This weekend, kids...


GRAND-AM: Mazda Says Farewell To RX-8

 

sniff, sniff

 

And so ends my participation in Grand Am.

 

Well this paragraph sounds promising.

“Lime Rock will be the end of a chapter – but not the book, for the Mazda rotary," Doonan added.
"While rotary production is on hiatus in Hiroshima, the program is far from dead.
Work continues on the next-generation rotary engine,
and we look forward to sharing information with you about it, when we can.

I just hope its sooner rather than later.

We will be at SS15 Saturday but will be monitoring via phone and of course will record it.
Lets make it a podium sweep!!

 

As much as I don't want to say this but it sounds like Mazda is giving up on the rotary.
2013 cars are out, no news on another rotary, in a few months 2014 cars will be released.
They removed Rx-8 from the Grand AM and seems like all they're focusing now is on the SKYACTIV technology since it's actually making them money unlike the rotary.

 

Yes, actually, when I read that Mazda's director of motorsports says:
All I see is "we are giving up on the rotary and you guys will never see another one again."

/sarcasm



A) We knew there wasn't going to be a rotary in 2013. Knew it for a while (unless Mazda pulls a rabbit out of the hat with a re-release of a limited RX-8 run or "counts" the hybrid rotary range extender)
B) same story for 2014 most likely
C) Mazda DID NOT pull the RX-8 from Grand Am. Grand Am has rules that dictate what cars can be run, and one of them is that the cars must be for sale to the general public currently, or have been for sale within the past 3 years. It is fairly standard that the last year of production is the last year that teams use the car. Teams individually make the decision, not Mazda. Mazda will continue to support the RX-8s if a team would run them next year. Dempsey is focusing on ALMS, Speedsource is moving to GX class with a SkyActive D powered Mazda6, Racers Edge already moved to the Viper, Sahlen is returning to the DP class where they started and Nonamaker already dropped the RX-8. I haven't heard anything about Yellow Dragon, but the article implies that Grand Am is not expecting them to stay with the RX-8 next year either.
D) They HAVE to focus on a profit maker if they want to keep the rotary alive. Too many people don't see that they need SkyActive to sell well in order to allow Mazda to keep working on the rotary. It's not an exclusion of one for the other. Need them both!
E) Ignoring when people that matter within Mazda specifically state that the rotary will be back and is not dead seems moderately ... blind?


Remember the 8 year gap between the US seeing the last new RX-7 for sale and the first RX-8 for sale? At absolute worst case, that's all I see the gap as... They just can't keep the 8 for sale in Japan like they did the RX-7 then.

 

Sad.

 

We got to attend 3 races in less than a year's time. The memories we have will last a lifetime. A big THANK YOU to Sylvain Tremblay, who went out of his way for my wife and I in May at NJMP after we told him we were RX8 owners. As far as traveling to see another race LIVE, zero interest for now.

 

I admit I'm still excited at the SkyD in GX. But the rotary is a special bit, and was one of the trio in the symphony of sounds in the GT class. A turbo'ed diesel isn't going to add anything there

 

I'm sad... I first fell in love with the RX8 at a Rolex race a few years ago at Lime Rock. Before that I think I had only seen one or two. (They're not very common in these parts.) It took me a couple years but I finally got one.

Ill be there this weekend to watch the last race.

 

It seems like rotary powered vehicles always disappear far too soon...

 

Piston engines wouldn't be able to stick around all the time either if there was only 1 company working on them and that company was small and dealing with economic issues.

 

Maybe they can get it to shoot flames?

 

gran Am may be over but there is a lot of other stuff going on which includes the Rotary engine.
The rotary is not dead--just new rotary engine powered cars.

 

A small piece of me died inside earlier today when i read this.

 

I feel like crying...

 

Leaving for Lime Rock today. I'll be capturing every last minute.

 

:'(

 

Can't believe it right after buying my 8 and this happens. Well one thing for sure the 8 will always be a legendary car with one of the last to have a rotary engine in production. That is until they decide to ressurect it back to life in 2014 or so. I wouldn't give up hope but they about it like them taking a break for while. Anyways this is a sad development no matter how you look at it

 

just when I was finally getting Grand-Am.

 

I second that!!

 

I wish they'd at least keep selling the X-8 platform with a conventional engine until they get a new rotary ready. A flat-four would have very similar performance to a 2-rotor Wankel, similarly low center of gravity, and better gas mileage. They could've called it the MX-8. It's just too nice of a car to discontinue, no matter what engine is in it.

 

+1

kaido

 

In 2008 there was a 2.3 turbo from a Mazdaspeed 6 that was transplanted into a yellow 2004 RX8 that was at a local Cars-n-Coffee meet I went to. The rotary had expired and the dealer found a way out of the warranty due to aftermarket parts.

With virtually no Rennies in the used market at the time the owner bought a complete engine & electrical out of a crunched Speed 6, then spent a year blending it together. Everything worked although the hood had an extra bulge and the bumper was a custom unit to fit the radiator and intercooler.

He let me take it for a ride and the first thing we did was hop on the freeway; holy mackerel, this thing was a rocket. Stock the Speed 6 had something like 275 HP with a little bit of lag. The exhaust, intercooler and program was custom and it felt like it was probably closer to 325+ HP.

It was lowered rode very stiff & flat with 19 or 20" rims; not fair to compare handling at all other then it felt extremely well balanced but very harsh.

From that point on I was convinced the rotary was a nice novelty but it simply lacks the capability of pistons...and yes I do like the novelty.

The RX is a fabulous chassis, I think it really deserved more then the rotary. It can certainly handle 300+ factory HP.

As far as dropping the Grand Am series, its not a surprise but I am very thankful they were engaged. Many years back Mazda put significant support into the IMSA series, particularly the GTU class. Having worked with Team Highball through the 80's I've always been grateful to Mazda's participation in motorsports.

 

I assisted the #42 Sahlen's RX-8pit crew today for the race. Very sad seeing them shut down for the last time in Grand Am