Next Mazda RX-7 is far away, said Mr. Maeda
 

sad news, guys....Shinari is NOT a new rotary sedan (according to this article) and Rx-7 is not planned (at today's state of the art)

Shinari is definetly an idea of the new 6 IMHO.......:(

http://www.carpoint.com.au/news/2010...ff-maeda-21442

RX-7 long way off: Maeda
Words - Mike Sinclair
Mazda's chief designer says any next generation RX-7 is years away
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Don't hold your breath if you are waiting for the next generation RX-7. For if Mazda's global design chief Ikou Maeda is to be believed, the vehicle isn't even on the drawing board and will be "years away".

Maeda-san spoke candidly about the fate of the next generation RX-7 at last week's unveiling of Mazda's Shinari concept car and new Kodo design themes in Milan. He told journalists there was no official program for the iconic Japanese rotary sportscar, though admitted it would be "a dream come true" for him if he were ever to get to design its replacement.

"Please push Mazda... Please ask Mazda president to build this sportscar, " Maeda told journalists in Milan. "I have made a lot a sketches myself of the [RX-7] sportscar, but there is no program."

Maeda said any replacement for the RX-7 would have to be a serious sportscar.

Comparing how he saw the attributes of such a car to the sports coupes Toyota and Subaru are expect to debut next year, he said any RX: "should be much more serious".

"Such a car [RX-7] should be lightweight and compressed [compact]... And strong handling… It should not just be built to appeal to young trendy people but proper sportscar enthusiasts," he stated.

Though Maeda penned the RX-8, a new RX-7 would create history. Maeda's father designed the first generation RX-7 and also wore the top hat in the Japanese company's design arm.

Maeda-san said despite the historical significance, he would not ask his father to help on any new RX program.

"His tastes and my tastes are totally opposite. [He is] very function oriented; very simple... I would like to make more emotion [with my design]."

Mazda unveiled its Shinari concept car early this week in Milan, Italy. The large four-door 'coupe' is intended purely to showcase the company's new design language. It is not the rumoured replacement for the RX-8, says Maeda.

Production of Mazda's four-seater sports flagship has been curtailed as emission regulations around the globe see it pulled from sale. Mazda Australia says that it's safe Down Under… For now…

Meantime Mazda's new design language Kodo will find its way into a sportscar even if no RX program is forthcoming, Maeda says. The design chief says that despite "its own history" a next generation MX-5 would embrace the marque's new motif.

"I would like to keep this [Kodo design language consistent across our range] as much as possible. But also the MX-5 has its own design language. We have to incorporate two things at once but not all the elements."

Maeda would not put a timeline on the replacement for the MX-5. He also implored journalists not to speculate on the timeline for any RX-7.

"Every time I talk to journalists the article always says the new RX-7 will debut in a couple of years. Please do not do this," he cautioned, nodding in agreement when it was suggested the car was years away.

That sucks. Hard to believe too. Some people from Mazda keep saying "don't worry it WILL come out", while apparently the new RXX isn't even on their to-do list. Either Mazda isn't really motivated to get this project rolling or they just don't have the funds. Something tells me the Kodo design will eventually just get replaced by a new concept like all the concepts before it have.

forgetting the rest of the article for a moment. this line annoys me

its true yes but heres my problem. when articles have been written the last few weeks about the civic being pulled and the other 6 or so cars not meeting bin 5 they write " along with car a there have been other cars pulled like rx-8 , civic , car c etc."

but when ever it is a mazda article the only mention the rx-8 , leaving the impression that the rotary is the only engine thats not meeting the new emissions regs.

of course it will. but do you mean without the design language making it to production? there you are wrong. things you are seeing , actual bits/themes/interior upgrades, will get into the productiion line. but open your cynical eyes and ears.

Shinari is clearly meant to envision not only the new ideas they have for overall design but its vision of a rear wheel drive sporting car. look at the tunnel and the rear seats. the stance. listen to what Maeda keeps saying to everyone who will listen- and he's been saying it for a year- " i have been drawing rx-7 , i keep creating rx-7, tell them to let us build it"

he wants to build it. he ,in his mind, knows exactly what it will be because he's already designed it. but he needs support for the program to get off the ground. so help him out- call and write Mazda to show your support.

some points:

1) Seita Kanai (not the last employee) said in these days that "yes, we have problems but we working -NOW- on a new rotary "SKY rotary"

2) Maeda throw water over the fire (read what i've posted ) but, in lasts months have talked about a rebirth of RX-7.

IMHO the program of new rotary is slated both for R&D issues and slow economy recover (but mainly for the first reason).


i think that we'll have a new rotary sportscar but not in a couple of years.

I'm sad :(

A rotory that burns diesel?

Personally I don't care.. bring us the same handling car with a piston engine.

It's the handling and connection with the road that makes the car. Not the engine.

I can wait along time. If I get impatient, I always have the Miata MX-5 to buy.

I know the rotary doesn't meet the upcoming new EU regs. But, I haven't heard of any new pollution regs for the US. Just an increase in the mileage reg.

Unfortunately, this should come as no surprise. Mazda has much bigger problems right now. The strength of the yen is causing them real problems since I've been told 70% of Mazdas are produced in Japan. The company as a whole has to worry about staying profitable, not worrying about a low volume pet project.

I am extremely disappointed.

Good bye rx 8 club, I was ready to join.

It's painful to read the embattled pleadings of a true design genius..."Please push Mazda... Please ask Mazda president to build this sports car ". You can hear the desperation in his words. It seems what's happening at Mazda today, long ago happened to Honda and Toyota. That is, the shutting down of any 'sporty' car designs in lieu of higher volume, higher profit everyday sedans. I call them 'soap bar cars', innocuous transportation modules designed to be driven by the lowest common denominator driver, albeit one with money or good credit.

What started out decades ago as bold sports car competition to the Europeans, has now dwindled to almost a whimper. What Japanese sports cars are left? Mazda MX-5, Nissan GT-R and 370Z, and I guess Lexus, but that's not mass production.

I guess soon, Mazda's 'Driving Excitement' will be in looks only, or perhaps how much infotainment can be stuffed into a car to distract the occupants from the "Chore of driving".

sad sad sad - their vaunted DNA is obviously a joke from here on out.

They just need to bring back RX7 Gen 3 with some side airbags. Offer NA Auto as base then turbo stick. Offer pop up or lens option. Simple lol.... and fire bose get some Nakamichi or Sony some Japanese audio.

On a positive note, our cars value is going to skyrocket 20 years from now when people forget what a rotary engine is!! Im returning my car back to stock now and making it a garage whore.

You watch your mouth with that tone!!!!:spank:

It's definitely sad to hear the way he talks about it. That said, if mazda were to create the program, I get the feeling that the next RX would be far from a disappointment. With that kind of passion towards a true sports car, it can't turn out bad.

I'd like to think it's not over yet. Sports cars might be thinning out, but I don't think we're close to seeing an end to sports cars. The economy still needs to pick back up again. The good thing about thinning selection is more sales for the few that remain...

Stuff like the STi and Evo were not mentioned above... figured I'd just toss out that there are a few more still. Slightly different target, but still sports cars.

Atleast Hyundai is improving.. maybe its time to join the genesis club, sucks for Mazda.

Well, that pretty much kills any gimmer of hope I had for anything in the next year or two. Looks like I will "settle" for the new Mustang 5.0. I know everyone and their brother will have one, but sadly, that is pretty much all that appeals to me besides the 8 right now and I'm not going to buy another 8.

Maybe I see through rosy glasses but all I got from that info was: No RX7 green lighted.

An RX8 replacement is probably more likely in my opinion when/ if they get 16X to target emission and fuel figures.

Maeda wants a new RX7, so do I. None of the rotary stuff is coming before 2013-2015; this is what all the current press releases suggest.

No reason for excitement, no reason for dismay.

Paul.

^ :sadwavey: I was hoping for 2012.

I almost agree with him.

RX8 chassis with a Mazdaspeed3 engine? Eliminates the torque steer problem in a FWD platform and adds some power to Mazda's perfect chassis. Come on Mazda give us something. Apparently the RX8 is being let go next year so the best performing car from Mazda will be the Mazdaspeed3 until around 2015? That pretty much screws anyone who bought a series 1 RX8 new.

Uh....so who said all RX-8s immediately vanished overnight? Get a used one? Just because a successor of a car that was last available in the US 17 years ago is delayed farther doesn't mean you can't get a used, or even brand new, RX-8.


I seriously don't understand how people see end of production of 1 car, or lack of a clear future for a different car as meaning that they can't get what is available today, or even join something from history?


It's telling everyone who has an RX-7..."Sorry, you people don't exist".

And it's seriously irritating, and I don't even own one!

Looks like my next car will be a ND MX-5 (due out in 2011/2012).

I'm disappointed it's FAR-AWAY too but will save up for it....

I mean is anyone REALLY suprised? Yeah, we all wanted it in a couple of years, but I think we all knew somewhere in our heads that it wasn't happening.

So is the 16X just a back-burner project? A line-item on the research budget? An engine without a future chassis?