Have you driven the MS6? I wasn't impressed. Despite the rotary's poor fuel economy, the Kabura is better off with the 13B-MSP. Yeah it's less powerful and not as mod-able, but it'll be smaller, lighter, and more responsive than the 2.3L turbo.

 

it is not impresive, but it is capable of pushing a 3,600 lbs car to a 13.7 1/4 mile

but a big heavy 2.3 turbo on a 2500 lbs car its going to be nose heavy as hell, I prefer the renesis

 

THIS is the key! This will allow the rotary scared people to have their piston...while allowing the rotary peep's to enjoy another rotary car.

About fuel economy with the rotary, the current Renesis can (I've done it several times while hitting 9K almost daily) hit 20mpg city at 2950 pounds or so for my base 6spd. So, if there was a RX3 with the same engine but comming in at 2500 pounds that should help fuel economy significantly. Our 8 is listed at 18/24....the RX3 (pure speculation mind you) might be listed at 20/26....not too bad for a RWD sports car. Also, if it has the same power as the RX8 it would be significantly faster too....maybe 14 flat in the 1/4 mile.

This fantasy RX3 of mine, should be sold fully decked out for $20,000....anything more and it no longer is an entry level car and defeats the purpose. The MX3 version I4 making about 180HP, should go for $17,500.

As Toyota has done with the Scion brand...Mazda, GET THEM WHILE THEY ARE YOUNG. Build something that is reliable, good looking, fun to drive, fast, well balanced and you will have new owners falling in love with their cars who will be Mazda fans for life.

About the rest of the stuff at rotarynews....mehhhh, like Thomas I'll believe when I see it. I'm so tired of the speculation...Mazda our 8's need (for the greedy HP folks like me) about 70 more HP...or at least (IF I MUST GIVE IN) 50.

COME ON!!!!

 

Yeah guys, he's right. I mean, come on.

This argument could work. I've seen it work on South Park to help bring rival gangs together.

 

It better not be Renesis Vista either

 

^ The renesis is so simple and heretical, its only computer counterpart would be unix..

WIndows would be more like a steam engine contraption Wile E. would order out of the Acme catalog.

 

I think I annoyed Bernie a little bit over there because in one of the stories I argued with him about the same thing as I called the hydrogen LeMans attempt nothing more than a PR stunt that has no potential. I compared it to every other story that we never see happen. I didn't mean it in a mean way. It was just the truth. I like the site and am glad we have it. It's just not only a news site. It's also a rumors site.

 

I'd buy a rotary powered RX3 Kabura in a heart beat!

 

Haha, that episode was great! Kudos to you sir!

 

Way back when rotary was an untried idea someone suggested it would run on practically anything - that it only sips high test cannot be its ultimate morph - A hydrogen hybrid would be a grand potential especially with all that front/back/passenger space available for fuel cells and such - might even put a solar panel in the roof...
But the transmission may still be the key element - there is so much heat being generated for so little torque - Maybe the heat could be harvested in some way - use the heat to generate auxilary electrical current for making hydrogen, or applied to other use electrical production....Like the rotar itself - got to think in some profound alternative way....

 

For some reason I thought the same thing about it being "free advertising" ...hmmm we must be right.

 

OK, Let's do this! We'll use the excess heat to heat up a boiler and add in a a steam engine! Yea! then we can get EXPLOSIVE power once the engine is heated up!
Woot!

 

Now using the extra heat to fuel a steam engine in our Rx-8 would be kiler!.. especialy when I honk the horn instead of *beep*beep* it would be be like *choochooo!* hahahaha.. ok yeah I'm bored.

Once mazda breaks the fuel eco issue the rotary will and shall florish. Nice to know Mazda isnt backing away from the engine anytime soon.

 

Wow...a steam turbo....

 

All internal combustion engines are inefficient as far as thermodynamics go; only a small percentage of the energy of the fuel is used to make power while much of the rest is wasted in the form of heat. If you can figure out how to utilize even 5% of the energy of the wasted heat, you'll make millions.

 

BMW show a hybrid that use's steam not so long ago

 

AMEN to that, that's why I listen....but I don't give it 2 sec of my time, my heart has been broken too many times to care anymore (lol).

I'd be one SUPER HAPPY guy if Mazda figured out how to get 300HP out of a NA 2-rotor (since the 3-rotor thing is pretty much a dead idea) while pushing it's fuel economy to 20/26.

THAT....would keep me in my 8 permanently since I hear (I'm so disapointed in Lutz) that the new Camaro will be as fat as the current Mustang. I guess I'll never own a LS powered American product.

Tired of the American trend of fatter means better, FREAKEN AAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mazda needs to teach GM/FORD how to save weight...I mean their I4 Mazda6 family sadan comes in at only slightly over 3000 pounds.

FREAKEN LUTZ, 3500 pounds.......DANG IT!!!!!

END RANT!

 

nice rant, i agree with you on the NA power with better fuel efficiency. I would absolutely love my car even more.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regenerative_braking

It's a start. Why not a regenerative transmission?

 

Yea, i remember seeing that. Looked pretty cool, but again, a boiler on a car is almost as scary as driving around with hydrogen in the trunk.. it's like a bomb on wheels. You hit something, it'll probably blow.

 

I agree as well on the NA side, I would love a screaming 2 rotor with more power, (or a 3 rotor)I know 300hp will be out of question for 2 rotor renesis with good fuel ecomomy and can also only be in reach with peripheral porting, which drinks fuel.

A problem my brother and I saw is that 2 stroke motorcycles and motors are going out, look at bikes, the 4 strokes are making big power and high revs,16000rpm like nothing and now the 2 stroke development is over, they cant do much more. they also dont sell.

The problem with the rotary is the same, only option left is wider rotors for 2 rotor or actually a 3 rotor NA,I think the 3 rotor is still a good idea, still use the light rotors of the renesis and all renesis technology with a 3 rotor. I am sure economy can be good because it will have much more torque

long live the Rotary !!

 

Not to mention how much all that boiler gear weighs and the added complexity is just that much more stuff to maintain.

There *is* a much better use for all that wasted heat, and an elegant one at that.

 

You didn't make me mad at all... sometimes, one doesn't need to continue an arguement or keep things like this specific disagreements in that article going. I've spoken to the same people you mentioned by "name" from the Houston ALMS round, and they said that they didn't say any such thing to you, and you confirmed this by your latest post (it was someone else from BK).... so no need to keep that discussion going, as it was not constructive or prodcutive anymore (it was turning into a "he said, he said" situation).... and it looks like you did make someone mad but it wasn't me...

I'll stick to my sources: Robert Davis VP of Mazda Production and North American Racing Boss, and the story stands (whether it ever develops or not, the story says Mazda was "investigating this").... and I wasn't too worried about who got the last word. Again, I wasn't upset... all of us can have opinions and points of view. We encourage folks to express themselves on the site, but be careful on NAME DROPPING!!!

-Bern

 

So how's that 50 horsepower first gen doing? Did you hook that thing up yet? Lol. you really should do a story on RN about that car.

 

ha ha ha... I think my 50hp 1st gen is still 50hp....

Here is my $100, one-owner, 225,000 mile, original 12A 50 rwhp wonder... haven't even changed the oil in a year that I've owned it



But I really like my other 1st gen a little better, the turbo-FB




-Bern