A lot of people on this board are anxious for the RX-8 because of the rotary. But I think they overstate the desire for the rotary. I think the car buying public could care less what type of engine is in the car. People in the market for a car like the RX-8 want a high power car that looks cool and handles well. They could care less if it is a piston or rotary engine.

Of course, I may be wrong about what Joe Public thinks.

 

I think the popularity of the RX-7 may make Joe Public more interested in this car than you think. That's what happened to me- I was trying to locate information about whether or not the RX-7 would ever be brought back, and stumbled on the RX-8. I immediately put off plans to buy a Miata (this was a year and a half ago now) and decided to wait and see what happened with the RX-8 instead. If someone like myself- not (at first) very knowledgeable about cars, and female to boot- can get swept up into the hype and legend, I'd think that many others would as well.

 

actually you are absolutely right. the majority of people want a car that they can neglect to a degree and still starts up and take them from A to B everyday.

the common neglect of the general public to take care of their cars may not bode well for the rotary engine....

 

Like Elara, I almost purchased a Miata in December. Unlike many of our posters, I just learned about the RX-8 at that time, and have never owned a rotary. My wife & I did test drive a '91 & '92 RX-7 last April, but decided on a '92 Celica Convertable for her instead (she liked the idea of being 'topless'). :D

The idea of owning a Rotary is not an issue, but what is appealing is what Mazda has done with it. The time spent after work hours by the engineers to continue developing it, and especially the size, reduced weight, and placement within the body of the RX-8, giving the car of that size exceptional handling that mirrors the Miata.

Those are the true reasons IMO, that make the RENESIS truely unlike any piston engine.

 

The public couldn't care less what's under the hood.

However, I have been dying for this car since it was first rumored; a rotary engine just makes too damn much sense not to appeal to an engineer, and I've loved rotaries since I first got both "The Visible Wankel" and "The Visible V8" as model kits as a kid. I even remember doing a second grade science report on the Wankel.

I wanted a Gen II RX-7 but couldn't afford it, Mazda changed the Gen III so I literally couldn't fit anymore, and took too damn much time bringing the RX-8 to market that I bought something last December, scant weeks before the preorder started (sigh...)

I will own a Rotary someday, though, I will, I will!

 

The average Joe doesn't know jack about the rotary. People at NAIAS seemed to think that the rotary was an interesting "new" idea. Even many people who consider themselves enthusiasts have no idea how completely bulletproof the rotary is (in NA form, at least) and are actually suprised to find out how many 20+ year old RX-7s are still running strong. But I think the RENESIS will do a lot to improve how most people see the rotary.

 

i'll tell ya what everybody...i know just enough about engines to keep them running. i'm far from a gearhead!

i had no idea about rotary engines until my coworker bought an rx7 last summer. and i didn't start caring until i decided to buy a new car and the rx8 was on my short list.

after reading and seeing how rotary engines work i was sold on the concept. i thought, "why would anyone make an engine with pistons at all after witnessing and understanding the genius of the rotary?" and this is from what i would consider a layman's perspective.

IMO, the general public just wants results: more HP, good gas milage, etc. etc. they don't care HOW they get it as long as they get it. true?

not until it's common knowledge that rotary engines are more effeicent at producing the results people are after will they begin to care. i agree that this car and this engine could open up a lot of eyes.

 

I haven't gotten the impression that people on this board think the rotary is lusted after by the general public. I'll bet the majority of members are already rotary enthusiasts from either owning one or knowing someone else who had one. Mazda's biggest challenge will be convincing the general public, who will be asking "Is it a V-6 or a V-8?", that a rotary engine is just as reliable as a piston engine. They will have to do a huge sales job in order to counteract the thousands of salespeople in the piston-engine world who will tell lookers comparing the RX-8 to piston-based alternatives to forget about the RX-8 because it has a 'different' engine. It will be very easy for them to trash the rotary, because they can be full of s**t and 99.5% of car buyers won't know it.

 

The average Joe doesn't care so much what engine is under the hood right now. But if they were to see what the RX-8 would look like size wise, weight wise, and handling wise if Mazda used a V6 with comparable power, THEN they would better understand the genius of the rotary engine.

But because this is a 3000lb car with an engine that is extremely low, far back, and about 75% the size of a typical I4 engine, they'll never know how much better this is than a 3500lb, front heavy, BIG engine that has a high center of gravity, and sits farther forward. Smoothness is also another rotary plus.

If Mazda can demonstrate these advantages, then people may begin to see the advantages of the rotary engine. Everything is relative. The only way to see if something is better than another is to compare the two. Since the RX-8 only comes one way, there is nothing to compare it with.

My guess, people will see the car, like it, drive it, like it, THEN they'll discover the rotary engine, and they'll still buy it. Sure, there will be those who will like everything but be scared away by the unique engine, but those will be replaced by those rotorheads who want the car mainly BECAUSE of its engine.

 

"how come your car has two different spark plugs listed? how many cylinders do you have?"

I get that everytime I go buy a set. I've given up trying to explain why and just tell them two of each.. then they get even more confused and tell me I'm wrong.

With knowledge like that.. well, a lot of people are going to have trouble unless they do some learning on their own.

With that said, I wouldn't be interested in the RX-8 if it didn't have a rotary, but I guess I'm not the "general" public.

 

If Subaru actually produces the concept car that they just showed at the Geneva Auto Show then there will be something to compare it to .

Click here to see pics

And by the looks of it the RX-8 should fair pretty well against it, at least in the looks department IMO.

 

I would guess the general public are suspicious of the rotary's reliability, and at the same time, don't know anything about how a rotary works. The Renesis will hopefully start to make Joe Lunchbox pay more attention to the rotary.

That's why I am confident in the reliability and durability of the new engine; I don't think failure in the eyes of the public is an option. I still think the engine will require a bit more care in maintenance and warm-up than the typical boinger, I don't think it's the engine for everybody.

 

I guess I'm Joe Public enough to address this.

When I first started getting interested in the RX-8, I could have cared less whether it was a rotary or not. I'm an aggressive driver who usually drives alone and I wanted a great handling sporty car. I have a young family so I needed a four door. A coupe wouldn't work for me. I had a 3-series coupe when our son was born and I rarely drove it because it was such a pain getting the little one in and out of the back seat.

My top three choices for my next car were the previous generation M3 sedan (new one only comes as coupe), a used Audi S4, or waiting for the Subaru STi. Then a friend of mine (current 1st gen RX-7 driver) turned me on to the upcoming RX-8. I instantly fell in love with the coupe looks, but four-door practicality. The suicide "free-style" doors and real back seat sucked me in. It wasn't until I lurked on this board for months that I became excited about having a rotary. The high red-line high power engine perfectly matches my driving style. Another cool thing about the rotary is that it is different, which = good to me.

So it's cool and a plus that's it's a rotary, but I'd still get the car without it. It's just that cool. Plus it doesn't have that ridiculous rear spoiler like the STi.

 

I can't speak for the general public, but I can speak like "Joe Public".
That the public don't care about what type of engine is in the car, that's wrong, I think. Myself, I didn't know what the hell was a rotary engine was until I read about it, then years later after my interest was peaked by the articles read, I purchased an 1985 RX-7 AFTER speaking with rotor heads in my area. Those rotor heads were not difficult to find.
I did care that the engine was more efficient than a piston popper and I was aware that Mazda had been usung rotary engines for a while.
I did my own research and found out that rotary engines were also used in trucks, motorcycles, planes, boats. They could not therefore be viewed as untried (even then).
Rotary engines have come a long way since 1985.
The rotary engine today is even more efficient that a comparable piston engine.
AND FOR ME, AT LEAST, THIS JOE PUBLIC, PART OF THE INTEREST IS THE ROTARY ENGINE.

 

its just my opinion, but doesn't the Subaru prototype look like a cross between a 350z and the RX-8. But looks more like the Z.

 

I am somewhat mechanically inclined and am not afraid to rip an engine out of a car and rebuild it.

I bought my first RX-7 convertible just because I had been in love with that car for years and really wanted a convertible. I loved the looks of those cars and no other newer convertible really appealed to me. I knew it had a rotary engine in it before I bought it, but didn't really know a lot of intimate details about how the engine really worked. Piston engines were a breeze to figure out and I had rebuilt a couple of them prior to buying the RX-7. What amazed me was when I found out that the rotary was only 1.3 liters of displacement and it had a fair amount of power to lug around that heavy convertible. It intrigued me and I started digging for more and more information to learn everything I could about this engine, and now that I've owned one for 5 years I want nothing else.

If you are a previous rotary owner, and understand its design and how it works....you kind of gain an appreciation for it. The design of the engine makes so much more sense that a piston engine, that you feel like you really own something special and unique. There are no other cars on the road with this engine design, which to those of us who know engines and care about them makes it even more exciting to own a rotary powered car.

Yes....it's sad that there are those people out there that don't give a **** (or care to understand) what's under the hood as long as it gets them from point A to B, and they are the ones who will not feel that they really have something special by owning one.

IMO you really have to own a rotary powered car to appreciate it and fall in love with not only the looks of the car, but what makes it get you from point A to B.

Now......all you non-believers and piston powered vehicle owners get your orders placed!!!:D

 

let me add... if they don't know how a piston engine work, I am guessing some may never even heard of rotary.

 

I don't really care either, but it's nice to know that it's specail and it performs well that's all i care