So it's ugly, it doesn't make any more power, it weighs just as much as the RX8, and it only has two seats? Fantastic. Where do I sign up?

I have to call giant B.S. on that article

 

The specs are all Consumer Guide estimates. The exterior dimensions are taken directly from the '09 RX-8 specs.

 

The first tip to that article being bogus is that they are showing a picture of the Miata powered Kabura concept car. Next should be that they expect to see it this fall at shows yet they are only just starting development. What kind of development timeframe is that? Most cars are worked on for years. Typically a new model will be rolled out at around the same time the next generation is started in the R&D department. It takes more than a few months. Next, there's no way the car would weigh in at 3100 lbs. Since Mazda has a goal of removing weight from each new generation, that would put a smaller car at somehow a higher weight than the RX-8. Not happening. The last RX-7 weighed 2600 lbs or so. Granted we have more safety provisions now which add weight but I'd still expect it to fall in the 2600-2700 lb area somewhere.

A 1.3 isn't going to come with 260 hp and 200 ft lbs of torque. Only a 1.3 peripheral port can hit that for torque. The 16X should be capable of that though but then we are talking about a 1.6 and not a 1.3

I can't really find anything realistic in that little tidbit. It sounds like some car fanatic at the magazine could invent reality in his own little world by writing an article about a rotary enthusiasts wet dream. Too bad he got too many details wrong.

 

I couldn't agree more

When I started reading that article, the Kabura was just like "I'm in the wrong spot guys!!!"

 

they originally posted this in late 2007 . It was before the we heard of of the 16x at sevenstock that year. so yeah its old but there were hints of truth to it- mainly that everyone at the time had heard that Mazda was greenlighting a new rotary vehicle for 2011ish

look back at that time and you will see other talk about it.

 

in person the Kabura is quite nice looking. They really should build it. [sigh]

 

^+1

Word

 

Any one of you guys considered swapping to the 16x once the new car comes out? I just put on new coilovers on my rx8 recently, and it was behaving so wonderfully I used a quarter tank of gas just gunning her through the twisties last night. To me, there's really only 2 problems: power, and fuel efficiency. so if the new engine comes out, i'd really want to try an engine swap... any of you thinking about the same?


but in the end i'm pretty sure the new rex will be just too sexy to resist.

 

(((To me, there's really only 2 problems: power, and fuel efficiency))

Boy you got that right. Everything else is absolute nirvana...

I haven't considered swapping to the 16x; we'll have to wait and see what the engine can do. I'd like to think that there could be a brand new RX car coming out in the neat future.

 

Didn't the last one weigh 2825 lbs? That was with TT (and the 1995 RX-01 concept was a full 400 pounds less), so I agree that the next RX7 should have no problem hitting 2700 pounds.

Hopefully we'll see it by 2012.