Here's a blast from the past....

I thought some members would like to see the MAZDA RX500 Concept shown at the 1970 Tokyo Motor Show.

I need some help here Zoom44 and RG!

I think it was a mid engine mounted 12A RWD.....?

Does anyone have any other specifications on the car....??

Would turn a few heads even today....36 years on!

 

Pretty cool.. at least from most angles, but that back end .... umm

Love to drive one though! Here's some more pics...

"The Mazda RX 500 was the star attraction at the 17th Tokyo Motor Show in 1970. It was developed by the research and design staff at the Toyo Kogyo Company and was a mobile test bed for high-speed safety. The body of the car was constructed from plastic, which helped keep the weight down to 1100 lbs. The Mazda RX 500 had a rotary engine mounted forward of the rear axles and was capable of 125mph. It also featured multi coloured lights, at the rear end of the car, which indicating whether the car was accelerating, braking or running at a constant speed."

 

Wow pretty cool...but hey...why is the green one parked in the middle of a forest?

 

Camoflauge.... it is stalking piston engines.

 

looks like a cross between an old ferrari and a DeLorean.

 

i find it really amazing ( and thanks ash for the reminder) that in 1970 mazda was showing concepts with sideways opening rear hatches. because they contie to do so today. the glass on the kabura does this. as well as at least 2 other cars in the last few years. And yet i dont think they ever produced a car with a rear hatch opening this way.

 

probally because it looks good in design, but would be a pain in the *** for daily functioning

 

I want one of those. Maybe they can make it in pink. LOL

 

thats pretty cool looking, that could be a gret revial if mazda wanted to build a super car, well maybe...

 

It was originally built to coincide with Mazda's 50th anniversary celebration which just happened to be at the same time as the 1970 Tokyo motor show. There were several design goals for this car.
1: Development of the plastic body
2: High performance 2 and 3 rotor engines
3: Aerodynamic design
4: Performance and stability at very high speeds
5: "Styling and layout benefitting the rotary's image"

The car was intended to be the successor to the Cosmo 110S

3 engine choices were listed should the car ever make production status:
2 rotor 12A
2 rotor 13B
12A based 3 rotor

I've got a lot more information in a book of mine.

 

Thanks RG,,I knew you would suss the info out, as others have said, quite ground breaking considering the era...I was just a teenager, cant remember this one...

 

Here is another...the RX87 Concept of 1967...

Here we had the 4 door version in 4 cylinder known as the Mazda 1500 in 1968, then in 1970-71 the Mazda 1800.. it was a Bertone design originally penned for Alfa-Romeo so the story goes, Alfa rejected it, then Toyo Kogyo bought the plans.

A very popular car at the time here, still a few around even today...

The Rotary 2 Door "Luce" or R130 Coupe version sold in Japan built from the RX87 Concept, but, I think the 2 door was copied across from the Bertone 4 door version by Japanese artists.... RG are you there!

 

This car became a reality here as the R100 in 1968-9....what a fast little car...trouble is they would always fall over on corners...

10A
4 speed
RWD

Again still a few around today...

 

First shown at the 1967 Tokyo Motor Show. It was powered by an odd member of the rotary engine family, the 13A. Single chamber displacement was 655 cc vs the 13B's 654cc. The rotors were not as wide as the 13B's at only 60mm vs 70mm in the 12A and 80mm in the 13B. The "stroke" was longer as the eccentric shaft lobes had a larger offset which makes this the stroker motor of the rotary family. The engine produced 126hp at 6000 rpm and 127 ft lbs of torque at 3500 rpm with a 9.1:1 compression ratio. The total engine weight was 301 lbs.

What is really interesting was the fact that this car was front wheel drive and is still the only front wheel drive production car to date powered by a rotary. Top speed was 119 mph with a standing start quarter mile time of 16.9 sec. The RX87 became the R130 and was sold from 1970-1972. It shares the "Luce" name of the earlier 1500/1800 sedan but was not the same car. Styling was similar though.

 

Thanks RG...well you learn something everyday......

I now recall the difference between the 13A and B.
The R130 was FWD!!!!

 

I know someone who has one of these (Luce). Also our company had one of the 1800s. Nobody wanted it or any parts from it so we eventually threw it into the metal bin.

Paul.

 

I think I just died a little inside....

 

Gorgeous car that one.

 

That makes me want to cry

 

I kid, I kiiiiid

 

My whole adult life I've wished for a 3 rotor wankel. Some reports back when they were testing them said something about excessive eccentric shaft flex as the shaft was alot longer.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong about this.

 

Back in the 70's, the early 3 and 4 rotor engines had issues due to the way the extra rotor(s) were attached. They originally just butted a new shaft onto the end of the current one (with some modification of course) and had slots that lines up to lock in it place. This caused problems as it was not a solid shaft all the way through. The front part could flex indepedently of the longer main shaft it was buted up agaist. I hope this makes sense. The current 3 and 4 rotor engines don't have this issue. They have a solid ecentric shaft all the way through and use a process called taper coupling to get the additional rotors on. A hollow eccentric shaft lobe slides over the main inner part of the e-shaft now and is tapered on the end which matches the taper of the main shaft. When these contact, there is a lot of area for them to touch. There is also a keyway inside that holds them lines up. Now they have total beam strength from front to back.

It's a little tough to explain without pictures.

 

canihazrx500?

 

I like the front...not to sure on that back.

 

For 1970 that car was pretty out there. Love the front , dislike the back. I think i had a hot wheels or matchbox of this car.