I'm just irritated that there is nothing to my liking to replace my 8 with. If I want to feel like I'm upgrading (while being affordable) I'm left with the Genesis Coupe and the Z (not into the American muscle). While I'd like to stick with Mazda, there's just nothing in the lineup that appeals to me anymore and a new 6 coupe would probably be the only chance at this point since the rotary seems like it will be dead or at least on a very long hiatus.

 

I don't consider a Genesis Coupe or Z an upgrade. As far as I'm concerned the next step up would be a Porsche Cayman.

As far this thread, I'm on the fence about it. But really, I just want Mazda to win.

 

135i is an affordable upgrade. Other than that it's a lot of money to upgrade.

 

http://www.mazda.com/mazdaspirit/sky...kyactiv-d.html some further info and background

 

That is a good read.

 

I felt the same way when the RX-7 was discontinued. Years later and we still haven't seen another flagship car of it's caliber and beauty that could follow it.

 

Turbo miata?

 

Mazda will be supporting the 8 throughout the country, the Skyactiv D is going to be someting very special. Spoke with Sylvain and they are very excited about this and running in the new GX class in next years 24 Hours of Daytona. Now, what is this motor going in to? My guess is the 2013 Mazda 6 Coupe! We'll see what happens when it is introduced at the L A Auto Show.

 

Yes, as I see it all new Mazda 6.

I just cannot see Mazda (JP) backing all this and throwing the SA Diesel in a car you can not buy.

It could even be a racing CX-5.???
After all it will be the first SA Diesel Mazda in the North America, (well should be) everywhere else has it.

 

So I wonder if Mazda would use this new diesel tech in a "performance" car?...since the rotary seems pretty much dead at this point.

 

Pikes Peak race car?

BC.

 

The rotary isn't dead. It's just not racing or in a production car right now. The project lives on as strongly as any other project in the company.

 

As their problem is part technology and part money, perhaps a bit of crowd funding would help with the money side. Everyone contributing could get a leveraged discount on their next rotary purchase, if and when they ever succeed in getting one to market. Works for others, and what have they got to loose? Might be great marketing as well...

 

^ Fun idea!

 

You can do that today, either by buying one of their current cars, or by buying their stock. Pretty simple.

Somehow, I doubt anyone outside of the company can just call them up, and say "Here's 15 million dollars. Please ear-mark it for your next rotary project, and get it released in the next 36 months".

BC.

 

Ah..It takes 100's of $millions to make any all new car, let alone engine/drive train developments.

And I still say the Rotary is dead as we know it (as main/only power source).

Mazda has to find at least a 40% MPG and 30% Emission improvement over RENESIS to even qualify for production/investment for a 10 year car generation life cycle.

Just remember "how" the RENESIS came to be, the Engine was 'a' part time unfunded research development by Mazda Japan techs at the factory in their spare time.
Without MSP exhaust porting as we know, no rotary.

Yes the FD RX-7 was discontinued, but remained in production for Japan market until the RX-8.

Now (Today) is the first time Mazda has stopped production of a rotary powered car for 43 years.

Yes we can dream....and hope...don't hold your breath.

 

This is the key thing that too many people forget. Both the dreamers and the naysayers. The next rotary can't be anything like "as we know it". After all, a rotary with acceptable mileage, more torque, acceptable emissions.... doesn't sound like any we know does it?

It can be done. I'm not holding my breath, but I truly do believe that it can, and that Mazda will.

 

I smell hybrid or rx version of the new, yet to be released, MX-5 to use that platform to balance the emission standards.

 

You conveniently left off my 'quote' IS what I mean 'as we know it'..

 

Oh I know what you meant, wasn't trying to distort what you were saying. I disagree with that part of it, but for the purposes of my point, the first half still stands by itself

 

Agree..

But I really don't know about the Rotary anymore...I really don't.
IF there is a new one then it would need to be "VERY" Very Special.

As I have said before Mazda burnt another generation of young/new Rotor Heads with the RX-8 and Engine failures...Guys in North America are lucky they got an 8 year engine warranty, the rest of the world did not...so after 3 years you are on your own.

So apart from a few thousand (maybe even 10,000, over 6-8 months of sales) hard core Rotor Heads, who is going to buy a 'new' Rotary again?

Mazda were clever enough to offer the 4 door sports coupe in the RX-8, many could justify buying it (wife), but a 2 door only?, if this was to happen only 2 doors limits the market even more.

Economically the world is stuffed, I cant see there being a solid financial outlook for Mazda to risk it for many more years to come.

I know I have been going on about this back since 2008, and my thought have not changed, actually I am even less confident of it happening.

IMO Skyactiv Diesel is their new baby to push, and push hard.

 

their SkyActiv platform is selling extremelly well, and they're expecting to see "black" once again in 2013.

hopefully the 2013/2014 numbers will not only "see black", hope that it's actually some kinda "sky rocket" thing, u know what I mean ?

then we might have a chance to see Rotary again.

 

In order to make some solid rotary sales, they'll probably need to do what Nissan is doing with the new Z car, smaller and cheaper so as not to scare people off. I think you can get a 370Z up into the 40's with the appropriate options. They should probably aim more at the FR-S/BRZ point.

 

The next rotary could easily be down in price vs the 8. "Could" being the key word.

This would run on a few assumptions, including that Mazda has enough manufacturing in place in other countries to offset the strong yen and that the next rotary borrows heavily from the ND Miata chassis to save on development cost (up to and including making a rotary engine option for the ND Miata). This would also reduce overall cost, as smaller = cheaper and lighter (all else equal) and cheaper is what people want, lighter is what Mazda wants.

Again, 'could'.

 

The existing NC is from the SE/FE platform, so costs were already shared.

How 'cheap' do you want it...the RX-8 was already 'cheap' in US.

The Toybaru is REALLY cheap price and when you get up close.

There was one in my local shopping centre, that light copper colour.(nice)

As I was looking over the owner came to car and we talked, he is really disappointed with the
finish and cheapness of the car, he said things rattle, engine is noisy and tickie, gearbox has weird noises....his words "not what I expected from Toyota".

He showed me where the plastic fender liners just rattles and is floppy thin, (not fixed tight enough with clips).

I said to him, these will get sorted, never buy a first run new model (he agreed)...but is extremely disappointed.

When he asked what I drove I told him and his face lit up, 'I would have gone RX-8 if it was still available'...A lot more $$'s than what he has here though.