I imagine these two articles will be hitting the site soon anyway, so just getting it going.

This article: Mazda Rotary Sports Car Could get Electric Turbocharger

Which references this one: Mazda rotary details firm - motoring.com.au

Read the 2nd article first.


For once, it isn't an article that is completely full of hot air and rumor mongering. It actually has quotes, details about Mazda's internal R+D occurances, and the speculation that they do have, isn't wild absurdities. The timelines are also reasonable (not a new production car in 2017, just a 'reveal', which is entirely possible), the technology is already referenced and supported, and while there is no confirmation of this:
...there is more than a bit of believability to it.

There may actually be something to what it says here, as long as you ignore the artist renderings (which very few people seem to be able to do).

 

What are your thoughts?


Mazda rotary details firm - motoring.com.au

 

The 2020 release is much more feasible than the 2017 release others were "reporting."

Now I have a life goal of being out of school and in a position where I can buy one in the first few production runs by 2020. Thanks allot guys, here's to another 5 generations of being a volentary test bed for an experimental engine technology

 

All I read is turbo.

 

The key is the E-turbo. They've been using them allot in F1 fairly recently (not sure how long, I don't pay attention to sports).

Unlike the internet geniuses that we're so blessed to have here, it would only be electric part time. I kind of doubt that it will have a separate e-turbo and a normal turbo, I'd think it would have a single E/normal turbo to save weight and prevent that vtec kick in yo.

 

All I want in 2017, is a darn 3d popup booklet from Mazda USA in the mail. Celebrating whatever rotary marketing bs anniversary. At least it would be a tangible asset. I would turn the pages and watch the rotary cars spring to life.

 

Mostly correct.

F1 started using them this year, when the engine package was mandated to be a turbocharged 3.0L V6, vs N/A V8 of last year. For most of the teams, the EERS (vs KERS of last year, kinetic vs electric) provides tractive power to the ground as well as pre-spooling the turbo RPM when the driver gets back on the throttle, reducing lag times.

This tech is less "electric turbo" and more just "lag reducer". For example when the driver is off throttle in F1, the exhaust energy that is still passing the turbine is routed to charging the onboard energy storage, rather than just being wasted. There is still some level of pressurization on that 'pre-spooling', but it certainly isn't something that they attempt to maintain for any significant length of time. The amount of energy needed to maintain sufficient blade torque to pressurize the intake in an engine flowing 850hp worth of air is monstrous. It's just not reasonable to try to do that anyway, since you have an 'easy' source of all the otherwise wasted exhaust energy that is more than sufficient to provide that torque to the impeller mechanically. F1's goal is to prevent the compressor speed from dropping down to ~2,000rpm (a guess) when off throttle, and then have to wait while it re-spools to ~100,000rpm (previously stated).

There are more than one car manufacturer that is already working with the tech for street cars, albiet not cheap. Volvo is another manufacturer that is pursuing it that doesn't have a foot in F1. Mazda's choice of a capacitor is likely not unique, and there are numerous ways to charge it when the driver is off throttle, to make it ready to pre-spool the turbo when he switches back to the loud pedal.

 

This just made my weekend

 

If this thing churns out 450hp, it will not be affordable. Something along the lines of 2700-3000lbs and 300hp would seem much more feasible.

 

Thanks riwwp that's really interesting, I should start paying more attention to motorsport.

So do you think they would end up using an electric turbo+normal turbo, electrically assisted turbo, or electrically assisted turbo+normal turbo?

I'm sure it will be less than 2700lbs, empty the RX8 is just below 3000lbs, and this one seems like it would be two door, 2 seat. Also, since the rx8 was introduced Mazda has really invested allot into weight reduction via skyactive (which is more of a design methodology than a technology). The Mazda6 went from ~3500lb in the early 2000s to ~3100lbs now, and it didn't lose any doors or seats.

 

"Electrically assisted exhaust driven turbo" would be more accurate. It's just one device, with 2 possible energy sources.

Technically, there is no such thing as an 'electric turbo', since the definition of 'turbo' included exhaust gas as it's source of compression energy.

 

I've been thinking about waiting to replace my car with the next Mazdaspeed 3 but perhaps I'll just wait a bit longer.

 

more 'NEW" news!

Mazda Rotary Sports Car Could get Electric Turbocharger

This sounds a little more promising. There are 2 dates coming up, the birth of the rotary (50 years I think) and Mazdas 100th. They are talking about 2 cars, or at least 2 versions of same car.

 

I hope it's another 4 seater, even 4 doors. They could take the current RX8 chassis and lighten it and have a winner.

 

Posts moved to existing thread on this article.

 

My Regal GS will be paid off by 2018 I think. 2018 will also mark 50 years of "Me." Wouldn't that be a good time to celebrate my existence with a new sports car. My plan was to get a corvette stingray (lease for a few years), but if the new RX-8, 9, not 7 (I'd have a feeling a 2 seater would be too small for me), is nice, maybe.

 

I have a feeling many of us around here will be disappointed. I will bet it's going to be a 2 seater.

 

Why would we be dissapointed? It's almost definitely going to be a two seater, I feel like the RX8 wasn't able to cater well enough to the 4 seat market enough for another 4 seat rotary sport to happen anytime soon.

 

Given the info in original article, it really suggests that the first rotary model will be a lower powered one, probably in a slightly bigger Miata chassis (it makes sense from a manufacturing cost perspective). They note that the Miata chassis is too small for the amount of power expected from the more powerful option, so a 4 seater for that will be more likely.

Plus, MAzda registered both RX-7 and RX-9, which would really support that.

So "both" seems more accurate.

 

I read this on carbuzz.com and was pretty happy about it. Can't wait to add a new rotary vehicle to the family soon. Better start saving up some cash now. Haha.

Hopefully we see some concepts in the next couple of years.

 

As long as they do not give the new concepts to Top Gear...

 

+1 one...gotta start saving...

 

I will be ready for my eighth rotary when Mazda is ready.

 

It didn't sell poorly because it was a 4 seater. It sold poorly because it lacked power (no turbo), had bad mileage, wasn't reliable and the fact that it was a rotary. I don't believe any rotary car sold in tremendous amounts. I do know one thing. If it had a turbo, it would've sold much better. Rotaries need turbos.

 

100,000 units isn't exactly "poorly"