Mazda surprisingly and quietly releases news on SkyActiv-D/G Straight-6 Cylinder
 

Wishes granted. Mazda is re-entering the 6 cylinder realm and "longitudinal engine lay-out". Now let's hope they push the R&D and further expedite their path towards the premium market.

Also, equally important news which most of you cry-babies don't care about - their development of a mild/plug-in hybrid system.

https://jalopnik.com/mazda-challenge...h-d-1834636620


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https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...7e144dd4e2.jpg

Straight six, eh? Can I get a brown wagon equipped with a manual transmission, AWD, and an I-6 diesel?

No?

Okay, well, how about a sports coupe with an I-6?

That said, odds are both I-6 motors will be primarily designed for the medium and large SUV/CUV segments. They may trickle down to top trim levels in medium and large cars but I doubt we'll see them in anything that RX sports car owners would call "exciting".

Interested in the hybrid, especially if it has the rotary range extender, as the mass application of the RE would make the return of the halo RE sports car more likely.

Not necessarily RX/MX sports car, but I think even a BMW 3 level car could be great for some, with parts lasting longer than 3 years and maybe a lower price tag.

Some people call Mazda "poor man's BMW" or "Japanese BMW." Looks like they are taking it literally now...

excellent news for Mazda.
Their SkyActiv 4 cylinders are great but as they move up market this'll help better position them against competitors. Lets be honest, a turbo 4 is probably more efficient but we're all consumers and we shop by looking at specs.
In most (dumb) American's minds: 6 cylinders > 4 cylinders + turbo
so, good for them.

The hybrid is a good move even if Federal Regs are pushing their hands because again it gives them more options and could sway more consumers to them.

Would love to see that straight six in a larger sports car similar to the vision. C'mon Mazda, build it!

needs more doritos

Give them a billion dollars for the R&D and they will do it.

You could also give the same amount to McLaren. Supposedly they can develop anything automotive for you if you cover the R&D cost.

Until then, keep dreaming.

As I said back in 2012 Mazda needed a V6, so it is a Straight 6, still a 6 Cylinder and so again I was correct, like I always are.. ;)

Don't you know I Channel Mazda when I'm asleep, plus have a red hotline phone direct to HQ in H.

I remember Charlie I think was he (sorry cant recall who exactly) who discovered / re-posted the MAZDA Inline Skyactiv 6 US PATENT Papers about 2 years ago (memory) which were also posted here.

GREAT news IF it HAPPENS and there is not some 'World Greeny Event' which stops or stymies Mazda's Launch of (always happens with significant M events).

An RX-Vision or VISION (4 door) with the SA-G or SA-D inline 6 cylinder would be fantastic.
They will sell like hotcakes provided Mazda does not change styling too much for Real Road Use.

My god they are the sexiest looking cars to be made ANYWHERE since the 60's E-TYPE Jaguar...

Come on Mazda Please get on with it BEFORE I am dead.

PS: Recall is was MattMPS who mentioned a RWD (AWD) Platform for the straight 6 Vision.

Mazda PDF Below page 26.

i really hope ya dont think if i had a billion dollars i would be on this site or give a shit about mazda. however im not a billionaire but do think mazda and rotary goes hand and hand

Supposedly the older generation thinks the same way(bolded statement), but if it doesn't make a profit, it will stay as vapourware. Just how business works.

Hence the need for the RE range extender: it's not "cool", but it's needed for a chance for the RE sports car to come back. Kinda like how we don't think GM trucks are as cool as a Camaro SS or Corvette, and yet the trucks are needed so GM has a valid source of income to continue the R&D on the LS engine.

I think Mazda should bring out a car that breaks the 'uncool' stereotype of an EV ...............................with a rotary range extender ! I'd buy that !

Mazda are going to drop the i6 into the all new Larger than CX-9, the all new SUV being built at the all new MTM plant in Alabama which opens end of 2020?..
Well I guess the new straight 6 engine?..
And in new Mazda 6 LUX.

And before you say Mazda will use a Toyota Engine then that is also a no, this joint facility apparently will run Two separate lines of production side by side.
One for Mazda the other for the Toys.

BTW: Only reason Mazda is doing this RE range extender BS/crap is to Pass EU Laws which fines car makers for every car which fails
C02 totals of over 100 grams per kilometre...or something like that...Matt will know.
Also a hybrid Mazda3 (new model) is released in EU next month as is the all new Skyactiv X engine in Mazda 3.
Mazda has a fine right now of $70 million for breaking EU C02 combined rules.
Think you will see the RE toy in the next gen Mazda 2 also, due out next year.

Ashley ...DON'T SCARE ME WITH THIS :scared::yelrotflm

yes, the strategy becomed clear with the concept Vision (RWD with working engine) and the industrial plan confirmed last year (with the two architecture strategy)

now remains to guess WHEN, i hope to see definitive car (or cars) in October @ TMS , some japanese media talks about cars by the dealers in autumn 2020

let's see the first tests of Mazda 3 equipped with the new X engine , BUT i suspect that the Skyactiv-X in real world fuel economy would be better than 90% of turbo equipped counterparts downsized engines.

example: SkY -X 2.0 vs average 1.6 turbo DI engine in a compact /small car.

Old Fart Alert:

My '83 DATSUN Maxima RWD straight 6 station wagon was one of my favorites and I kick myself in the butt for not keeping it.

I would seriously consider a nicely powered AWD Mazda Wagon and not a stoopid SUV.

It's an absolute given that the I6 will be shoe-horned into their large crossover. It would be stupid for Mazda not to because sedan sales have plummeted and will CONTINUE to plummet to record lows. Though I wouldn't be surprised if Mazda throws this into a sedan as a "flagship" shopper magnet to dealerships.

I for one don't mind that. Myself, like many others in the same market to cut checks, want a practical daily driver with room to haul the kids around. Sedans don't do it and "Sportback" hatch sedans don't make a significant difference either (speaking from experience). Give me a daily hauler with some balls and luxury. The weekend will be handled by the RX-8 and perhaps a Carrera S in the near future.

Mazda isn't focusing on impractical/inefficient vehicles, because they don't make money and will lose their pants with the new emissions regulations. Mazda is in no position to lose a dime on cars sitting at the lots. Go cry a river and shop at Lotus if you want a manufacturer that does not focus on what the mass market wants.

Another important bit is they highlight longitudinal engine layout with available AWD.

That means RWD, and AWD that is RWD biased, which is leaps and bound better from everything they have today which is FWD, and AWD that is FWD biased.

Granted that seems to imply its for the next mazda 6 and cx-5 and above.

Glad they finally listened and have 6 cylinder coming. Bravo.

One of the reasons, not only. It's like car people are supposed to hate hybrids or something.

Sure, there is the emission stuff, but looking at the history and current status of sports cars, you might notice something: sports cars don't sell, and a technology that only applies to a low-volume sports car is doomed from the beginning.

Looking at Toyota, notice how their sports cars are all joint adventures? It's because H4(86/BRZ) and I6(Supra) are not used in any other Toyota models. It makes no business sense to invest the R&D into low-volume sports cars, especially when someone else already has them readily available.

Another way to look at it: why did the S2k die? Sure, it didn't sell well, but if any other high-volume vehicles(Civic, Accord, etc.) used the F20C and F22, it might have avoided that fate. But the low-torque, high-rev nature of the engine makes it useless outside of its fairly specific application, and thus it disappeared.

Mustang GT can survive because of F150, and Miata can survive because of 3. You need a high-volume vehicle application to back up the low-volume sports car.

Same for this RE range extender. How do you think Mazda can justify the R&D cost to the bean counter? Or do you want minimum amount of resource in it so you can get a M(ade)A(fter)Z(ero)D(esign)A(nalysis) like RX-8?

The approach for RX-7 is already flawed(sports-car-only application), but the bubble economy in Japan was able to support it. Even then, by the time FD rolls around, the bubble has bursted and it sold terribly enough for it to be pulled out of North America in 95.

But SUVs sell, period.

Friendly reminder that Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus exist. Even sports car and supercar companies need to make a living somehow.

And TBH, the fatal flaw for the current sedans is that they are way too damn low to the ground. Yeah, that totally helps in the snow belt. My buddy's 6 can scrape quite easily driving around, and I don't think it won't fair better than my RX-8 in snow.

Make them higher and more practical(which is the whole point of a family sedan), then we can talk.

I do appreciate the RWD platform. My friend's 2.5T 6 can't get any grip when you floor it in lower speeds with the lovely FWD open diff setup.

I have slowly started to despise FWD platform nowadays... Thanks, RX-8.

It was MattMPS and ALSO ME !! It was in that patent! HI Ash!!
Hello EVERYONE!! I can't believe this isnt the first place I came to talk about this but my focus has changed over the last year-ish. Apologies for not being around.

Having said that - HELL YEAH! For two years I have been talking about an Inline 6 Skyactiv-X Engine Mounted in a RWD/AWD set up with design inspired by the RX-Vision and Vision Coupe. I started a hashtag WHICH EVERY ONE OF YOU should be using #JustBuldItMazda . I am absolutely ecstatic that it's finally coming true and they have confirmed it publicly. They are literally building the car I have been asking for. I was even told by a higher up at Mazda when I asked just over a year ago that'd be 2 years before I'd see it and well we haven't seen one yet but we know now it's coming.

Seriously, Mazda reads this and other boards so they are seeing the good reaction to this news in the press and here but use that hashtag, call/email them. tell them they need t #GetOnWithItMazda and #JustBuildItMazda for Ash's sake :)

I might be a little excited by this news :anger::wavey::rofl::rock::ylsuper::hitit:

i can't find Matt's or mine thread about the Original Patent that suggested an inline 6 but maybe it was the dual turbo electric supercharger one. Here are a couple threads where we talked about their longitudinal aspirations
https://www.rx8club.com/general-auto...nt#post4837400
https://www.rx8club.com/general-auto...harger-266092/

Top result from #JustBuildItMazda

Let me start a new hashtag here: #butwewontbuyitlol

Thought this meme is relatable.

https://pics.me.me/ohate-the-new-sup...k-39986588.png

Sorry but unless you have the amount of money to walk in a Chevrolet dealer and walk out with a brand new Corvette under your title, stop with that hashtag.

Yes it was the Electrical Supercharger patent that showed the FR arrangement and then an update or further version of that one that depicted an inline 6 version. original Japanese article https://carview.yahoo.co.jp/news/new...00627-carview/ or post

original rx8club thread https://www.rx8club.com/general-auto...anyone-267549/

Matt was dead on about that weird RX-8 t the Nurburgring

It's pretty cool that it's getting around - Slowly Yes - but it's getting out there :)

Thanks BigCajun :)

Now I feel like a cranky old man LOL.

Okay but really, if there is a market for this thing and it becomes feasible, Mazda will build it even without us telling them.

And yeah I don't like Twitter, and I think something like #ZoomZoom would have done the job just fine.