Just the Facts:

• Although production of Mazda's sole rotary-engined model, the RX-8, will soon end, the company continues to develop the Wankel engine.
• Recent technical developments could make a new rotary sports car more feasible.
• Mazda meanwhile has had informal talks with Audi about rotaries.

LONDON — Although production of Mazda's sole rotary-engined model, the RX-8, will soon end, the company continues to develop the Wankel engine, which it has been making since 1964 when it was shown in the Cosmo R100 coupe.
There are now less than 100 engineers working on the engine, says a senior insider at Mazda, but a newly developed laser ignition system promises a big step forward. Laser ignition does away with the need for spark plugs, making it easier to seal the Wankel's trochoidal combustion chamber for improved efficiency and reduced hydrocarbon emissions.
If the funding can be found, says the source, the mid-term aim is to develop a new rotary sports car — could it be the next RX-7? — capable of achieving just 130g/km of CO2 compared with the poor 299g/km of the current RX-8.
Contributing to this huge improvement would be micro-hybrid technology, auto stop/start, lightweight materials and more.
Meanwhile, Mazda has had informal talks with Audi about rotaries. The German company recently unveiled the A1 hatchback-based e-tron concept, which features a 254cc Wankel range-extender located beneath the trunk floor.
There would be some irony in a potential collaboration: NSU, which pioneered automotive Wankel engines from the late 1950s into the '70s, was absorbed by Audi during that period and sold Mazda a license to make and develop the engine in 1961.
Inside Line says: The rotary engine is not dead yet — it may take on an additional life as a range-extending battery charger. — Richard Bremner, Correspondent
http://www.insideline.com/mazda/mazd...with-audi.html

Much of this has been posted before. The part I haven't seen before is the use of the laser ignition system and some facts on the emissions reduction that have been achieved.

 

Que?

 

Coils too? So we wouldn't have to buy plugs/coils every two years? I'm in!

 

everything is better with lasers

 

I thought they were already talking about lasers when they were jabbering about mutli-fuel use?

Then you can say "My car has spinning triangles and freakin laserbeams!"

~it's good news, none the less.

 

lol !

after I get my next rotary, if anybody ask me the same question "Mazda still makes that?"

I be like, yeah, it still has no pistons, no cylinders, running on triangles, use so little fuel, its a ULEV, and best of all, it shoots laser now.

speaking of cylinders, I was at DMV about a month ago to fix the name on my title also the cylinder count, some idiots @ the dealership put 2.

I was at the counter and the lady saw the "0" at the "No. of Cylinders" field. she probably felt like I'm fooling her around, with asked me with a "pretty pissed off tone" : how many cylinders your car have ?

Then I was like "my car has no cylinders. Its a rotary engine."

then she think she can "out smart" me by telling me that "well, as far as I know, all engines have cylinders."

I don't want to act like a total jerk so I just "politely" told her that "well, that might be true for Piston engines, but not for a Rotary engine, it does not need cylinders/pistons to run"

She continues by saying "Well, didn't know about that, is it something new?"

then the whole conversation ends with me saying "Well, it came out about 43-4 years ago, I wouldn't call it new"

 

Mazda Envisions Rotary Sports Car of the Future - With Audi? If it comes true, then parts will be expensive, will they? Audi is a luxury car company and their vehicles are expensive than Mazda has. I could be wrong, but who knows what will happen or not happen.

 

Maybe they could get some funding from Audi but nothing else necessarily. (given that they want to use the rotary tech for their electric cars in the future)

 

Audi makes great cars, but an Audi Rx-7 wouldn't feel right.

 

That's the first thing that came to mind when I read the article...anything associated with Audi = extremely expensive.

 

It would be nice to see Mazda and Audi working together to develop the rotary. Audi wants to use it as a generator, and the rotary series hybrid seems very interesting to me. Hopefully some good things can come out of this, if it is true.
RX-quattro anyone?

 

Have you notice that Audi and Mazda uses "numbers" for the names of their cars...i think that's why they are in contact for contract.

 

^ No.

 

Mercedes-Benz and BMW use numbers, as well. Would you say that they're the same, 'monchie'?

 

Audi RS7 = Sex.

Hell, the S4 could even be improved by adding a Renesis. I'm happy to see Audi considering the motor.