DeadOriginal

I hope so cause the 3rd gen RX-7 was sexy, but that is just.... I CHOOSE YOU PIKACHU!

05rx8mazda

iTrader: (4)

man if a new rx car came out with more power and more nimble sign me up. but with auto maker kinda laying off the sport cars for cars like the mazda 3, or sedan cars i dont see this coming out anytime soon. I dont like getting my hopes up and not get anything at the end sooo ill just keeep my eyes and ears open just in case a new rx car comes out. but hey at least that gives us ime to save up!

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

Noted, but manufacturers still like to produce a flagship vehicle even if it's a money loser, as it helps promote more volumous sales of those sedans and SUV's. It demonstrates they have engineering prowess even to those who aren't specifically shopping for a sporstcar. Subliminal: "If they can build that then my Mazda3 must be good."

2012 is the right timeframe for a new RX-x, at about a decade from the RX-8's initial design.

Catspaw

Plus, the design elements of the flagship car usually trickle down to other cars in the line, bolstering sales across the board. Look at all the new Mazda designs; they take many of their styling cues from the RX-8. Acura's entire naming convention was thrown out the window in favor of making the names sound more like "NSX." Everything Porsche makes looks like the 911, and so on.

LionZoo

http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/ma...coming-in-2011

"Of most interest is the next-generation of Mazda’s rotary technology. The company is currently working on a new 1.6-liter twin-rotor design that is said to be more than 30% more efficient than the current unit found in the RX-8 sports car."

All these rumors are driving me crazy. I'm not sure whether I should wait and see if Mazda can bring lighter sports cars in a few years or build my own coupe-ified Miata. I should plug this into an optimization matrix, but I can't assign what I feel are realistic probabilities to everything...

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

if they would put a 16x in a miata chassis at 2500lb then it may work.
OD

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

That's what I was originally saying/hoping OD. Get the weight down to 2,500 lb (more aluminum, carbon fiber, etc.), with the 16X, and make it a 2-seater and we're there.

foo77

i don't think we gonna see it.. just google 2012

Gopherage

No no no 2012 is nothing to worry about foo77, what we really gotta watch out for is Y2k to realize it missed it's chance and come back.

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

1) Photoshop
2) Hideous
3) Not gonna happen

Mazda is not gonna cannibalize their MX-5 sales, nor are they going to invest non-existent production dollars in a rotary powered platform.
The RX-8 already fell out of profitability a while back. They will "face-lift" it again in 2012 or so and that will be it.
You will only see 3, 5 and 6 variants as "new" models coming from Mazda for at least a decade.

RX-8GT6spd

Its a good looking car but if keeps the same rear bumper as i saw on another site then i will hate it. To me the rear of the car is ugly. other than that i like it

pking1122

So question, what happen's to the years of investment wasted on the hydrogen rotary/flex fuel 16X R&D? Wasted? There is clearly a marker for a masculine rotary car with higher power output, and they'd be asses not to compete and the the 370 have all the fun in this segment.

Mazmart

iTrader: (12)

Amen!

ZumnRx8

true and +1

FazdaRX_8

iTrader: (1)

I think it looks good, procuction cars always turn out a little milder then there wild concepts. its there flagship car. mazda has always had the race inspired marketing strategy Zoom Zoom. I don't thing there going to give up there rx series anytime soon.

I was really hoping the 16x would be in the 09 rx-8's maybe that will be what MM is saying, maybe in 2011 we will see an 16x powered rx-8.

the Mazda rx-8 is more accessible then the nissan 370

LionZoo

Yes that's my dream as well, but my confidence in Mazda doing that is about as high as my confidence in winning the lottery.

And I don't even play the lottery...

fobjr101

And then we couldn't afford it. Or at least the majority of 8 owners.

77mjd

Exactly what I was thinking. As soon as you start talking abut carbon fiber, costs start going up in a hurry. If we see a new rotary powered car, it needs to be close to the price range it is in now. I am probably one of the few on here that does not necessarily desire a pure 2-seater for the 16x. I could live with another 2 + 2 with more power.

j_tso

Why not? The current MX-5 weighs 2500 lbs. New tooling for mounting an RE and styling changes won't make it drastically expensive.

Symbioticgenius

To be honest. I think thats exactly what Mazda is going to do. The RX8 is already on the same Chassis as the MX5. The New one has been mated to the same gearbox even. I think its only a matter of time before its in damn near the same car.

If you'll allow me for a moment, I wish to take you back to 1998, a little auto company by the name of Nissan was barely keeping afloat in the automotive world. Then they started using the same parts (engine mostly) in many of their cars. Then they started making the same car twice (02 Altima and Maxima). Then they started making the exact same cars, in Luxury (Infinity) and non-luxury (Nissan) form, and people just bought them up like hotcakes and pancakes (pun intended).

Fast Forward to Circa 2008 Nissan is Japans second biggest automaker.

Mazda should take a page off their book.

tjbourgoyne

2 seater, 2+2, 2+1...I need this information.

LionZoo

The 16X will be significantly more powerful than the MZR in the Miata so you'll need strengthened driveline components. Then you get the fact that marketing simply won't allow their flagship car to use the "puny" 11.4"/11.0" brake rotors and 17" wheels on the Miata so you get extra brake and wheel weight. Suspension components including control arms, hubs, and tie-rods will then need to be strengthened. Not to mention the Miata is rather small for a flagship, so even if the next rotary is a 2 seater, they'll probably add about 10" to the length of the car compared to the Miata and make it a bit wider as the majority of sports car buyers are in for the image and the Miata's size makes macho men feel like they're not compensating enough. Then you factor in increased government regulations and possible features creep and you can see why I'm not too optimistic about a 2500 pound rotary car from Mazda.

FazdaRX_8

iTrader: (1)

not to mention 300hp in a 2500lb car your insurance would be through the roof!!!!

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

As long as it's similar-to classified a 1.6L coupe we should be fine.

SayNoToPistons

iTrader: (8)

Mazda has been there and done that.

Mazda 3's C1 platform is shared with the Mazda 5.
Mazda 6's CD3 platform is shared with the CX-7 and CX-9.

If you think about it, they're only working with three different platforms for their line up. Four if you include the Tribute.