Symbioticgenius

Keep playing that game exactly as you have. Thanks for the info that you bless us with.

ASH8

Hi Paul...( Are you ignoring me??)

Look when it all boils down to it Mazda could be just doing their USUAL Denial or Throw OFF to the media, so everyone is TOTALLY SURPRISED when the new RX- arrives,,,they have done this before...

After all they still have an RX-8 to sell and they don't want "new" owners to 'sit on the fence' and wait..now do they??

In the end WHO CARES what the new Rotary is Called..really do we actually care...
It will be an RX- something

What about an RX-Z!!!!...
http://www.automotto.org/entry/mazda...ological-cars/

humanwire

I would love to see a Rotary engine with an electric supercharger on it. Even a standard 13b with one of these on it would be a blast!

http://jalopnik.com/5365041/electric...ve-other-ideas

Basically it runs independent of engine RPM. So you could get full boost nearly instantly without taking power from the crank, giving more torque throughout the powerband.

77mjd

I would completely agree with this. Facelift or not in 2011-2012, if they are still planning on using the same 232hp renny, why even bother? Nobody will buy it. It almost seems like they will have a rotary in the lineup just for the sake of saying they still sell a rotary powered car.

Krazed_Rx8

iTrader: (5)

No surprise here..

Spin9k

...never fear... there will always be the odd wingnut or two that will buy it for stupid reasons like razor sharp handling, smooth linear power band, great supple sports car chassis that doesn't beat you up, uniquely attractive styling, prodigious carrying capacity inspite of it's capabilities, size, and outward appearance, and reasonable price both new and used.

Other than that you're right...nobody will buy it.

pking1122

Nissan developed a '3D Electric Motor' that provides an additional 158hp that was used in the Infiniti Essence Concept. Maybe there is a possibility Mazda could develop something similar, say realistically 70-80hp. It would also help a bunch with gas mileage.

WE all fit the description of the wing nuts you mention, and know the many benefits of the 8, even 7 years after it's release. But there are tons of buyers who never consider those benefits, and those buyers are the difference between a successful car and a cult car. The masses mostly look at styling and power when considering a sports car. That said, if the 8 had 300+hp, with an awd option for ***** and giggles, it would sell more than a 350z, STi, or Evo.

paulmasoner

iTrader: (1)

I don't know... IMO the 8 has left a sour taste in a LOT of peoples mouths... people that didnt even own one. Take for example people I know, narrow that to the people that have a clue what a rotary engine is, narrow that down to non-enthusiasts... the vast majority of these people have a first response to the RX-8 something like this: Didn't those things have a lot of problems? I had the idea that Mazda couldnt get them to stop blowing motors/trannys

I think Mazda's only chance at reviving the rotary powered car in the next many years lies in shocking the market. They need to release something that stands out from the RX-8. It needs to be FAR from underpowered. And it needs to have a good 3-5 introductory years as far as mechanical issues are concerned.

pking1122

So you think uninformed non-enthusiasts will remember the 04 RX-8 woes? I doubt they'd have that much of an attention span when it comes to a car they know little about, and tack on 'The All New...' in front of RX-8, and all would be forgotten.

drifter_d

Man, did PM nail this. I could not have phrased it better or more accurately than he did. He is, unfortunate as it may be, spot on.

Double D

shazy

/\ Sadly many of us already know that
But seriously, what's up with this electric supercharger? Is this **** legit?
I know what it does, but prove it on a rotary engine, then people might like it

Old Rotor

I remember when I bought my third Mazda it was a 74' RX-4 my first 13b. I got a good deal because gas was scarce and the rotary was then known for worse mileage with only half the power we have now. Oh and the torque was much lower and gave up earlier then now too. But I digress in that what I wanted to convey was "I WANTED MY ROTARY" and that was all that mattered. It is the one thing I do for myself ...period. If you know any thing about Mazda you know how they feels the same way as a lot of us do. They will make a Rotary Engine as long as we keep buying them and they're not against the law.

ASH8

OH, the good old 13B RX-4...I remember them well "Old Rotor"..

We had one in the showroom that had a birthday, an RX-4 13B (LA23S) 4 door Auto...Boy did that have POWER...NOT..

I still remember this car, it was that dark bottle green/grey metallic with that god awful Cheap GOLDEN Brown Look Vinyl.

This young guy eventually bought it, it was coming close to it's second birthday, it came back once for it's first free service, then never sighted again.!!

BOY how Mazda's and cars have improved....sorry But as much as I like the "Old School Mazda's...I grew up on them, compared to todays RX-8 they are rubbish.
I would not have one if you gave it to me.
CRAP, Brakes, handling, Ride, Finish, looks...OK for their time.
I don't hold any soft spot for them now..

05rx8mazda

iTrader: (4)

Kind of makes me think of what we will have to say about our rx8's in another 30 years or so....

EdwardsB

The idea is sound, but you have to look and see if its technologically possible at this time, cost effective and pros outweigh the cons.

Mazda actually played around with the idea of an electronically assisted turbocharger for the 8 (or was it the hydrogen 8?), electronic help on low end and then let the turbine wheel take over on the high end.

HiFlite999

iTrader: (2)

My 13b RX-4 may have been crap by today's standards, but for me then it was a great car! I thought of it as a rotary Datsun 510, which itself was a Japanese 'BMW 2002'. Manual steeing, manual wind up windows, no AC, and manual choke, you had to 'man' up to drive this thing. It remains the most reliable car I've ever had, with the only failure occurring when a wasp built a nest in a carb vent. My first ex-wife totalled it while out bar hopping, I bought the remains for $50, towed it to the house, and pulled the front end out with a come-along anchored to a tree. I drove it that way for another couple years until giving it away so I could make room for a Datsun 280Z 2+2. The RX4 ran a few more years, until the gf of the guy I gave it to, got drunk and totalled it agan, this time for good.

Old Rotor

I too loved my RX-4 it was solid and reliable.

YaXMaNGTO

just catching up...
LMAO at you guys!!! Holy... damn funny. How can you NOT dig this forum?

Hey, RG, can I use that in my sig? Couldn't be said better.

ASH8

And Australian's make Good Cars hey matey!!

Not that I would ever own one...

neXib

The general consensus of people may be that the wankel engines are an invitation for problems, but I still see people ignoring it just cause the car looks so damn good. Nobody would buy it if it looked like a 1998 Honda Civic.

california style

A very intersting discussion, but I think too many people are ignoring the seats.

The RX7 and the MX5 are two seaters, a very specific market. The RX8 created a unique proposition of a true sports car with true 4 seats, not a fake 2+2.

Its one main reason why I and many others bought it, and one key differentiation between it and its rivals (EG MX5, 370, Boxster, etc etc)

MattMPS

quote.

Im'dreaming, but IMHO there is space for 2 different rotary model:

a)an hardcore rx-7 100% pure sports 2 seater marginally heavier than a base mx-5

b) a more big rx-8 with bigger freestyle doors...a cross between a sport car/coupè and a sports sedan.slightly bigger than current 8

but, as i 've said....just dreams.......

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

I agree with A, though B is off a bit. They CAN'T (and won't) increase the weight of the 8, which is the result if they make it bigger. They already have made the commitment to reduce weight on every vehicle in their lineup, so I would say that a future RX-8 will remain the same physical size, dropping weight through materials use. More weight will hurt performance numbers that the rest of the world cares about, the handling that we care about, and the mileage for both. I don't see a bigger RX-8 at all.

notorque

must work, a local guy has 3 starter motors hooked up to his vortec supercharger (instead of the belt) to run it....must work cuz its a 9 second mustang. but starter motors can only run a short time without frying.

pking1122

I would agree with this idea, adding about 6-8 inches of leg room, and keeping the current style doors for the 8 (making the main door longer, not the rear). In addition to this, the 8 should be AWD @ <3200lbs (with the 7 <2900lbs). This would give the RX-7 and RX-8 their own unique identities, features and benefits to warrant the 2nd rotary in the lineup because 2 RWD coupes would be redundant.