skillmaker

I know I am a misguided, obsessed, and confused individual. Please feel free to flame as desired.

I decided to write MNAO a quick e-mail asking for them to updgrade the RX8 with a three-rotor. Anyone else want to join me in making this suggestion, or suggesting a turbo or supercharger??? I am pretty sure it will be treated with all the value of the paper it is written on (which happens to be NONE). I am not even certain that the e-mail will be read by anyone.

Remember, if you don't ask, the answer is already 'no'.

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/emailMazda.action


Anyway, here is the response and e-mail:


Hello <My name here>,

Thank you for contacting Mazda.

I am pleased you took the time to bring your suggestion regarding RX-8 to our
attention. Consumer feedback is always very important to Mazda. Certainly, we
want to offer exciting vehicles, and comments such as yours help us to achieve
that goal.

Rest assured I have documented your suggestion for our corporate record. These
records are continuously being reviewed by our Product Planning Department in an
effort to provide only the highest quality products to our customers.

Regards,

Jeff D.
Specialist, Customer Assistance E- Business



> ---- Original Message ----
> From : <My Email>@hotmail.com
> To : MazdaCustomerAssistance@mazdausa.com
> Subject : Product Information - Suggestions &
Opinions
> Date : Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:51:12 GMT
>
>
> After watching and hearing the SpeedSource RX8 cars run in the GT races in
Daytona (and handily beating the Porsches in Mexico), I would like to make a
suggestion, the one that I have made on various RX8 enthusiast and club sites:
> Please Mazda, Give us a three-rotor RX8????
> The horsepower and torque available with a three rotor would once again place
the RX on even footing with its nearest rival, the 350Z. The sound alone would
be enough to turn heads and checkbooks to the Mazda camp.
> I am confident that with the knowledge pool available to Mazda, that creation
and insertion of a three-rotor Renesis can be done, and should be done! Adding
another rotor has always been the most efficient means to add horsepower and
torque since the time of the 12A/13B/20B. What is true for a V8 is true for a
rotary: There is no replacement for displacement!
> Put another 'Zoom' on the RX8 'Zoom-Zoom'! Please don't let the Mazdaspeed3
and Mazdaspeed6 displace the flagship RX8!

BlueRenesis82

it would have to be a brand new engine, and i don't know if it would pass emissions here at all. Plus it would be a step backwards, as you can't have side ports on a 3 rotor, only on a 2

skillmaker

BlueRenesis -

Okay, now you've stated why YOU believe it won't work. With that kind of attitude, the Wright brothers would have stuck to building bicycles.

So, what you are saying is that YOU believe the RX8 is dead-ended, and headed nowhere? That we should just tuck our tails and hide, knowing that our cars will never evolve beyond the current generation, while the competition continues to grow and change?

Okay. Have it your way. We'll just stop hoping for more. Thanks for snapping us back to YOUR version of reality. What a sad, sad place to be.

NoTears316

... are you even serious?

"His" reality? Emissions are very real, my friend.

reaper1

If you don't cry you won't be heard. Go ahead my friend.

AdRoCK3217

I don't honestly believe that side ports are necessary to pass emissions. They are fairly efficient in NA platforms, but peripheral exhaust ports always trounce them in boosted applications..

I could see side ports working on a 3 rotor just fine..perhaps with a simple process of lengthening the e-shaft, and adding the proper counterweighting to adjust for this. There is no rule that states the current 20B e-shaft is > all..it can be changed, improved on, etc.

If a 13B can pass emissions, certainly a 20B won't have any problem doing so. Just because you have more displacement doesn't mean you have worse emissions, especially if Mazda sticks with the 10:1 compression, hell, they could even step it up a notch to 10.5:1 if they so wished.

saturn

And I'm assuming you want this fancy new upgrade for the low, low price of $0? If Mazda gets the 8 up to 300+ hp it's going to cost a lot more.

VarneyMazda

Im sad to say i think the days of seeing a rotary stateside in the next model may be short lived. With the gas prices, and emission ****'s roaming around its going to be harder and harder to squeeze power out of a rotary and still make it an efficent car people will by.

I personally dont want to see it happen, but if you guys look into the lack of focus towards the rx models. youll see what im telling you is already unfolding.

im trying to be nice about this and not offend people.
just my .02

snizzle

Totally agree with you. There is certainly an apparent lack of focus on the RX series. They did a fantastic job of squeezing all the power they could out of the renesis hence FI being the only significant option for us. EPA estimates will drop by about 2 MPG in 2008 which is close to a gas guzzler tax for the 8 I believe (correct me if i'm wrong). We've seen nothing on the development of the next iteration and it's due for a least a facelift if nothing more.

I hate to be a pessimist about it because I love the RX8 but it just doesn't look good for the future of the car in the states.

jmerc

They could go Direct Injection which would increase power and give better emissions.

RedSheDevil

wow, wake up on the wrong side of the bed?

sheesh

New Yorker

I don't know how many times I have to say it, but the fastest car isn't necessarily the best. I don't think you "get" that. I really don't. I could give a rat's *** that the MazdaSpeed 6 and MazdaSpeed 3 have more power than an 8—you're comparing apples and oranges. "There's no replacement for displacement"?!? If you really believe that, why did you buy an 8? It would be like me buying a Viper and then writing Chrysler asking them to make the engine smaller and lighter so that the car could handle like a real sports car.

Personally I can see a three-rotor or FI as a performance option, but no way would I want a three-rotor as standard equipment if it was significantly larger, heavier, less reliable or more expensive than the Renesis we have. The last RX-7 was a great car—except for the fact that it was unreliable and cost WAY too much.

Sharing your idea with Mazda is a great idea—just realize you're speaking for some 8 owners—not all.

Red Devil

If you're looking to write MNAO in an effective way, why not ask for something that's more plausible, like direct injection? There's already been hints they are working on it, and this will:
increase hp
decrease emmissions
increase fuel economy
allow more boost to be run safely on existing 10:1 compression rotors

All around, this is a win-win scenario for everyone.

saturn

I think this writing campaign is misguided at best, but you have to realize that you most certainly speak for the minority of Americans. I also tend to believe you speak for the minority of 8 owners as well. You act like a 3-rotor would make the 8 so unbalanced and wobbly that it would cause you to get vertigo everytime you backed out of your driveway.

I think most people agree that if they could add anything to the 8 it would be more power. Everything else (looks, handling, etc) are already above most people's expectations. I really don't understand why these threads seems to always come as a shock to you. I really don't.

skillmaker

Time for another reply, I guess.

Yes, I ALWAYS wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Especially after working a 20 hr day, getting 3.5 hrs of sleep, and then going back to work again.

I really like my RX, and don't want to see Mazda neglect or ignore it.

What do I believe that a write in campaign would accomplish? Seriously? Not much, EXCEPT that a loyal group of owners, making some POSITIVE noise, may get the attention of decision maker. Somebody somewhere may notice that the RX8 folks out here would love to see the next evolution of the RX and Rotary happen.

I do apologize if I get kind of grumpy whenever a suggestion is made, and the only things some folks ever offer is a negative 'That can't be done'. Again, if we listened closely to the naysayers many years ago, we'd all still be riding in horse and buggys, and RX8s, space shuttles, and air travel would be the things of imagination only.

You GOTTA keep looking for positives. I am positive about the RX, I am positive about the rotary, and I am hopeful that Mazda will take note and do something positive with the car that many of us love so well.

New Yorker

I don't support your idea, but at least you've given some thought to what you perceive as a problem, thought about possible solutions—and then you sat down and wrote a thoughtful letter to Mazda. It's easy to just complain—you did something about it. So… good for you. (Though I still disagree.)

BlueRenesis82

why don't you

BlueRenesis82

me too. now I'm positive that you are a retard

BlueRenesis82

maybe you should consider posting only after you get the sand out of "down there"

Dinhx8

i think I disagree with you. I think the rotary is really important to Mazda. Sure we seem to be getting ignored, but I think the right rotary engine will always be a thought within Mazda. When you think of rotary engines, you think of Mazdas. they've worked hard for that, and I dont think they'll give up just cause of gas prices and cause the Renesis is a few HP short.

I'm not saying the 8 doesn't have its fair share of challenges, and I'd love more power, I'm just saying it doesn't mean bye bye rotary engine stateside.

If anything, mabye I could see a hiatus of the Rotary for a few years (like what happend post FD, pre rx8), but i feel it'll still come back sooner or later once they come up with something new.


Just my opinion, and I respect yours of course...

Design1stCode2nd

Keep in mind the RX8 might go away at some point perhaps even in the next 5 years but it doesn't mean that the rotary engine will.

The Kabura or something similar based on the MX5 platform with a DI Renesis and a weight of 2,500lbs (increased use of aluminium and possible a CF hood and roof)would be quite the sports car. Remember it can be more expensive than the MX5.

The RX8 could have a new body and be transfomed int the MX8 with a 300hp turbo 4.

Then you could have your purpose built, finely tuned performance machine in the Kabura (RX7) and the versatile sports coupe/sedan in the MX8. They would expand the market while preserving the rotary and Mazda's Zoom-Zoom mentality.

SmokeyTheBalrog

First I love my 8.

With 8 sales being so low, you are not going to see Mazda pumping a fortune(and I do mean a fortune) to develop an option that would easily bump the 8 into the upper $30,000 and mid $40,000 while getting fewer MPG.

I put my hopes a Direct Injection and FI. It's a LOT less work, less expensive to design and build, and will come to market MUCH faster.

I believe that all good 3 rotor conversions have required cutting into the chassis and then re-enforcing the chassis. This is not only VERY expensive it is NOT an option for a production car, thus a 3 rotor would require a major chassis redesign.

Also, people are breaking their transmission with current power levels. With a 3 rotor (or even FI) almost everything between the engine and the pavement would have to be redesigned.

A 3 rotor would require at least a 30% more power full cooling system then currently. Probably significantly more. (The center rotor will run hotter than the outer rotors)

In the end it would basically be a new car.

Mazda cannot afford do poor so much money into a niche product.

In my honest opinion hoping for a 3 rotor 8 is equivalent to hoping for a new Rx-7 (2 door/2 seat).

snizzle

And even then, they've been working on FI for a LONG time with no foreseeable production results from it. What happened to the SC 4port they were developing? We don't even have a 4 port in the lineup anymore.

How much can we realistically expect from DI?

Detrich

mnao no longer gives a rats *** about rotary car owners, as we no longer are part of their cust service eval points.

snizzle

That's a serious muligan!