gwilliams6

*NEW DETAILS* Mazda's NEW Rotary Engine Sportscar is taking shape!

Cheers

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

gwilliams6

This one is not any sole rotary-powered RX9, and it's hybrid makeup will meet all the Euro and USA emissions regulations, and is actually doable and in line with what the Japanese makers are all together doing to continue combustion engines and hybrids.

Cheers

spectre6000

I've kept up with the news on this, and... I don't know that it really... works. The point of a rotary is not just that it's not a piston engine. It's how it delivers power. How it is to drive, and how it feels. Using it as a range extender completely divorces it from all of that. It's just a noise and a means to keep going if you can't get it charged on a road trip or something. An electric sports car is cool, and something the industry needs, but calling this a rotary engine sports car just doesn't really check out.

If it was a rotary only sports car, you'd have my attention. That's not going to happen for a variety of reasons, and I'm OK with that. If it was a HYBRID rotary sports car... That's a bit more feasible, and would definitely have my attention. An electric motor to make up the lack of torque low in the RPM band would make sense, and you'd still be able to spin it out when you're having fun. There have been a bunch of patents around a two rotor (which is not at all needed for a range extender), so there's hope, but as always with Mazda and rotaries... I'll believe it when it's at the dealer ready for me to pick up.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

This is really nothing new.

UnknownJinX

Very well said.

And IMO, even the piston engine hybrid sports cars can fall victims to the lack of feel. BMW i8 especially is a good cautionary tale when it comes to making a PHEV sports car. 2nd Gen Acura NSX doesn't particularly end well, either.

I think an MHEV approach is probably the best in terms of preserving the unique rotary sports car feel and pleasing the emission and fuel economy standards. The 48V MHEV system does help the CX-90 a bit when it comes to acceleration and fuel economy. The battery pack is pretty compact so it also reduces weight and cost.

spectre6000

I drove my first electric car just a week or so ago. Parents bought a Cadillac Lyriq, because I guess getting old. I drove a Prius back in the day, and want nothing to do with anything like that (inconsistent brakes were maddening), but hybrid tech has come a long way. I need to brush up on my electrified car knowledge. I don't even know what an MHEV is. I don't know the various means of combining and divorcing energy sources. I don't know the difference between battery chemistries or motor types or transmission topologies or what other things I don't know. There's a guy in my car club actively hunting for a Smart electric car to hotrod. Sounds like he's just keeping the motors, body, and suspension though... I'll be helping out as able to learn.

Which is all just an aside, because IF this happens, it won't really matter. And after all the years of teasing us, the take rate will likely be marginal, and they'll use it as an excuse to kill the rotary forever. UNLESS they actually do something with the two rotor patents, in which case...?

gwilliams6

Ok, spectre6000, I guess you are a glass is half empty fella, not its half full fella. Your choice.
One thing for sure this rotary/hybrid should have greater acceleration than any normally-aspirated rotary production car ever did.

FYI, I have owned seven rotary Mazdas, normally-aspirated and boosted and race -prepped since the seventies with easily over a million rotary combined miles driven on street and track. : One RX3, two RX4, all three generations of RX7, one RX8.

BTW, just had my 2008 40th Anniversary Edition RX8 ceramic coated with the three-day best Ceramic Pro process. Still needs two more weeks to cure, but it looks better than new. I will post some photos outdoors then. For now it is the garage away from rain, pollen, bugs and dirt, before it has its full hardness.
This 40th Anniversary Edition 2008 RX8 (with performance upgrades) is insured as a classic car for full $50K USD value ,with no depreciation.

Cheers and best to you all.

Federighi

iTrader: (7)

Unfortunately, I don't believe this vehicle will ever get off the ground and if it does, will miss the market entirely like their MX30 ev so wonderfully demonstrated. The demographic for a customer who would even consider a product this specific is absurd. Not to mention the idea of having an electric vehicle supported by an ICE extender should make you consider having your head checked.

Now in case you haven't had the pleasure to become familiar with this vehicle, here's the cr700w. The final hurrah of any exciting rotary engine powered anything. Enjoy!

https://www.cycleworld.com/story/mot...bike-unveiled/

makina323

Lambos and Porches new engines are both hybrid but purely for performance purposes, they engane with the engine to increase torque and power delivery... sad that mazda is going all in on range. Porsche and Lamborghini both understand people want performance first **** the range!! All they did was sandwich the electric motor between the engine and the trasmission, come on mazda you where so goddamn close. If anything how bout a button to switch between engine power to wheels or range extension.

peloponisios

But Mazda can't price it like porsche or Lamborghini. They will buy these instead. Supra also didn't go as expected sales wise, so there's that. A hybrid rotary sports car with a 150k asking price? Is there a market for something like that?

MincVinyl

That crighton bike has an interesting coolant system in the shaft going on. Curious how they get oil to the rotor bearings.

makina323

150k rotary hybrid like the RX vision? absolutely... the people who buy these expensive cars are not doing it for the driving. Its all price speculation, hell people spend way more money on garbage luxury cars that lose 50% of that value in under 10 years because nobody cares to own luxury barge #9000
.
My argument is that they are already working on a hybrid but the rotary is only connected to the alternator apparently ~_~

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

kevink0000

I think if the Supra actually had a Toyota drivetrain, things would have been different. I am not sure what they were thinking. Esp. with regard to the Supra..