ohhno15

Ok,

Totally screwed that last post up. Anyway, I went to the St. Louis auto show today and talked to the Mazda guys. I asked them about the future of the RX-8 platform and they told me they are using it for 4 cars! 1. The RX8 2. Future Miata 3. A New RX7 4. RX8 Convertible.

I don't know if these guys knew what they were talking about for sure, but I talked to them seperately and they said that the Renesis is capable of putting out more horsepower than it will be tuned at. One guy said N/A it could produce 310HP, the other said 315. They said it was "detuned" to 250HP. Everything I have read however on this forum says they are trying to squeeze every bit of HP out of it just to get the 250 NA though. What's going on??? I talked to them on seperate occasions about an hour apart, so unless they both heard the same misinformation...

They also said they heard rumors of the Mazdaspeed version getting a supercharger that was run differently off the water pump or alternator?? I don't know much about superchargers except they are belt driven as opposed to exhaust driven turbos.

--I have no clue if these guys no what they are talking about but I thought I'd relay it and get some good feedback. The first guy said that a new RX7 is closer than we think, only a year or more out. The other guy said IF it was produced it'd be way down the road.

Someone help me out here, could any of this be true??

jtdwab

As I remember in the rotarynews review 2 they talked about with a design engineer who was quoted as saying "The engine was designed to take boost." So I would imagine they can get that much out of the engine or more perhaps. It would be cool if the tuning was just associated with software in the engine management computer. Maybe we can get an upgrade in performace later on.

I also remember an artitcle in Popular Science about BWMs "Easter Egg". If you have the UK software in the engine management system you can perform a series of steps (i.e. press the gas, turn on the lights,press gas again, etc.), which when finished would give you an all out acceleration through every gear. It was a program to make the automatic transmission accelerate at its peak curves with shifting at the highest points. Perform the steps and hold on because you were going to move faster than the car would normally. Of course their was a counter and after 7 I think the warrenty was voided. The Pop Sci said for US owners to go their dealers and request the UK software.

Long story short this two would be fun.

ohhno15

Ok,

but if Mazda can get 310-315 hp of a NA renesis why do they only have the RX8 rated at 250?

SPDFRK

I'm hoping for insurance purposes. American car builders used to do it a lot back in the muscle car era.

DYT

I have a June 02 issue of a Japanese magazine J'S Tipo. I bought it cause it had a section about the Rx-7 Spirit R. Anyway, there was this one part about the Renesis and I had my friend translated it. It said the Renesis is capable of 330 hp NA!!

My guess is that Mazda is holding back so they can offer more hp couple of years down the road. Besides the long term reliability of the Renesis is still unknown at this point, better to release a waterdown, safer version than a max out version right out the bat. Emission issue can also be a factor.

wakeech

emissions, fuel economy, cost... don't think that there's a magic switch in the engine to give you 70 more horsepower, that in itself probably isn't true. also, driveability is an issue if the engine becomes peakier than the S2000's... when you think about how (potentially) high Mazda could make the engine rev, another 20 or 50 hp or so is forseeable, but at the cost of engine internals, warranties, gas, insurance, emissions, blah blah blah, and so on.

but, realistically, i don't think that it's the 1308cc version that would be seeing 300hp without serious boost... there's all that rumoured, hush hush stuff about a 1.5L version of the RENESIS which might be able to generate that kind of power (maybe not 300, but close) without turbos, which is hopefully the way Mazda goes with it...

honestly gents, this engine isn't the second coming, and can't simply create unlimited power out of thin air... it's a good engine, but those guys at the St.Louis show were talking, at least in part, out of thier bums.

goodnight.

Efini

sounds like bs to me. an RX8 convertable will prolly cut into miata sales.

MattFast

The executives from Mazda told in a interview with Automotive News that there will be a coupé and cabrio of the new RX-7. Not of the RX-8

Sputnik

It has been known for some time now that the RX8 platform might be used as such. We haven't heard an official announcement from Mazda yet that any of those models are confirmed for production.

Quote:

...I talked to them seperately and they said that the Renesis is capable of putting out more horsepower than it will be tuned at...

We aren't sure exactly what is required to get that kind of power out of an N/A Renesis, but the word on the sly from our secret agent Boowana is that it will be at least 300 HP. We expect it in the Mazdaspeed version, but nothing has been announced or confirmed yet. The convertible RX7 in the early 90's did little to hurt Miata sales.

---jps

ohhno15

So 300+ HP in the MazdaSpeed version. But will it be N/A?
What about this supercharger they wre talking about??
Any timetable on the MazdaSpeed version?
--Obviously only certain people know for sure and I'll bet they aren't talking, but what do you guys think?

Sputnik

According to reliable sources, it will still be NA. No timetable yet, but don't expect it until at least 6 months after the first RX8s hit the street, probably more.

I have no clue what those guys at the auto show were talking about, or what they may have confused with an SC (like the air injection system in the intake). Don't take what they said as gospel either. From what you've told us, they were basing alot of their info on "in the works", "possibles" and speculation, instead of official announcements and plans.

---jps

rx8daniel

I helped out with the Miata 'manning' for the Gateway Club a couple years ago at the St Louis show. I found that the 'Mazda reps' at that small show were simply salesmen; they knew nothing of the RX-8 then; the model knew a bit more than the salespeople - she had at least sat in an RX-8 concept car at Detroit (I wish they'd kept those lightweight seats I never got to see) - anyway, from that experience, car show experience and salesmen in general, they don't know the phrase "I don't know" and thus usually make up something for an answer. I'd rely more on what you read here from those 'in the know' than from what someone with a dealer name on their lapel tells you.
From what I've read, the most reliable info to date is a 280HP N/A Renesis may be produced IF, (big IF) the RX-8 is successful, and they'd like that decision to be made by 1/04. And most rotorheads seem to agree 300+HP is possible but you add reliability risks with the extra power. IMHO most owners will never have the guts or skill to take an RX-8 to it's limit, except for short bursts in a straight line, and even more could never take a 3rd gen RX-7 close to it's limit.

ohhno15

I took everything these guys said with a grain of salt, however, it seems like everyone here is "hearing" the same sorts of things these guys said.

-except of course the little bit about a possible supercharger.
-Boowana, Heard anything interesting lately?

DrKillJoY

note to all : the quieter a Mazda rep is at an autoshow.. the more they probably know.

MOST of the "pretty people" at the autoshows are actors or people who work the circuit.... many of them are rather knowledgeable about regular product...as even work with Mazda on a continuing basis....but they don't really have a clue about the next-level stuff that is coming down the pipe.

rx8daniel

well put!

StephenF

I've heard talk about making super chargers that are driven by electric motor as opposed to a belt to reduce parasitic losses on the engine. Sounds like this may be what they were talking about.

-Stephen

babylou

An electrically driven supercharger will not be powerful enough operating at 14.4 volts. Electrically driven driven superchargers may come into play when/if autos adopt the new 42 volt electrics being developed.

ohhno15

-first off, there were Mazda guys I think, not dealers.

-also, seems like maybe these guys did know what they were talking about(at least kind of). There's a new post about a 2007 rx-7, but it was translated and makes no sense.