but I would bet dollars-to-donuts that they would gain more sales overall.
MX-5 is already doing really well, so I don't see any point for Mazda to come up with another sports car unless it's something really special.
I personally agree with ASH8's article. Yes, we can wait until Mazda gets more money to work on the new rotary, which is completely understandable; let them figure out the Skyactiv-X first. But it would be a very bold move to completely abandon the rotary.
Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8
But not enough to own a sports car with a M/T.
It comes down to personal preference, really.
No one here is arguing the objective superiority of modern AT/DCT, but still, 30+% of Hellcat Challenger buyers opt for the 6MT, which is actually a grand more than the 8AT.
As for good AT, I will give the 2013 BMW X3 some credit for having a decent 8AT. It's just completely ruined by the 2.0 Turdbo. For utility vehicles, I prefer an AT, since it's more just about getting from point A to B rather than driving joy.
Bottom line, no one can say anything about something you enjoy, as long as it's legal and ethical.
In my mind sports car = MT . Mazda need to forget about trying to make a car to pander to the North American market , which is the main reason they put out an AT IMO. Make a good quality performance sports car for a small niche market and use it to promote the brand . That's all they need to do with the rotary . They don't need to make many of them to achieve that . The fewer they make the better in reality .
Yeah but I think if you drove an M3 or something similar you would feel different. I mean I love the 6MT in the 8, but I just know most of the people who bash autos just have not driven a decent one because I used to think the same way.
Can confirm. DCT in the M3 is 100% legit. If you're bashing it, you are just unaware of how good it is. This is not a slushbox in any capacity. The vast majority of the time, it shifts smoother and faster than any human could possibly do. At the same time, the on off throttle and shifts, feel exactly like a manual- because the transmission is a manual... two manuals wedged together.
This coming from a former 6 speed rx-8 owner. All of my cars have been manuals.
If and when this rx comes out, I'd only order it with a manual. DCTs have their place, but in some cars it would be hard to imagine not rowing my own gears.
With the Tokyo Motor Show we will be introducing a new design concept - you can think of it as an evolution of theme of the RX Vision. When we introduce a concept our intention from the engineering and design community is to make it a reality.
Last edited by moldyviolinist; 09-18-2017 at 10:17 AM.
"With the Tokyo Motor Show we will be introducing a new design concept..."
So, it's just a design concept. It's not going to be a production model. They're just playing with styling and shapes.
"What I will say is that we are making the utmost efforts to try and make this a possibility."
So, whatever processes they have for approving a model for production haven't been finished yet. Also, this is phrased like somebody clinging to hope rather than somebody talking about a done deal.
“It is a small group of engineers still working, but they are still working,” Fujiwara told Auto Express, before revealing that there are “more than 10 staff and fewer than one hundred” committed to rotary development. “The things standing in the way are both the business case and the technical challenges - but I am optimistic that a solution for the technical challenges can be found.
So, they are still working on technical challenges. The fact that he gave a number range is interesting as well. I wonder if it's because they are working on it like they worked on the Renesis... during free time on nights and weekends. And we know how well that turned out.
So, it's just a design concept. It's not going to be a production model. They're just playing with styling and shapes.
.
Check the timeline and the concepts before production model of RX-8, they are following the same path of deadlines (three editions of Tokyo Motor Show, 2 different concepts and the definitive model in 4 years).
Probably the car still don't have green light for production, but they are working on it.
Check the timeline and the concepts before production model of RX-8, they are following the same path of deadlines (three editions of Tokyo Motor Show, 2 different concepts and the definitive model in 4 years).
Probably the car still don't have green light for production, but they are working on it.
That's just a rehash of the AutoExpress blog post already linked. Said blog post is a mix of interviews with the VP of Mazda R&D Europe Matsuhiro Tanaka at the 2017 Frankfurt show and head of Mazda R&D (presumably global) Kiyoshi Fujiwara at the 2016 LA show.
So, a little teaser regarding a design concept at the 2017 Tokyo show and then a flashback to a year ago. Dynamite reporting clickbait there.
We can say nothing for certain about the next production RX except that anywhere from 10 to 100 people (out of over 46,000 total employees) are working on it and there are still significant technical issues unresolved.
09-08-2017, 01:29 PM
