RenoIV

On the cover of the June Road & Track: "+2009 & Beyond: Revamped Mazda RX-7"
the short article:

"Mazda RX-7
Our radar recently picked up some unusual activity in Hiroshima, Japan. We took a closer look and discovered that the boys at Mazda are quietly drawing up the plans for a new RX-7. That Mazda needs a new halo sports car is obvious. Sales of the RX-8 have been down, and although the MX-5 is sporty and popular, the burden of carrying the company's high-performance load is just too heavy for its narrow shoulders. The ace in Mazda's sleeve is the RX-7, a car once touted as the purest, most exhilarating sports car in the world. And the time has finally come for it to rise from its ashes.
It's still so early in the game that we know very little about this car. Our sources tell us that it has not yet been given a code name, like J61A (the Mazda6). The main challenge facing Mazda engineers is what to do with the powerplant. Reports indicate they're working around the clock to improve the output of the RX-8's 13B Renesis rotary, but a number of major obstacles still lie ahead. Some form of forced induction is probable, and could very well be an electric-motor-assist turbocharger.
This technology was first seen in the Mazda RX-8 Hybrid at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show. At low rpm, an electric motor assists the turbocharger to increase induction efficiency. At high rpm, the turbocharger operates in traditional fashion, by the exhaust gas alone. This enables lean combustion and excellent power at all engine speeds, as well as cleaner emissions at low revs. A hybrid system, like that used by Honda, has also been rumored.
The Next RX-7 will be built on the MX-5/RX-8 platform, and the styling will be based on the Kabura show car that graced our April 2006 cover. We predicted then that this was the foundation for a new RX-7--the designer himself admitted that despite the Kabura's 2.0-liter inline-4, he designed it so it could hold the 13B rotary. So the possibility of the next RX-7 becoming a 2+2 is very high. If so, what happens to the RX-8? Well, we'll know by 2010 because that's when the RX-7 is scheduled to make its debut."

At the top is a drawing of a new RX-7 with the styling based on the Kabura show car.

Perhaps, someone could add the drawing to the thread, as I don't have a scanner.

steven000e

Nonsense
The RX7 is history, great car, but I don’t think Mazda will bring it back.
The RX8 might survive although if something isn’t done to engine and fuel performance, I don’t see a bright future to the Rx8.
Now what Mazda might do is (to me is more logical). They will bring a complete new vehicle to the RX series.
Now hopefully it has style, better rotary performance, and more important keeping it affordable to the general public.

That’s my opinion.

RoXanneBlack8

i dont think the rx7 should ever come back. let it die back in the age of real sports cars, back when it was great and the cars it competed against were also great.

i think they should just continue on with a 2nd gen rx8. toyota will soon unveil a supra and itll be a flop bc ppl but the old one on such high esteem that the new oen will neevr reach. same will be for the rx7.

just look at the new sti, subie's one year of horrible sales and mazda will learn their lesson thru subie and not even worry about it.

continue on with the rotary development fellas, ill be in line in 2010 to get one, just make sure the number 7 isnt on the decklid when ur done.........

Nopstnz

^ I agree. They need to let the rx7 go. It had its run and its over. I sure am sad I missed it though..

NAVILESRX8

iTrader: (1)

I wish Mazda did like Ferrari and always have a different model name or number. Cosmo was the first and it was really early, so it could be just Cosmo, but from then on it should have gone, RX1(R100), RX2, RX3, RX4, RX5, RX6(1st gen RX7), RX7(FC), RX8(FD), RX9(current RX8)...and so on.

Icemark

Actually Mazda registered the name RX-9 late last year as a Trademarked name as well as re-registered RX-3

brillo

I disagree that the RX7 can't come back. Bring the car back to its roots, a light weight, great handling sports car that is cheap. Make it light enough, you don't need 300hp. you drop some version of the renesis in a 2500lb car, it will hang with nearly anything on the road, including in a straight line. especially if its lightly boosted. I don't care if the FD on paper is slightly faster than the "FE", the FD as great as it was a mess.

Take a hint from Lotus on performance engineering, b/c they figured it out along time ago.

j_tso

^I agree. The original RX-7 was a light weight, fun to drive, sports car for everybody. "An enthusiast's dream come true" as R&T said back in the day.

Light engine + light car = affordable Lotus rival.

And funny thing about the numerical names: the FC3S was originally going to be the RX-8, but much good publicity was around the name RX-7, Mazda just stuck to it. And rumor has it RX-7 was chosen instead of RX-6 because the RX-5 tanked and they wanted to separate them a bit so consumers won't think they're related models.

brillo

its a very simple formula for sucess, that I have communicated to MNAO at several levels.

Make the RX7 cheap, light and fast. Sub 30K so it sells well. Then offer a MS package or upgrades if you really want the factory backed boost. break it up, so you don't price your self outta the market and you can really make the enthusiasts put up or shutup.

its simple and I would work. Not to mention, fuel economy goes up the lighter your car is.

playdoh43

interesting, judging by the technologies, sounds like its going to be priced in the corvette range

llzjayarzll

definetly no future rx7. most likely a good successor tho. but it wont bear the rx7 name.

DailyDriver2k5

I have a better idea for Mazda....

Why not make a two door Mazda RX-8 along with our current RX-8, this way the purist won't get upset that the new RX-7 doesn't live up to the old ,the RX-8 enthusiast will have two options of getting a RX-8 ,one with our current setup or they can spring for the two door RX-8.

Cut the production by half on the RX-8 sell half in our current configuration and sell the other half as a two door rotary sports car.

Also leave Mazdaspeed in the equation fo those that one to modify there rotary as desired.

I personally would love to see a new rotary wearing a "RX-7" badge, but you know the minute it doesn't pull the typical "mag racer" timesof the old 3rd gen RX-7, a bunch of whining and complaining will start and the RX-7 will be another beautiful car that doesn't get the proper appreciation and sales will tank once again for Mazda. So yes Mazda let the RX-7 name die in honor unless your going to make a borderline race rotary machine for the whiners.

6speedRenesis

or why not just put out an FI edition of the RX8, let the rx7 hold it's nastalgic position in time, insted of driving the heriatage of a specific model into the ground like the mustang.

and there was an Rx9 a long time ago :

Scroll about half way down

rotary crazy

my opinion:

-second gen rx-8 (same setup as today, more power, more criature confords)

-light weight rotary ( same engine in the rx-8 second gen but a 2600lbs true sports car) you can call it rx-7, but you have to make 2 models base and a performance version

mazda should stop looking at the performance version as a money making model and see it as a PR model for the base

brillo

whats wrong with a less powerful base car and then a set of MazdaSpeed parts that would boost you to the "FD" ? Doesn't that cover both bases as well as Mazda's ***?

nolanrob123

I don't think that you could get many more creature comforts without turning it into a Cadillac. It feels great to me compared to many other sports cars out there.

MazdaMonkey

I agree. It’s one thing to make a halo car, its another to make a profit based on selling it (not including the halo effect on other models). There is no way Mazda will make another $45k sports car again anytime soon. IF they made a modern RX-7 it would be cheaper and simpler than the FD and probably priced around the same as the current RX-8 (and unless it is a 2-seater, I can’t see them switching back to the RX-7 nameplate from RX-8).

But, right now MNAO is focusing its energy on the BBPs (3,6,7,9) because that is where the money is in today’s market.

hogcar

A modern version of the RX3 ????? Might happen. I would get one or two!!

RX7Matt

Maybe the 2nd gen RX8 will be like the 2nd Gen RX7 with turbo and n/a versions. Instead of having a convertible version, they could have a 2 door version. I remember back in the 80s, they had turbo, convertible, 2+2 versions. Only in '93+ did they only stick with one layout.

Matt

Aipex8

iTrader: (1)

Personally, I don't think there's any good reason to let the RX-7 name die like a lot of you are suggesting. Nissan was able to resurect the Z and it's selling like hotcakes. All 3 gens of RX-7 have huge followings, and they had varying philosophies (1st gen: light, simple, cheap. 2nd gen: options; N/A, vert, turbo. 3rd gen: All out turbo, expensive).

With a new RX-7 you could easily do a N/A version with the new 2010 renesis which should have more HP than the current, dropping that in a lighter car than the RX-8 should make a pretty capable car for the base model. Then, if more performance is needed for the 7's image, add some boost for a Mazdaspeed version.

What I wouldn't want to see though is a 4 person RX-7. If they want to keep the 4 person sports car then keep the name RX-8 (whether it actually has 4 doors or not). I think that should be the distinction between the two. RX-7: 2 door, 2 seat dedicated sports car. RX-8: practical, 4 seat family sports car. If they don't think they can make money selling both at the same time, do a run of 4th gen RX-7s, then in 2016/17 bring out the 2nd gen RX-8 and shelve the RX-7 for a bit.

MazdaMonkey

For those who love light weight sports cars (BRILLO - this means you)
http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/fe...tance_program/

MadRonin

I would love to see another RX-7. Something light weight with two seats, gobs of power and torque and handling like no one's business. But Mazda has to get the quality under control with these cars. In this day and age there is no excuse for a $30k+ car to rattle worse than my father's 1987 Dodge pickup.

I think Mazda should make the next 8 a true 4-door with a bigger rotary engine to accomodate the added weight. Give it electric motor assist and call it a hybrid, whatever. Then re-introduce the 7 as a ***** to the wall, no apologies necessary, monster of a sports car. State from the get go that this is for enthusiasts and whiners need not apply.

firecran

iTrader: (3)

I would like to see Mazda make the next RX-7 with a N/A 300hp rotary, 2 seats, and under 2600-2700lbs. That would cost about 26-28K.

Stavesacre21

I just read this in the new issue of R&T. Sounds to me like their trying too hard to play the 7 as their high card...especially with the chance of making it a 2+2!

Apparently Mazda really does think that a black cloud of negative energy does surround the 8...otherwise i'd think there is no reason whatsoever to try and simply make the new 7's platform, engine and seating identical to the 8, and then cut the rear doors and call it an RX-7.

The article certainly did end with a somewhat less-than optistic outlook for the 8. Comes as a surprise, especially when it's still seemingly ranking high in mag comparisons, FOUR years after it's unchanged release. Everyone's turning blue in the face with MORE POWER comments, and it almost seems like their gonna dump the whole car as if it was a complete failure through-and-through.

I know most don't care about a discontinued status, but i'd hate to think that the 8's demise is a rediculously redesigned RX-7 that looks to almost drag the 7's beautiful name through the mud. I for one even thought the sketched image looked horrific.

canaryrx8

iTrader: (3)

I don't care how they do it, just as long as the next "7" doesn't shame the name and is clearly purposed and defined. The 8 confuses a lot of people as it wasn't clearly defined in the beginning, nor is it today. (I mean the average person, not the obsesses lunatics like you and I that follow this car etc) )People see "RX" in front of it and immediately assume it to be the FD's sucessor, when Mazda clearly stated back in the concept days that this car was NOT to replace the 7 (perhaps another indication something bigger/better is down the road even way back then) so whatever they do, if they bring back another "7" then it better be amazing, or it will just be a huge waste of time and $.