Rotary Revival Bid With MAZDA'S RX-9
 

This was in my States Weekend Motoring Newspaper Lift-out. ( Carsguide.com.au.)

I have retyped the story out...there were NO Pics...

ROTARY REVIVAL BID WITH MAZDA'S RX-9

By Peter Lyon

The classic Mazda RX-7 sports car is being readied for a comeback. Honda might be cancelling it's
V10-powered NSX supercar and ending production of its S2000 drop-top, as Toyota and Subaru also
end their sports car collaboration, but Mazda has no intention of letting its rotary engine wither or die.

It is working hard on a new home and direction for the rotary, and intends to drop today's four-place
RX-8 and replace it with a harder-edged two-seater.

The newcomer will take its inspiration from the RX-7 but don't expect it to wear the same badge - it
is most likely to be called the RX-9.

Mazda insiders admit the end of the RX-8 and the coming of an RX-9, but are most focused on the
coming update and improvements to the rotary engine.

The new powerplant is called the 16X and will produce close to 200KW (270HP) with a significant
boost in power from the current 13B. But it will not have a turbo-charger. Not at first, anyway.
The new 16X engine will still be a two-chamber rotary, but the normal capacity rises to 1600cc,
up from the current 1308.

Apart from the power boost, Mazda believes it can improve fuel economy - always the weakest
link for the rotary engine - by around 20 per cent. It also intends to end any questions about the
emissions and excessive oil use of earlier rotaries.

The new rotary is still planned for a front-mid installation in the coming RX-9, which means it will
still sit ahead of the cabin but behind the front axle line.

Its transmission will also be completely new, with a twin-clutch six-speed manual.

It will not have a clutch pedal but, in a claimed advance over the twin-clutch gearboxes in Volkswagen
Group products, Mazda engineers are working on a system which will allow the driver to set the revs at
which the clutches engage.

Yes, I know it is not "Real News" but thought you might like to hear of the info again....

Perhaps there is some truth to all this Speculation????

I don't understand why call it "rx-9" and not "rx-7".....when rx-8 came out people from Mazda explained that "8" means a differnent model (and purpose) from "7"...and no doubt that 8 it's different product from FD

....in my opinion we'll see something (a "more close to reality" proto?) in Tokyo Motorshow 2009 (october)

more likely in this news? you get what i mean..

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...mktid=cj260233

omfg. the question is when.

2010? 2011?

i could forgo my turbocharging plans for this.

and i honestly believe this is more than just speculation. i mean, we already know there is no way mazda would let the rotary die. and after getting its butt kicked in sales by all the two seaters, we know thats where mazda would go again. and especially now, with a lot of the other big companies pulling out of the coupe market, is a good time for mazda to do it.

no clutch pedal :(

not for me

If something like this were to come out and not have at least a standard 6-speed manual option, Id be pissed. Id have waited all this time for nothing.

Mazda has never gone backwards and reissued a model number. It will always go forward.

http://www.marcopolodesign.com.au/gr...toinfinity.jpg

Same Author!.....MMMmmm

IMO IF this did come out..IF, Mazda would offer two options for manual/manumatic transmissions.

Mazda needs to step up and get this done ...

[QUOTE=Easy_E1;2927715]Mazda has never gone backwards and reissued a model number. It will always go forward.


:lol::lol::lol:


yes BUT we had 3 gen rx-7 and than rx-8...rx-8 it's a different model (in Mazda's toughts) for:

-performance (not into "low porsche area" like its predecessors)

-door system and space (mazda had advert a lot on "4 adults space", almost here in EU)

still bet on: (but economic condition can change this):

-return of rx-7 model (very explanied into jap magazines and others)

-rx-9 a bigger model SOBSTITUTE of 8 (maybe w/hybrid)...wil mantain freestyle doors

RX-8 has a nice look and ring to it....but IMO RX-9....ummmm....not quite right....thinking "9" is not a good car number for some reason.... hopefully they call it the 16X or R16X :bling:

RX16... I like it

They could advertise it as... twice as good as the RX8. Although that wouldn't mean much to anyone but us. lol

RX-9? hmm.... Here you go :)

https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...5&postcount=12

Look at the new GT-R I don't think that comes in manual. Maybe a good thing? :dunno::dunno:



Why not RX16 taking the rx and 16x

Id forgo supercharging for this!

I would still want a manual transmission. Mazda is all about driving experience and that is all part of it.

As far as the gtr goes, they want lap times, and that's what they have.

agree 100%

My ass, did you see what they did to the poor v6 version of the Mazda 6? They kept it with an automatic and it turned off many people because of that. It's one of those things like you don't care about the option right up until you lose it.

Isn't Nissan having 'alot' of problems with the GTR's transmission? And when it breaks they have to ship the entire tranny back to Japan to even be diagnosed?

*By 'Alot', I use the same inflection of people that say that the rotory has 'alot' of problems. It is probably over exaggerated, but still a known issue.

I agree though. It must keep a pure manual. The manumatic replacing the automatic I am fine with. But I can't see how they could make their new flagship miss an essential driver interaction component, the driver feel and feedback that they bank their sales on. The 6 is a separate issue I think, and that has more to do with it's cross branding over to Ford I think.

good God, 'a lot' is TWO words!

I don't think 2010 is realistic at this point. Likely 2011 or 2012.

wish mazda would keep the rx7 name or at least call it savanna rx-9. every one else keeps their name such as Fairlady, Supra, Skyline etc. oh well, cant wait to see waht happens. hope but no clutch pedal is kinda of making dissapointed. i know the new tech is suppose to help with driving. guess ill just have to wait and see.

i'm just glad that rotaries still have a life in the future

The new GT-R is not called Skyline in Japan or anywhere else.

I don't care much for the RX-7 name on the new rotary, let it go. Anything called RX-7 has an FD3S stigma attached. A lot of the newbs forget/disregard that the RX-7 started as a low power light weight, so every wanker wants a turbo.

[
Its transmission will also be completely new, with a twin-clutch six-speed manual.

It will not have a clutch pedal but, in a claimed advance over the twin-clutch gearboxes in Volkswagen
Group products, Mazda engineers are working on a system which will allow the driver to set the revs at
which the clutches engage.[/QUOTE]

Just seeing this makes me wonder if we would already be starting at 32k or 33k for this car. Not acceptable, IMO.

Yup. And most of these fast and furious kids don't know how troublesome the FD3S' powerplant is. The reliability of this twin-turbo rotary makes the Renesis feels like a typical Honda product.

Anyways what's with only 270hp when a hyundai is pushing 300hp? It better weighs 2800lbs or less!

things into dual clutch transmission market are changing fast.....prices are going down, and there is more offer....

this gearbox would be a option IMHO.


mazda had a strong commitment into the 4 year plan of 2007 into developing this new transmissions.

both for FF and FR cars....

after seeing that the rx9 existed, i think we may have a revival of the rx7 name.

mazda is currently using the MazdaX nomenclature for all its other cars. so this would make sense.

Mazda2
Mazda3
Mazda5
Mazda6
Mazda CX7
Mazda CX9

the numbers specify different vehicles, loosely related to size. Mazda3 and the Mazda5 are about the same size, right? anyway..

in keeping with current thought, they could look back and say, well.. the RX9 badge would be a large premium rotary sedan. The RX8 badge would be a coupe+2 suicide doors. The RX7 badge is a small, pure coupe. The only conflict i see is that they already have one "7" badged vehicle out right now. the CX7. CX7 and RX7 are awfully similar. too similar for a company to put both out at the same time imo.

but honestly, i would love if the rx7 came back.

no---- on the trans--as an option--ok
2011 at the eariest
Dang-- I knew the R3 would be a collector car!!
olddragger

If the 16x has to be replaced 3 times like my current engine they can keep it, lately I've been really disappointed with the renesis. I hope with the 16x comes added reliability, otherwise they can keep it as far as I'm concerned.

I doubt a release for 2010, we prolly wouldve seen something official from Mazda by now. As for the tranny, it will definitely hinter sales of those who only buy manual sports cars. The dual clutch has had problems in the GTR but I think it has to do with how much damn power it has. Mitsu's version in the evo X hasn't had problems, but everyone questions how much power it can hold( claimed no more than 500ish) But this is definitely exciting to see it published in a newspaper and not some fanboy website. Hope they follow through. Can you imagine a rotary with 20mpg city :O

No Clutch pedal ? hmm ..

maybe because they can design a wonderful car but just can't design pedals for shit ?

If no clutch pedal, should I even bother with it? maybe not.

good point: cx-7 & cx-9 are differnent proposal into CUV/SUV segment:

one more sporty, for younger people (7) and one more for "adult" , "older" people (9)...9 it's also more roomy....

the rumored "cx-5" it' for MORE younger people than 7 and for chicks (readed in press release of Hakaze proto).

now you can apply this to sportcars of Mazda:

mx-5: very young people, girls......

rx-7 : die hard sports....young male, (single) ....performance, 2 seats

rx-9 : older male ....eventually w/childrens.......or people less "performance oriented" than 7

They will lose me with a 2 seater or taking until 2011+ for a new model to come out

exactly.....they are losing (have lost) momentum with many current owners, esp. of the early RX model years, and the marketplace as well.

I fear Mazda is "Evolv"ing into another Toyota or Honda...that is..leaving the enthusiast market (for the most part) for the cashcow market of 'sporty but mundane' everyday vehicles. The most they seem willing to invest in is a little caffeine for the FWD crowd, aka the MS3 and maintaining the drop top crowd, although there's not serious performance w/the Miata product either.

You: maybe not

Me: definitely not

There are other companies making cars in this price range that I'd enjoy driving just as much. I'm getting tired of not being allowed to choose how I drive.

before the Evo X came out everybody was freaking out thinking that it wouldn't be available with a regular manual gearbox. and guess what: it still did.

^ Same with the M5 and M3.

I hope so, and I'm confident that Mazda will deliver, but the press announcements haven't made it sound that way. That's a make-or-break with me, right up there with air conditioning. :)

meh my left will like the break and ill sell you guys a pedal to put there

TBH, no clutch isn't a deal breaker for me. Sure, I'd love to have the clutch there, but....hell, the 16x is lucrative enough!

if you can fake the gear shifter too, we might be in business. :lol:

there will be a shifter- its a no clutch pedal manual. still has a stick.

+1

im all in favor of a sequential. it has no downsides performance wise.

it shifts as fast and consistently as an automatic and has none of the power loss.

I've only owned MT cars for over 35 years, but some of these fancy trannies have better performance than a manual. Hard to argue with that.

I am with you Rob...

I would perhaps like to try this new tranny...pushing a clutch can get tiresome for the old blokes!

It does concern me what the "cost" outcome would be for a new Rotary with this feature, as an option fine.

We don't want to see the FD price saga again.

I think this option would perhaps equate to only 10-15% of sales?.

still think that is too under powered for todays market

i think you are underpowered for todays market.

If they can get the power and the fuel economy they are after, they should be putting the rotary in more then 1 model.

I think there are a lot of RX8 owners that purchased this car because of the practicality it offers (4 seats), it wont happen but it would be nice to see them keep the RX8 (with a 16X) and add the RX9 to the line up.