So how is your new Kia working out for you?

 

Wouldn't know...however my 2010 MS3 has worked out great for more then $8K under the 8's price. And the mileage? Also over 30MPG hwy in my findings. That 280 lb/ft TQ will do I suppose.

If you couldn't tell, the power comparison was simply showing that you'd have more trouble finding cars that have less TQ then those with more. Yeah yeah yeah it's just the nature of the rotary...I know. This all just simply leads into my intial statement that it's long overdue. That's all.

 

/\ The 8 is sold in other countries ...not just the USA.
I am shocked they sell as many as they do, as the 8 is never advertised...because they don't get a return.

There has been development costs with the Series II improvements and as many have said before, Mazda got EVERYTHING they could out of the 13B, it has been around for over 30 years @1308cc.

For them to Produce a "larger" engine like the 16X with no improvement in MPG would be a huge mistake, yes I know that DI and other mods are an option, BUT, the higher the displacement of ANY rotary the more fuel it uses.

And when was "CAFE" first thought of??, years after the 8 was introduced.

Mazda are not the ONLY maker struggling with US and Europe Fuel and Emission regulations made by some "Meat Head" politician or bureaucrat who knows next to Nothing about engineering or motor cars.

Frankly, IF we see any new Rotary IMO it will still be a 13B RENESIS in a lighter body.

BTW, Mazda Banger MZR Engine has been around for Just as long as the RENESIS with little change, the only thing is capacity (cc).

 

touche'. However, the MZR also started out with power levels well above the competition at the time. As a good 5 years have rolled by since it's release (late '05 for the MS6), it is, at worst, starting to middle when compared with the competition out there in terms of power. It's not near as noticable when the power blends in with the competition as opposed to bottoming out. No better example of this then how Ford FINALLY dumped that unbelievably redudant 4.0 block after 40 years.

However, just as you said...the 13B has remained reletively unchanged for over 30 years sans the side ports and some fine tuning. And also, like you said, bigger displacement will create almost more problems then it solves. It would seem that the rotary engine in theory was only a means to an end before it even got started. It's potential was capped early on, and it's options remain very strained.

I get the feeling that people think i'm attacking the car and thinking it is just aweful when it's quite the contrary. It had a good run and it was fun to own for a short while but returning to my original thoughts couldn't be truer...it's just not a surprise and it's still seeming a lil overdue.

Kudos to Mazda for toying around with it, but without some major advacements that no one has aparently stumbled across, its just not forward motion. the 16X must be hitting some brick walls itself, as it was mentioned then hushed up for years since.

 

I hope they could make furai into production car. if so, thats gonna be sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!