SkyActiv-X In-line 6 anyone?
 

In an FR layout :)

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...19bf965ec1.jpg

use your favorite translator

https://carview.yahoo.co.jp/news/new...627-carview/2/

I have driven an old BMW 325 with an I6 before. It's quite nice and smooth.

Mazda actually claimed that the I6 has about the same amount of torque fluctuation as a 2-rotor rotary engine.

And the concept car that's on the same page... Damn!

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...80d2bba2fb.jpg

I wonder which car will have this engine, though. Maybe an RWD mid-size car(like the Kia Stinger)? Looks a bit too big for the Miata.

Damn, got excited for nought.

The patent was filed last year. It has to do with electric supercharging and the engine mentioned in it is a 4 cylinder diesel.

Road & Track article about it

I would have totally gone for an I6.

There is another patent showing a inline 6 in front wheel drive configuration Was last year sometime.

that would be awesome

c'mon Mazda!
these 4 cylinders are cool and all but to really gain traction in the US market you're going to need something bigger to put in these upmarket cars you're starting to produce.

I6 FWD sounds like a stretch. It's simply way too wide to fit in the engine bay.

Most of the mid-size sedan is already really wide nowadays with I4(T) or V6. Imagine having to make them wider just so you can fit a transverse I6 in there. Not feasible.

An I6 also can't just be dumped in an FWD car designed with an I4. A V6 is better in this regard.

I do like I6 a lot. Drove an old 325 before with an I6 in it and it's silky smooth.

I have a feeling this was little more than an engineering study, but it could make sense for them depending upon their product planning in the future. MB and Jaguar are going back to inline 6's, from the V6 design as they are RWD-heavy (with FWD vehicles as well) and it is easier for them to develop an I4/I6 architecture with commonality than to maintain a V engine alongside the I4's. There are rumors that Mazda may mix in more RWD in their effort to go up-market, which would open up a justification for a more-refined engine (more cylinders) and an I6 would be easy to develop off of the existing Sky-G engine. I6's are also inherently balanced on the first two orders of harmonics, making them smoother without a massive crankshaft.

Until we see some actual product or confirmation from Mazda, I still consider this an unlikely, but possible future.

My opinion is this:

IF Mazda wants a bigger/more powerful version of 2.0 Skyactiv-X (assumed that final numbers of 2.0 will be around 190-195 Hp) an inline 6 ciylinder 3.0 liter makes sense.

this leads to a RWD car and the overall styling of the latest concept.

it's not for a transverse layout. it's for longitudinal.

If only.

Someone said I6 FWD before, so I just pointed out.

There were FWD cars with longitudinal layout, but they were not very common.